The ancient Silk Road cities can provide many clues for creating a 21st-century service city in the Central Asian region, British architect Harry Dobbs, founder of Harry Dobbs Design Ltd and member of the Alatau City Development Council, said during a session titled "New Capitals and New Cities of Central Asia. Water-Sensitive Urban Planning and Housing for Climate Resilience" within the framework of WUF13, Trend reports.
"And not only at the level of urban structure, but also at the level of urban culture: from the ancient culture of caravanserai to the culture of a modern business district. There are aspects of human dynamics and relationships that have actually not changed all that much, and they give us clues on how to create something that is simultaneously culturally connected and modern," he said.
South Korea’s advanced smart city technologies are revolutionizing urban landscapes across Southeast Asia, addressing critical challenges such as water management, traffic congestion, public safety, and environmental sustainability. These innovations are not only modernizing cities but also setting benchmarks for scalable, AI-driven urban development that many regions aspire to follow. As these projects unfold, they demonstrate strategic deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), IoT sensors, dynamic data analysis, and integrated systems—creating smarter, safer, and more sustainable cities.
These oldest cities demonstrate that tradition and innovation can coexist harmoniously, setting a precedent for urban development worldwide
Asia is a continent of dualities. Here, hypermodern skyscrapers tower over ancient temples, and centuries-old customs coexist with cutting-edge innovation. Nowhere is this contrast more striking than in its oldest cities, where history isn’t just preserved but lived. From the brightly lit streets of Bangkok to the quiet elegance of Kyoto, these cultural powerhouses demonstrate that smart cities aren’t just about sleek technology but about reimagining the past for the future.
Read more: Tech meets tradition: How Asia’s oldest cities are adapting to the smart revolution
Blaize and Starshine are partnering to deploy a hybrid AI platform for smart city and other applications in India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and China.
Edge artificial intelligence (AI) computing specialist Blaize is deploying its AI hybrid platform in collaboration with AI infrastructure solutions company Starshine Computing Power Technology across Asia.
The collaboration aims to drive real-world hybrid AI deployment across the continent through scalable infrastructure, powering smart cities, industrial automation, and intelligent public services.
Read more: AI companies team to deploy smart cities platform across Asia
Asia and Europe dominate the top 20 in this year’s revamped IMD Smart City Index.
The study, produced by The Smart City Observatory (SCO), part of the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC), combines hard data and survey responses to show the extent to which technology is enabling cities to address the challenges they face to achieve a higher quality of life for their inhabitants.