Charting urban change from the sky
What began an experimental concept in the 1990s has evolved into a defining feature of urban development: the smart city. Across the globe, cities are embedding digital technologies into their infrastructure to improve efficiency, sustainability and the quality of urban life. This article explores how advances in aerial mapping have played a central role in enabling this transformation, and examines – through a series of case studies – how these technologies continue to shape smart cities today.
The early 2000s marked a breakthrough moment for the smart city, with the rise of airborne Lidar, high-resolution imagery and photogrammetry making it possible to create detailed 3D city models. These geospatial tools provided a foundation for integrating real-time data from a growing array of sensors, allowing urban environments to become increasingly data-rich and responsive.
Weiterlesen: Powering smart cities with airborne precision data
In this increasingly connected global environment, the digital transformation of public services represents one of the most promising opportunities to improve the quality of life of citizens. A smart city, defined as one that uses information and management technologies to optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations, not only brings citizens closer to government services, but also automates processes that generate tangible environmental benefits.
While public investment typically drives the initial development of smart cities, private sector collaboration and mixed investments play a crucial role in accelerating and sustaining the progress of this transformation.
Weiterlesen: The Future of Public Services: A Path Toward Smart Cities
A deep dive into how smart cities will reshape life by 2030 and beyond—powered by AI, IoT, and green innovation.
The Rise of Smart Cities: What the World Will Look Like by 2050
By the year 2050, over 68% of the global population is expected to live in urban areas. This rapid urbanization presents huge challenges—traffic congestion, pollution, infrastructure strain, energy shortages, and housing crises. To meet these growing demands, a new kind of city is emerging: the smart city.
Weiterlesen: The Rise of Smart Cities: What the World Will Look Like by 2050
Cities are getting a serious tech upgrade. The changes happening right now would’ve seemed impossible just a few years back, and smart technologies are solving problems that urban planners have wrestled with for decades. Traffic jams that make you late for everything. Energy waste that costs taxpayers millions.
These aren’t just fancy gadgets either. Here is a list of 15 technologies making cities smarter in 2025.
- The World Bank predicts a 70% urban population by 2050, driving the need for smarter cities and systems to run them.
- Projects in Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Singapore prioritize social and environmental considerations into their design.
- True smart living begins with designing for delivery, and beyond.
According to the World Bank, nearly 70% of the world's population will live in cities by 2050. To meet this demand, cities must accommodate growing populations, enable mobility through well-planned transport networks, power activities with efficient energy systems, and support modern life with integrated, real-time solutions.
Weiterlesen: From Australia to Saudi Arabia, these cities are getting smarter by design