At a news conference, Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadis said the plan was to avoid piecemeal solutions and to adopt an integrated plan that would compare favourably with international best practices.
“We will start implementing plans for the capital to become the first smart city in Cyprus,” he said.
The municipality intends to launch the project ‘Supply, installation and operation of infrastructure and smart city systems, focusing primarily on the needs for revitalising certain areas and planning for integrated urban development.
The project includes: the development of next-generation data networks, intelligent street lighting systems, smart mobility systems, waste management, as well as an integrated and open environment for digital development through the developer community.
The project’s technical standards will be open to public consultation until July 26, and the municipality is inviting interested parties to submit their comments.
“Nicosia is implementing the most extensive development intervention in smart city infrastructure in Cyprus,” said Yiorkadjis.
“We are utilising the opportunity of regeneration in the city centre to develop fiber-optic network [Nicosia Fiber Network], in conjunction with a wireless network (Wifi) creating an ecosystem for next-generation data networks.”
The plan includes installing electronic communications systems or ‘info points’ for promotion and strengthening tourism and cultural events in the capital, and intelligent lighting system for energy conservation and more efficient monitoring and maintenance.
It also includes developing smart mobility application for the decongestion of traffic, ‘smart’ bus shelters informing commuters in real-time on public transport, and ‘smart’ parking information.
Intelligent waste management for better planning garbage collection is also part of the plan while environmental sensors for measuring, recording and offering the public information for markers such as moisture, dust, air microparticles and noise, will also be installed around the city. The project will be done in coordination with the capital’s Centre of Excellence in Research and Innovation (RISE) and will be dubbed iNicosia. It will be the flagship project for RISE.
“Through this project iNicosia aims to provide innovative and improved solutions that meet the needs of the city and its citizen,” the municipality said.
The project is co-financed from the European Structural and Investment Funds, the government and the Nicosia municipality.
Source: Cyprus Mail
