London has joined other European cities in a $27million programme to test smart technologies that can improve the lives of citizens.

The Smart Cities and Communities Lighthouse initiative will see London, Milan, Lisbon, Warsaw, Bordeaux and Burgas undertake a variety of projects to create and trial Smart City systems that could be adopted by other European cites and help drive technology adoption across Europe.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich in London has been selected as a demonstration area for Smart City systems and initiatives.

This will include smart parking bays, shared electric bike schemes, using the River Thames to heat homes, and using digital systems to better manage energy supply and demand to cut carbon emissions and bills for residents.

London mayor Boris Johnson said: “We need to harness our incredible technical prowess and look to what new approaches and technological innovation can bring.”