A wide range of smart solutions expected to benefit city dwellers were presented at the "Digital Solutions and Utilities for Smart Cities" seminar held in Hanoi on November 30 as part of the Vietnam-Asia Smart City Summit 2023.

Urban development experts at the seminar. Photo: Thanh Hai/ The Hanoi Times

The alarm has been raised over air quality in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City due to the increasing demand for e-commerce shopping, Vu Anh Tuan, deputy director of Dr.SME Company, said at the seminar.

He added that the delivery of goods to fulfill online orders has affected the air quality in Vietnam's largest city. A survey conducted in Ho Chi Minh City showed that transportation activities accounted for about 99% of CO2 emissions, with SO2 accounting for 78% and particulate matter for about 46%.

"Air pollution worsens during the year-end period due to increased transportation activities and higher demand for goods delivery," he pointed out. "The growing e-commerce market in Vietnam, with a projected growth rate of 25% by 2025 and a size of more than US$20 billion, has contributed to the rapid increase in logistics activities."

He noted that the high demand for online shopping is prevalent among Generation Z consumers, who are aware of sustainable lifestyles. As a solution, he suggested an application allowing this group of consumers to track the CO2 emissions generated by their online orders and enable them to make greener purchasing decisions.

He said that the current shipping process is not optimized as it is mainly from the warehouse to the point of delivery. He proposed a model of decentralized, community-based delivery points from which shippers could use bicycles or electric vehicles, or customers could pick up their orders themselves.

In addition, optimizing the supply chain by scheduling deliveries between 6pm and 9pm can help reduce transportation emissions, he said.

This green logistics model is expected to expand nationwide in major cities, according to Tuan.

Another solution focuses on improving the safety of urban residents through technology applications. Le Hoang Nhat, co-founder and CEO of AirCity Company, spoke about the AirCity platform, which digitizes essential data on a unified platform to facilitate effective collaboration between landlords and tenants. The application aims to promote equal access to technology and ensure everyone can benefit from its utility.

Dao Duy Tan, Director of EVOTEX Technology Joint Stock Company, explained that as a technology startup, his company provides operational management solutions for apartment condominiums and urban areas. The application provides continuous communication with property managers, transparent collection and handling of feedback and requests, and basic household needs provided by third-party partners.

"The goal is to equip 70% of buildings and urban areas in Vietnam with this solution within the next five years," he said.