IN: ‘No city can be smart if it ignores 30% of its people’
Rajiv Rajan was born with cerebral palsy, but he always loved travelling, and his mother carried him around until he was 10 years old. However, there came a point when she couldn't continue, and he eventually stopped going out. The primary reason was the expenses involved in hiring an auto or cab, which was a significant financial burden for his family. These childhood experiences led the disability rights activist to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) every year for more than 25 years, to push the govt to make public transport more accessible for people with disabilities. Finally, his efforts reached fruition, with the Tamil Nadu govt launching low-floor buses last year. This means that persons with disabilities (PwDs) on wheelchairs can now board buses on their own, with the help of a ramp fitted to the bus.
North China mountain city Yangquan makes smart autonomous driving choice
Taking an autonomous driving bus has now become a habit for a resident surnamed Yue in the city of Yangquan, north China's Shanxi Province. This habit has developed despite her initial concerns about the safety of such a vehicle.
Tucked away in the Taihang Mountains, the smallest city in Shanxi has embraced various types of autonomous driving transportation tools, including buses, taxis and logistics vehicles.
Identifying meaningful use cases to fulfil the promise of AI in cities
Matthew Panszczyk at Sand Technologies explains the strategy for AI deployments is sometimes more important for success than the technology itself.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionise urban environments, offering municipalities powerful tools to streamline operations, improve citizen services, and enhance public safety.
City 2.0: How Mobile Tech Is Making Your City Smarter
Cities are integrating connected technologies to optimise traffic flow, enhance public safety, and improve service delivery
Imagine stepping out of your home and instantly connecting to your city’s digital ecosystem. Your smartphone knows where the nearest available parking spot is, public transport updates arrive in real-time, and even the traffic lights adjust dynamically based on congestion detected through mobile data. This is not a distant dream—it’s happening now, thanks to the rapid evolution of mobile technology, IoT, and 5G. Welcome to City 2.0, where mobile tech is reshaping urban life, making cities smarter, greener, and more efficient—though not without a few challenges along the way.
JP: Susono: Woven City: Rich in cash, Japan automaker Toyota builds a city to test futuristic mobility
The $10 billion Woven City near Mount Fuji is where Japanese automaker Toyota plans to test everyday living with robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous zero-emissions transportation.
Daisuke Toyoda, an executive in charge of the project from the automaker's founding family, stressed it's not "a smart city."
"We're making a test course for mobility so that's a little bit different. We're not a real estate developer," he said during a recent tour of the facility, where the first phase of construction was completed.