Smart and Sustainable? Positioning Adaptation to Climate Change in the European Smart City

Cristina García Fernández,Daniël Peek

doi:10.3390/smartcities3020027

Abstract

This article reports on the elements of adaptation to climate change in European Smart City initiatives in order to understand to what extent Smart Cities can be the answer in the fight against climate change. On the grounds of innovative efforts implemented in Barcelona, Rotterdam, and Vienna, we examine the opportunities and obstacles to both Smart Environment (defined as an axis of the Smart City) and adaptation to climate change, linking them together. As it is difficult to estimate the benefits of climate action in the short term due to often costly solutions, Smart City proposals could provide the economic incentive to create adaptive, energy-efficient, and sustainable societies. As the need for adaptive and resilient cities in the global context of climate change rises, the concept of Smart City might need to evolve into that of a Smart Sustainable City, positioning the environment at the core of its development. Results from this analysis suggest that the interaction between technology and nature can be enhanced when a Smart City approach promotes the integration of climate strategies and encourages the participation of citizens, something that is crucial since early adaptation efforts can safeguard smart infrastructure from climate impacts.

Highlights

The twenty-first century is well on its way to becoming the century of cities, as the world is experiencing a massive wave of urbanization
We analyzed the role of adaptation to climate change in the concept of Smart City, and we showed that addressing climate impacts is part of it in the form of Smart Environment or natural environment [18,19]
For a city to remain relevant in the future, the city leadership should strive to deliver the best quality of life for its residents, which includes seeking harmony with nature to ensure the stability and resilience of urban ecosystems

Summary

Introduction

The twenty-first century is well on its way to becoming the century of cities, as the world is experiencing a massive wave of urbanization. According to the United Nations (UN), 55 percent of the world’s population is currently residing in urban areas, while this is expected to rise to around 68 percent in 2050 [1]. Much of this growth, is due to urban migration patterns in Asia and the Global South, as urbanization rates in Europe were already relatively high. According to the European Commission (EC), 72 percent of the European population lives in urban areas, where European cities tend to be medium-sized, with few cities over one million residents and only two over 10 million inhabitants [2]. The rush to cities for their social and economic benefits comes with heavy environmental pressures, such as the rapid exploitation of natural resources, threatening water, food, and energy supplies to the cities, which are crucial to the overall well-being of the citizens [6]

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Discussion

Conclusion