Jane Jacobs — journalist, urban theorist and critic — dared to ask in the 20th century why cities were built for cars. While aggressively challenging car-centric urban planning, she wrote that affordable, convenient public transport is vital. Once again, she took a critical stance when she described the urban mobility status quo as “predicated on inconvenient, deteriorating, obsolete public transit” — and blamed transit authorities for “ignoring common-sense alternatives and neglecting innovative thinking.”
Topic: smart-mobility
9 MIN. READ
Smart Cities and Urban Mobility: Why Public Transport Matters
By Jon Glasco on Feb 2, 2023 12:45:47 PM
5 MIN. READ
How NRW is Changing the Landscape of Smart Mobility Solutions
By Joe Appleton on Nov 29, 2022 1:02:53 PM
Smart Mobility is one of the most talked about dimensions in smart city development. A strong and innovative mobility sector is the heart of any city. If citizens can’t travel around a district, city, or region with ease, it stifles business, curtails expansion, and makes life difficult for all urban stakeholders, from citizens to politicians.
Without smart mobility solutions, a city can suffer from social inequity, it can fail to empower entrepreneurs, and of course, it can cause harm to our environment.
Topics:
Smart Mobility
Smart City Innovation
Smart Cities Made in Germany
9 MIN. READ
The Impact of AI on the Smart City Movement
By Lisa Smith on May 18, 2021 3:24:44 PM
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises huge advantages for smart data processing and automation, potentially affecting every area of our daily lives and influencing the planning and implementation of smart city projects across all six fields of action; however, the creation of AI also poses some important questions. If we relinquish the administrative control of certain processes and services to AI, how can we ensure that they will be inclusive? What will the future labor market look like, and what implications will machine intelligence have for education? Policymakers in particular need to keep ahead of the curve and form a standard legal framework in order for cities to make the most of what AI has to offer.
Topics:
Smart Mobility
Smart City
Smart Cities
Artificial Intelligence
9 MIN. READ
The 15-Minute City: Nurturing Communities For Smarter Cities
By Joe Appleton on Jul 1, 2020 12:38:20 PM
The term “smart city” has a different meaning for different people. For most, it conjures up a vision of a technologically-advanced metropolis, where citizens rely on smart gadgets to go about their daily lives. For others, the smart city concept describes government initiatives based on big data, technology and intelligent processes that improve the quality of life of a city’s residents. These aren’t incorrect definitions, they’re just two sides of a multi-faceted approach to urban development.
Technology and data are essential building blocks for creating a smart city. But it’s the city’s residents that can help enact the biggest changes. By introducing projects that focus on improving the lives of individuals and communities, smart cities can begin to grow on their own.
One of the most talked-about methods of transforming a city into a smarter city is by introducing 15-minute neighbourhoods. More commonly known as a 15-minute city, or even a 20-minute city, these strategies focus on improving the lives of residents by making the city more accessible to everyone.
Topics:
Smart Mobility
Smart City
Sustainability
Urban Planning
Urban Mobility
8 MIN. READ
Rethinking Urban Mobility for the Post-Covid City
By Joe Appleton on Jun 15, 2020 12:27:36 PM
“There’s a positive aspect of this horror,” the deputy mayor of Paris, Jean-Louis Missika, told the Washington Post. “Never has the city been less polluted. Parisians have much appreciated it, and I think there will be strong changes in the behaviour of people, in terms of movement.” This is a sentiment shared by many leaders across the globe.
Despite the hardships caused by the spread of Covid-19, the current situation presents a unique opportunity. Now is an ideal time to revolutionize the way we live in urban environments.
It’s a quiet revolution that has already begun.
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Mobility
Smart City
Urban Mobility
e-Scooter
11 MIN. READ
Leading North American Smart Cities to Watch in 2019
By Lily Maxwell on Sep 25, 2019 10:55:27 AM
In a 2018 report completed by the Eden Strategy Institute, 12 of the globe’s 20 smartest cities were located in the USA. Founded upon a spirit of innovation, it is perhaps no surprise that many of the country’s smart cities are so high-ranking, providing inspiration to other cities all over the world. Following our exploration of 4 up-and-coming North American Smart Cities in Part 1, we’ve chosen to take a brief look at 4 of the most prominent smart cities in the country in Part 2. From 2018’s highest ranking smart city worldwide, New York, to its start-up hub, San Francisco, we’ll take you through some of the smartest initiatives the US has to offer.
Topics:
Smart Government
Smart Mobility
Open Data
Internet of Things (IoT)
Citizen Engagement
Blockchain
Smart Infrastructure
9 MIN. READ
Rising Stars: Eight Smart Cities in Asia to Watch in 2019 - Part 2
By Lily Maxwell on Jul 16, 2019 9:10:55 PM
As we saw in our last article on Asian smart city stars, urban centers in Asia are facing mass urbanization on a much more significant scale than many other parts of the world. They are also often located in climate-vulnerable regions. For example, a World Bank research report assessing the possible consequences of continued sea-level rise on eighty-four developing countries found that the impact of sea-level rise will be particularly severe for the Asia-Pacific region. For this reason, becoming ‘smarter’ and more sustainable is a top priority for many of Asia’s cities. In this article, we will look at four more Asian metropolises that are pushing forward smart initiatives in order to tackle current and prepare for future challenges. If you have not read the first part of the Rising Asian Stars article, you can read it here Rising Asian Stars: Smart Cities to Watch in 2019 - Part 1.
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Government
Smart Mobility
Smart Lighting
Smart City Innovation
Smart Education
Smart City Projects
11 MIN. READ
Rising Asian Stars: Smart Cities in Asia to Watch in 2019 - Part 1
By Lily Maxwell on Jun 19, 2019 2:02:08 PM
There were an estimated 47 megacities in existence in 2017, and the majority were located in Asia. The region is facing urbanization on a scale far beyond that of other regions, with an estimated 1.1 billion moving into Asian cities in the next 20 years. Many Asian countries are also in areas that are prone to extreme weather patterns or natural disasters, and this is only becoming more of a problem with climate change. Cities across the continent urgently need to prepare for serious population growth, and the strain it will place on their public services, and the risks that environmental changes pose. For this reason, becoming more resilient and ‘smarter’ is inevitably at the top of most Asian cities’ political agendas. In this article we are going to explore some of the Asian cities investing in becoming smarter and more sustainable in order to make their citizens safer and happier.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart Living
Smart Government
Smart Mobility
Smart City
Internet of Things (IoT)
Climate Change
Smart City Projects
10 MIN. READ
Smart Sustainable Cities in Spain: The Commitment to a Green Economy
By Jon Glasco on Mar 14, 2019 2:34:15 AM
In recent years, an increasing number of Spanish cities recognize the need for bold steps to confront an emerging urban crisis. A crisis with multiple dimensions including damage to quality of life caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, threats of climate change, and an urgency to develop policies that support green city innovation.
Global Perspective: Good Intentions, Complex Barriers
Since the concept of a green economy was forged in the 1990s, the ideas and strategies for green cities have evolved into a variety of urban development policies, smart city solutions and sustainability measures to protect the environment, enable economic development and ensure high quality of life.
Topics:
Smart City Solutions
Smart Environment
Smart Mobility
Sustainability
Climate Change
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
17 MIN. READ
Jonathan Reichental on the Importance of Smart Cities & Smart Citizens
By Lily Maxwell on Oct 10, 2018 12:00:29 PM
The importance of smart cities & smart citizens: In our new interview series, smart city leaders comment on the future of smart cities, the role of technology, and the benefits for citizens. In our first interview of the series, we have asked Jonathan Reichental, CIO of Palo Alto, California to share his expertise, thoughts and insights with us on a number of important smart city topics.
Topics:
Smart City Strategy
Smart City Solutions
Smart Government
Smart Environment
Smart Mobility
Smart City Technology
Smart City
Smart City Innovation
Smart People
Smart Cities
Future Cities
Procurement