Smart city technologies and transportation systems are helping cities accommodate growing populations, overcome congestion, and build a sustainable future. The challenges of getting around in a city have been part of our lives since humans began living in urban environments. How do we balance congestion, ease of mobility, and pollution?
The answer is straightforward: with IoT technologies, 5G, Artificial Intelligence, ultra-fast connections, autonomous vehicles, and much more. Here’s how it works: smart cities—those that are highly connected—collect data from every available source, such as traffic lights, cameras, and devices embedded in public transportation, analyze that data with AI, and share it. This creates a constant data network that supports traffic management, route planning, public safety, and emergency response.
In other words, if an accident happens, the system can immediately dispatch an ambulance and the police and generate specific routes to reach the location, sending alerts through traffic lights and to other drivers along the way.
Together, these sensors, microphones, and smart cameras can build a near real-time digital understanding of what’s happening on a city’s streets, highways, and railways.
Brazilian scenario
According to a study conducted by the Institute for Energy and Environment (IEMA), in São Paulo, urban transportation is responsible for 72.6% of greenhouse gas emissions. But actions are already underway to reverse this scenario.
One example is the Alliance for Sustainable Mobility, an initiative led by 99 in partnership with major players in Brazil’s mobility market, aiming to transform urban mobility by putting more electric vehicles on the streets. Growing awareness and concern about electric vehicles in Brazil has also supported the expansion of automakers in the sector, such as the giant BYD, which has surpassed Tesla in sales, has already opened dealerships here, and is becoming increasingly established worldwide. The future of mobility will certainly be shaped by technology and sustainability.
