Smart City labels and initiatives are one marker for companies seeking locations that offer cutting-edge infrastructure for business and residents. With Mary Scott Nabers, President & CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
The pace of change in our world is so rapid that just acknowledging the evolutionary advances can be challenging. One trend that should not be overlooked is the growth of cities. According to data reported by the UN Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs, more than 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. That data also shows by 2030 the world is projected to have 43 megacities with more than 10 million inhabitants each. That growth will only intensify the challenges municipal leaders face.
The City’s Digital Inclusion Strategy incorporates four actionable goals to help anchor the city’s activities and investments in the digital ecosystem.
Baltimore has announced a new strategy to further develop the city’s digital infrastructure and help residents have access to technology as well as learn how to use it more effectively.
The City’s Digital Inclusion Strategy, released by the Baltimore City Office of Information and Technology (BCIT) incorporates four actionable goals to help anchor the city’s activities and investments in the digital ecosystem.
Read more: US: Maryland: Baltimore’s five-year plan to improve city’s digital access
Buffalo is making significant strides towards a smart city transformation with its proposed smart street upgrades and waterfront accessibility changes. The city recently held a public meeting to discuss the design process for these initiatives, highlighting the potential for smart city technology and infrastructure improvements.
The smart street design plan aims to revolutionize the central business district with innovative technologies. One possibility that has garnered attention is the implementation of synchronized lights in downtown Buffalo. This not only includes traffic signals but also street lights, offering a unique opportunity to gather real-time traffic and parking data. The city could establish a central smart hub to monitor this data, enhancing traffic management and parking availability.
Read more: US: New York: Buffalo Explores Exciting Opportunities for Smart City Transformation
Select workers in a small city in the metro-Atlanta area can now have lunch delivered via autonomous robots that avoid traffic.
Peachtree Corners, a “smart city” featuring connected physical infrastructure and 5G wireless networking, is partnering with underground logistics network Pipedream and Internet of Things (IoT) laboratory Curiosity Lab to provide below-ground autonomous robot delivery to employees at Curiosity Lab’s 25,000-sq.-ft. innovation center in Peachtree Corners.
Read more: US: ‘Smart city’ in Georgia pilots underground robot delivery
Yale professor and AI, machine learning and IoT expert Andrei Khurshudov discusses why he’s not worried about privacy in smart cities and how AI can play a role in decision-making.
U.S. cities currently collect hundreds of thousands of data points a day, from license plate information to pedestrian volume to traffic flow.
Read more: US: ‘If we want smart cities, we have to give them data,’ IoT expert says