The earlier exploration of AI’s capabilities in fostering social good has already revealed that it’s not just a technological advance; it’s a powerful tool for tackling global challenges. Continuing this exploration into how AI helps achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this article focuses on sustainable cities and communities.
As cities become increasingly central to global efforts against climate change, the need for sustainable urban development has never been more urgent. In this context, AI-driven initiatives are playing a crucial role in designing cities that are not only smarter but also more equitable and environmentally friendly:
AI in Designing Better Cities
UrbanistAI: Participatory Urban Design
UrbanistAI takes a different but equally impactful approach by leveraging participatory AI to involve citizens in the urban planning process, making it more inclusive and ensuring that city development reflects the community’s needs. Their platform allows city residents to engage directly with AI tools, contributing ideas and feedback that shape the future of their neighborhoods. This approach not only democratizes urban design but also strengthens social networks by fostering more engaged and connected communities.
Invision AI: Enhancing Urban Mobility and Safety
Invision AI is revolutionizing urban mobility with AI-driven solutions that improve traffic management and safety. Their Vehicle Occupancy Detection (iVOD) system accurately counts passengers, optimizing HOV and HOT lane usage and significantly reducing violation rates.
Their Automatic Incident Detection (iAID) system enhances highway safety with real-time alerts, enabling energy-saving adaptive lighting. Additionally, iFlow technology increases rail station capacity and provides advanced traffic analysis, making urban transport systems more efficient without needing new infrastructure.
UrbanFootprint: Resilience Through Data
UrbanFootprint provides “Resilience Insights,” a powerful tool that integrates climate, community, and urban data to help organizations—from energy utilities to government agencies—make informed decisions. By curating thousands of datasets into a unified platform, UrbanFootprint enables users to assess risks, optimize infrastructure investments, and prioritize resources where they are most needed.
For example, Fresno Metro Ministry used UrbanFootprint to identify critical service gaps in food insecurity and connect with potential outreach partners. Similarly, Duquesne Light Company leveraged the platform to rapidly build grid resilience, demonstrating how AI can transform data into tangible community benefits.
Fathom: Transforming Flood Risk Management
In the face of climate change, efficient water resource management is crucial for urban resilience. Fathom leads this charge with an advanced suite of flood risk management products that utilize sophisticated data analytics and modeling.
Fathom’s Method Stack enhances flood modeling accuracy, starting with high-resolution terrain data that simulates water flow across varied landscapes. Their Channel Solver employs computational fluid dynamics to analyze river characteristics, calculating the dimensions needed to effectively manage water flow, especially in areas lacking gauge data.
The company’s Hydrodynamic Modeling capabilities allow for real-time simulations of flooding scenarios, while their Flood Frequency Analysis predicts extreme events in data-scarce regions. Additionally, Fathom integrates Global Climate Model (GCM) Data to translate climate projections into actionable insights, aiding in future flood risk assessments.
AI in Energy Use Efficiency
Nokia AVA Energy Efficiency: Transforming Telco Networks
78% of telecom companies are adopting AI solutions to cut energy consumption significantly. Surprisingly, 90% of the energy produced at power plants is lost during transmission, with 80% of the remaining energy consumed by radio access components, leading to vast inefficiencies.
AI-driven platforms, like Nokia’s AVA Energy Efficiency, address these challenges by enabling dynamic shutdowns of unused resources, which can save up to 30% in energy costs within weeks. This solution optimizes both active and passive network elements without affecting performance, allowing telecom operators to reduce energy waste and meet sustainability targets effectively.
Stem: Empowering Clean Energy Management
Stem is a global leader in AI-driven clean energy solutions, offering integrated services that enhance the performance and value of solar and battery energy storage assets. Through their platform, Athena, they provide a tool that enables asset owners and operators to maximize economic returns while contributing to environmental sustainability.
The Athena platform is designed to optimize flexibility throughout the clean energy value chain. The technology empowers users to confidently deploy and monetize clean energy solutions at scale. Recent benchmarking in ERCOT demonstrates that Athena can boost revenue for energy storage assets by an average of 28%.
METRON-EVA: Paving the Way for Decarbonization
Metron offers a comprehensive digital platform designed to optimize energy performance and guide decarbonization efforts. Tailored for multinational corporations, Metron centralizes energy monitoring across various sites, utilizing data science to uncover insights that traditional systems might miss. Key features include secure Data Acquisition Management, reliable Energy Performance Monitoring for compliance, and AI-driven Optimization for real-time enhancements. The platform also tracks carbon impacts, ensuring alignment with sustainability goals.
AI in Reducing Environmental Impact
Breeze Technologies: Air Quality Management
Breeze Technologies is revolutionizing air quality management in urban areas with innovative sensors and advanced analytics. Their affordable air quality sensors measure key pollutants, including carbon and nitrogen oxides, ozone, and particulate matter. This enables smart air quality management in both office buildings and larger urban environments.
The Environmental Intelligence Cloud collects real-time data from these sensors, using machine learning to enhance reliability and resolution. This empowers facility managers and municipal authorities to make informed decisions.
Breeze’s Citizen Portal provides residents with hyperlocal air quality data, fostering community engagement. By leveraging distributed sensor networks, Breeze aims to transform our understanding of air pollution, creating healthier, more livable cities.
Ellipsis earth: Environmental Monitoring
Ellipsis Earth leverages AI and real-world data to revolutionize environmental monitoring. Their cutting-edge system uses machine learning to survey and analyze environments rapidly and accurately, covering diverse locations from urban areas to coastlines. This technology enables precise targeting of environmental solutions, allowing for impactful changes and long-term sustainability.
Ellipsis Earth has partnered with governments, NGOs, and major brands, leading to significant reductions in environmental impact. Their data-driven approach not only measures pollution but also provides actionable insights, accelerating efforts to create cleaner, greener spaces worldwide.
EverImpact: Carbon Tracking
Everimpact is leading the charge in decarbonization with its innovative carbon tracking technology. By integrating real-time data from satellites, ground sensors, and IoT devices, Everimpact provides cities and businesses with a comprehensive platform to monitor their carbon emissions and sequestration.
This advanced system not only tracks current and historical GHG emissions but also forecasts future trends, helping organizations identify actionable reduction opportunities. With reliable, certified data, Everimpact enables access to climate finance, including green bonds and carbon markets, empowering clients to fund and achieve their decarbonization goals efficiently.