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…
Read MoreCategory: Smart City
Belfast provides glimpse of future tourism
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…
Read MoreCities seek $86bn for climate infrastructure projects
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…
Read MoreGermany to build zero energy bills neighbourhood
Octopus Energy is enabling Germany’s first 100 per cent ‘Zero Bills’ neighbourhood in Schramberg, Baden-Württember. It follows the launch of Germany’s first Zero Bills home last July. Germany is one of three countries, along with the UK and New Zealand, where Octopus Energy has introduced the tariff. Green energy technology The Schramberg development will offer residents a future free from energy bills for at least six years with each of the 24 homes powered by green technology, including solar panels, heat pumps and batteries. Construction of the development is set…
Read MoreCopenhagen Helicopter and Crisalion team to progress advanced air mobility
Spanish electric mobility company Crisalion Mobility has signed a strategic agreement with Copenhagen Helicopter to promote advanced air mobility (AAM) in Denmark. The two companies will develop plans for passenger and cargo transport solutions, as well as the management of infrastructure to facilitate the upcoming AAM services in the air and on the ground. eVTol operations One of the main focuses of this collaboration will be to analyse the feasibility of future electric vehicle take-off and landing (eVTol) operations between the island of Funen in Denmark and some of the…
Read MoreConnected Colorado Challenge announces winners
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…
Read MoreEco-friendly tram extension begins operations in Florence
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…
Read MoreJapan smart cities market to be worth over $216bn by 2033
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…
Read MoreOttawa pilots permeable pavers to better manage rainwater
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…
Read MoreRooftop wind energy innovator recognised by innovation hub
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…
Read MoreBerlin to deploy the Candela flying electric ferry
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…
Read MoreJTA announces groundbreaking of Autonomous Innovation Centre
Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has announced the groundbreaking launch of the Autonomous Innovation Centre (AIC) at LaVilla, a hub centred around an advanced command-and-control centre that will store, service, monitor and maintain the city’s electric, autonomous mobility system. The AIC is an integral part of the upcoming Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC), Phase I of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) programme which is a comprehensive initiative to modernise and expand transportation options in the Downtown Jacksonville area and introduce autonomous vehicles (AVs) into JTA’s transportation system. Innovative mobility network Establishing…
Read MoreSingapore invests in “future-ready” broadband network
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
Read MoreSugar Land partners with autonomous air taxi specialist Wisk
The City of Sugar Land, Texas, is partnering with advanced air mobility (AAM) company Wisk Aero to bring autonomous AAM to the Greater Houston region. Under this new partnership, Wisk and Sugar Land will identify and assess a location at the Sugar Land Regional Airport for the development of vertiport infrastructure that would allow for Wisk’s autonomous air taxi operations. The companies report that this initial partnership will lay the foundation and act as a gateway for the establishment of a larger network across the Greater Houston region. Autonomous eVTOL…
Read MoreFinnish cities explore re-use potential of artificial grass
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…
Read More