Category: Smart City

The US 5G-connected city Peachtree Corners in Georgia is collaborating with BizzTech, a provider of immersive, AI‑driven Metaverse platforms, to develop a data-driven solution that will redefine urban planning around local city challenges. The partners will deploy a photorealistic digital twin of the downtown that they anticipate will accelerate data‑driven decision‑making, boost public safety and cut planning costs. The collaboration combines live sensor feeds, traffic analytics, weather data and AI to create an always‑on, interactive replica of the City of Peachtree Corners’ downtown. Photorealistic ecosystems With the ability to turn…

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The council’s innovation team hosted an event showing how immersive technologies, including AR and VR, could enhance visitor attractions of the future. Belfast City Council’s City Innovation team has been demonstrating how immersive technologies, including augmented-, virtual-, and mixed reality (AR, VR and MR), could shape future tourism. The team brought expert speakers, businesses and policymakers together to get a first look at proof-of-concept designs for visitor-led tourism experiences, and to gain the latest insights into how immersive technologies could enhance visitor attractions of the future, including Belfast Stories. Augment…

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The 2024 Global Snapshot, developed in partnership with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM), reveals that 611 cities across 75 countries have disclosed 2,508 climate-related projects through CDP-ICLEI Track in 2024, with a total investment requirement of $86bn. According to CDP, demand for climate finance in cities is increasing year-on-year as reported investment needs surged by 23 per cent in 2024. However, this remains only a fraction of the $800bn in annual public investment from national governments and development finance institutions required by 2030, as highlighted…

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Companies developing autonomous maintenance robots and visitor traffic analysis pattern technology have been named as the winners of the most recent Connected Colorado (C²) Challenge. Snowbotix and CityData.ai have earned the chance to implement their innovations with the City of Colorado Springs. Colorado Smart Cities Alliance The Challenge, run annually by the non-profit Colorado Smart Cities Alliance, creates a streamlined pathway for global innovators to connect with Colorado’s state and local governments, helping jurisdictions discover, evaluate and acquire breakthrough solutions. The 2024 C² Challenge, which launched in June of last…

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Italian tramway operator Gest has begun operations of the new extension of its T2 tramway line, connecting Peretola Airport to San Marco Square in the Florence. The T2 line now includes six new stops. It transported 11.5 million passengers in 2024 and is expected to attract more than 3.4 million additional passengers with this extension. Eco-friendly electric tramways Gest is the Tuscan subsidiary of public transport operator RATP Dev and plays a vital role in reducing congestion and pollution with its eco-friendly, electric tramways. It complements Florence’s bus network operated…

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The Japanese smart cities market was valued at $63.15bn in 2024, according to latest data. Research and consulting firm Astute Analytica projects it will reach $216.99bn by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate of 14.7 per cent during the forecast period 2025-2033. The report sets out how Japan’s smart cities market is progressing at a notably fast pace, revealing a host of innovative projects, sizeable public spending, and a government-led vision that extends well beyond conventional urban development. Top smart cities in Japan Tokyo, Kobe, Fukuoka, and Sapporo have…

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The Canadian city of Ottawa is piloting permeable pavers in a parking lot at the Carlingwood branch of the Ottawa Public Library to better manage rainwater. It is part of a wider project by the City to manage rainwater in older urban areas of Ottawa that were built without stormwater management in a way that will reduce the risk of flooding and treat runoff. It is the first project at a City facility. How permeable pavers work With regular pavers, when there’s rain, the water that lands on a parking…

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The creator of a patented rooftop wind harvesting platform that harnesses the power of wind in smaller footprints, including for commercial buildings, at a competitive cost has been chosen as the Startup of the Year by Texas Tech University’s (TTU) Office of Research Commercialisation. Houston-based Aeromine Technologies is the 2024 recipient of the award for early-stage companies which are commercialising Texas Tech University System Intellectual Property and contributing to and innovation ecosystem in West Texas. On-site electricity Aeromine was founded in 2022 and was originally supported by the Emerging Technology…

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A flying electric hydrofoil ferry service is set to begin operating in Berlin, cutting the journey time from the eastern city centre to Oberschöneweide to approximately 10 minutes. Swedish tech company Candela claims the P-12 electric hydrofoil catamaran, which can travel at 25 knots across the Spree, is the fastest electric ship in the world and the first of its kind in Germany. Electric ferry line The P-12 shuttle electric ferry line is planned to connect the East Side Gallery, near Ostbahnhof, with the cultural hub Funkhaus. “Berlin is a…

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Singapore Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is investing up to S$100m to upgrade the Nationwide Broadband Network (NBN), ensuring it remains “future-ready”. More than half a million households are expected to sign up and benefit from higher speeds of up to 10Gbps by 2028. 10Gbps connectivity The upgrade of the NBN will take place from mid-2024 to 2026. Together with the roll-out of 5G mobile services and faster wifi networks, the 10G NBN will provide more symmetric end-to-end 10Gbps connectivity. Read more: smartcitiesworld.net

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Helsinki and five other Finnish cities are exploring the use of artificial grass in the context of the circular economy. The study, due to be completed in 2024, is gathering experiences on the reuse of artificial grass and surveying recycling solutions available in Finland and elsewhere in Europe. The national artificial grass study is a joint project of the cities of Espoo, Helsinki, Lahti, Oulu, Tampere and Vantaa. Sustainability challenges There are some 450 artificial grass fields in Finland, and the field materials are regularly replaced as they wear. There…

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