Gauteng Business 2017-18 edition

SPECIAL FEATURE
among the 12km of road and bicycle lanes. Eighty
separate experiments are under way at any one time,
via 156 sensors placed around the industrial park.
Testing for air quality, waste removal bins that
send signals to headquarters when they are full,
smart parking and intelligent lighting (that reduces
intensity when no cars or bicycles are around) are
among the ongoing trials.
Makgata thinks this kind of experimental park is
something that the City of Tswhane could replicate:
“We want to use that concept to resolve urban issues.”
Several of Tshwane’s automotive manufacturers like
BMW have already said that they are receptive to
the idea.
A smart city network requires three layers of infrastructure.
Firstly, it needs cables and sensors and
places to put them. Fortunately, cities have lots of
street light poles which can carry many cables, not
just cables for the individual street light. Street furniture
can also be used for this purpose. Secondly,
there must be data platforms and networks that can
interpret the data being collected at street level. Finally,
smart cities must deliver smart urban services in the
form of apps (to tell drivers where parking is available
as shown in the photograph on this page of a DOLL
manager reading parking space data) and other valueadded
services.
The system does not need very high power as
the individual sensors would not be communicating
all day: the smart waste bin might only send a
message when it is full.
Makgata sees potential for multiple uses in
Tshwane: “On one platform you can have solutions
for safety and security (including lighting),
traffic management and other aspects. In waste
management, instead of sticking to our schedule
which says come on Monday but the bins are
empty, we rather receive the signal when the bin
is full. We can rearrange the traffic flow if there is
an accident.”
Tshwane plans to build four multi-storied parking
stations on the outskirts of the inner city linked
to the bus rapid transport (BRT) system. Up-todate
data on car movements will help the city
allocate busses.
Aarhus is Denmark’s second-biggest city and is
a renewable energy hub and research centre. The
city hosts the head office of wind turbine company
Vestas and already uses smart technology for traffic
management. “In Aarhus when people arrive in the
city by car, you can always find information about
where to find free parking spaces,” says Lützen.
He makes the point that a lot of smart city applications
are invisible. “The whole traffic system,
including the traffic lights, is coordinated in a
smart way so you get the best flow via sensors in
the roads.”
Sophie Meritet, Affiliate Professor at the Paris
Institute of Political Studies, argues that the particular
dynamics of African cities must be taken
into account when planning smart cities. African
Cities quotes Meritet on Africa’s design priorities
which should be “mobility and energy efficiency
for cities, and this should be done by designing
low-consumption urbanism”.
The South African and Danish representatives
agree that the focus must be on local issues.
Makgata was impressed that at the DOLL laboratory:
“Whatever they do, there is a focus on how you
resolve urban management issues.” Lützen stresses
that the Danes don’t want to impose any solutions.
Rather, he says, the key question is, “Where can we
make a positive change?”
At national level, the Danish and South African
governments have several agreements such as the
Strategic Sector Cooperation on Water and the
Environment. Renewable energy is another area
of cooperation.
27 GAUTENG BUSINESS 2017/18