IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

Qatar’s thriving digital infrastructure offers huge opportunities through innovation and technological advancements.

By establishing a robust digital infrastructure and leveraging cutting-edge technology, the country aims to enhance economic and productivity growth.

Speaking to The Peninsula , Mohamed Suhail, Head of Execution at Siemens Qatar said, “Qatar is moving to make itself a smart city with lot of initiatives especially focusing on sustainability. We have a lot of initiatives which are coming up and Qatar is going in the right direction.” Siemens has a lot of projects and solutions that we are providing from our side.

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in architectural design and urban planning is becoming increasingly important as the world faces unprecedented challenges in sustainability, urbanization, and climate change. As cities continue to grow and evolve, the need for innovative and efficient solutions to address these issues is paramount. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we design and plan our urban environments, leading to more sustainable, resilient, and livable cities for future generations.

One of the key areas where AI can make a significant impact is in the design process itself. Traditionally, architects and designers have relied on their intuition, experience, and creativity to develop building concepts and layouts. However, this approach can be time-consuming and may not always lead to the most efficient or sustainable solutions. AI-powered design tools can help architects explore a vast array of design possibilities in a fraction of the time, allowing them to identify and optimize solutions that minimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and improve overall building performance.

The rapid evolution of digital technologies transformed the way governments function, making them more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly. Rather than relying on crystal trophies, governments can leverage digital tools to drive innovation and streamline processes, benefiting the population they serve.

The ambitious Smart City Mission, aimed at transforming cities into technologically advanced urban landscapes, is facing hurdles as the pace of development remains disappointingly slow in several key cities.

“Despite repeated instructions from the chief minister, progress on projects at seven out of the ten selected smart cities has fallen behind schedule, prompting the government to issue a notice to all concerned mission directors,” a senior official told The Pioneer on Wednesday.

Cities are undergoing rapid transformation around the world, driven by technological innovation and the search for more efficient and sustainable solutions. Among the terms increasingly found in urban vocabulary is the concept of “smart cityor “smart city.” But after all, what really defines a smart city And what are its characteristics?

One smart city It is much more than a city with an advanced technological infrastructure. It is an integrated urban ecosystem Information and communication technology (Information and communication technology) and physical devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT)The Internet of things) to improve the efficiency of city operations and services, while striving to communicate more effectively with citizens.

Bhagalpur Smart City Limited (BSCL) will soon commission smart e-toilets in different municipal wards of Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation (BMC) under the Smart City Mission (SCM) project.

Officials said installation of e-toilets at public places and creating awareness among the residents to use it is being done to promote the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The e-toilets are self-contained, self-cleaning, user-friendly, unmanned, automated and remotely monitored toilet pods installed in public places, which will operate on insertion of coins.

The municipal commissioner G Sreekanth joined the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) on May 3 (Wednesday) and after a few days, he set a 100 days programme, on May 7. During the course of time, to get aware of the problems faced by the citizens and what are the ground realities, he opted for a novel way.

According to sources, "In a frank and private conversation, on Thursday, the civic chief underlined that as he was the joint commissioner (SGST) here for the last couple of years, therefore, the city is not new to him.

Thiruvananthapuram Smart City is making rapid advancements in traffic management with the establishment of the Traffic and Safety Command and Control Centre (TSCCC), integrating a range of real-time, intelligent systems and components, including Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS), Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS), Auto Number Plate Recognition system (ANPR), and Red-Light Violation Detection (RLVD) System, for efficient urban mobility and road user safety.

Thiruvananthapuram Smart City, a special purpose vehicle set up for the implementation of Smart City Mission of Government of India, is headed by Arun K Vijayan IAS, who is serving as its CEO. Madras Security Printers, a renowned e-governance and smart city ICT solutions provider, is integrating the key ICT components of the smart city, including smart traffic management systems.

It was true when the Smart Cities Connect conference began back in 2016, and it is still true today, technological solutions to many of the issues that plague cities — information access, air quality, traffic, energy management, to name a few — already exist. The real challenge that stops putting those fixes in place? The humans.

That’s the message that Chelsea Collier, Editor at Large of Smart Cities Connect, said in an interview at the spring conference in Denver, Colorado. “Smart City technology is ready and available — that isn’t the issue. It is important smart city tech be designed and deployed thoughtfully, equitably, and in alignment with the community. That brings in challenges with people and processes,” said Collier. “It can be challenging to get people to embrace new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things.”

Thiruvananthapuram Smart City is making rapid advancements in traffic management with the establishment of the Traffic and Safety Command and Control Centre (TSCCC), integrating a range of real-time, intelligent systems and components, including Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS), Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS), Auto Number Plate Recognition system (ANPR), and Red-Light Violation Detection (RLVD) System, for efficient urban mobility and road user safety.

Thiruvananthapuram Smart City, a special purpose vehicle set up for the implementation of Smart City Mission of Government of India, is headed by Arun K Vijayan IAS, who is serving as its CEO. Madras Security Printers, a renowned e-governance and smart city ICT solutions provider, is integrating the key ICT components of the smart city, including smart traffic management systems.

In the last 18 months, the Karnal police have issued 67,617 traffic challans after violations were captured through CCTV cameras installed at 63 points under the Karnal Smart City project’s Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) initiative. Challans amounting to Rs 9.99 crore have been issued to the violators from November 2021 to April 30 this year.

As technology advances at an ever-increasing pace, the way we live, work, and interact with our environment is constantly evolving. Now, more than ever, it is essential that city leaders come together to discuss and strategise how to harness the power of digital innovation to improve the quality of life for their residents.

That is the goal of the Mayors’ Digital Assembly, the political advisory body that provides guidance to the Living-in.EU movement. On 15 June, the movement organises its first EU Mayors Digital Assembly in Brussels, in the framework of the Brussels Urban Summit 2023. Local, regional, and national policymakers will get together to share their views on what leadership decisions are needed to accompany a city and a region in its digital transformation, and how to ensure that people are placed in the centre of the process.

Recently, India's Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the 5G service, affirming that "India will lead the Industry 4.0 revolution with 5G at the helm." Commenting on this technology, certain experts predicted that by 2035, 5G will have a cumulative economic impact of US$ 1 trillion, and between 2025 and 2040, it could deliver an additional GDP of US$ 150 billion for the country. This aligns with India's vision of becoming a US$ 5 trillion economy by 2025.

Over the past few years, we have witnessed an expedited Digital Transformation (DX) across the country. With the evolution of 2G, 3G, and 4G, technology has revolutionized the way enterprises operate, enabling them to enhance their productivity, increase their revenue, reduce their costs, and develop new digital services. Further expediting this progress is with the recent introduction of 5G technology, which is expected to shape the future of DX.

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) is forming a network of 500 experts in digital transformation this year, including 100 e-government experts.

Developing human resources for digital transformation and equipping people with digital skills when moving activities to cyberspace are issues of great concern.

In its report about results of the National Assembly’s Resolution 75 on human resources for digital transformation for state agencies and for digital skills for the public, MIC said it had instructed the National Digital Transformation Department to build a plan on improving digital transformation capability from the central to local governments.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched an integrated institutional platform for the design and development of artificial intelligence and data science solutions, which are designed according to the best international standards, in cooperation with a number of leading international companies in this field. Innovative that promotes innovation and leadership in the authority’s various fields of work, such as predictive maintenance of roads and bridges, planning mass transit routes, crowd management, and others.

The drones in Bhubaneswar will be controlled by the Commissionerate police and will put a check on the youth or the persons who create chaos.

The smart city of Bhubaneswar will soon account for much less number of crimes. Drones in Bhubaneswar will keep constant surveillance over anti-social activities, said reports.

Creating a smart city requires two C-words: “connection” and “champion.” Without a strong network of connected devices, you cannot install innovative, problem-solving Internet-of-things technology, nor can you develop programs to improve citizens’ lives without someone to champion them.

That’s one of the key takeaways from the spring 2023 Smart Cities Connect conference, which took place in Denver, Colorado May 15-18, 2023.

At least R3bn has been committed towards plans to developing the first phase of an integrated smart city in Ntshongweni, west of Durban, which is expected to come to life by the end of 2024.

This is according to Fundamentum Property Group CEO Carlos Correia, who was speaking during an oversight visit by Deputy President Paul Mashatile on Thursday.

Correia said this development came years after the purchase of a substantial portion of land through Tongaat Hulett.

UserCentriCities has named the three finalists in the 2023 award that recognises the achievements made in developing user-centric services for citizens.

Ghent, London and Rotterdam have been named the three finalists in the 2023 UserCentriCities Award.

The award aims to raise awareness and recognise the achievements made by European cities and regions in developing user-centric services for their citizens.

The Federal Government’s Smart Cities Plan outlines ways to maximise the potential of cities using the three pillars of smart investment, smart policy and smart technology.

Central Coast Council’s adopted Economic Development Strategy references a number of initiatives relating to the Smart City Plan with which Council aligns, but what might that mean for our region?

The Balochistan government has announced that the Ziarat Valley, under the supervision of the Chief Minister, will be transformed into a modern smart city to attract tourists.

In this regard, the government of Balochistan has established a development authority with the aim of promoting tourism and creating job opportunities for the local population.

The government announced on Monday that 70 out of a total of 120 smart city projects in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir, are progressing rapidly and nearing completion.

Athar Aamir Khan, CEO of Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) and Commissioner of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), stated during a press conference that all the smart city initiatives, which were prioritized due to the upcoming G-20 event, have either been completed or are close to completion.

Fitch Solutions, a credit ratings agency, stated that the technology company BMI recently determined the value of information and communication technology infrastructure projects in Kuwait at a value of USD 27.6 billion, as part of the bidding stages to implement the “New Kuwait 2035” vision, reports Al-Anba daily. It indicated that the long-term development plan for Kuwait aims at transforming the country into a digital society, and will lead to spending USD 17.6 billion on digital transformation between 2022 and 2027.

In its report, the agency highlighted the importance of integrating advanced information and communication technology, such as the Internet, automation, cloud services, and smart city solutions in infrastructure projects. It stressed the importance of pursuing partnership between the public and private sectors in these areas, indicating that Kuwait hosted major companies in the field of technology, such as Oracle, Microsoft and Google Cloud. The report explained that the “Oracle” project in Kuwait, worth USD 250 million, aims to integrate and maintain the medical information system for military health care in the country, and to enhance medical services in the country.

With SAR 3bn in financing from the Riyad Bank, the island development of Sindalah marks the first Neom region to be successfully financed with bank debt.

The Saudi Arabian greenfield development of Neom has signed an agreement with Riyad Bank for SAR 3bn in debt financing to help fund the development of its smart island development Sindalah. It marks the first Neom region to be successfully financed with bank debt.

Chattanooga is hurtling forward with a 25-gig network for everyone and a major new business push behind so-called quantum networking

Before it became the country's first "gig city," Chattanooga, Tenn., moved at a languid pace -- if it moved at all.

"In the late '80s and early '90s, Chattanooga was a dying city of industrial companies leaving," said Mayor Tim Kelly, a Chattanooga native who was reluctant to come home after attending Columbia University in New York. "But I felt a sense of obligation [a car business in town owned by his family]. At the time, Chattanooga did not have a buzz."

The agreement will put Rubicon’s smart city software at the heart of Atlanta’s Department of Public Works and will help its operations become fully digital.

The City of Atlanta, Georgia, has partnered with Rubicon Technologies to help deliver efficiencies in its public works operations.

The agreement will see Rubicon put its smart city software at the heart of Atlanta’s Department of Public Works. According to Rubicon, it will help the department enhance its operations to become a fully digital function, with a focus on route optimisation, digital route sheets, digital workflows, tracking exceptions in the field, improved routing for the City’s bulky waste pickup drivers, and street sweeping.

There aren't many news stories about Estonia, a tiny country in northern Europe. The Baltic Sea nation, which is only home to about 1.2 million people, is occasionally eclipsed by its larger eastern neighbour, Russia, despite having a smaller population.

In a nation that suffered greatly under Soviet rule for many years, Estonia's borders are being directly affected by the war between Russia and Ukraine. In 1991, when Estonia declared its independence from the Soviet Union, Ukraine was one of the first nations to do so. Since then, Estonia has been a steadfast ally of Ukraine.

According to AI, the future is bright.

DailyMail.com asked the image-generator Midjourney to imagine what 10 American cities will look like in 2050 using prompts from leading experts in 'smart city' developments.

The prompts focused on how overcrowding, climate change and technological development are likely to change the cities of the future.

In today’s fast-paced world, adopting new technologies is vital for a nation’s progress. While Sri Lanka has made progress in various sectors, it is crucial to recognize the untapped potential of embracing innovative technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart cities. By understanding the benefits of these advancements and taking proactive steps, Sri Lanka can unlock opportunities, transform key sectors, and improve citizens’ lives. This article explores the potential of embracing new technologies, showcases success stories from other countries, and emphasizes the need for Sri Lanka to prioritize technology-driven initiatives.

IoT is the network of interconnected devices, objects, and systems that communicate and share information through the internet. These devices, equipped with sensors and connectivity, collect and exchange data, enabling them to make intelligent decisions and perform tasks autonomously. This technology allows us to connect everyday objects, such as appliances, vehicles, and infrastructure, to enhance efficiency, convenience, and safety.

Smart city projects dominate the development vision of economies across the world. In the Middle East, such developments are gaining momentum by the day. Therefore, a future where the word "smart" prefixes every city in the developing world is not too far away. However, at this juncture, the question remains: What are smart cities beyond their obvious technological underpinnings?

By definition, smart cities are urban centres where infrastructure, such as power grids, water utilities, and traffic control, is connected via different information and communication technologies (ICT). In the Middle East, smart city developments must prioritise food and water networks due to long-standing scarcities. Due to systemic challenges, including but not limited to an arid climate, high soil salinity, unreliable rainfall, and desert conditions, the region has not made progress toward sustainable water and food security.

Borongan City in Eastern Samar took a major step towards becoming a Smart City after the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in collaboration with the Isabela State University (ISU)-Cauayan Campus and Cauayan City government, conducted a Smart City Assessment and Roadmap Formulation from May 10 to 13.

The three-day event aimed to harness smart and sustainable technologies and practices in the country.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated three Srinagar Smart City Projects and 25 Urban Local bodies (ULB) projects, today.

Of the three Smart City Projects, Polo View has been transformed into Pedestrian-Oriented Shopping Street, Abi Guzar Shiv temple has been renovated and dedicated to the people and Smart Advanced Traffic Management vehicles have been included in the fleet for Srinagar Smart City.

Digital Solutions For Smart Cities Challenges

You might call Smart Cities urban cities, but they are one leg up above the average city when it comes to tackling the everyday challenges of managing a city using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology. From traffic, waste, energy, and water management to smart lighting, smart parking, 24/7 public security, and much more.

Services that used to be complex to execute or manage as a city becomes bigger and busier, smart cities are using networks of smart devices to automate the tasks involved.

While everyone these days talks about the Srinagar Smart City Project, most of the conversations I have had are negative, especially related to the transportation infrastructure. Although the Smart City mission covers a broad spectrum of issues, in this article, I will confine my arguments and discussion to transportation alone.

Local governments have options to deal with the rapid rate of adoption for edge devices.

State and local governments are embracing edge computing in a big way. Spending on edge solutions worldwide is expected to be $208 billion in 2023, rising to $317 billion in 2026, according to IDC’s latest study.

Several factors are contributing to this increased investment. At the state and local level, edge is the backbone of smart cities. For example, a Philadelphia district uses edge computing as part of a smart city initiative to gain real-time insights into air quality, transportation modes, weather and more.

Rubicon’s smart city product is now powering the City of Atlanta’s entire solid waste, recycling, and street-sweeping fleet of 150 vehicles, digitizing operations and driving greater efficiency

Rubicon Technologies, Inc., a leading digital marketplace for waste and recycling and provider of innovative software-based products for businesses and governments worldwide, today announced that it has entered into a three-year smart city partnership with the City of Atlanta, Georgia (the “City”) to help enhance its residential waste and recycling services.

Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) has partnered with Strategic Communications Organisation (SCO) to provide communication and Internet of Things (IoT) services for the Chaharbagh Smart City project. The MoU between RUDA and SCO includes services such as fiber optic installation, setting up command and control centers, and IoT solutions to ensure urban excellence in RUDA’s flagship residential project.

Wytec and TRABUS Seek to Address Public Concerns With Pilot Project Partnership

Wytec, a leading developer and integrator of 5G technologies, is seeking to advance its patented LPN-16 Small Cell technology by incorporating cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain technologies into its patented LPN-16 Small Cell. Wytec aims to create a smarter, safer, and more efficient future for cities across the country. "Small Cells play a substantial role in supporting the massive growth for the Internet of Things (IoT) applications," confirms William Gray, President/CEO of Wytec.

Shillong is supposed to be a smart city but the smart infrastructure is woefully missing. One of the first things visible in a planned city are recreation spaces. In Shillong the only recreation space for children is Lady Hydari Park. The Wards Lake has no space for kids to scamper around and tire themselves out. Kids and young adolescents should be physically active to expend their energies instead of being glued to their smart phones which is the case today and this has serious consequences. In most cities every locality has a public garden and recreation park where even the elderly can meet with their peers as they take their grandkids out to play. The elderly cannot be cooped up in their homes the whole day. They need to meet and interact with others on a range of issues. It helps them to trigger their thought processes and perhaps keep Alzheimer’s at bay.

Panaji may have served as a model city for persons with disabilities (PwD) following the success of the Purple Fest a few months ago, however, in the aftermath of the ongoing Smart City works, members of the community feel otherwise. The disability rights’ association of Goa (DRAG) has written to the state disability commissioner to take cognizance of the places in Panaji that are inaccessible to the disabled as well as the elderly.

“Lots of complaints have been received that many places are not accessible for persons with disabilities and we are surprised that Smart City is carrying out works without taking them into account,” said DRAG president, Avelyno D’sa.

Thousands of trees have been planted across Aberdeen while Glasgow’s Clyde Climate Forest has received a £200,000 funding boost from the eight local councils.

The Scottish cities of Aberdeen and Glasgow have made significant announcements in their aims to increase tree populations.

Thousands of trees have been planted across Aberdeen as part of a plan to replenish and grow the city’s woods and other green areas, while Glasgow’s Clyde Climate Forest (CCF) has received a £200,000 funding boost from the eight local councils across the Glasgow City Region.

Seoul Subway provides location-based guidance, station directions, real-time timetable and helps users locate tourist destinations around metro stations.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) is launching the country’s first-ever subway app exclusively for foreign residents and visitors.

Seoul Subway provides customised services on Seoul Metro, including information on the entire subway lines of Seoul and the capital area, a real-time timetable, location-based guidance, and station directions.

Bangladesh has emerged as a potential tech hub in recent years, with a growing number of startups and an increasing focus on digital innovation. Already, the South Asian country has become the second-largest source for IT freelancers and is considered the region’s second most promising technological hub.

Today, over 6,500 startups operate across the country, and the IT sector has created over 300,000 new jobs and contributed 1.3% to its GDP. Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services President Russel T. Ahmned recently said his country’s IT-Information Technology Enabled Service (ITES) sector could grow to $30 billion by 2031.

The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Abubakar , has said in order to advance digital infrastructure and promote financial inclusion a robust and secure e-identity system is important.

He spoke at an event tagged, “CIO Club Africa Summit: Digital Economy and Nexus Between E-Identity, Connectivity and Financial Inclusion”, which was held in Lagos.

Answer: Shockingly, nothing out of the ordinary.

What happens when you tell AIs to act like humans? Well, they act like humans, according to researchers from Stanford University and Google. The team wanted to know what would happen if they created a bunch of AI avatars and then put them together in a virtual town and told them to interact. So they did just that.

The Urban Development Department and Lucknow Smart City on Saturday launched "School Health Program", a State government statement read.

The Urban Development Department and Lucknow Smart City on Saturday launched "School Health Program", a State government statement said on Saturday. Under the pilot project, the School Health Program has been started by Lucknow Smart City in three schools in Lucknow.

Abu Dhabi’s ranking is credited to the emirate’s infrastructure and digital services available to residents

Abu Dhabi has been named the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the year 2023 in the IMD Smart City Index released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

The study, which IMD developed with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), surveyed 120 residents in 118 cities worldwide.

The plan calls for making $18-per-month home internet available to Clevelanders.

Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration is tapping a local nonprofit and a national telecom firm to expand high-speed internet in Cleveland.

Bibb is asking City Council to slate $20 million in federal stimulus funds for Digital C, the nonprofit wireless internet provider. That money would help Digital C expand its reach to offer $18-per-month high-speed internet to all Clevelanders.

An official extension to the Smart City Mission by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs till June 2024 has given a new lifeline to various projects in Ludhiana which are still under execution or yet to take off.

The civic officials have been given instructions to complete the projects in given set of time at any cost. No new project is to be added in the list of the already locked projects.

We connect to our wearable fitness trackers. We set our smart thermostats. We ask our voice assistants to set our smart appliances to pre-heat the oven just before we come home.

Then, we step outside into public spaces that are increasingly connected through devices that allow us to receive instant information about bus schedules, traffic, health services, safety alerts, community news, and much more. The rate at which internet of things (IoT) technology is being developed and deployed in the world around us is astounding.

Bhopal Mayor Malti Rai, while reviewing the complaints received on the mayor helpline and their redressal weekly, discussed the pending complaints with the officials of the corporation on the phone and directed that the mayor should resolve the pending complaints of the helpline immediately and this arrangement should also be ensured.

The complaints received daily through the mayor helpline should be resolved within 24 hours. During the review, Mayor Rai took feedback from many complainants on the telephone regarding complaints and their redressal.

Lagos State continues to play the role of trail blazer in the country, and sometimes in the sub-continent. While the state is still under the blaze of its new train display, the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced the delivery of a batch of electric trains, the first not only in the country but also in West Africa.

“I am excited to announce the first set of electric buses in the Lagos Mass Transit Master Plan as part of our increased effort to modernise every sector of Lagos. Thanks to our partnership with @Oando PLC, Lagosians can expect a cleaner and greener public transportation in Lagos State,” said Governor Sanwo-Olu.

State transport commissioner B Kartikey Dhanji on Tuesday said the system of issuing automatic e-challan to traffic rule violators has been started by the Bihar Road Safety Council at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). "The challans are issued on violation of the traffic rules and a message is sent on the registered mobile number of the vehicle owner," he said.

He added at least 487 violators have been issued e-challans since March 20, including 317 for traffic signal violations, 150 for wrong side driving and 20 for over-speeding.

A three-day tour of several developmental projects in Surat, the city that has been ranked first in the implementation of Smart Cities Projects for three consecutive years, was organised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) from April 16-18.

Lauding the Smart City Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said that the implementation of the key developmental projects would benefit the people of the state largely.

• Connected networks of sensors and communication devices make management of resources and services more efficient and effective
• Cities are adopting advanced technologies and innovative approaches to urban planning and management

At some new subway stations in Beijing, Guangzhou and a number of other Chinese cities, people no longer need to swipe a card or scan their phone to catch a train. The gate opens following a quick scan of their face, with the process taking less than two seconds.

How IoT and AI are revolutionizing urban living, and how smart cities can optimize urban processes, improve public safety, enhance sustainability, and improve the quality of life for residents, while addressing challenges such as data privacy and security, integration and interoperability, cost and infrastructure, and the digital divide.

The world is rapidly urbanizing, and cities are facing unprecedented challenges in managing their infrastructure, resources, and services. In order to address these challenges, cities are turning to smart technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), to create more connected and efficient urban environments. In this blog post, we will explore how IoT, AI, and smart cities are coming together to shape the future of urban living.

Martin Creaner, director general of the World Broadband Association, says the digital divide discussion needs to move towards a more involved, longer-term connectivity plan.

Although complex to truly quantify, the importance of broadband connectivity to socioeconomic development is undeniable. The global broadband subscription market alone was worth over $356bn by the end of 2021 and supports a wider ICT industry that typically accounts for between two per cent and seven per cent of a country’s overall GDP. The benefits of broadband, however, spread far beyond those that can be directly monetised.

The Permanent Secretary for Energy and Power Development, Dr Gloria Magombo has said there is a need to develop smart energy solutions as the country adopts and develops smart cities and rural communities.

A smart city is a municipality, where digital technology and green-energy innovations are central to the provision of better services for residents and businesses.

In Zimbabwe, the Smart City concept is expected to generate the much-needed investments expected to boost economic growth towards the targeted upper middle-income status by 2030.

Italy’s Digital Transformation is well underway as it strives to make its cities smarter. Telecommunications provider, TIM, which is based in the country, is contributing to this development. Supporting its plans is the European Investment Bank as it helps to advance urban regeneration, the redevelopment and energy efficiency of public buildings and the advancement of sustainable mobility in Florence.

Smart cities lie at the heart of Italy’s digitisation process. The first Italy of smart and sustainable cities report, drawn up by the TIM Research Centre with the ‘Smart City’ and ‘Startup Intelligence’ Observatories of Politecnico di Milano and the CNR Department of Engineering, ICT and Technology for Energy and Transport, was recently presented in Rome.

• City is ranked No 19, behind Singapore and Beijing, in global list topped by Zurich, Oslo and Canberra
• Pandemic saw increased reliance on tech and residents learned to use smartphones in critical new ways

Hong Kong leapt into the Top 20 of a global list of smart cities, thanks mainly to the increased use of technology in healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic.

In my last article in this journal, “Building smart cities and counties with the Infrastructure Act,” I recommended that the funding available from the Infrastructure Act presented an opportunity for U.S. city and county jurisdictions to ramp up their smart city/smart county programs. At that time I noted that historically the U.S. lags far behind the rest of the world in the rankings and the infusion of federal funding could help the U.S. to catch up with jurisdictions internationally. Sadly, a recent analysis of smart city rankings from a variety of sources shows that the U.S. is lagging even further behind than we were a year ago. The most recent rankings released—the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) rankings for 2023—proves the point.

Long-term smart city success is more likely when leaders take the time to establish data and tech governance frameworks with community input, one expert says.

Slow and steady may be the key to smart city success.

Cities often feel pressured to be early adopters of technologies, which could lead to innovation initiatives falling flat, said Madelyn Sanfilippo, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Sciences.

• Business Insider Africa and the Africa Collective initiative it supports present the list of the smartest African cities in 2023.
• This list is courtesy of the IMD Smart City Index, which ranks 141 cities worldwide based on perceptions of residents regarding the structures and technology available in their cities, with weight given to perceptions from the last three years. 
• The perceptions are evaluated over two pillars, Structures, and Technology, which are further evaluated over five key areas: health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities, and governance, and the cities are divided into four groups based on their Human Development Index (HDI) scores.

Smart cities are the future of urban living. By integrating technology into every aspect of urban life, these cities can create a more efficient, sustainable, and livable environment for their residents. From transportation to public safety to waste management, smart city technology can make a significant impact on urban life.

Under the Smart City project, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kashi has undergone a complete makeover. In order to make Kashi ‘smart’ and improve basic facilities, the work of equipping it with advanced technology is going on continuously. So far, 51 projects worth Rs. 1,017.69 crore have been completed since 2018, while three projects worth Rs. 329 crore are in progress. The undergoing projects are likely to be completed by March 2024, ahead of the parliamentary elections.

The work of equipping the city with advanced technology to improve basic facilities is being done continuously. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath himself monitors every scheme to make this millennia-old city smart and modern even while preserving its ancient glory.

As Merced County, Calif., embarks on a multiple-year digital transformation journey to better serve constituents, evolving the permitting process involves the unification of previously siloed systems.

Merced County, Calif., has started the journey toward modernizing its online permitting processes.

This transformation was kick-started with a 10-year contract with the software company Accela to help create a one-stop, simplified permitting process.

The Chattanooga region is one of the three best sites in the United States to attract new electric vehicle equipment manufacturing and jobs as a national company cites the Scenic City's low operating costs.

Of 30 metros nationally that The Boyd Co. names as poised to woo such new investment, operating costs are the lowest in the Chattanooga area. The metro's total annual cost was put at $43,727 per employee for a 150,000-square-foot EV manufacturing facility employing 500 workers, with the location consultant calling the region the best in the central/southern U.S.

The Asia Pacific (Apac) region is the most digitally divided in the world, with more than two billion people not having access to digital technologies, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

So, what are tech companies and telcos doing to realise a digitally inclusive society in the region?

CEO Srinagar Smart City Limited, Athar Aamir Khan on Tuesday said that the works going on in Srinagar City will be completed well before the G-20 summit.

“Many projects have been prioritized for the G-20 summit and almost all of these projects are about to complete. There are different timelines for different projects and the government is trying to ensure that the projects are completed well before the G-20 summit,” CEO Srinagar Smart City Limited told reporters.

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) will now run the electric buses planned for the city under the Smart City project. In all, 15 e-buses purchased by the HRTC using the Smart City funds are yet to be flagged off by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The CM was to flag off these buses on April 19, but could not come to Dharamsala due to bad weather conditions.

City mayors unveil a rewilding guide for cities, based on research by C40 Cities and Arup, which aims to reverse biodiversity loss and tackle climate change.

Transformational change in urban areas is needed to reverse biodiversity loss and tackle climate change, according to new research on “urban rewilding” by C40 and Arup.

London mayor and C40 chair Sadiq Khan and Montréal mayor and C40 vice chair Valérie Plante met in London to discuss city collaboration on climate and other issues. In addition, they convened a roundtable of experts to explore opportunities to bring back nature to cities.

Will real-time sensors and data offer new solutions to the challenges cities face, or just exacerbate existing inequalities?

If you own an internet-connected “smart” device, chances are it knows a lot about your home life.

If you raid the pantry at 2 a.m. for a snack, your smart lights can tell. That’s because they track every time they’re switched on and off.

The federal agency, which is housed in the Department of Homeland Security, and allies released a guide to help communities plan for resiliency, defense and risk minimization when considering smart city initiatives.

Smart cities promise cost-savings and efficient operations, but they introduce cyber risks as well.

In conjunction with its federal and international partners, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a new guide to help communities think through and control for cyber risks that come with advancing smart city technology. Profit-seeking or espionage-focused cyber attackers may be tempted to target smart cities to steal the valuable data these systems collect and transmit on residents, government and businesses, or they may try to attack the technology to disrupt important services.

After a delay of almost eight years, the project to install unique identification number plates on 4.5 lakh properties of the city has been initiated. The work orders of the ₹5.4 crore project have been issued by the municipal corporation and a 12-month deadline has been set for completion of the project.

The tenders were opened for technical evaluation in February and the work is expected to start next month.

The phrase “Empowering Digital India with Apps” has recently gained popularity as a word to describe the transition. It has changed government, but it additionally impacted other fields and industries. Most businesses are connecting with their target audience in novel and creative ways as a result of the advent of new internet and mobile solutions to capture their attention and, at the same time, broaden their reach.

The civic body will install 300 cameras across the city, in addition to the 1,400 already installed, to monitor 100 locations under the Smart City Mission. The cameras will have direct connection with the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) at the MC zone D office, Sarabha Nagar.

Officials said that sites have been finalised and required infrastructure has been installed at over 70% locations. Officials are working on developing a network to link the cameras with the ICCC and police control room. They are already monitoring vehicle movement in almost all the main chowks of the city and are working on developing a system to issue online challans for violations like dumping of waste, encroachment etc.