Acoustic engineering's role in Smart Cities: Solutions for urban noise control
Acoustic engineering is playing an increasingly vital role in the design of Smart Cities, providing effective strategies to control urban noise. In an environment where population density and traffic are on the rise, implementing soundproofing solutions is crucial for improving quality of life and urban sustainability. This article explores how these technical solutions—such as acoustic barriers and insulating panels—contribute to modern city planning, examining the regulatory framework and the significant impacts of noise on public health.
The Impact of Noise on Health and the Urban Environment
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), noise pollution is the second-largest environmental problem in Europe, surpassed only by air pollution. In Spain, its impact is a growing concern:
- The EEA reports that prolonged noise exposure in Spain leads to over 1,100 premature deaths a year and approximately 4,100 hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases, chronic stress, and respiratory issues.
- A report from Barcelona’s Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) estimates that traffic noise alone causes around 300 heart attacks and 30 premature deaths annually, making it a major public health issue.
- At a cognitive level, studies from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Epidemiology Research Center (CREAL) have confirmed that children exposed to high noise levels in school can experience a delay of up to 8 months in reading acquisition and a decrease in academic performance.
- Furthermore, constant urban noise degrades sleep quality, contributes to anxiety disorders, and directly affects workplace productivity. A 2022 study also showed that continuous exposure to high noise levels significantly increases the risk of heart attacks in young people, even those under 40.
In this context, acoustic engineering and solutions like acoustic barriers, sound-absorbing pavements, and urban acoustic planning have become essential for protecting citizens’ health and building sustainable urban environments.
Regulations and Acoustic Planning in Spain
Spain has a robust regulatory framework to combat noise pollution, aligned with the European Directive 2002/49/EC on environmental noise management. The core legislation is Law 37/2003 on Noise, which is complemented by two key Royal Decrees:
- Royal Decree 1513/2005: Establishes the methodology for creating Strategic Noise Maps (MER) in major cities, as well as along main roads, railway lines, and near airports.
- Royal Decree 1367/2007: Defines acoustic zoning criteria, quality objectives, and noise intrusion limits for different urban areas.
These regulations require regional and local authorities to develop:
- Strategic Noise Maps (MER): Identify the areas most affected by noise pollution, particularly along heavily trafficked routes like urban highways and ring roads.
- Noise Action Plans (PAR): Outline specific measures to mitigate noise, which can include installing acoustic barriers, using sound-absorbing pavements, or reorganizing traffic.
Major Spanish cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia have already implemented their MERs and PARs. Smaller municipalities are beginning to follow suit, often with the support of NextGenerationEU European funds specifically allocated for sustainable urban development and Smart City projects. This regulatory commitment, coupled with technological advances, provides a clear roadmap toward healthier and more sustainable urban environments.
Acoustic Engineering Solutions for Smart Cities
Acoustic engineering provides two main types of solutions: urban design and specialized noise reduction systems.
Urban Acoustic Design
Urban planning can integrate elements like plant barriers, insulating facade panels, or silent pavements to mitigate noise. However, when these measures are insufficient to combat the noise from heavy road or rail traffic, industrial activity, or nightlife, more advanced solutions are needed.
Specialized Noise Reduction Solutions
- Acoustic Barriers: An Effective Shield Against Noise
Acoustic barriers are one of the most established solutions in acoustic engineering. They typically feature reflective galvanized steel surfaces, polypropylene side closures, and a lightweight modular structure. They are designed for easy assembly and guarantee acoustic impermeability, complying with European standards (EN 1793-1 and EN 1793-2) and carrying the CE mark (EN 14388), which certifies their effectiveness in acoustic absorption, insulation, and noise reduction.
Beyond their durability and resistance to wind or rail-induced vibrations, these barriers offer a key aesthetic advantage: seamless landscape integration through customizable paint colors. This turns them into not only a technical solution but also an urban asset. In Madrid and Valencia, installing acoustic barriers in school zones near busy roads has been shown to improve students’ concentration and academic performance by reducing distraction and hearing fatigue. Other models are also available, including aluminum, concrete, wood, or even plant-based formats, for scenarios with specific integration requirements. - Wall Claddings: A Silent but Essential Solution
While acoustic barriers act as a visible shield, acoustic wall and facade claddings play a silent but crucial role in urban architecture. These materials, installed on buildings near high-noise areas, significantly reduce sound transmission into homes, offices, and schools. Their effectiveness comes from using multi-layered panels, technical foams, and sound-absorbing materials that provide both thermal and acoustic insulation. Modern claddings are also highly customizable, respecting a building’s architectural style while meeting stringent acoustic quality standards.
These systems are particularly useful for urban revitalization projects and for retrofitting older buildings that lack proper insulation. Investing in acoustic cladding improves residents' quality of life, increases a building's real estate value, and contributes to urban regeneration.
Intelligent Urban Monitoring and the Urban Sound Economy
Some cities, like Barcelona, are implementing acoustic cameras with artificial intelligence that can identify excessively loud vehicles and display visible alerts on LED panels. These systems also use sensors and predictive algorithms to anticipate periods of high noise pollution.
The concept of the urban sound economy suggests that sound is more than a nuisance—it’s a strategic element that can be designed to improve well-being, strengthen a city's brand, and attract sensory tourism. In this sense, acoustic engineering generates significant urban value.
Benefits for Quality of Life and Public Planning
The implementation of acoustic engineering solutions offers tangible benefits for public health, urban planning, and the economy:
- Improved Night's Rest: The Carlos III Health Institute estimates that over 25% of the Spanish population is regularly exposed to noise levels above 55 dB at night, a threshold the WHO considers harmful to sleep. Acoustic solutions significantly reduce these levels, promoting restful sleep and helping to decrease cases of chronic insomnia.
- Reduced Cardiovascular Risk: According to EEA data, acoustic control interventions can lead to a 20% reduction in the incidence of hypertension and a 12% decrease in serious cardiac events associated with prolonged noise exposure.
- Cognitive Protection for Children: Pilot projects in cities like Madrid and Valencia, where acoustic barriers were installed near high-traffic roads, have shown improved academic performance and reduced auditory distractions, directly benefiting children’s learning and cognitive development.
- Enhanced Public Spaces: Reducing noise in squares, parks, and residential streets encourages greater use of urban spaces, strengthens community life, and improves the overall sense of safety and environmental quality.
- Lower Economic Burden: The World Bank and EEA estimate that the economic cost of urban noise in Spain exceeds €5 billion annually due to healthcare costs, sick leave, and lost productivity. Investments in urban acoustic engineering thus have a clear economic return.
- Strategic Value for Smart Cities: An urban environment with good acoustic quality becomes a major asset for attracting investment, tourism, and improving livability. As a key indicator of sustainability and quality of life, noise management aligns directly with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3 and 11).
Acoustic engineering has cemented its role as a fundamental pillar in the evolution of intelligent cities. It not only offers technical solutions to the challenge of urban noise but also represents a strategic investment in public health, social welfare, and urban competitiveness. By integrating soundproofing solutions, acoustic design, and intelligent monitoring within the existing regulatory framework, cities can reduce noise pollution, improve public health, and transform their urban spaces into more livable, sustainable environments for citizens, governments, and businesses alike.
How intelligent transport systems are transforming Smart Cities.
Technology is reshaping how we move, manage urban infrastructure, and keep our roads safe. In this context, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are emerging as the backbone of smart roads and, ultimately, smart cities. Bringing together sensors, advanced software, and real-time communication, they make traffic management smarter, more efficient, and safer—while driving sustainability.
In Spain, the push for ITS is being driven by initiatives such as the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, the DGT’s ITS plan, the MOVES programme, and the Next Generation EU Funds—all of which prioritise the digital transformation of urban mobility. For local governments and public authorities, grasping the potential of these technologies is key to investing wisely and driving urban modernisation.
What Are ITS?
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are a group of technologies built into transport infrastructure to improve mobility, reduce accidents, and boost energy efficiency. They bring together sensors, control devices, digital platforms, predictive algorithms, and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication to automate and coordinate mobility in real time.
These systems range from adaptive traffic lights to large-scale networks of ITS equipment, including Variable Message Signs (VMS), cameras, radars, weather stations, and control centres. Thanks to their connectivity, each element acts as a node in a network that learns, adapts, and evolves.
ITS as the Core of Smart Roads
Smart roads are a new generation of infrastructure designed to anticipate problems and communicate with vehicles and users. On these roads, ITS make it possible to:
- Detect traffic in real time and adjust flow automatically.
- Deliver personalised alerts on roadworks, accidents, or adverse weather.
- Coordinate traffic lights based on current conditions, cutting waiting times and emissions.
- Support autonomous driving through digital signals and 5G connectivity.
- Provide data to platforms such as DGT 3.0 or Smart City Madrid to inform urban decision-making.
This approach not only improves mobility but also strengthens Intelligent Road Safety, as the systems act proactively and preventively to reduce human risk.
Real-World Applications of ITS in Spain
Spain already showcases a wide range of ITS solutions in both urban and interurban settings:
- Madrid has rolled out intelligent traffic lights that adjust in real time to the flow of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. These systems prioritise emergency vehicles such as ambulances and city buses, cutting response times and improving overall mobility.
- Barcelona has integrated advanced ITS platforms with a dense network of sensors across the city. This system optimises both private traffic and public transport, enabling automated real-time decisions that enhance the user experience.
- On the A-8 motorway in the Basque Country, a dynamic speed management system has been deployed, especially effective in adverse weather conditions. The infrastructure combines VMS, weather stations, and connected surveillance cameras to adjust speed limits and send automatic alerts to drivers.
- Málaga stands out for its Traffic Management Centre, which uses artificial intelligence to analyse mobility patterns. Based on this data, road signage is dynamically adjusted to reduce congestion and improve safety in real time.
- In Valencia, the city’s first SMART impact attenuator has been installed at one of its most problematic intersections. This device, equipped with PLUG&META® technology, absorbs impacts at speeds of up to 80 km/h. Its integrated light signals improve the visibility of frontal impact warnings, and in the event of an accident, it instantly notifies the City Council’s Traffic Management Centre, ensuring a rapid response. This innovation transforms traditional road equipment into an intelligent system that prevents accidents, optimises signage, and improves user safety.
- Smaller municipalities are also investing in basic ITS solutions with support from European funds. Typical examples include smart pedestrian crossings, number plate recognition cameras, and dynamic information panels—all helping to improve local mobility, reduce accidents, and modernise urban environments cost-effectively.
Benefits for Citizens and Public Administration
ITS offer clear and tangible benefits for both citizens and public authorities:
For citizens:
- Improved road safety through dynamic alerts and signals adapted to real-world conditions.
- Faster journeys across the city.
- Lower fuel consumption and reduced driving stress.
- Clear, up-to-date, and easily accessible information via apps, VMS, or digital platforms.
For public authorities:
- Smarter traffic management with no major physical infrastructure required.
- Lower operating costs thanks to automation.
- Access to valuable data for evidence-based policymaking.
- Supporting European goals for decarbonisation and sustainable urban development.
According to the Metropolitan Mobility Observatory (OMM), ITS has helped cities cut average journey times by up to 15% and CO₂ emissions by 20% in high-density areas.
A Catalyst for Public Investment and Urban Transformation
ITS are essential to the modernisation of cities, particularly for municipalities applying for European funds for sustainable mobility, digital transformation, and climate action. Thanks to their scalability, ITS solutions for cities can be rolled out in large capitals as well as small and medium-sized towns, with targeted investments and tangible short-term results.
By integrating with smart city platforms, ITS give city leaders a complete picture of urban life and empower smarter decisions on traffic management, urban planning, and public safety.
ITS are more than a technological upgrade: they form the backbone of smart cities, reshaping the way we move, connect, and live. For city councils, transport authorities, and regional governments, adopting these systems unlocks greater efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
Backed by public funding and expert partners, ITS solutions are easier than ever to deploy. The future of urban mobility is already here—and it runs on intelligence.
Active Road Safety, how this new concept is transforming roads
Technology is progress, and progress makes us evolve as a society. Thanks to technological advances, new forms of communication and mobility have been created that have devised new concepts. For example, in the case of vehicles, new technologies such as electric propulsion have become popular, giving birth to personal mobility vehicles (PMV).
PMVs are becoming more common within cities and have generated a new mobility ecosystem that is presenting new challenges. The current road network has to adapt to these new habits. This means that there are new elements at stake, raising possible accidents that make it necessary to take another step-in accident prevention.
Active Road Safety, a new way of understanding accident prevention
At Metalesa, our commitment has always been to improve people's quality of life. One of our goals is to act by offering protection solutions in any of its fields. Whether it is acoustic or road protection, we always try to offer the best solutions. As our claim says: Protection, our goal.
This is why, due to the evolution of society, technology, and connection networks that already allow us to achieve 5G transfer speeds, we wanted to go one step further in our objective and consider an assumption: how can we mitigate the severity of the accidents? Could we prevent them? How can the authorities act at the time of an accident without the need for them to receive a phone call? This is what we have coined under the concept of Active Road Safety.
What is Active Road Safety?
Active Road Safety is a new concept that raises road safety to a new level. With the use of connected equipment, it is capable of collecting traffic and environment data, analyzing it in real time and notifying all road users if there is a risk of an accident due to poor visibility, traffic jams, among many other cases without intervention. from third parties.
In addition, connectivity means that in the event of an impact or risk detected on the road, the equipment may be able to notify the authorities autonomously and, on the spot, so that they can quickly manage the necessary assistance.
Differences between Road Safety and Active Road Safety
Until now, road safety equipment had a passive role in accident prevention. In the event of a vehicle impact, its task was to mitigate the severity of the accident, absorbing part of the energy and preventing the vehicle from leaving the road.
With Active Road Safety, road safety equipment starts to take an active role on the road, being able to collect data with the integrated sensors, analyze it and adapt its characteristics autonomously to communicate with road users through lights or being able to coordinate with other information elements such as variable signaling panels.
In this way, in addition to being able to communicate with road users, it is also capable of communicating with the authorities and traffic management centers. You can notify an accident in real time, collect traffic or air quality data and notify according to pre-established parameters.
Environments of action of Active Road Safety for infrastructures
Roads are a space shared by different types of vehicles and users, from cars or trucks to smaller ones such as VMP, bicycles or even pedestrians. This means that there are a series of factors that can put the safety of users at risk, such as speeding, non-segregation of lanes, dangerous curves or sections with reduced visibility.
If we make a list of all these factors, the following would be the most important:
- Weather conditions with reduced visibility, such as fog. The reduction of visibility in the wagon is a key factor in the event of an accident, since the driver does not have a good area of visibility.
- Dangerous curves or uneven road sections. These situations can lead to accidents due to loss of control of the vehicle.
- Traffic funnels and retentions. Heavy traffic and congestion can increase the risk of accidents and decrease the efficiency of circulation. Users in a state of stress may disobey road safety precautions.
- Accidents in interurban areas. The lack of signaling and indication in certain urban areas can cause serious accidents that directly affect our citizens.
How does Active Road Safety solve problems on the road?
One of the advantages of Active Road Safety is that it can be adapted to road conditions. For example, in heavy rain, adaptive lighting systems can be adjusted to improve driver visibility and reduce the risk of accidents. Similarly, in low visibility situations due to fog or ice, sensors can detect these conditions and alert the driver to exercise caution.
Another advantage of Active Road Safety is that the risk of accidents and injuries can be reduced. Implementing specific road safety measures can help prevent accidents and minimize the impact should one occur. For example, the installation of safety barriers and warning signs on dangerous curves or uneven sections of road can prevent vehicles from running off the road in the event of driver error.
In addition, Active Road Safety can also improve traffic efficiency. For example, real-time traffic information systems can help drivers avoid traffic jams and congestion, reducing travel time and improving the efficiency of driving on the road.
If you want to find out more about this new concept and find out how Metalesa is working to make it a reality, you can consult our microsite on Active Road Safety, where we talk in more detail.
Smart Cities, an ecosystem full of opportunities
At this point we will not spend much time defining a Smart City. If you want to dive into the concept of the Smart City, we invite you to review the article on what a Smart City is that we already shared on this topic.
To complement this information, today we will explore some real examples of Smart City, as well as trends that, over time, are proving to have bigger impact on services to citizenship.
Some examples of Smart City
The United Arab Emirates have created a city whose objective is not only sustainability, but also to be self-sufficient in natural resources. It is the City of Masdar, in Abu Dhabi. It hosts intelligent buildings that self-regulate the interior temperature, and systems to minimize the effects of the sun. Public transport is autonomous and the electricity grid is supplied 100% by solar panels.
New York is one of the most populous cities in the world, and one of the benchmarks in Smart City in the United States. In 2015, the so-called 'BigBelly' were introduced, rubbish bins equipped with wireless sensors to control their capacity, allowing the waste collection service to program routes more intelligently. This system includes a solar-powered trash compactor that helps increase the container's capacity by five.
In Amsterdam, 67% of journeys through the city center are made by bicycle. Although surprising, bike traffic jams happen usually at rush hour. In recent years, the city has deployed a network of sensors and a traffic management system for bicycle users, in such a way that, during those hours of greatest occupation, alternative routes can be defined and proposed to users to speed up travel .
The case of Barcelona
We can also find many examples of Smart City projects in Spain, for example, in Barcelona.
Urban transport systems have introduced hybrid buses, solar panels on bus shelters and the routes of the bus network have been optimized to be able to make 95% of trips with a maximum of one transfer between two destinations in any city . All this thanks to big data and the analysis of the influx of users and their routes.
Waste management has also incorporated digital technology in a similar way to New York. A container system with the capacity to generate a vacuum system allows the elimination of bad odours, at the same time, it incorporates available capacity sensors in real time that communicate to a centralized system that allows optimal routes to be optimized every day.
A smart street lighting system with low-energy bulbs and sensors that can measure humidity, temperature, air pollution, and the presence of people or noise is used throughout the city. In this way, the lighting intensity is adapted autonomously, reducing energy consumption. This is usually one of the first measures deployed in any Smart City as it offers direct savings on energy bills at a very reasonable cost and with technology that has already been widely tested in a real environment.
Trends for Smart Cities
Smart Cities are not a thing of the future, they are very much of the present. We refer to the previous examples on how a public service can be optimized with the application of technological projects. But not everything goes. Disruptive solutions can be invented and ingenious projects deployed, but in the medium term, which ones will actually have real success colonizing the majority of cities? What ideas or technologies or services will be the ones that will capture the attention and budgets of municipal administrations?
The first reflection is that this will depend on each city. Depending on your location, population, culture, idiosyncrasy or even the political profile of your rulers at a given time, you will define your priority challenges. Some will advocate for traffic management and sustainable mobility, others for water management and others for citizen security among many possible lines of work.
Identifying those motivations to submit the most suitable proposals will increase the probability that an opportunity will become a real project.
That said, if we statistically analyze the most common projects, we see common trends.
Technological infrastructure Data interoperability
A Smart City would not be such if it does not have sensors that collect a flow of data on which decisions can be made to improve or manage the resources available. This information already demonstrates a large volume and will be exponentially growing in the future. For this reason, it is necessary to work on sufficient storage capacity, on robust communication networks and on management software that is as centralized and open as possible to guarantee the correct processing of data in real time and interoperability between services and administrations. Without investing in these technological infrastructure capacities, it is almost impossible to advance in the deployment of the Smart City.
Cybersecurity
All data collected and stored is highly valuable information that must be protected to prevent cybercrime. Let us remember that many of them may refer to personal data or behavioral habits of citizens, who expect maximum privacy in exchange for providing them.
For this reason, cybersecurity is one of the critical aspects that administrations must work on. Citizens will only join the wave of the Smart City if they feel to a certain degree confidence that their data is protected, and that there is no fraudulent, partisan or economic use of it.
Smart traffic management
In large cities, traffic is usually a major problem that generates major headaches for managers and citizens. In addition, its consequences in terms of air pollution and noise are very negative.
The implementation of technology (cameras, sensors...) that allows obtaining real-time data on traffic in order to optimize routes is an obvious line of work. For this, the use of classic urban equipment as a platform in which to integrate digital technology should be considered. For example, intelligent containment systems can contain impacts when there are road exits, but also prevent accidents and provide statistical information in real time.
Public lighting service or waste management
Public lighting represents a very high expense for the city's bill. For many years now it has been confirmed that an investment in autonomously controlled LED technology for lighting regulation is a technically robust and profitable project in the medium term.
The digitization of the waste collection service has started later but, as we have explained, there are already numerous pilot projects in this line.
Useful projects for Smart Cities
Smart Cities cannot be the new excuse to place technological services without value. Each proposal must quantitatively demonstrate resource efficiency, sustainability, useful information, or a better experience for people. And ideally several of these benefits combined.
At Metalesa we have been working for many years to provide optimal solutions for Smart Cities, thinking of the ultimate benefit that citizens will obtain, for example, our Metaurban® SMART, the world's first smart urban parapet with active road safety, which not only contains, but also prevents and informs. An innovation that invites the private sector to transform urban equipment and take it to a new dimension by integrating it into the Smart City ecosystem.
Whether you are from a public administration and are looking for ideas, or a company interested in developing new products and looking for alliances, do not hesitate and contact us. We will be happy to help you and explore ways of collaboration.
METAURBAN®, the containment system for today's cities
At Metalesa we firmly believe that the key lever to our growth as a family SME is Innovation, and that is the reason why we invest so much in R&D, with our own team of engineers and designers who continuously observe the environment and incorporate the best of other technologically cutting-edge sectors to our product catalogue. Hence, we can offer no only innovative road safety solutions, but also effective and competitive.
Today we want to focus on the METAURBAN®, a vehicle restraint system specially designed for installation on urban or peri-urban roads, and with CE marking.
Our latest flagship product, designed to promote safe sustainable mobility, is already being installed in numerous urban environments and cities due to its great proved performance and elegant aesthetics.
When we think of road safety, what first comes to our minds is cars at high speeds, but statistics go in a very different direction, and that is that urban and local roads are the areas with worse accident and mortality rates.
On the other hand, the massive proliferation of personal mobility vehicles, and the intensive deployment of bike lanes, represent a notable increase in risk and danger, especially for the most vulnerable groups such as children, old people and drivers of bicycles and electric scooters themselves.
Discover all its advantages
METAURBAN® metal parapet has been designed and tested to provide excellent security features in today's urban environments.
To guarantee its effectiveness in the event of an accident, the METAURBAN® containment system has been rigorously tested through a full-scale crash test, according to the European Standard EN 1317, having satisfactorily passed all the acceptance criteria for the containment level N1, the most suitable for urban environments.
The METAURBAN® metal parapet includes features that make it an essential product for the safety of the most vulnerable users in urban environments, such as pedestrians or cyclists.
- In addition, it can be perfectly adapted to curved paths.
- It features an easy assembly and disassembly process if components are damaged by impact; there is no need for weld joints or cuts.
- Regarding its installation, the parapet has been tested by means of a chemical-fuse anchoring system that protects the concrete band against an impact, allowing its easy replacement in the event of an accident.
- Great aesthetics, helps that today's cities maintain their charm
- The techniques used to guarantee its protection against corrosion like hot-dip galvanizing according to the EN 1461 standard, and thermo-lacquering in the different colors of the RAL chart respectively.
- Possibility of incorporating the motorcycle protection system (SPM) into the structure.
In summary, with the installation of the METAURBAN® containment system, urban and metropolitan roads with speed limits of 20.30, 50 and 80 km/h, become areas in which travelling is much safer, which will be key for users to lose their fear and adopt new urban sustainable mobility models.
Metaurban® has already reached our cities. Some projects
Metaurban is already a reality in many Spanish cities. Here are some projects that already have our METAURBAN® metal parapet.
Road reconditioning in Bedmar (Jaén)
Pass over A-7 in Estepona (Málaga)
Zamora
We are proud to think that, thanks to the installation of the METAURBAN® containment system, these urban roads are now much safer, and that with their installation we are increasingly closer to our goal: the protection of people.
If you are an installer, engineer, architect or an individual, and you need guidance about this product, do not hesitate to contact us. Together we will create the safe cities we all deserve to live in.
World Pedestrian Day, for safe cities
"World Days" generally refer to an event from the past that we recall to celebrate. But the truth is that these days do not always represent something to be celebrated, but instead occasions of awareness.
Today is Pedestrian World Day, and it is not exactly a day to celebrate. It is a day that has its origin in memory of the first recorded pedestrian victim: Bridget Driscoll was run over on August 17, 1897 in London, dying on the spot. We don't usually start our articles on Road Safety with this crudeness. But that is the reality. Since that day, the list of registered deaths by car accidents has unfortunately continued to increase.
The importance of 'celebrating' Pedestrian World Day every day
The objective of Pedestrian World Day is to join efforts to guarantee a much safer traffic for pedestrians, promoting adequate spaces to move around in cities, and remembering the obligations that both drivers and pedestrians have.
Some figures to consider
In the Spanish DGT report for 2019, the number of deaths on the roads was 1,755 people, of which a large part, specifically 53%, were considered vulnerable, that is, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. In addition, the report also reported a 6% increase in deaths in cities, with the vast majority of deaths being over 65 years of age. That said, we insist on the importance of being responsible, whether we are in the 'role' of pedestrian or driver, both for our own safety and that of others.
What to do to be a good pedestrian?
They may seem obvious, but believe us, it never hurts to remember these tips.
- Always cross at the pedestrian crossing.
- Respect traffic lights.
- Always look both ways before crossing, even if the road you are going to cross is one-way.
- Reduce the use of technology on the go. It is advisable to avoid using the mobile phone as it is undoubtedly a great distraction, not only when we are driving but also when we are walking around the city. In addition, the use of headphones is not recommended since the ideal is to have all our senses on the road.
What to do to be a good driver on urban roads?
- Respect the signs and speed limits.
- Respect the cyclists who circulate on the road if there is no bike lane, since they have the same right to circulate on public roads.
- Maintain a safe distance between vehicles.
- Avoid distractions such as mobile phone use.
Urban Road Safety. What is it?
At Metalesa, we have always been concerned about raising awareness about the dangers on the roads, whether on the road or in urban areas, for this reason, we consider ourselves to be the standard bearers of the Road Safety concept.
And it is that our company philosophy goes beyond designing, manufacturing and installing products for road safety, since we also carry out this work of social awareness. However, it must be admitted that when the word of ‘Road Safety’ is heard, the majority of road safety education comes to mind, focused on safety at the wheel. However, Road Safety encompasses all areas in which any type of urban or inter-urban displacement occurs. In this sense, 'Urban Road Safety' takes on special relevance, which focuses in much greater detail on the particular cases of road safety in the urban environment.
Given that in today's article we are talking about World Pedestrian Day, it is an ideal occasion to discuss the concept of Urban Road Safety, since, although it is not exclusively linked to pedestrian safety, both pursue common objectives.
Urban Road Safety is the set of actions aimed at preventing, controlling and reducing the risk of accidents in the movement of people, whether on foot or by vehicle, within urban centers.
To put Urban Road Safety into practice, more and more cities have chosen to apply urban measures that include the reorganization of urban space and the promotion of the adaptation of user behavior to this new space.
A bit of urban history: The Car Cities
If we look at it, most cities are designed under an urbanization model that generalizes the mobility of private vehicles, and this situation began to occur approximately from the first half of the 20th century.
This fact gave rise to the ‘Car Cities’, cities in which the infrastructures at the service of the circulation of vehicles occupy most of the urban centers, so the chances of suffering accidents while traveling are considerably increased.
However, more and more cities are choosing to reorganize their urban designs and convert urban centers into more pedestrian spaces, and therefore safer in order to ensure Urban Road Safety. For example, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de Valencia is now 100% pedestrian after the urban reorganization works that were carried out a few months ago.
Decisions and initiatives of city councils to promote Urban Road Safety
In addition to converting urban centers into pedestrian spaces, municipalities also carry out other measures to guarantee Urban Road Safety:
- Improve the design of the streets and the signage to guarantee the coexistence of all the displacement systems.
- Control and sanction road indiscipline more effectively.
- Consider Urban Road Safety as a public health issue.
- Act in the field of citizen training in Road Safety values.
- Implement monitoring systems to improve the analysis of information on mobility and urban accidents.
Our products to guarantee Urban Road Safety
At Metalesa we like to say that "protection is our goal," and in order to achieve this goal, we take care of designing, manufacturing and installing products that guarantee safety in various fields. In the case of urban Road Safety, our railings are designed to protect pedestrians and to delimit spaces between pedestrian and road areas, among many other applications.
Cyclopedestrian railings
The cyclopeatonal railing is a restraint system for both pedestrians and cyclists who circulate on urban roads, so that it helps to reduce the accident rate on pedestrian or cycling routes. In addition, they adapt perfectly to the aesthetics of the urban area.
Steel railings
Steel railings are also pedestrian restraint systems. At Metalesa we have a wide variety of models capable of integrating perfectly with the landscape, since we have many thermo-lacquered finishes and colors.
Stainless steel railings
Their aesthetic appearance makes them very appropriate to be installed in any type of urban area, guaranteeing the safety of pedestrians. We have a wide catalogue with unique and modern designs, in addition, we can manufacture stainless steel railings with custom designs if the client requires it.
Railings with steel cable
Steel cable railings are one of the most elegant, and of course, safe options to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Railings with perforated sheet
In the same way as the metal railings with steel cable, the railings with perforated sheet also present a very attractive appearance for installation in cities, since they can be manufactured with any perforated design in the material. Depending on the type of perforation, you can create a design that provides safety to the pedestrian without sacrificing aesthetics on the streets. Because ensuring safety does not mean giving up good taste!
The truth is that it is in everyone's hands to be able to reach the goal of achieving a 0% accident rate in cities. Little by little we are taking steps that bring us closer to achieving it, but there is still much to do. From Metalesa, information and awareness articles like the one you just read or through the installation of our products, we try to do our bit. And you, what are you willing to do for your safety and that of those you care about?
If you need a quote for the installation of our products for Urban Road Safety, do not hesitate to contact us. Call 96 088 99 44 or send us an email to metalesa@metalesa.com
How has mobility in cities changed?
Mobility through cities is becoming more and more “à la carte” while ways of transport are increasingly modernizing, thus adapting to the needs of different profiles of people. We see how every day companies offer mobility solutions for cities that adapt their services to the comfort and personalization that citizens are demanding, making them more ergonomic, economical and trying to be as respectful as possible with the environment.
The importance of adapting
Currently we want to move faster, save time, and if possible, with the lowest energy consumption and the lowest economic cost. The proliferation of geolocation technology has enabled the use of applications that help us to know real time the arrival of the bus at our stop or how the traffic is in the city. Many cities, in their quest to become smart and sustainable, have established new urban solutions to improve the use of public transport, and have limited traffic in some areas, even prohibiting the circulation of private cars in downtown areas with a high concentration of users.
This trend has materialized in the deployment of solutions such as bollards or bike lanes, the adaptation of all horizontal and vertical signs, and the offer of subsidies for the purchase of personal mobility vehicles. The response of the citizens has not waited long, and thus we have seen massive purchase of bicycles and / or electric scooters, not only in large cities, but also in smaller towns. Little by little, all these measures integratede into comprehensive sustainable urban mobility plans are working together to create pollution-free urban areas.
In a society that is increasingly aware of the importance of caring for the environment, and willing to adapt itself to the new times, it has been inevitable that this type of electric personal mobility is in fashion and that it is expected to continue growing. At the same time, this has acted as a catalyst for the industry to innovate and bring new mobility solutions to market.
This set of chained consequences lead our cities into a virtuous circle that reinforces investment in safe urban mobility, either with solutions such as bollards, or with other types of parapets, guardrails or urban containment barriers. In short, minimizing the risk for pedestrians, cyclists, or those who lean towards the electric scooter.
Our urban mobility solutions
Our commitment to society lays on our purpose of saving lives. This has led Metalesa to work for a long time to improve people's lives. Urban solutions to bring an improved safety for citizens in their daily urban mobility, is a key area where we have been concentrating our efforts in recent years. Some of our most demanded products to improve mobility in cities are urban parapets, cyclopedestrian railings and bollards
- The urban parapet, which Metalesa manufactures and installs, is a containment system designed to be installed on urban roads or with a limitation of up to 20, 30 or 50km/h. Manufactured for its perfect integration in the urban areas such as streets, avenues or roundabouts.
- As for the cyclopedestrian railings, we have a wide variety of models capable of adapting to the road infrastructures of any city. It is an urban containment system in order to protect both pedestrians and cyclists who pass through the bike lane from road traffic.
- We also have a wide variety of bollards. Its main objective is to delimit vehicle access to pedestrian, cycling, or leisure areas. To this day, it continues to be a safe bet for the improvement of mobility in cities. We have also carried out a number of installations in private areas of industries or logistics centers.
If you want to put an end to these problems and want a smart solution, don't hesitate to contact us. Our service of technicians and advisers of the commercial department will not hesitate to offer you a proposal that adjusts to your reality so that our service is 100% effective.
Safety in urban areas and on the cycling lanes
As experts in Road Safety, one of our tasks should be to promote greater awareness about the safety of people, both in urban areas and on roads. In this sense, although our products are intended to make people’s lives safer, at Metalesa we intend to go further and we want to do our bit in this ongoing process of awareness.
In today’s post we talk about the safety of cyclists when they circulate through urban areas or roads. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most vulnerable groups that suffer too many accidents, which is a problem that must be solved.
To start with, here there are some figures. In 2014, 75 cyclists died on Spanish roads, in 2015 there were 55 and in 2016 it was reduced to 33. Having said that, although the trend of cyclist accidents seemed to be decreasing in the last five years, the truth is that in May 2017, these figures were already doubled, and in 2020, 36 cyclists lost their lives, a surprising number after long months of confinement.
At the beginning of the article we mentioned that our products are intended to ensure safety. However, people must also do their part to achieve this goal. Here there are some useful tips for both cyclists and drivers to ensure the safety of those both in urban areas and on roads.
Everything a cyclist needs to know to ensure their safety
Although there may be external factors that endanger their safety, it is important that the riders know how to protect themselves:
- To know traffic regulations, and therefore, what you can do and what it is forbidden on the road will allow them to be more aware of the dangers.
- If there is no bike lane on the road, it is preferable to travel on roads with a wide shoulder, much better if they are little traveled.
- The use of conspicuous clothing is recommended to make themselves more visible. Here we also include the helmet color, which is mandatory.
- Check wheels, brakes and lights from time to time. Something as fast as a simple check-up can save a rider’s life. Regarding the lights, it is important to note that they should be used both at the front and at the rear in low light hours. In addition, it is mandatory to turn on the lights when driving through the interior of a tunnel, whatever time it is.
- Use of the rear-view mirror. This device is less common than it should be. Rather few cyclists decide to attach a rear-view mirror to their bicycle, but it is undoubtedly a very useful component to increase safety, and cheap indeed.
What must a vehicle driver take into account to ensure the safety of cyclist?
- It is important to bear in mind that, when passing a cyclist, the air displaced by the vehicle can throw him off balance. Therefore, when overtaking, at least 1.5m of lateral space must be left as a safety distance.
- If cyclists are observed, slow down and be extremely cautious.
- The horn should not be used to warn the cyclist of the presence of the vehicle because it can scare, distract and cause them a fall.
- It is very important to know when cyclists have priority. For example, a group of cyclists has priority when they have started a crossing or entered a roundabout.
- Only with greater respect for the priority of passage and the safety distance could the number of cyclist victims be significantly reduced.
We are aware that these are quite obvious pieces of advice, but it is not a bad thing to remember them considering that, statistically, most accidents occur precisely because of not complying with these simple tips.
Road Safety Improvements for cyclists through urban planning
Not only are people becoming more and more aware, so are cities, orienting their planning towards more efficient models, both in terms of safety and sustainability. In this sense, the promotion of urban mobility through the use of bicycles entails an ambitious urban reorganization that involves the implementation of cycle lanes. In fact, we are seeing that the cities deploy every day more kilometers of bike lanes.
How do we guarantee the safety of cyclists from Metalesa?
Protection is our goal. That is why we design and manufacture road safety products specially designed for this.
Our M009 cyclopedestrian railing is a restraint system for cyclists that cannot be absent in urban areas or on roads to reduce the accident rate of cyclists.
It is located at the ends of bridges or crowning walls to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from falling into the void. It differs from a normal railing in its height, between 1.3 – 1.5 meters, which prevents cyclists from exceeding it, which is perfectly possible with traditional railings for pedestrians up to 1 meter high.
In addition, all the components of the railing are protected against corrosion at the customer’s discretion: hot galvanized, thermo-lacquered or both treatments at the same time.
The thermo-lacquering allows to facilitate the aesthetic integration of the cyclopedestrian railings with the environment, since we can paint them in any color from the RAL chart.
In a previous post we made reference to how 5G technology in cities can help ensure maximum safety. Perhaps a day will come when cyclists will cease to be a vulnerable group thanks to the development of tools based on wireless connectivity. However, at Metalesa, we obviously support technological progress and the great advances that it can bring to road safety, but we also want to take advantage of it to call for the responsibility of each one. Safety is everyone’s business!
Does 5G sounds familiar to you? How can you help the cities of the future?
Even if you don't know exactly what it is, you've surely heard of something called '5G'. 5G connectivity will be the fifth generation of communication networks, and will progressively replace the current 4G network. Currently, we already live in a hyper-connected environment and in cities designed under smart city models specially built to make life easier for people, respect the environment, and in general, to evolve towards more efficient cities in every way. But 5G connectivity opens the doors to a new world where we can go much further.
Normally starting in urban environments, this new generation of wireless connectivity allows the deployment of an immense network of sensors and interconnected communication nodes that will be able to satisfy new needs, for example, improvement in road safety. But before we get to that point, let's go in parts.
What are the advantages of 5G connectivity?
- More speed: Technological revolution and speed go hand in hand. With 5G connectivity you can navigate up to 10 times faster than with current 4G networks. This will not change our lives in terms of the level of service to which we are accustomed when we surf the internet from our Smart Phone, but it represents a differential change for the operation of services in which immediacy is critical.
- Less latency time: Latency refers to the response time of the network, which will allow us to connect practically in real time, without waiting.
- More devices connected at the same time: Have you ever been to a massive concert or a sporting event and have run out of coverage? These limitations are normal with the 4G network but we will forget about them with the 5G.
But this new technology goes far beyond being able to connect many mobile phones at the same time; Any electronic device may be connected, for example, vehicles, urban equipment, industrial robots, or any device that we have at home.
5G will improve the mobility of cities. How?
Increasing security in cities is one of the potential applications of this new hyper-connected era. In this sense, from Metalesa it seems essential to know current and future technological trends, since, like any other business that has traditionally been disconnected from digital technology, the deployment of the 5G network will radically transform the way we understand mobility, urban or interurban, enabling a new world of possibilities for improvement in Road Safety. Undoubtedly, this 5G technology will be a turning point in the user experience and in the services provided by a company like ours.
Reduction in the number of accidents
As we have already mentioned, 5G will considerably reduce the response time of any wirelessly connected technological device, which facilitates better and more efficient traffic management and safety at the wheel.
For example, a car will be able to detect pedestrians or cyclists from a distance, thanks to wireless technology that will allow it to communicate with sensors located at key points in cities: traffic lights, streetlights, urban parapets, bollards, acoustic screens, cyclopedestrian railings, etc ... The fully autonomous car is closer than we think.
Just as cars will communicate with street furniture, city traffic itself will benefit from being able to adapt the circulation of areas with higher traffic density to other less congested areas.
5G connectivity will enable greater dynamism and increase efficiency in infrastructure management both in cities and on roads, contributing beneficially to a sustainable commitment. There are no limits to imagine how digital technology can be implemented on parapets, transitions or imposts, and of course on any element of railway equipment.
Great capacities for data processing
The goodness of 5G technology will be leveraged on the ability to deploy a data processing infrastructure that allows transforming a growing volume of data into useful information for decision-making and city management, in such a way that it offers an effective service to the citizen.
We have been talking about Smart Cities for decades, and although we are increasingly living in a more hyper-connected environment, we still have a long way to go to become a 100% autonomous society free of dangers. Be that as it may, citizens also have our share of responsibility, although technology is making our lives easier and safer every time.
From Metalesa we want to mark a change in society and help develop products for the Smart Cities of the future.
And you, how do you imagine the city of the future?
World Urban Planning Day: The importance of sustainable planning in cities
The growth of human concentration in cities and the increase in housing and traffic in urban areas are social phenomena that we have been witnessing for decades, and to which urban planning has to provide solutions. But not just any solution is worth it.
As cities grow, more needs and challenges are presented to us, and the environment is undoubtedly affected by this, a fact that we cannot afford in today's society. That cities grow is not a problem in itself, they simply have to expand and evolve, increasingly thinking about Smart Cities models, based on citizen collaboration, planning, creativity and of course, taking advantage of technology to be more sustainable. Only in this way is it possible to achieve urban and social innovation that generates the necessary efficiency in cities.
How can we achieve a more sustainable city through urban planning?
Construction of recreational areas or 'healthy enviroments'
More and more people are concentrated in cities, which generates a high concentration of people in very specific areas, where the environment is harmed, and consequently the quality of life of its inhabitants.
By healthy spaces we refer to areas such as parks, squares or any type of urban recreational areas that help dissipate population concentrations. In this sense, although urban planning plays a fundamental role, it is also necessary for people to become aware. A great example in the city of Valencia is the old riverbed of the Turia River, a green space almost 10km long that runs through the center of the city and guarantees a lung of oxygen for all its inhabitants.
House Building
As we have mentioned before, more and more people are concentrated in cities, so it is necessary to expand the urbanizable areas. The problem is that sometimes there is no choice but to build in areas close to infrastructures such as roads, railways, airports, or industrial zones. Any of these scenarios introduces different risk factors that significantly damage the quality of life of the people who occupy these areas.
In this sense, one of the decisions that should be included in urban planning is the installation of acoustic screens in urbanizations where an acoustic study determines that they are areas susceptible to excessive noise.
Urban Mobility
In a recent post we talked about mobility and safety solutions in urban environments, given that traffic problems and challenges are beginning to emerge as a priority for city managers.
In fact, many cities are embarking on processes of adaptation to new formulas for sustainable mobility. For example, for many years now, a more sustainable awareness of urban mobility has been promoted through the use of bicycles.
This is proven with the fact that most cities have an urban reorganization underway that includes an ambitious plan for the implementation of cycle lanes.
On the other hand, the social phenomenon of electric scooters is here to stay. Currently scooters circulate on the bike lane, but who knows if in the future specific urban routes will be planned in order to guarantee the differentiation of vehicles and safety in urban mobility. It is precisely these types of issues that are intended to be made visible and promoted with World Urban Planning Day.
Innovation through urban design: the drive towards the sustainable city
Throughout the article we have spoken to you in terms of ‘urban planning’. However, the true engine that allows sustainable development based on the characteristics of a Smart City, on the design for social innovation or ‘social design’.
Innovation and urban planning by the hand of the World Design Organization (WDO)
World Design Organization is an organization that is dedicated to promoting industrial design as a profession capable of generating products and infrastructures that help create a better society, with a special focus on the environment.
The WDO recognizes cities for their effective use of design to stimulate economic, social, cultural and environmental development; among which Valencia is included as the World Capital of Design 2022.
The objective of this initiative is to turn design into a tool for sustainable social and economic development. In this sense, design is essential to improve people's quality of life and act as an agent of change. It is about finding and gathering creative proposals that are capable of giving relevance to social design and urban innovation.
In addition, although from the name of the project it seems that everything begins in 2022, it does not. The mere fact that Valencia has already been chosen as the future World Capital of Design, is already producing collective synergies to give visibility to the problems that concern urban areas in order to give them solutions working from the local to the global.
The improvement of the environment implies research and development of new urban formulas, to which social design is capable of providing answers that benefit groups. Without a doubt, our cities are changing for the better… Thanks to transcendental proposals full of creativity, design and innovation.