US: North Carolina: HBCU students shine in 'smart city' challenge, innovating solutions for NC cities
Over 200 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation tackled real-world problems from North Carolina cities like Charlotte and Winston Salem, delivering creative tech solutions to urban challenges.
As I discuss regularly in this column, every industry is going through a digital transformation from established, static systems built upon legacy information to automated, continuously optimizing systems based on real-time data. Local government is no exception. Each time you learn of a “smart” city solution, you can rest assured that it is based on new principles rooted in IoT, AI and automation.
What is a ‘smart city’ and why should we care? It’s not just a buzzword
More than half of the world’s population currently lives in cities and this share is expected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050.
It’s no wonder “smart cities” have become a buzzword in urban planning, politics and tech circles, and even media.
The phrase conjures images of self-driving buses, traffic lights controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) and buildings that manage their own energy use.
Morocco advances e-government with new digital identity agreement
The Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform and the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) signed a framework agreement on Friday in Rabat to advance e-government and expand the secure use of digital identity linked to the new electronic National Identity Card.
Signed by Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni and the Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, Abdellatif Hammouchi, the partnership aligns with the Royal High Directives and the «Digital Morocco 2030» strategy. It aims to improve citizens’ access to public services through strengthened institutional cooperation.
NP: Govt finalizes smart city indicators
Govt to rank cities by 'Smartness Level'
The government has finalized the "Smart City" indicators for the year 2081 BS. Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung announced that the Council of Ministers approved the decision during its meeting on April 30.
Despite frequent mentions of "Smart City" in political speeches and governmental declarations, authorities have yet to give the concept tangible form. The absence of a clear definition has gradually diluted the relevance of the slogan.
Smart isn’t enough: Researchers call for human-centric shift in urban development
The study emphasizes that true intelligence in urban design arises when cities use technology to advance social justice. This means building governance models that include community voices, deploying technologies that consider cultural and socioeconomic diversity, and ensuring that all residents, not just tech-savvy elites, benefit from smart systems.
A growing number of global cities are realizing that technology alone cannot solve the complex challenges of modern urbanization. A new study titled "The Road to Intelligent Cities," published in the journal Smart Cities, argues that the prevailing smart-city paradigm must evolve into a more inclusive, human-centered model of development: the intelligent city. This shift focuses not merely on digital efficiency, but on aligning technology with equity, sustainability, and social inclusion.