Tech & Data

Micromobility companies use Google augmented reality technology to target scooter litter

Disability rights advocates say it’s too soon to know whether the technology will reduce the hazards caused by improperly parked scooters, but increasing awareness is an important first step.

By Melissa Goldin • May 20, 2022

'Citizen scientists' help track urban heat in 14 US communities

For a more complete picture of urban heat, climate research and consulting firm CAPA Strategies is working with NOAA and city and county residents to combine community engagement, on-the-ground data collection and modeling.

By Maria Rachal • May 12, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

Smart Cities Dive 2022 Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will continue preparing for the electrification of cars, buses and buildings, while also tackling the complex challenges of crime, growing inequities, labor shortages and extreme weather.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Chicago launches digital equity council to address racial barriers to internet access

The city's new council comes as President Biden announced a discounted internet service earlier this week that could potentially provide free internet for millions of U.S. households. 

By Cailin Crowe • May 12, 2022

These 3 technologies could make self-driving cars safer

With autonomous vehicles already operating in several cities, technology companies are working on high-definition maps, better artificial intelligence models and remote control for fleets when needed. 

By Dan Zukowski • May 11, 2022

NIST working group to tackle smart cities' ethical quandaries

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Global City Teams Challenge launched a working group on diversity, equity, integrity and technology, researching best practices in areas like community engagement. 

By Cailin Crowe • May 10, 2022

Smart city tech standards essential for cities to realize the tools' potential: report

The promise of interoperability and connected sensors has been hard to achieve, in part due to "vendor lock-in" and incompatible devices. Standards across the sector can help overcome those obstacles, ABI Research finds.

By Cailin Crowe • May 6, 2022

GM and INRIX collaborate to provide safety data, insights to transportation officials

Combining data from GM's connected vehicles and INRIX's analytics platform with public data, the application aims to help communities prioritize road safety needs, evaluate plans and make a case for federal funding.

By Dan Zukowski • May 4, 2022

Leading Cities, QBE invite startups to apply to AcceliCITY resilience competition

The resilience challenge – accepting applications through April – also awards regional prizes and virtual incubator memberships. Another part of the competition seeks an urban food pilot for Gainesville, Florida.

By Cailin Crowe • April 27, 2022

Pittsburgh 'smart loading zones' aim to reduce curbside delivery woes

The city is partnering with curb management company Automotus for the next year to decrease idling, congestion and other safety and efficiency issues, especially in the central business district.

By Austyn Gaffney • April 26, 2022

Comcast, city of Philadelphia are making streets safer

Comcast Smart Solutions and the City of Philadelphia came together through US Ignite to make the City smarter, one block at a time. The pilot program uses smart streetlights as part of a cutting-edge solution.

April 25, 2022

Robotic balloons could provide high-res images for numerous urban applications

Flying at 60,000 feet, they can help cities monitor vegetation, power lines, roadways and more and could potentially aid navigation for advanced urban transportation tech like AVs and VTOLs, says the CEO of Near Space Labs.

By Dan Zukowski • April 14, 2022

New York City civic engagement survey gathers over 62,000 community voices

The effort aimed to collect a diverse and representative sample of the city’s population for the start of a three-part effort to build consensus around city priorities.

By Austyn Gaffney • April 14, 2022

Transit data providers join forces as Optibus acquires Trillium

The move will provide transit agency clients with access to transit planning data and real-time operational information, the companies say, to help them address the pandemic's impact on labor and ridership.

By Dan Zukowski • April 12, 2022

City leaders share ideas on how to maximize federal dollars

At the Smart Cities Connect conference last week, local leaders called for a rethink of how cities seek to allocate federal dollars, including through community engagement, data-led decisions and regional collaborations. 

By Cailin Crowe • April 12, 2022

5 smart city leaders weigh in on the industry's biggest challenges

At last week's Smart Cities Connect conference in Columbus, Ohio, attendees shared what they think is preventing cities from achieving their smart city goals.

By Cailin Crowe • April 11, 2022

Comcast creates new smart cities dedicated business unit

While the company has previously worked with local governments on smart cities projects, the development shared at the Smart Cities Connect conference in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday signals its ongoing interest in the sector.

By Cailin Crowe • April 7, 2022

What big cities can learn from the rural US about public transit

Grappling with bare-bones transportation networks, rural communities are implementing new transit innovations, a trend that federal infrastructure dollars could accelerate. 

By Scott James Matheson and Sam Couvillon • April 6, 2022

How to foster a more innovative culture at city hall: report

The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has a new guide for mayors, city managers and other local leaders to help them understand their organizational culture and assess whether it's inhibiting real change.

By Cailin Crowe • April 4, 2022

IDC names 17 winners for its 2022 North America Smart City Awards

From Schenectady, New York, to Santa Ana, California, the group recognized smart city accomplishments across 14 categories for its fifth annual awards.

By Cailin Crowe • March 30, 2022

Jacobs, StreetLight Data bank on big data as transit agencies confront infrastructure challenges

Inflation, climate change adaptations and other factors add complexity to urban infrastructure projects. As Jacobs' acquisition of the data analytics provider indicates, they see big data as key to these projects' success.

By Dan Zukowski • March 30, 2022

Habitat for Humanity receives $436M donation to address global housing crisis

But housing experts say the large donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott and new advancements in home construction technology will not alone make housing affordable to families in U.S. cities.

By Danielle McLean • March 23, 2022

DHS and the Virginia Smart Community Testbed to fund IoT security 'best practices' blueprint

The project will test the security of a range of technologies used with IoT product deployments, including wildfire and flood sensors, at a time when critical infrastructure is especially in need of protection.

By Cailin Crowe • March 23, 2022

Envisioning a policy framework for the growth of AVs and SAVs

Public policy will need to evolve with vehicle automation advances to ensure privately owned, shared and fleet AVs meet community needs. Examining the likely phases of this transition can help officials anticipate policy needs.

By Susan Shaheen • March 22, 2022

SXSW 2022: Smart Cities Dive's coverage from Austin, Texas

At the SXSW conference this month — its first in-person event since 2019 — speakers dove into a range of issues affecting the future of cities and potential solutions to improve the quality of life for all.

March 21, 2022

Toyota's Woven Planet, NYU create open-source dataset to improve VPR tech for accessibility, autonomy

To test how visual place recognition technology can help visually impaired pedestrians, autonomous vehicles and delivery robots better navigate cities, the project captured over 200,000 images of part of an NYC neighborhood.

By Cailin Crowe • March 21, 2022