• Sci & Tech

    2nd Smart Tehran Congress: Urban Managers Looking at Smart Solutions

    As is the norm in metropolises in most countries, transforming the Iranian capital into a smart city has been a priority of Tehran Municipality. Under ex-mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi, the TM held a congress it called ‘Smart Tehran’. The pronounced aim was to promote the application of modern technologies in urban development.

    The second edition of the congress is slated for Dec. 5-11. With the date fast approaching, Tehran City Council, mayor-elect Pirouz Hanachi and other urban decision makers met Monday to outline plans for the Second Smart Tehran Congress, the event’s website, Smart-Tehran.ir reported.

    Chairman of Tehran City Council Mohsen Hashemi referred to the role and significance of modern technologies in urban development. “Providing decision-makers timely and updated information from smart monitoring systems can help them make informed decisions to address pressing urban issues,” he told the conferees.

    Smart technologies can be employed for monitoring air quality, traffic flow and water and power distribution networks, to name a few. According to Hashemi, if urban managers have real-time access to key information they will be able to better address urban issues.

    He noted that harnessing smart solutions and Internet of Things (IoT) technology can help resolve problems Tehran has been struggling with for decades, including the suffocating air pollution and monstrous traffic.

    Role of Former Mayor

    Application of smart solutions and IoT technology in urban management were put on the municipality’s agenda during ex-mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi’s short tenure.

    Like his predecessor, Hanachi is also of the opinion that the push towards transforming Tehran into a smart city can help improve the quality of urban life and resolve decades-old problems.

    “Universities and scientific research institutions can and should contribute to the process of transforming Tehran into a smart city,” the veteran of the capital’s municipality said.  

    He called on entrepreneurs, startups, and experts to help the municipality to come up with innovative smart solutions for resolving urban problems. An estimated 12 million people live in the metropolis that had a population of three million four decades ago. However, recent reports say Tehranis are gradually moving to the satellite towns and other cities due largely to the high and rising cost of living in the capital, especially housing costs.   

    “The Smart Tehran Congress will provide startups and academia the opportunity to introduce their ideas, attract private investment and introduce new projects in line with the smart transformation plan.”

    Lawmaker Parvane Mafi was also present at the meeting. She emphasized the need and importance of smart technologies in development strategies and voiced support for the TM in its endeavors to transform the city.

    Head of the TM's Information and Communication Technology Organization Mohammad Farjoud delivering a report on the previous congress talked about practical ways to make the upcoming event more effective.

    Current Projects

    Employing smart technologies, the TM has established several online services that enable people and authorities to monitor air quality and traffic flow.

    The use of IoT solutions has gained traction as projects have been undertaken in different sectors including agriculture and energy. 

    Several projects entailing application of smart technologies have been implemented in Iran, including replacing old electricity meters with smart grids to increase the accuracy in monitoring consumption. Smart power meters digitally send meter readings to energy suppliers via the Internet to ensure more accurate billing. 

    Currently, the TM and Tehran Traffic Police are using automated smart surveillance systems to spot old and dilapidated cars that are considered as the main source of air pollution in the metropolis.

    Installation of online air quality monitoring systems across the capital can also be named among the modern technologies used in urban management.

    Tehran Municipality has made known that it welcomes collaboration with companies and individuals whose products and services can help alleviate problems such as air pollution and traffic congestion.

    More Steps

    In another step toward making Tehran a smart city, the municipality introduced three smart platforms last month to facilitate urban and administrative affairs.

    The platforms included the Tehran Municipality Management Dashboard, Smart Atlas of Tehran Neighborhoods and the Administrative Correspondence System.

    The management dashboard is to provide municipal staff up-to-date and detailed information helping them make informed and data-based decisions.

    Smart Atlas of Tehran Neighborhoods is a system for monitoring and managing renovation projects targeting distressed urban areas in 158 neighborhoods.

    Administrative tasks can be carried out more readily and rapidly via the Administrative Correspondence System.

    In line with efforts to promote the use of smart technologies in the capital, the municipality recently launched an electronic system through which people can notify TM authorities when there is a problem or inconvenience.

    At the international level, IoT and smart solutions have conquered a wide arena and are employed for offering quality services. Smart devices connected via the Internet have been installed in several cities around the world, which collect and analyze data in real-time. Using the information, for instance, cities can map areas of high pollution, track changes and identify polluters, and if possible remove them.

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