International officials highlight efficiency, real-time management and citizen-focused solutions as key to sustainable urban development
The Chinese city of Xi'an is strengthening its position as a benchmark for smart urban governance, demonstrating how digital technologies and data-driven systems can enhance public services, improve efficiency, and support sustainable development.
According to China Daily, a partner of TV BRICS, officials and urban management experts from multiple countries, including Egypt and Oman, examined the city’s governance model, focusing on how digitalisation is reshaping municipal services and infrastructure management.
Mayors and government officials representing seven countries shared insights on digitalization and efficiency in modern city governance at the recently concluded 2026 Global Mayors Dialogue in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.
The participants from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, Iraq, Tunisia and New Zealand learned about Xi'an's experience through an on-site visit during the three-day event that ended on Wednesday.
Weiterlesen: CN: Xi'an showcases smart city governance model
At first glance, the streets of the Xiong'an New Area in North China's Hebei Province look clean and new, yet not particularly remarkable. It is only when driving through them that one senses the pulse of what has been widely referred to in China as "the city of the future." Here, drivers no longer "obey" green lights; the lights "obey" the traffic.
This is no illusion. Behind the so-called "green-wave traffic system" lie more than 20,000 roadside sensors that monitor traffic flow, queue lengths and vehicle types in real time. The data feed into an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered "city brain" that recalibrates signals in milliseconds. As a result, the average number of stops per vehicle has fallen by half, according to official figures.
The "Smart City" Development and Innovation Competition was held in Nanning in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 30, with 37 teams winning in the finals of the competition and five representative projects completing on-site signing.
A total of 1,382 works participated in this competition, among which 252 works won awards.
The "Smart City" Development and Innovation Competition was held in Nanning in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on March 30, with 37 teams winning in the finals of the competition and five representative projects completing on-site signing.
A total of 1,382 works participated in this competition, among which 252 works won awards.
On March 29, the 60 teams that advanced to the finals were divided into groups according to the competition topics. The professional track targeted four competition directions, namely urban safety and public services, intelligent construction and green buildings, urban construction and urban governance, and smart residential areas and smart communities. The university track was set up with three directions, including urban construction and urban governance, intelligent construction and green buildings, and smart residential areas and smart communities.