Genoa strengthens its position as a Smart City: finalist for the “PA e Futuro 2026” award

Genoa is strengthening its role among the most advanced cities in Italy in the fields of urban innovation and digital transformation. The Municipality is, in fact, among the finalists for the “PA e Futuro 2026” award, within the Forum PA event scheduled to take place in Rome from June 9 to 11.

The recognition highlights a strategic project dedicated to smart video surveillance, no longer viewed as a simple security tool but as a true enabling infrastructure for advanced city management. Developed by the Digitalization and Innovation Projects Department, the project is titled “Video surveillance as the nervous system of the Smart City: data for land management and the urban planning of the future.” The initiative is part of a broader path that has already seen Genoa stand out at the national level, as demonstrated by its first place in the iCityRank 2025 ranking for digital administrations. The adopted approach is based on a key concept: transforming the video surveillance network into a system of distributed sensors capable of collecting and processing real-time data to support more effective and efficient public decision-making.

Today, the city ecosystem includes over 3,000 devices, integrated with artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms. This infrastructure enables the development of cross-sector applications with tangible impacts in various strategic areas. In civil protection and climate change mitigation, for example, the system allows the creation of a “virtual rain gauge” that monitors rainfall levels in real time, automatically triggering alerts for the emergency operations center in case of critical situations. In urban planning, video analysis makes it possible to objectively assess the effectiveness of tactical urbanism interventions (such as temporary pedestrianization), moving beyond approaches based solely on qualitative perceptions. Video streams are also converted into structured data for traffic analysis, helping to reduce congestion and environmental impact while improving infrastructure planning. In tackling illegal dumping, the system’s algorithms can detect suspicious behavior and trigger deterrent actions (such as playing audio clips through IP speakers and activating strobe lights), while also sending email notifications to designated staff to identify offenders.

Being among the finalists of the “PA e Futuro 2026” award confirms Genoa as a national laboratory for Smart Cities, capable of integrating advanced technologies, public governance, and strategic vision.