GrowSmarter

Three Lighthouse Cities demonstrate smart solutions for Europe

How can cities across Europe best be transformed to make them more smart and sustainable? GrowSmarter aims to showcase smart solutions in real-life context in its three lighthouse cities Stockholm, Cologne and Barcelona. Follower cities Valetta, Suceava, Porto, Cork and Graz will follow the lighthouse cities, learn and develop a replication plan suitable for their local needs. The project was kicked off in 2015 and will run until the end of 2019.

What is it about?     

GrowSmarter brings together cities and more than 20 partners from industry to integrate and demonstrate ‘12 Smart City solutions’ in energy, infrastructure and transport. It aims to establish a solid market for these smart solutions in order to steer European cities toward a smart and more sustainable future. The 12 Smart City solutions are split into three areas of action: Low energy districts, integrated infrastructures, sustainable urban mobility, including solutions such as smart local electricity management, smart waste collection and smart traffic management. Additionally, the 12 solutions should improve the overall economic, social and environmental sustainability and thus improve the quality of life of European citizens, reduce negative environmental impact and create sustainable economic development.

Lighthouse Cities:

The smart solutions will be implemented in designated sites in the three Lighthouse Cities - Stockholm, Cologne and Barcelona. The sites include industrial areas, suburban and downtown districts - a sample of districts that represents many European cities.

Stockholm is growing rapidly and faces challenges of both maintaining and developing its unique city character. The key priority is to make sure that Stockholm remains a sustainable city that offers an attractive and inspiring living and working environment. Showcasing of the 12 smart solutions will take place in Årsta, which is a fast-growing district in the South of Stockholm. 

Cologne is expanding spatially and the areas of interest in Grow Smarter include sustainable mobility, energy efficiency of buildings, low-emission heating facilities and ensuring an integrated infrastructure. The 12 smart solutions are demonstrated in Mülheim, which is a vibrant area in the North-East of Cologne currently undergoing a process of regeneration.

Barcelona is a metropolitan hub with a long tradition of industry and entrepreneurship. In Redcent years, Barcelona has been transformed into an urban laboratory piloting several smart city projects. The smart solutions will be implemented in the innovation zone known as 22nd District, an area that mixes residential, industrial and academic buildings next to the Mediterranean.

Five follower cities Valetta, Suceava, Porto, Cork and Graz will follow and learn from the lighthouse cities, identify measures that are appropriate for their local context and furthermore establish an individual replication plan.

The GrowSmarter project was one of three projects chosen to receive support from the first EU Horizon 2020 call for ‘Smart cities and communities’. The additional two successful projects are Remourban and Triangulum. All three projects will be working closely together to maximize the impact and exchange of experience.