Provincial Urban Planners Review Tehran Smart City Projects EghtesadOnline: Urban planners and managers from Fars, East Azarbaijan, Qom, Isfahan, and Khorasan Razavi provinces were in Tehran on Thursday and reviewed projects that seek to transform the capital into a smart city. Tehran Municipality Information and Communication Technology Organization took the visitors on a four-hour tour of city, tmicto.tehran.ir reported. Tehran ICT Organization Chief Mohammad Farjoud, who headed the tour, emphasized the need and role of urban informatics in transforming metropolises into smart cities. Urban informatics is the study of people creating, applying and using information and communication technology and data in the context of cities and urban environments, according to Financial Tribune. Farjoud said, “Everyday, over 10 terabytes of data is harvested from sensors and monitoring devices across Tehran. Data is stored in 222 physical and 1,310 virtual servers owned by the municipality.” Following the municipality’s open data approach, startups and local technology firms are to be provided with access to the information, he said. “As per reforms to TM policies, instead of merely regulating startups, the municipality will also support the fledgling firms.” Facilities, Services The representatives also visited Tehran’s urban data center at the ICT Organization and Tehran Digital Observatory. Located on the premises of Milad Tower, the observatory includes a smart interactive 3D model of Tehran, along with real-time maps of the sprawling capital’s traffic and air pollution. Data from air population censors, traffic monitoring systems and water distribution network is available in the center. Dock-less bike-sharing service stations were also introduced to the visitors. Developed by a local startup 'BDOOD' (pronounced ‘BEE-DUDE’, literally meaning ‘zero-emission’), the smart bike rental platform was launched in two Tehran districts in December. Using eco-friendly and sustainable technology and to enhance urban transport, BDOOD is an affordable service, seeking to promote