South Korea seeks pilots for open-source smart city data hub solutions
Smart city services that solve urban problems closely tied to residents' lives—such as traffic congestion, urban safety, and environmental management—by using data collected across cities will be expanded.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 12th it will solicit proposals for the "2026 smart city data hub pilot solution discovery project" to identify solutions based on the smart city data hub.
Tech-driven smart cities must shift to governance-led models
Researchers are urging a reset in how smart cities are understood and governed, arguing that urban digital transformation has moved too far toward infrastructure, automation and optimization without enough attention to public value, inclusion and long-term resilience. A new research published in Encyclopedia says the next phase of smart city development will depend less on how many advanced tools cities deploy and more on whether those tools are embedded in systems that protect human well-being, environmental goals and institutional trust.
The study, titled "Human-Centric, Sustainable and Resilient Smart Cities in Industry 5.0", presents a broad conceptual framework for understanding how cities should move beyond earlier technology-led smart city models and instead organize digital transformation around the three core Industry 5.0 values of human-centricity, sustainability and resilience.
Smart city with biometric access and free uncapped Wi-Fi in one of South Africa’s most dangerous areas
Jewel City, located 10 minutes from Hillbrow in the Johannesburg CBD, offers residents free high-speed, uncapped fibre Internet, biometric access to apartments, and a digital high school.
Real estate development firm Atterbury led the redevelopment of the six-block precinct in November 2018, with apartments now offered from R3,550 per month by Ithemba Property Group.
South Korea to test AI-based smart city tech in South-East Asia
South Korea will carry out pilot projects to test smart city technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI) in five South-East Asian countries, including Malaysia, aimed at helping address urban challenges and support domestic firms' global expansions, the land ministry said Monday (April 13).
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry said it has selected six projects to be carried out in five countries under its 2026 K-City Network programme, an initiative that supports the application of domestic smart city projects.
Powering the future of Africa’s smart cities
ABB Electrification is driving Africa’s transition to smarter, more sustainable cities through its suite of integrated technologies designed to improve energy efficiency, resilience, and connectivity across urban infrastructure.
With rapid urbanisation placing new demands on power, mobility, and digital infrastructure, ABB’s smart city solutions offer a blueprint for sustainable development, from intelligent buildings and reliable power systems to cleaner, connected transport networks.