- Employing data for improved living standards: Intelligent Cities in Hesse
Technological Transformations for Livable and Modern Urban Spaces - Many Cities in Hessen are Striving to Become "Smart Cities"
It's not just about digital services provided by administrations, but also about enhancing and streamlining infrastructure and public services - from transportation to green space irrigation to disaster prevention. What benefits do residents gain from this? Let's examine some instances:
Enhanced Public Transportation and Traffic Management
In the future, passengers in Fulda city and district will be able to effortlessly and in real-time, using an app, discover the bus's occupancy, its lateness, and whether it accommodates strollers. This will be possible through sensors installed at the entrance doors of approximately 160 buses operating in Fulda and the district. Concurrently, the bus's position will be continually determined via GPS and digitally displayed in real-time. The buses' locations will be shared via apps, signs at bus stops, common dashboards, and the RMV app. The "Di@-Mobil" project aims to make public transportation more user-friendly and capable of reacting to demand fluctuations, according to the Digital Ministry.
Marburg is utilizing sensors to monitor the occupancy of disabled parking spaces in real-time, thereby enabling users to efficiently utilize them. The university town is also planning a carpooling platform. Meanwhile, Kassel is planning an AI-driven analysis of individual movement data to map traffic patterns and anticipate potential accidents.
In Darmstadt, an intersection assistant aims to improve traffic flow by informing users via an app when the traffic lights ahead turn red and the recommended speed. "This encourages proactive driving and reduces CO2 emissions due to reduced acceleration," said the southern Hesse city.
Efficient Irrigation
Marburg's Urban Greenery and Cemeteries Department has implemented a tree monitoring system. "Parameters such as soil moisture, soil conductivity, and soil temperature are recorded," explains a city spokesperson. Based on these data, irrigation and nutrient supply can be better regulated, improving tree health. Kassel collects data on the root moisture of trees, and Darmstadt uses "tree sensors" to distribute water to trees with a water requirement specifically. This significantly contributes to climate protection, according to the city. This also reduces tours by the green space department for irrigation. Soil moisture sensors also aid in Bad Nauheim with efficient and climate-friendly water use, as explained by Matthias Wieliki, head of the Central Control department. "The winter service is also triggered by sensors, not by a control drive by employees, as was previously the case."
Smart Waste Disposal
The spa town in the Wetterau district relies on intelligent route planning for emptying waste containers. The data for this comes from fill level sensors on the waste containers. In Kassel, an app provides tips on waste reduction in daily life and informs about the fill levels in the underground waste collection containers. Over 100 fill level sensors have already been installed in Kassel's underground waste collection containers, with more to follow.
Heavy Rain Warning
Fulda county has been employing smart technologies to combat heavy rain since May. All 23 municipalities have been using the gradually built-up early warning system for heavy rain, which involves around 200 sensors installed in sewers, at bridges, public buildings, and waterways. These sensors measure rainfall amounts and water levels, analyze flow behavior in channels, and transmit data in real-time to a cloud. This data is compared with current measurements and weather forecasts from the German Weather Service (DWD). AI is also employed in data analysis.
Safety Measures
In Bad Nauheim, sensors monitor noise pollution. Specialized sensors can categorize the noise source, allowing the auxiliary police to objectively prioritize their responses to urgent situations or loud music. The city explains that "this helps to ensure that the right resources are deployed to the right place at the right time."
Digital Building Authority
Since 2023, the "Digital Building Authority" project has been underway with all municipal building authorities in Fulda county. In the first phase, equipment such as screens, computers, scanners, presentation monitors, and other hardware were updated in the building authorities. Digital document management systems and specialized software for digital storage and processing of building applications were also introduced. The largest sub-project is the digitization of several hundred meters of paper building files, which is being carried out by external service providers and is expected to be completed in all municipalities by the end of this year.
Citizen and Guest Hub and Assistance for Seniors
Among Kyoto's "Smart City" projects is the 2021-opened Kassel Service Point - a hub for citizens and guests of the city located in the inner-city shopping center Galeria. Digital means are employed here to offer information and services on the go. A mobile vehicle called the Smart Age Mobile travels to local neighborhoods in Kassel to provide information and hands-on experience with digital topics. A digital wayfinding system for people in need of assistance is also available, both online and via an app, to provide orientation in daily life.
The County of Fulda is part of the framework where residents can track bus occupancy and lateness in real-time, thanks to the installation of sensors on buses. This is part of the "Di@-Mobil" project aimed at improving public transportation and responding to demand fluctuations.
In its efforts to combat heavy rain, the County of Fulda has implemented an early warning system using smart technologies, with around 200 sensors installed in various locations to measure rainfall, water levels, and analyze flow behavior.
