Is Vienna the Quintessential Smart City?

European cities are often turned to as models for their innovative and inspiring efforts to create more sustainable, livable, and efficient cities. While Copenhagen and Barcelona are among the first cities to come to mind as precedents, Tomer believes Vienna should be added to the list of models for building a smart and sustainable metropolis.

"Vienna's energy consumption includes renewable and waste-to-energy generators reducing annual carbon emissions by 3.8 million tons. The transportation network supports more sustainable commuting, with over 70 percent of Viennese residents traveling by bicycle, transit, or walking. The data investments created a 3-D mapping database, enabling officials to measure exactly how many solar panels city roofs could support. These sorts of results and others help explain why Vienna is one of the top places to live on the planet."

U.S. metropolitan areas can follow in Vienna's footsteps through implementing carbon reduction goals, creating sustainable urban developments and using data as a gateway for better decision-making, explains Tomer.