Smart windows are being used to help transform an office block in New York’s Manhattan to make it more ‘experiential’ as well as more sustainable and healthier. View windows will be installed at the overbuild at 100 Pearl Street, in Lower Manhattan, currently undergoing a top-to-bottom transformation by GFP Real Estate and Northwind Group. 100 Pearl Street, which encompasses a full city block on Hanover Square, is being renovated into a premier downtown New York City office asset with rare all-glass penthouses offering 360-degree views across the East River toward…

Tokyo has topped a list of the world’s most innovative cities after performing strongly in the areas of technology application, digital capability and pandemic performance. The Japanese capital had leapfrogged previous winner Boston and a ‘recovering’ New York City due to strong med-tech and research capabilities to win. According to 2thinknow’s analysis this was followed by ‘surprise’ economic winner Australia’s Sydney (4), and ‘perennial’ top-10 technology city, Singapore (5). US cities performance For the first time in 14 years of results, more than half (54 per cent) of the top…

The installed base of smart streetlights is forecast to reach 48.8 million by the end of 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.8 per cent, according to a new research report. At the end of 2020 smart streetlights globally amounted to 16.2 million. The report from IoT analyst firm Berg Insight found that Europe leads the adoption of smart street lighting technology and accounted for as much as 35 per cent of the global installed base in 2020. Rest of world region North America continues to…

The UK city of Leicester has begun work to install and plant 30 living roof bus shelters as part of a major programme to replace and revamp the city’s bus shelters. Dubbed “Bee Bus Stops”, Leicester City Council claims the citywide network of living roof and solar-powered shelters will be a first for any UK city and are planted with a mix of wildflowers and Sedum plants, a favourite among pollinating insects. Climate resilience According to the city council, the shelters from Clear Channel will positively contribute towards biodiversity and…

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is using blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor buildings that could be at risk of decaying. The project kicks off with 46 buildings for test operation in December and the system will be applied to 824 buildings in the South Korean capital from 2022 that are more than 30 years old or designated as facilities prone to disasters. Warning signals The blockchain-based Safety Check-up Platform for Risky Structures will use IoT sensors attached to buildings to monitor and send warning signals when…