Page 43 - Implementing ITU-T International Standards to Shape Smart Sustainable Cities: The Case of Singapore
P. 43
Implementing ITU-T International Standards to Shape Smart Sustainable Cities –
The Case of Singapore
3D visualization allows for optimization in the design of underground projects and enables
planners to better plan the underground connections, such as from building to the mass rapid
transit station. This initiative enables the Singapore Government to plan and manage future
underground developments better.
Another example of the use of ICTs within an urban planning context includes the 2014 Housing
& Development Board (HDB) development of a Smart HDB Town Framework to guide the
development of Smart HDB Towns across four key dimensions: Smart Planning, Smart
Environment, Smart Estate and Smart Living. Coincidentally, these four dimensions relate almost
directly to various ITU KPIs and can be implemented to measure progress.
HDB created a Smart Town framework that augments and stretches its existing sustainability
goals to make the towns more liveable, sustainable, efficient and safe. The framework maps out
plans for smart towns and smart-enabled homes, focusing on the infrastructure (sensors, ICT
networks and data hub) and applications that cover all facets of urban development, namely
planning and urban design, estate management, quality living and community building.
Guided by the framework, HDB has deployed various smart technologies in its living laboratories,
such as Yuhua and Punggol Eco-Town. Town planning is aided by environment simulations to
improve thermal comfort, walkability and acoustics. Environment sensors and building sensors
are deployed to capture data in a centralised data hub. With data, planning assumptions can be
verified and data analytics carried out to enhance estate management. New homes are smart-
enabled to facilitate the residents’ adoption of smart home solutions such as utility management
systems, in order to allow residents to control their energy and water consumption. Some of the
residents at the Yuhua estate are the first in this pilot project to experience "smart living". The
project assesses how some of the smart solutions can better integrate with residents’ day-to-
day lives before the technology is rolled-out in other areas.
In 2016, HDB reviewed and refined its Smart Town Framework. A fifth dimension, Smart
Community was added to focus on leveraging technologies to help enhance community bonding
efforts in HDB neighbourhoods and empowering communities to take greater ownership in
driving greater sustainability in their living environment.
Figure 14 – Smart HDB Town Framework
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