Smart Cities and Nature

Smart Cities: Less Cars, More Space for Life

By Foreste per Sempre OdV

In recent years, much has been said about smart cities — places where technology and sustainability should work together to improve quality of life. Yet true urban intelligence is not measured by sensors or algorithms, but by a city’s ability to reduce its impact and return space to life.

We have often discussed the role of urban trees, green management, and the need for urban forests and biodiversity. But if we look for the main obstacle to re-naturalizing our cities, we find it paved in asphalt and covered in metal: the automobile.

The Car Paradox

The car has become both the symbol and the burden of modern cities.
A vehicle weighing over a ton, used most of the time by a single person weighing less than one-tenth of that, and whose real energy efficiency is below 30% — the rest is lost as heat. As Ivan Illich wrote back in the 1970s, “modern man devotes more time to his car than he gains in freedom of movement.”

More than 90% of private cars remain parked most of the time, occupying vast areas of public and private land — streets, garages, parking lots.
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA, 2023), road infrastructures are among the main causes of soil consumption and habitat fragmentation in urban areas, reducing soil permeability and increasing flood risk.

Smart Mobility: A Possible Transition

A truly smart mobility transition is not just about electrifying cars, but about rethinking the very concept of ownership and use.
Artificial intelligence and autonomous driving now make it possible to create on-demand transport systems, where shared vehicles are managed through digital platforms and used only when needed.

Pilot projects of autonomous car sharing are already being tested in Singapore, Helsinki, and San Francisco, while in Europe the EU Smart Mobility Strategy (2021) and the European Green Deal Urban Agenda promote “mobility as a service,” integrating public transport, bicycles, micro-mobility, and shared solutions.

Eliminating parked cars from streets and courtyards would free up enormous space for trees, gardens, and public squares. Imagine a city where, thanks to smart software, citizens can book a vehicle tailored to their needs, which automatically returns to underground parking or storage facilities after use.
These services could be provided by local authorities or private companies under public regulation, replacing individual car ownership with subscription-based access that covers all transport needs.

Giving Space Back to Life

Reducing the space occupied by cars means liberating cities — creating more green areas, cycling routes, and social spaces.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), access to urban green areas improves psychological well-being, reduces stress, and lowers the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The smartest cities are those that choose to live with nature, not against it.
Walking and cycling remain the most intelligent and sustainable forms of mobility, while technology can help restore a new balance between people, environment, and movement.

“A city is truly smart when it puts life, not machines, at its center.”
(Inspired by the principles of the New Urbanism and the European Green Deal)

Clearly, long-distance intercity travel and the current disorganized management of goods will require distinct transportation solutions.