TOWARDS A SMART CITY: A SMART DAM INITIATIVE IN NIŠ

<p class="Abstracttext"><span lang="IT-CH">A smart city represents an urban environment in which the application of digital technologies enables the improvement of the efficiency of city services such as energy, water management, waste disposal, and public safety. Its primary goals are to promote economic growth and innovation, improve the quality of life for residents, and create a more liveable, sustainable, and inclusive urban space. By establishing a connected and data-driven environment, cities can attract businesses and generate new opportunities. This paper presents a strategic initiative formed during the hackathon activity under the WATERLINE project and aimed at transforming the city of Niš into a smart city, focusing on revitalizing the Nišava River as a central element of urban development. The river training works from 1988 were constructed in both the minor and major riverbed of the Nišava River in the city zone, satisfying the architectural and urban planning requirements at that time. However, the minor riverbed has suffered from a lack of regular maintenance, resulting in significant challenges. In particular, the section of the river between the "Stone" Bridge and the "Mladost" Bridge is challenging due to non-functional thresholds, specifically three inflatable dams that have deteriorated due to insufficient maintenance and the effects of climate change. This decline has undermined the essential cityscape and urban planning objectives, making the Nišava riverbank less attractive for residential, recreational, sporting, tourism, cultural, and entertainment activities. The paper advocates for adopting new sustainable development concepts and intelligent digital solutions, proposing an integrated approach to enhance the community's overall well-being through incremental improvements. A key component of this initiative is establishing a smart dam project, which could be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Additionally, this paper conducted a detailed SWOT analysis to assess the feasibility of the smart dam project.</span></p>