Half-a-decade ago, Professor Richard Florida wrote, “When we think of the city of the future, we might think about flying cars and scenes from ‘Star Trek’ or ‘The Jetsons.’ But coming new technologies are shaping deeper and more fundamental changes in our cities.”[1] Chief among those technologies is artificial intelligence (AI). “Artificial intelligence,” he wrote, “could … help systems be more dynamic.” For example, in the area of transportation, “AI could allow us to better allocate resources to make transportation more reliable and more equitable.” He also noted the darker side of AI. “Ana ..read more

Some smart city efforts have been derailed over the past couple of years as a result of concerns about privacy and the creation of a surveillance society. Truly smart cities work to help (not just surveil) their citizens. As a report by McKinsey & Company analysts concluded, “Becoming a smart city is not a goal but a means to an end. The point is to respond more effectively and dynamically to the needs and desires of residents.”[1] The report also noted, “Cities are the world’s best laboratories for solutions. Digital intelligence gives them a fresh set of tools for doing more with less ..read more

Most people recognize that humanity has been too wasteful when it comes to natural resources and too cavalier when it comes to protecting the planet. We are now beginning to pay a price for our excesses. As more of us concentrate in urban environs, modern technologies offer us a way to use resources more wisely and protect the planet at the same time. Nevertheless, for a number of reasons, smart city initiatives seem to have stalled in many places around the globe. Half-a-decade ago, journalist Nick Ismail (@ishers123) discussed the need for (and optimism surrounding) the smart city movement ..read more

We’re all aware of the disruptions that the pandemic created in our lives. We are also aware that the repercussions of the pandemic spread far beyond health concerns. Several years before the pandemic erupted, Roei Ganzarski (@RoeiGanzarski), currently CEO of Alitheon, asked, “What will our cities look like in 2025?”[1] As he looked to future, he wrote, “The ‘smart city’ will only become a reality when the backbone of the city — the infrastructure and moreover, the software that will dynamically bring all these parts together for the efficient and responsible lives of the cities inhabitants ..read more

Transforming a city into a smart city is neither easy nor cheap. As a result, many urban planners are forced to tackle the transformation process a bit at a time. Unfortunately, this piecemeal approach to smart city transformation doesn’t always achieve the best results. Without a holistic vision and strategy, technologies purchased to enhance one city system might not be compatible with technology utilized to enhance other urban systems. The true vision of a smart city can only become a reality when all systems are working together and sharing data to ensure that precious resources are used e ..read more

As the world continues to urbanize and climate change worsens, increased scrutiny is being focused on cities and how they can adapt to changing conditions. One of the focuses of this increased attention is on the buildings that pack the urban landscape. The road to smart cities, according to many experts, begins with smart buildings. For example, Sanjeevv Bhatia, CEO of Netix, observes, “Smart buildings are the units which aggregate into smart cities, and each such individual asset — as well as the entire cluster — depends on connectivity, for optimization.”[1] Efficiency and optimization are ..read more

Futurists and science fiction writers spend a lot of time thinking about what future urban environments are going to look like. Futurists are generally optimistic, while science fiction writers often portray dark, dysfunctional urban environments. No one can say for sure what the future of the world’s metropolises will look like — only that the majority of the world’s population will live in them. As a result, the importance of optimizing scarce resources while providing a good quality of life for urban residents will continue to rise. Journalist Abdul Montaqim (@abdulmontaqim) explains, “The ..read more

The western United States is suffering from wildfires and severe drought while floods have affected the east and south. Floods have also ravished parts of Germany and China. All tolled it’s not been the summer people had hoped it would be. Back in 1966, the Lovin’ Spoonful recorded their classic song “Summer in the City.” The lyrics include:   Hot town, summer in the city Back of my neck gettin’ dirty and gritty Been down, isn’t it a pity? Doesn’t seem to be a shadow in the city All around, people lookin’ half dead Walkin’ on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head   Fifty-years later ..read more

Although many parts of the world continue to struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic, we can now see a light glimmering at the end of the tunnel. As the world adapts to a new normal, many people are beginning to contemplate the future of urban areas. During the pandemic, some so-called “smart city” projects were canceled as residents complained about technologies intruding on their lives. As a result, some stakeholders are beginning to question the future of smart cities. A few years ago, Mike Moore (@notTHEmikemoore), News & Features Editor for TechRadarPro and ITProPortal, wrote, “At its sim ..read more

A course given at MIT examines a normative model which claims a city is analogous to a living organism.[1] The course description notes, “The theory of the organic city rests on a number of assumptions about the nature of organisms. Among these is the assertion that an organism is an autonomous individual, and that it has a definite boundary and is of a specific size. It does not change merely by adding parts but through reorganization as it reaches limits or thresholds. It contains differentiated parts but form and function are always linked. The whole organism is homeostatic, self-repairing ..read more