Exploring the Evolution of Smart Cities Through Open Data
Publication Date/Time
2025-02-28T09:00:00+00:00
Country
Global
Looking at European cities’ investment into a sustainable and green
urban future with high-value datasets
With a commitment to sustainable and greener urban development,
European cities are embracing smart city initiatives. These
initiatives aim to make urban areas more efficient, environmentally
friendly, and inclusive. 

A smart city
[https://commission.europa.eu/eu-regional-and-urban-development/topics/cities-and-urban-development/city-initiatives/smart-cities_en]
integrates digital technology to enhance traditional services and
infrastructure, creating more efficient, liveable and
business-friendly urban environments. 

This data story builds on our previous feature on high-value datasets
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/high-value-datasets-mobility-eu-3],
with a particular focus on mobility – a key category within
high-value datasets. The story demonstrates how open data can empower
cities to drive transformative change, and is organised into three
main sections: (1) ‘smart cities marketplace’ covering initiatives
that highlight real-world applications of smart-city technologies, (2)
‘smart cities in the energy sector’ examining energy-related smart
initiatives and (3) ‘smart cities in the mobility sector’ covering
mobility-related smart initiatives. Each section features a concrete
use case. 

 

OPEN DATA FOR SMART CITIES MARKETPLACE 

The smart cities marketplace
[https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu/] is an initiative by
the European Commission aimed at supporting and accelerating smart
city developments across the EU. It encourages cities to create
sustainable urban environments while offering resources to explore
innovative solutions. The respective dataset (see Figure 1)
highlights a selection of 54 successful initiatives implemented in 113
cities, including major urban centres such as Barcelona and Vienna. It
is important to note that only projects with a defined theme are
included in this selection. Additionally, a single project may address
multiple themes or be applicable across several EU Member States. The
visualisation provides insight into the primary themes of these
initiatives, with the ‘built environment’ theme being the most
prominent, followed by projects related to ‘infrastructure and
networks’. 

A standout example of these projects is the smart lighting
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/c_d612-a5c9996c-f5d1-4f46-ab39-8bb1a4a5d7fe-1?locale=en]
from Italy, which employs geospatial data to optimise urban lighting
systems. In Milan, researchers used geographic information system data
to analyse street lighting and its correlation with road accidents.
The study
[https://re.public.polimi.it/retrieve/handle/11311/1133533/501742/applsci-10-02174.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
found that poorly lit areas had higher rates of night-time accidents.
By mapping these problem areas, the city was able to prioritise
lighting upgrades, improving public safety while enhancing energy
efficiency and reducing maintenance costs. This data-driven approach
ensures that urban lighting investments are targeted where they have
the greatest impact. 

If you are interested in exploring more details about European smart
city projects, you can do so here
[https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu/insights/data/visualisations?f%5B0%5D=viz%3A434]. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20250216_Smart%20cities.png]
FIGURE 1: Overview of smart cities marketplace’s projects 
_SOURCE:_ Open data file, SMART CITIES MARKETPLACE
[https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu/scis-kpis], European
Commission. 

 

OPEN DATA FOR ENERGY IN SMART CITIES 

Urban areas, with their dense populations and high demand for
services, are major consumers of energy and significant contributors
to greenhouse gas emissions. Smart cities are at the forefront of
efforts to transition to clean energy
[https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/research-and-technology/energy-and-smart-cities_en].
Among these efforts is the NetZeroCities
[https://netzerocities.eu/mission-cities/] initiative, which involves
112 EU cities committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2030 as
part of the broader EU missions smart cities programme
[https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe/eu-missions-horizon-europe/climate-neutral-and-smart-cities_en]. 

A prominent example of a city participating in the NetZeroCities
initiative is Amsterdam, a city that has made substantial progress
toward its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. The 2050
Amsterdam climate-neutral roadmap
[https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/policy/sustainability/policy-climate-neutrality/]
outlines a comprehensive plan for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2)
emissions across various sectors. The city’s achievements are
particularly evident in the energy sector, where investments in
renewable energy have led to substantial reductions in emissions. 

As illustrated in Figure 2, Amsterdam’s CO2 emissions from
electricity have dropped from 1 965 kilotonnes in 2017 to 1 363
kilotonnes in 2021. Within this sector, commercial services have
played a major role, reducing emissions by 314 kilotonnes between 2017
and 2021. Only the emissions from the housing sector have increased,
likely due to Amsterdam’s population growth of 5 %
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/met_pjanaggr3__custom_10213543/bookmark/table?lang=en&bookmarkId=9c0b2d45-4539-42f6-aa26-5fccfd999e21]
between 2018 and 2023, which increased the demand for energy and drove
new housing developments. 

Other cities are also making notable strides in their energy
transition. Barcelona
[https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ecologiaurbana/ca/que-fem-i-per-que/energia-i-canvi-climatic/estrategia-transicio-energetica],
for instance, through its city-wide energy strategy, has focused on
increasing the use of renewable energy and enhancing energy efficiency
across its infrastructure. Copenhagen
[https://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark-pavillion/press/shaping-cities-future],
with its smart energy systems, is another example. The city has been
leveraging data since 2013 to optimise energy consumption and
integrate renewable energy sources into the grid. 

For more detailed insights into these and other energy scenarios,
click here
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/xappkp2eabsvmg?locale=en]. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20250216_CO2emissions.png]
FIGURE 2: CO2 emission reduction in Amsterdam 

_SOURCE:_ data.europa.eu, ‘CO2 emissions Amsterdam
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/xappkp2eabsvmg?locale=en]’
dataset. 

 

OPEN DATA FOR MOBILITY IN SMART CITIES 

Transport systems in smart cities
[https://urban-mobility-observatory.transport.ec.europa.eu/index_en]
are undergoing a major transformation, transitioning toward
sustainable smart mobility
[https://transport.ec.europa.eu/eu-mobility-transport-achievements-2019-2024/sustainable-smart-mobility_en].
This shift leverages technology to create environmentally friendly and
efficient transportation networks, which are crucial for achieving the
EU’s ambitious goal of reducing emissions by 90 % by 2050 as part
of the European Green Deal and smart mobility agenda
[https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/smart-mobility_en]. A
key strategy in meeting these targets is the widespread adoption of
electric vehicles. Such vehicles can play a central role in reducing
emissions from the transport sector, but their overall impact depends
on the energy mix used to generate electricity. With the current EU
energy mix and over the entire vehicle life cycle, the greenhouse gas
emissions of electric vehicles are about 17–30 % lower
[https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/eea-report-confirms-electric-cars]
than the emissions of petrol and diesel cars. Moreover, as the carbon
intensity of the EU energy mix is projected to decrease, the life
cycle emissions of a typical electric vehicle could be cut by at least
73 % by 2050. 

Growth in electric vehicle usage is closely tied to the development of
supporting infrastructure, particularly charging stations. Germany is
leading the way in electric vehicle adoption
[https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/new-registrations-of-electric-vehicles]
across the EU, boasting the highest number of registered electric
vehicles in 2023
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/road_eqr_carpda__custom_12938628/default/bar?lang=en].
This growth in electric vehicle use is supported by the rapid
expansion of charging stations in German cities. 

Figure 3 highlights the density of charging stations for electric
vehicles in Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg, illustrating the
development of smart mobility infrastructure in these cities. Berlin
stands out with 2 271 charging stations spread across a 43.6 km
diameter. The city saw a remarkable surge in 2023, adding 1 305 new
stations in that year alone. Frankfurt also experienced growth, with
199 new charging stations added in 2023, reflecting its commitment to
expanding infrastructure for electric vehicles. Hamburg, although
showing more gradual growth, has seen a consistent increase in
charging stations. Starting in 2015, the city saw notable expansions
in 2022 (190 new stations) and 2023 (238 new stations), reflecting
steady development in its infrastructure for electric vehicles. 

For those interested in further exploring Germany’s smart mobility
developments, click here
[https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/DE/Fachthemen/ElektrizitaetundGas/E-Mobilitaet/Ladesaeulenkarte/start.html]. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/20250216_Charging%20stations.png]
FIGURE 3: Germany’s electric vehicle charging stations in three
smart cities 

_SOURCE:_ data.europa.eu, ‘Bundesnetzagentur eLadesäulen
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/c7d8b166-5684-46ce-8663-1a0db635f6c3?locale=en]’
dataset. 

__ 

CONCLUSION 

Open data plays a pivotal role in advancing the development of smart
cities across the EU, fostering greener, more sustainable and
technologically advanced urban environments. The three visualisations
in this data story illustrate the transformative impact of open data
in driving smart city innovations. The first visualisation
demonstrated the broad range of projects supported by the smart cities
marketplace initiative across Europe. The second highlighted
Amsterdam’s progress in reducing CO2 emissions as part of its
roadmap to become climate-neutral. The third showcased the
distribution of electric-vehicle charging stations in German cities,
emphasising how mobility datasets support the development of
sustainable transportation systems. 

By continuing to leverage open data, we can accelerate progress,
enhance the quality of life for citizens and contribute to the
development of cleaner, smarter cities. Explore the datasets available
on data.europa.eu [https://data.europa.eu/en] to be part of this
journey. Stay informed about the latest developments by subscribing to
our newsletter [https://data.europa.eu/en/newsletter] and following
data.europa.eu on social media. 
