"Smart Cities" in Hesse: Data for Improved Quality of Life and Better Mobility

Digital solutions for livable and modern cities - many municipalities in Hesse want to transform into "Smart Cities." This involves not only digital services provided by administrations but also organizing infrastructure and public services more progressively and efficiently - from mobility to green space irrigation to hazard prevention. What do the citizens gain specifically? Here are some examples:

Improving Public Transport and Traffic Management 

How crowded is the bus? Is it on time and can a stroller fit inside? These questions will soon be answered for bus passengers in the city and district of Fulda conveniently and in real time via an app. This is made possible by sensors at the entrance doors of the approximately 160 buses operating in Fulda and the district. At the same time, the position of the buses will be determined using GPS and displayed digitally in real time.

The locations of the buses will be communicated through apps, notices at bus stops, as well as dashboards of municipalities and in the RMV app. The "Di@-Mobil" project aims to make public transport in the city and district more customer-centric and help better respond to fluctuations in demand, as explained by the Ministry of Digital Affairs.

In Marburg, sensors capture the occupancy of disabled parking spaces in real time, so that users can target these spaces more accurately. A ride-sharing platform is also planned in the university town. In Kassel, for example, an AI-based analysis of individual movement data is planned to identify movement patterns in road traffic and warn of potential accidents. 

In Darmstadt, a traffic light phase assistant will contribute to improving traffic flow. This shows on an app when the traffic light ahead will turn red and how fast the driver should drive.

"This allows for more anticipatory driving and simultaneously reduces CO₂ emissions through decreased acceleration," says the city of southern Hesse. 

Efficient Irrigation

In Marburg, the city's green spaces and cemeteries department has launched tree monitoring.

"Parameters such as soil moisture, soil conductivity, and soil temperature are recorded," explains a city spokeswoman.

Based on the data, irrigation and nutrient supply can be better controlled, which also improves tree health. In Kassel, data on the root moisture of trees is collected and Darmstadt also relies on "tree sensor technology": This allows water to be targeted to trees that show a need for water - a significant contribution to climate protection, as the city explains.

This can also save watering trips by the green spaces department. Soil moisture sensors also help in Bad Nauheim for a sparing and climate-friendly use of water, as Matthias Wieliki, head of the central control department, explains.

"Even winter services will be triggered by sensors and not, as previously, by a control drive by employees."

Smart Waste Management

The spa town in the Wetterau district is also relying on intelligent route planning for the emptying of waste containers. The data is sourced from fill-level sensors in the waste containers. In Kassel, as part of the Smart Waste initiative, an app provides tips for waste reduction in everyday life and informs about the fill levels in the underground waste collection containers. More than 100 fill-level sensors have already been installed in Kassel's underground waste collection containers, with more to follow. 

Warning against Heavy Rain

The district of Fulda, for example, is using smart technologies in the fight against heavy rain. Since this May, according to the district administration, the step-by-step constructed early warning system for heavy rain has been operational in all 23 municipalities. Approximately 200 sensors have been installed in sewage channels, on bridges, public buildings, and bodies of water.

The sensors determine precipitation amounts and water levels and analyze the flow behavior in the channels. In real-time, the data is sent to a cloud and compared with current measurement data and weather forecasts from the German Weather Service (DWD). Artificial Intelligence is also used in the evaluation of the data.