Despite the buzz surrounding smart cities in urban-policy circles, studies are lacking on the evidence for what works, what doesn’t — and who benefits.
It has been at least 50 years since examples of what we now call ‘smart cities’ began to appear. In 1974, officials in Los Angeles, California, used IBM mainframe computers to study poverty in the city. They analysed demographic data on factors such as infant mortality, household incomes and the standard of housing to identify areas in need of assistance. At the time, computers were expensive and more likely to be found in large corporations and fields such as finance and defence. Using them to tackle poverty was an innovative and ‘smart’ thing to do.
Weiterlesen: Why are proponents of ‘smart cities’ neglecting research?
Cities are integrating connected technologies to optimise traffic flow, enhance public safety, and improve service delivery
Imagine stepping out of your home and instantly connecting to your city’s digital ecosystem. Your smartphone knows where the nearest available parking spot is, public transport updates arrive in real-time, and even the traffic lights adjust dynamically based on congestion detected through mobile data. This is not a distant dream—it’s happening now, thanks to the rapid evolution of mobile technology, IoT, and 5G. Welcome to City 2.0, where mobile tech is reshaping urban life, making cities smarter, greener, and more efficient—though not without a few challenges along the way.
Weiterlesen: City 2.0: How Mobile Tech Is Making Your City Smarter
AI's continued use to enhance urban areas will lead to tremendous tourism and migration to smart cities
Smart cities may become the next step in modern urban development. Unpredictable buses blocked bike lanes, and long hours of waiting in traffic may become a thing of the past with the help of AI. However, urban planning is not so simple. These problems require intricate city knowledge and numerous technological capabilities.
Artificial intelligence has already been implemented for straightforward uses– help with homework, creating a schedule, or even maintaining a relationship with an AI girlfriend. What would building a smart city require from an AI? Is it possible? Surprisingly, it’s already in the making.
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Cities are getting smarter. Smart cities are municipalities that are employing networked sensors and cameras to gather the data they need to improve everything from rush hour traffic to delivering electricity. These sensors and cameras are part of the internet of things (IoT) to give officials real-time information to make better informed decisions for transportation policy, utility management and public safety.
Weiterlesen: Smart Cities and Smart Technology: The Legal Landscape
The world's cities have been ranked by their digital dependency for 2025 – a measure of how "smart" they are.
These locations are scored on their digital infrastructure, including public Wi-Fi speeds, smart parking solutions and CCTV coverage.
Tech platform ZeroBounce ranked the top 18 cities - and only one Australian capital made it into the mix.