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A neighbourhood in the Netherlands is to be transformed in a pilot project to design the urban environment in conjunction with new smart technologies for transport, health and energy. The locality, in Brandenvoort, will be a testing ground for new products, services and systems through the Brainport Smart District (BSD) project. BSD director Peter Portheine said: “In cooperation with the Eindhoven University of Technology, we looked at where we could create such a district. We ended up in the Brandenvoort district in Helmond, because it was already largely smart and has space for the construction of 1,500 homes and 12 hectares of business destinations. “We are striving for a new, smart neighbourhood that does not further burden, pollute or deplete our planet – a neighbourhood that uses technology to add meaning to the lives of the people who use it or go to live in it.” Portheine has been involved in setting up the BSD programme since the end of 2017. The ambition is to create a sustainable and socially cohesive neighbourhood. “...