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Infrastructure for smart and resilient cities

    • Meeting in digital format
    • 14 May 2021

          The Smart City is an urban model that for some time now has been studied and applied in various parts of the world. The ecological and digital transitions that will be guiding the post-pandemic recovery, however, make investing in this model even more important. The emergency associated with the spread of the virus has highlighted how the possession and best use of data – i.e. the intelligence of a given urban area – are key to ensuring not only cities’ recovery but also their resilience in the face of possible future adversity. If data are a fundamental element, collecting and using them cannot take place without a solid infrastructure base. Broadband connectivity has turned out to be crucial over the past months with the increased use of remote work, which seems destined to remain structurally integral in the years to come. Moreover, infrastructures are strategic to the interface between urban hierarchies and peripheral areas; a tendency fueled by the pandemic that calls for investments in new services and connections in and around cities.  

          All these digital revolutionary elements must be brought into line with the needs of the ecological transition. What’s more, cities and infrastructures are among the items on the United Nations 2030 sustainable development agenda. Indeed, the circular economy claims a major point of departure in Italy, which holds the top ranking in Europe on that score. Circularity comes not only with the reuse of waste but also with the more intelligent and efficient use of resources such as water, electricity and the energy needed for heating that all require massive grid upgrade investments. The utilities sector is on the forefront of this process, with the National Recovery and Resilience Plan playing a fundamental, albeit not all-inclusive, role: European and national funding need a legal and administrative framework capable of mobilizing private capital for innovation.

          Adequate governance will ensure the success of the post-pandemic recovery, but is also an important assurance in response to fears that the smart city’s ability to collect and analyze huge amounts of data will jeopardize the privacy of citizens. This issue concerns not only the legal aspect, which must also be efficacious and not impose futile and costly obligations, but also the choice of who steers urban development. Public/private agreements in a range of sectors have shown that various actors, starting with telecommunications firms, are capable of collaborating with public administrations while at the same time guaranteeing the protection of people’s data – mainly because services, not user data, are their core business model concern. The pandemic has serviced as an accelerator in this field and that pace needs to be maintained during the recovery. In the awareness that only policies of sustainability assisted by smart infrastructures can restore centrality to cities by increasing their resilience and livability. 

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