Guest Blogger Hannah H.
Smart cities use data and technology to create more sustainable, livable urban environments. As cities worldwide race toward ambitious climate goals, they must rethink how to manage energy, waste, transportation, and other resources to reduce their environmental impact.
Mobile apps have emerged as a practical and scalable way to help meet these targets. They offer real-time insights, resident engagement, and more effective city services. This article explores how sustainability-focused apps can transform cities, creating a more livable and efficient environment for residents.
Smart cities, at their core, are about being more useful, livable, and sustainable for residents. To achieve this, cities set clear sustainability goals, such as becoming more energy efficient, reducing waste, incorporating green transportation, and fostering urban biodiversity.
When you bring apps into the picture, sustainability efforts become more interactive and measureable. Consider how apps engage citizens, supporting municipalities in their smart city journey. An app can help collect real-time data, encourage eco-friendly habits, and support cities in resource management.
Key app features like IoT integration, predictive analysis, and gamification motivate residents to participate. For example, real-time water usage alerts can encourage households to reduce consumption, predictive traffic data can suggest lower-emission routes, and reward-based recycling apps can motivate residents toward greener habits.
It’s important to remember that while apps are powerful resources for smart cities, environmental challenges extend beyond individual municipality borders. Local governments often have limited regulatory authority over broader sustainable issues, like air quality and watershed pollution.
That’s why regional collaboration, such as municipalities sharing data and coordinating app-based initiatives, is significant and can amplify impact. Smart cities in the Triangle region represent this collaborative approach, with municipalities working together on everything from heat monitoring to flood warning systems.
Current smart city initiatives are transforming how local governments deliver services and interact with their communities. Consider Durham, which ranked number 5 in the 2024 Digital Cities Survey for its population category. Durham stands out for its digital inclusion initiatives and deployment of AI-powered tools for threat detection, resident engagement, and criminal investigations.
Just south in Cary, LoRaWAN wireless infrastructure has been deployed to support government and resident-facing smart sensors. Other smart city initiatives in the Triangle include Morrisville, where the award-winning Morrisville Central app has transformed resident engagement.
"Once (residents) become invested in the benefits you are able to provide, the conversations change from why to what's next," said Billy Whitehead, Morrisville’s Smart City Program Manager.
With over 51,000 interactions in 2024 alone, Morrisville Central now features a customizable Smart City Dashboard that lets residents monitor everything from electric car chargers to park facilities, plus a GenAI-powered CitiBot that improves information accessibility.
Additionally, Chapel Hill has developed interactive maps to deliver real-time information on services ranging from snow removal to leaf collection. In Wilson, their utility management platform has surpassed 21,000 users, processing more than 240,000 payments since its launch in early 2024.
The MyWilson portal also provides city administrators with better tools to manage utility issues and deliver a more responsive service to the community, all the while simplifying and creating a seamless experience for residents.
"We provide granular utility meter data to our customers that allows them to monitor and analyze their usage patterns to find efficiencies and, hopefully, savings," said Matthew G Nestor, Wilson’s Assistant Director of Finance.
As the Triangle’s largest city, Raleigh has also implemented several innovative smart city solutions to enhance citizens’ daily lives.
"We have developed a digital twin of the city and are still exploring all its uses," said John Holden, Raleigh's Smart City Manager.
This virtual replica allows planners and engineers to visualize and test changes before implementing them in the physical environment. The capital’s Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) represents another significant advancement.
“We have several devices and monitors around the city and larger region to help us track and predict flash floods and, in some ways, take measures to mitigate rising waters," explains Holden.
The FEWS is also complemented by regional collaboration on environmental monitoring.
"We will be deploying air quality monitors around the Triangle in an integrated, local system,” continues Holden. “This pilot project will explore heat and air quality monitoring in and between at least three communities in the Triangle and test public awareness and future actionable alerts or other methods to improve citizen awareness.”
Sustainability encompasses many areas, and apps help break this broad concept into focused, actionable steps. From energy optimization to air quality monitoring, these categories represent how mobile technology supports sustainable city practices.
Mobile tools help both cities and citizens track energy use, root out inefficiencies, and embrace renewables. For example, the Emporia App provides real-time home energy monitoring, schedules devices to run at lowest electricity rates, and unifies control of EV chargers, smart plugs, and batteries.
Locally, the MyWilson portal offers bill pay, usage insights, and meter data in one platform for Wilson, North Carolina residents. You can read more about Wilson’s smart city journey to see how tech supports sustainability goals while improving resident experience.
Transportation apps are making city travel cleaner and more efficient than traditional methods. City bike-sharing apps have surged in popularity recently, with apps like Lime helping riders find shared e-bikes and scooters directly from their phones, reducing emissions and traffic congestion. Other apps, like Via offer on-demand, shared rides in cities across the U.S. Via also provides services for paratransit and health transportation.
Some municipalities, such as Morrisville, North Carolina, have combined mobility services into unified platforms as part of their smart city journey. Transit updates, local service information, and community engagement tools are integrated into one comprehensive app, called Morrisville Central.
Waste management apps help cities reduce landfill waste and increase recycling rates. For example, Recycle Coach serves more than 1,700 municipalities across the U.S. and Canada with pickup schedules, waste sorting guidance, and interactive educational modules.
The Bower app incorporates gamification into its interface for easy and rewarding recycling practices. By scanning items with its image recognition technology, the app identifies waste materials and directs users to the nearest drop-off location. Each correct recycling action earns coins, which can be redeemed for cash, discounts, or donated to charity.
Food-focused apps help cities cut waste and strengthen local food systems. Consider the increasingly popular app, Too Good To Go, which connects users with restaurants and grocery stores offering surplus food at a discount. This helps keep edible food out of landfills and makes meals more affordable.
MakeSoil takes a community approach, linking people who have food scraps with neighbors who compost. Other platforms like Local Harvest and Farmish connect residents with local farmers' markets, fresh produce sources, and community-supported agriculture events in their areas.
Air quality and climate data apps give residents the information they need to make healthier choices and help cities act quickly in terms of pollution concerns. The AirNow Mobile App, developed by the U.S. EPA, delivers real-time and forecasted Air Quality Index (AQI) readings, fire and smoke maps.
IQAir AirVisual offers global coverage with interactive maps, custom alerts, and integration with personal air monitors for precise exposure tracking. Many large cities also now provide real-time local air quality updates and notifications through custom apps or dashboards, helping residents make informed decisions about outdoor activities and strengthening city-level climate response.
Cities can maximize their sustainability impact by pairing smart technology with community-focused design. These tips and strategies drive resident engagement, promote greener habits, and support overall progress.
Sustainability apps are changing how cities approach climate action. They are turning broad environmental goals into tangible and trackable progress. Monitoring energy use and reducing transportation emissions are just a few ways that apps help cities cut carbon footprints while also enhancing resident’s quality of life.
As app capabilities expand, with AI, IoT, and real-time data tracking, smart tech will become an even more important part of urban sustainability. Environmental impact and improved livability now work hand in hand.
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