How does a metropolis with a rich history become a smart city? Prague does not rely on outlandish individual projects, but rather on the interplay of data, digital services and smart infrastructure. The Czech capital uses technology in a targeted way to simplify mobility, utilise resources more efficiently and base decisions on better data.

What makes Prague’s smart city initiative unique is that data from various sectors is consolidated and used for specific municipal tasks – from public transport and waste management to street lighting.

What makes Prague a smart city?

The Smart Prague 2030 strategy forms the basis of Prague’s smart city development. It focuses in particular on mobility and public spaces, the environment, energy and buildings, as well as the city’s technological and organisational infrastructure.

Technology should not, however, become an end in itself. The strategy aligns innovations with the city’s specific needs and provides for new solutions to be tested initially, systematically evaluated and then, where appropriate, rolled out into regular operation.

The municipal company Operátor ICT plays a central role. It operates key digital services for the capital and works closely with the city administration, Prague’s 57 city districts, municipal companies and other public institutions.

Golemio: The City of Prague’s shared data platform

At the heart of the city’s digital development is Golemio, the City of Prague’s data platform. It integrates information from various municipal systems and provides tools for storing, analysing, visualising and making data available.

This includes, for example, information on public transport, street lighting, waste bins and environmental measurements. This shared data foundation helps the city administration, city districts and municipal companies to better understand developments and prepare data-driven decisions.

Golemio is a highly open platform: public datasets can be accessed via interfaces and used by companies, research institutions or developers for their own applications. Parts of the technical architecture and source code have also been made public.

In doing so, Prague is not only creating transparency – the city is also building a digital infrastructure on which new services can be developed without the need to create a completely separate data solution for every project.

PID Lítačka: Digital mobility from a single source

Prague’s status as a smart city is particularly evident in public transport. With the PID Lítačka app, Prague brings together key mobility services for the city and the surrounding region.

The app allows users to plan journeys, check current departure times and service disruptions, and purchase tickets. In addition, users can manage season tickets, view stops and interchange points, and pay for parking.

Buses, trams, the metro, trains and other services within the integrated transport network are no longer treated as separate systems. The app brings together information, various modes of transport and payment functions in one place.

Prague is also gradually developing PID Lítačka into a more comprehensive Mobility-as-a-Service platform. As part of a pilot project, services such as bike-sharing, car-sharing and ride-sharing will also become accessible via a single registration and payment function.

Smart waste management: sensors report fill levels

Waste management is also part of the city’s digital development. In Prague’s recycling bins, IoT sensors monitor the current fill level and transmit the information to a digital system.

On this basis, the city can better identify which bins need emptying. A specialised application helps to plan collection routes according to demand. This is intended to reduce unnecessary journeys, prevent bins from becoming overfilled and organise municipal waste management more efficiently.

The system, which was originally launched as a pilot project, was adopted for regular operation following successful trials and has been significantly expanded. According to Smart Prague, more than 7,000 sensors have now been installed.

This example clearly illustrates how Prague approaches smart city technologies: a sensor on its own does not make a city smart. It is only through integration with data analysis, municipal processes and concrete decisions that practical benefits are realised.

Smart street lighting as urban infrastructure

Street lamps in Prague are also being given additional functions. At Karlínské náměstí, a park, the city has tested a sensor network comprising modernised public lighting. The lamps not only save energy but also collect data on the environment and urban traffic.

The project comprised a total of 92 lights. Among other things, the sensors were able to provide information on air quality, temperature, weather conditions, noise levels and traffic volumes. Prague also investigated how streetlights could potentially be integrated with charging points for electric vehicles.

It is precisely this experimental nature that is typical of Prague as a smart city: The city first tests technical possibilities in a limited setting, collects data on their impact, and then decides whether to roll out the project across the entire city.

Digital citizen services instead of additional visits to local authorities

In addition to infrastructure and mobility, the Smart City strategy also encompasses digital administrative services. The Portál Pražana, the capital’s digital citizen portal, provides access to municipal services and is intended to partially replace the need for in-person visits to local authorities.

Using the ‘Změňte.to’ app, citizens can also report damage or problems in public spaces and submit suggestions for improvement. In this way, Prague combines digital services with direct participation in urban development.

In Prague, therefore, ‘Smart City’ does not simply mean optimising existing processes through technology. Digital services are also intended to simplify contact between the public and the administration.

Why Prague’s Smart City approach is unique

Prague’s particular strength lies in linking different projects. The city does not view mobility, the environment, data and administration as separate areas of digitalisation.

The Golemio data platform creates a common technical foundation. Applications such as PID Lítačka translate this infrastructure into easily accessible services. Sensors in waste bins or street lamps provide additional information for city operations.

This is gradually giving rise to an urban system in which data can be reused and digital projects do not remain isolated, stand-alone solutions.

A smart city based on pragmatism rather than a technological showcase

Prague demonstrates that even a historic city with narrow streets, listed buildings and established infrastructure can continue to develop digitally. The city does not need to be completely redeveloped to achieve this.

Instead, Prague is making smarter use of existing structures, linking data from different sectors and testing new solutions under real-world conditions. Technology often remains in the background – yet its impact is visible in everyday life: through easier mobility, more efficient waste management, better information and digitally accessible administrative services.