Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
2.1
Smart City Models
The urban examples analysed in this section show different ways to implement
innovative approaches in cities aiming at the reduction of green house gas emis-
sions, and more in general, at reaching an improved quality of living buildings and
urban settlements for citizens.
The picture extensively given in Riva Sanseverino et al. (
2012
) and arising from
the brief description here reported is certainly non homogeneous. The latter,
especially when considering smart mobility but also the other declinations of the
smartness concept, is influenced by the level of existing infrastructures, therefore
by the pre-existing 'distance' between cities like (as an example) Stockholm and a
Euro-Mediterranean Italian city like Palermo.
1
The deep pre-existing diversifica-
tion of the urban contexts in Europe derives from different approaches that have
characterized the municipal administrations in the cities. Especially in Italy, the
lack of coordination in the elaboration of the urban codes together with the con-
straints set by daily emergencies have brought a slower development of innovative
measures carried out in different ways and at a different pace in all areas of the
country.
Environmental and historical heritage can indeed be a strong limitation in the
integration of renewable energy sources and energy efficient measures. Their
impact on the territory must be attentively evaluated in each situation and based on
this some general rules for their integration can be outlined to simplify and
standardize the approach. A detailed impact analysis in a Euro Mediterranean area
is proposed in Costantino et al. (
2012
) and Vaccaro (
2011
).
Another general issue, underlying almost all the cited cases, concerns the
economic sustainability of innovation in cities. Most experiences indeed prove that
in the medium term these investments cannot create self-supporting initiatives and
this is one of the added values of experimentation in cities by means of public
financial support.
The public administrations have a strategic role in backing up innovation, since,
as it will be shown by some virtuous examples, it can take part to the initiatives
facilitating them, not taking the entire economic risk of them, but sharing it with
private investors. The latter, based on their size and if involved in the management
of the infrastructures may have the interest to improve the quality of the service
offered and to diversify it. The public administrations should take care that private
1
In Palermo it is not possible yet to talk about smart mobility: here indeed the massive use of
private transportation means can be registered. The few public transportation means, obsolete and
not well maintained, cannot support adequately the mobility demand of around 1 million people
living the city and the surroundings. The tram system should serve the city in the future but is still
on the way to be completed: only some parts are active, and these are those regained from the old
railway system serving the city at the beginning of the century. The other lines that are being built
should connect the city center to some neighboring areas (forecasted date of opening 2015), their
completion is slowed down by the limited available resources at national level.
