Faster and greener: how cities are meeting consumer demand

E-commerce is set to grow by 56% in the next five years.* In tandem, consumers demand everything faster and greener. As a result, there’s a greater push for companies to have smarter fulfilment centres in urban locations close to consumers.

Zero-Emission Zones: a response to the growth of e-commerce

Smarter cities are meeting consumer demand

For cities to keep up with consumer demand they need to become smarter. Many cities are already adopting digital solutions to manage their resources. The demand for smart city systems and solutions is estimated to increase by 25% every year, with an overall market value of approximately US$517 billion.⁵ Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies can be used to automate and streamline existing processes, while augmented reality allows us to interact with the digital and physical world simultaneously.

The Internet of Things is enabling cities to become part of a smart connected system. Multiple objects are internet-enabled, providing data to a central source so that services can be managed easily by the local authorities. For example, rubbish bin sensors can inform authorities when to organise waste collection, enabling more efficient services through data-based decision making.

These types of technologies are paving the way for cities that can respond and adapt in real time by combining their hard infrastructure with social and communication systems.⁶

^* Euromonitor (including video)

* * Retail Carbon Footprints: Measuring Impacts from Real Estate and Technology – MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab 2020 (video)

* * * World Economic Forum

⁴ ICCT

⁵ UN Habitat

⁶ ARUP

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