Smarter Together – Smart City in Munich

Organisation type

Public administration at local level

Use case area

Energy
Environment
Transport

Geographic scope

Germany

Domain

Environment

Challenge:

Munich faces challenges related to sustainability, energy efficiency, and mobility. The city's Neuaubing-Westkreuz and Freiham districts, characterised by high-density housing and mixed land use, require innovative solutions to meet growing energy demands, reduce carbon emissions, and improve urban mobility. The challenge was to integrate smart technologies that would help meet these needs while enhancing the quality of life for residents.

Approach:

Under the EU-funded Smarter Together project, Munich launched several smart city initiatives aimed at improving energy efficiency, mobility, and urban living. The project focuses on the refurbishment of buildings to reduce energy consumption, the deployment of smart technologies for energy management, and the integration of new mobility solutions, such as electric vehicle charging stations and shared mobility services. These efforts are supported by a Smart Data Platform (SDP), a citywide data management ecosystem designed to save energy, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and improve traffic flow through real-time data insights. The platform integrates diverse data sources – energy consumption, e-mobility management, and local climate and pollution data – collected from sensors and city services across the Neuaubing-Westkreuz and Freiham districts. The development process involved establishing a knowledge exchange network, setting goals, and creating a Data Gatekeeper (DGK) to handle data privacy and security. The SDP was built through a four-step approach: common reporting, project books, knowledge carriers, and P2P workshops.

Outcomes:

The Smarter Together project in Munich has led to significant improvements across various domains. Through building retrofits and the use of smart energy management systems, energy consumption in the refurbished areas is expected to decrease substantially. The introduction of shared electric vehicles and smart mobility stations has also enhanced local mobility, reducing reliance on private cars and cutting down CO2 emissions, while intelligent lampposts equipped with environmental sensors provide real-time air quality data, enabling responsive traffic and pollution management. Additionally, the Smart Data Platform provides crucial insights to optimise energy use, mobility, and service delivery, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient urban development strategy. This platform’s data-driven analyses allow city planners to monitor and adjust urban services, such as mobility hubs and energy distribution, improving overall resource allocation. Importantly, the project promotes strong community involvement, ensuring that solutions are co-created with residents and tailored to their specific needs and preferences. By offering residents access to the Transparency Dashboard, the project also fosters trust and awareness, allowing citizens to track the project’s progress and environmental impact. By integrating smart data, energy efficiency measures, and mobility solutions, the project has created a more sustainable and liveable environment for its residents. The initiative aligns with Munich’s long-term sustainability goals and sets a benchmark for future smart city projects across Europe.

Data Sources:

The Smart Data Platform in the Smarter Together project collects real-time data from various sources, including mobility hubs, energy usage in buildings, and other public services. It integrates data from shared mobility services like e-bikes and car-sharing platforms, allowing for the monitoring and analysis of mobility patterns. Additionally, the platform tracks energy usage in refurbished buildings, enabling efficiency monitoring and improvements. Data collection challenges included ensuring data privacy, managing diverse data types, and integrating various technical infrastructures.

Additional Information:

Point of Contact:

smarter-togethermuenchen [dot] de (smarter-together[at]muenchen[dot]de)