An Edinburgh Napier academic is using his expertise to help shape policy in smart city development in China.
Dr Luca Mora recently collaborated with members of the Zhejiang provincial government during a one month visit to the UK.
During the visit, Dr Mora presented to the Chinese delegation on smart cities and how its adoption can enhance urban sustainability.
A smart city is one that incorporates information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance the quality and performance of services such as energy, transportation and utilities.
An example of a successful smart city project is one spearheaded by Los Angeles County Public Works.
The organisation over saw the implementation of a smart traffic solution to control the flow of traffic in the city. It installed road-surface sensors and close-circuit television cameras that send real-time updates about the tragic flow to a central traffic management system.
The data collected by the sensors and cameras is analysed in an effort to let users know of congestion and traffic signal malfunctions.
This example was just one of many that Dr Mora and the party discussed as the delegation looked towards developing a regional policy of its own.
Dr Mora said: “The delegation from Zhejiang was extremely interested in the smart city subject and I was delighted to present to them during a recent trip to the UK.
“Becoming smart is important because technology offers the possibility to boost urban sustainability and enhance living by improving the capacity of urban infrastructures to respond to the needs of its users by means of new digital services and applications.
“It’s fantastic to see more and more local governments take an interest in the smart city approach, and it’s great to help play a part in shaping policy on the subject on an international scale.”
Dr Luca Mora is a lecturer in Urban Innovation Dynamics at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School as well as a research affiliate at the University’s Centre for Smart Cities.