Shanghai is tackling city management challenges with a new smart system.
A smart urban management project led by Shanghai Engineering Design Institute, the city’s major infrastructure designer, will be launched soon after passing inspection.
The platform, developed under a national key research plan on smart urban management, is being tested at 20 infrastructure sites in Shanghai.
The city uses a grid management system, dividing areas into smaller sections. Each grid, managed by dedicated personnel, handles local issues.
This system, initiated 20 years ago, has faced difficulties in meeting modern demands.
“Grid management has pain points and cannot meet new urban needs,” Shao Changyu, chief engineer of the institute, told a smart city development seminar in Yangpu District.
Challenges include limited information sensing, reliance on manual data collection, and inadequate responses during off-hours and in remote areas, Shao said.
The new smart system aims to provide comprehensive coverage and 24/7 monitoring with intelligent analysis and early warnings.
In urban sanitation, for example, an “electronic nose” can detect multiple foul gases and automatically identify improper garbage disposal.
For underground pipelines, a robot performs daily inspections and maintenance. Traffic monitoring uses digital twin technology to track vehicles and analyze tunnel safety.
The project has been piloted in various districts. In Qiantan of the Pudong New Area, an intelligent drainage management system monitors waterlogging and pipeline safety in real-time.
At the Yangtze River Bridge, AI technology analyzes tunnel traffic to reduce incident response time.
In some local residential areas, smart sensors ensure the safety of secondary water supply by monitoring pH levels, turbidity, and chlorine concentration.
Baoshan Taihe Sewage Treatment Plant uses BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology for real-time equipment monitoring.
For emergency firefighting, AR smart glasses assist in inspections at Hongqiao transport hub.
With a rich history in education, industry, and municipal development, Yangpu is driving forward with digital economy initiatives, said Liu Jinyuan, deputy director of Yangpu.
The district aims to integrate smart city construction with urban governance and public services, supporting Shanghai’s goal of becoming a global innovation hub, Liu said.