Cary, one of our 2018 Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge winners, last week held its Readiness Workshop. The town already has a clear view of how all the elements of community need to come together. See how it used its workshop to continue those efforts.
Smart cities are not about technology — they are about people. Leaders from cities throughout Silicon Valley, an area known for being at the forefront of technological innovation, shared how they’re using technology to better serve their people.
Too often, today’s solutions can become tomorrow’s problems. See how Fairfax County, Virginia, a 2018 Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge finalist, plans to use its current success to build an innovative, inclusive future that lifts the next generation.
Here are the 10 finalists for this year’s Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grants. Learn about their ambitious visions and the steps they’re already taking to achieve them. Also, hear about our special award to help Puerto Rico recover faster from last year’s devastating hurricane.
From managing rising seas to developing strategies to help those who aren’t typically helped by big city projects, the first five Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge winners have made progress over the past year. Here’s what they’re up to.
Tech corporation ZTE is looking to bring Hungary’s technology up to 21st century standards starting with one major upgrade: a 5G network. While small towns like Szentendre near Budapest have toyed with smart city solutions like Smart Parking systems, it’s up to larger metropolises to set the example when it comes to Smart City projects.
Panasonic's Kid Witness News educational program is now in 18 countries, supplying schools with video production equipment that enables students to report on the world through their eyes. Next week the company hosts its first KWN summit in Japan. It promises to be eye-opening; find out why.
Canadians use a lot of water. The country is ranked among the highest in the world for water consumption. So it's more than a little surprising that a small Alberta town has emerged as a role model for its efforts to reduce water use. Read our story to learn how they did it.
The number of car-share users has more than doubled over the past few years, giving commuters new options and cities cleaner air. Learn what motivates commuters and how the data could have long-term benefits.
How much do you really know about how your city is functioning? While we collect more data than ever, a lot of it is in private hands. Find out how a public-private partnership could help Sydney grow smarter.
There’s no question the app-based ride-hailing services Lyft and Uber have transformed the way people get around cities. San Francisco devised a novel way to track how much. From traffic impacts to social equity, here are the key findings.
Louisville, Kentucky isn't a major metropolis but it has big city traffic problems. It's ranked as one of the top 50 in the country for traffic congestion. So the city's turning to technology solutions for help – and planning to tackle traffic snarls in a way that might appeal to other cities with similar headaches.
Orlando has one of the fastest-growing job markets in the U.S. — which is also making its population one of the fastest-growing too. Learn how it’s using its Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant to grow smarter to stretch resources and deliver a strong quality of life.
A city, a university and a major technology company are working with an innovative combination of technologies to improve traffic flows and reduce accidents and fatalities. And they're asking the public for help.
The connected car industry is growing quickly and is very competitive. So when Smart Cities Council Partners are recognized for their technological contributions with prestigious awards, we want to share the news.
Building smart cities is a principles-based endeavour. So is the sharing cities movement, which is now very much part of the process. Read on for an expert's take on how those principles can ensure successful smart cities.
Few people would argue that trees aren’t good for cities. They offer shade for people and buildings and they help the environment and liveability. But there are other benefits you may not have thought of.
Interesting research from EY and Junior Achievement reveals at least one similarity – and several stark contrasts – in how boys and girls view college and career plans and how the economy is affecting their choices.
In the Asia-Pacific region, New Zealand is turning into a smart cities hotbed, placing second only to China in a new IDC ranking. Learn about some of its latest projects and steal ideas for your own city.
Don’t let your city get slowed down by rapid population growth. These tips (and tools for using them) will help you optimize your transportation infrastructure so that your city can thrive while worsening road congestion holds others back.
Cities are investing a lot in transportation. It’s the fastest growing category for new infrastructure investment. Find out why and see what ideas you can take from several new projects in cities like yours.
Smart bike sharing programs are proliferating throughout the world, but managing them presents a unique set of challenges. Partners in a Chinese field trial are hoping a combination of technologies can resolve them.
With other funding sources running dry, tolling — from new bridges and tunnels to express highway lanes — is becoming an increasingly common way to raise cash. But before you plan new tolls, consider these transportation trends first.
At SCCANZ, and we are passionate about sharing experiences, building capacity, and encouraging peer-to-peer networking. Here are four smart cities events to mark in your calendar for the coming months.
What are cities up to? Mobility and energy are areas that continue to receive substantial interest from cities. Check out the biggest contracts and requests for bids among U.S. cities.
Schneider Electric and Microsoft collaborate… Panasonic's new China battery factory… Itron's natural gas upgrade project… Oracle expands cloud service partnerships… Daimler enters U.S. home energy storage market.
The electric power industry has been piloting microgrids for more than a decade, and now the pieces are coming together. Learn about the University of Illinois's new microgrid (and how you can get your own).
Advanced technologies help police in many ways, from improving operations to ensuring reliable communications and more. But Dubai Police took it a big step further with the introduction of a robot police officer.
Innovative technologies can improve the physical and mental well-being of people who suffer from loneliness and lack of social connections. A new report highlights examples, such as Australia's InTouch Living system.
A pressing problems for fast-growing cities is staying on top of traffic congestion and ensuring roads are safe. Click to learn about Toronto's data-driven approach. It might be just the ticket for your city.
Artificial intelligence is becoming reality. How will it shape cities? From shortening your commute to helping cities avoid unintended policy consequences, here is what the future could look like.
Self-driving vehicles will drastically change urban mobility, and cities need to be prepared. But how? Our story shares insights from transportation professionals on what to expect and how to plan for the transition.
How do you get started with data analytics in your city? Three experts share tips for telling a story with data, establishing baselines and coming up with innovative ideas.
The exhibit hall was buzzing during Smart Cities Week Silicon Valley as leading technology companies displayed solutions and services that will drive the next generation of smart cities.
Karen Addato's brother died homeless – a John Doe in the county coroner's office. Read what she and others told a Smart Cities Week audience about innovative technologies that can save more brothers and sisters from dying.
The Council will launch its 2018 Readiness Challenge Grant competition in October. What can your city learn from the 2017 winners? Click for helpful insights they revealed at Smart Cities Week Silicon Valley.
Five leaders in the commercial building sector were honored by the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings campaign during Smart Cities Week in Silicon Valley. Find out which buildings were recognized – and why.
Two startups with solutions that help cities connect more effectively with the business community to spur economic development won top Innovation Alley awards at Smart Cities Week. Learn what judges liked about them.
Seat Pleasant, Maryland may be a small community, but it's got big smart city plans – and a major league technology partner to help it turn those plans into reality.
What will tomorrow’s smart cities look like? Four leaders of enterprising cities shared their progress at Smart Cities Week Silicon Valley and their tips for how you can achieve success too.
U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), a leading technology advocate in Congress, says there are huge opportunities for cities large and small, urban and rural, to take advantage of new technologies -- and Congress should help.
Smart transportation is about tech, but it’s about policy too. And it will take smart policy to get people out of their cars and into shared transportation, experts sharing insights at Smart Cities Week said Tuesday.
What will the world of energy look like in the future? Itron and a host of partners aim to find out through Urbanova, a living laboratory in Washington state. Learn what they’ve done so far and what they’re planning next.
Smart meters are a key component — many would say the foundation — of smart electric grids. And for California, they're certainly the driver for the state's grid upgrade. But policy is the map that keeps it all on course.
Electric utilities serving Illinois are ahead of schedule on a massive smart upgrade. The project isn't complete but it's already providing benefits for customers — and jobs and development in the state's communities.
An interesting approach to getting homeless people off the streets of Barcelona uses crowdfunding to help them start a business that matches their talents and skills or find jobs they actually enjoy.
Even in a city like San Francisco, nearly one in five residents don’t have access to high-speed internet. Learn about its effort to be the largest U.S. city with municipal broadband and the difference it could make.
Remember payphones and folding maps? Without a strong digital infrastructure, you city could soon have a lot in common with them. Learn how communications networks unlock the future.
As more cities offer public Wi-Fi to help everyone from under-served populations to tourists, you need to be careful about how you let people connect. Here are the ins and outs of various authentication options.
The steadily increasing use of connected devices and the growing variety of applications developed for them emphasize how important it is for the networks they use to be reliable. And compatibility is a big issue, too.
When the city of St. Albert’s information network was swamped by ever-increasing data flows, officials there knew they needed a better approach. Read the story to learn how citywide connectivity put the city back on track.
It’s time that utilities and cities see each other as essential partners. Read on for Navigant Research’s five key factors for successful smart cities and information on joining an informative webinar.
From emergency management to communications, from smart water to zero waste, here is a look at the areas where cities are currently making their biggest investments.
By population growth, Austin is one of the most successful cities in the U.S. By economic segregation, though, it ranks at the bottom. Learn how our first Readiness Challenge Grant winner plans to change that.
Palo Alto, California isn't a big city. But it sure acts like one. With numerous smart city projects completed or underway, the Silicon Valley community seems well on its way to becoming the role model it wants to be.
Connecting students in Mumbai with Australian retirees…Daily call gives peace of mind in Winter Park…Singapore standardization efforts support aging…Detroit DOT expands reduced fare program...Aging in Place in Hong Kong.
Daimler partners on autonomous taxis... Ooredoo begins Oman oil field network upgrade... Itron takes on major utility's AMI management... Enel scores Australia solar project. Click the links for details.
Smart cities are data driven, but all of that data doesn’t have to be yours. Read on for three great ideas for learning from other cities and inspiring third-parties to find solutions in your open data.
U.S. police, fire and other first responders will get something they haven't had before: a dedicated public safety communications network to help them respond more effectively to crisis situations. Read on to learn more.
The ability to quickly act on data is what makes a city smart. Learn about a new platform from Cisco and SAS that will help cities and utilities rapidly and flexibly respond to data from sensors in the field.
Urban populations are growing and that growth presents cities with several challenges. Among them: what to do with all that additional trash. Read our story to learn about some innovative approaches to solving the problem.
Without action, the world soon could be buried in trash. From mandated recycling and voluntary composting to smart planning, see what these cities are doing to end the wasteful trend.
A Dallas innovation organization, AT&T and other tech partners are working together on several smart city projects for the city. And they're doing it in a way that keeps citizens very much involved.
Hong Kong is taking steps to make its congested roads – and the city itself – safer and smarter with cellular-based technologies. Read our story for ideas your city may be able to use.
Buildings consume about 40% of the energy we produce, so they’re a natural place to start conservation efforts. Learn how to make a bigger difference by thinking of them as systems.
Surprises aren’t usually a good thing when they come from a utility. See how three Council partners are helping utilities surprise ratepayers with modern service rather than unexpectedly large bills.
Seattle rolls out mobile showers. San Fernando teens invent solar-powered tents. Melbourne university names professor of homelessness. Vancouver PPP creates 900 housing units… Detroit businesses put homeless women to work.
A house in Russia 3D printed on site in just 24 hours -- and costing just $10,134. Legally blind parents not able to see their baby on an ultrasound feel it instead. See more ways 3D printing could disrupt our world.
In a day where we can’t afford to waste a single drop of water, a new partnership involving three Council partners is helping this Georgia county reduce its already low water waste. Learn how.
Middle school and high school students are collaborating with NASA research and development teams to build a global smart city platform. And they're performing extremely well. Read on to learn more.
No more power outages? See how ComEd and S&C Electric plan to deliver that to one Illinois community — and how their work could lay the groundwork for renewable energy sources.
Schneider Electric's USMC smart controls project... an ethics award for CH2M... Panasonic's residential roof solar panel and more. Click the links for details.
What are cities up to? Transportation, smart street lights and citywide communications ranked among the biggest city projects. Check out March’s biggest contracts and requests for bids among U.S. cities.
California, the state with the country's largest car market, may clear the way for driverless car testing on its public roads. Regulators are asking for public comment now. Read on to learn more.
How do you make your citizens happy? For the Dutch city of Haarlemmemeer, it did it by cutting costs. Learn how lower costs led to better service through its new digital platform.
Struggling to make sense of your data? Augmented reality has been making a big difference for travel and tourism, but it may be time to consider it for even more in your city.
The sustainability and livability benefits of smart cities are attracting the interest of more and more city leaders. But money is often the big roadblock. Read on to learn how you could get around it.
San Diego will soon have the world’s largest city IoT platform — and it’s doing that by leveraging its investment in smart street lights. Find out how and why you may want to do the same.
Transdev's driverless car partnership... CH2M's Singapore water project... Panasonic's Orlando City Stadium showcase... Micosoft's major EMEA support center... Click the links for details.
Your city may do a good job collecting data, but what do you actually do with it? From data collection to analysis, here are three tips to unlock insights that help make a meaningful difference for your citizens.
What are cities doing with the massive amounts of data they're collecting as they work to become more connected and smarter? They're getting creative with new applications and they're sharing it with their citizens.
New York’s Car Free Earth Day felt like a success, but was it? See how Cubic Transportation Systems pulled data from transit ridership to retail sales to find the truth among the anecdotes.
Is it possible to cut utility operating costs and improve customer service at the same time? Here's how data helped an Illinois water utility save $250,000 a year while keeping customers engaged – and happier.
City planners are intrigued by the potential of driverless cars. But how can they be seamlessly integrated into urban transportation systems? Our guest authors explain why mobility as a service is the right approach.
The U.S. DOT recently released a list of 10 cities designated as test beds for driverless cars. Atlanta didn't make the list. But that hasn't stopped the traffic-clogged city from taking matters into its own hands.
Most of the buzz and about self-driving cars has focused on how they'll make driving safer and help traffic-congested cities. But what about the laws governing their use? And who's liable if something goes wrong?
Your best source for commuting data may be the device that most of us can’t live without: smartphones. Anonymous location data are helping cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco build better traffic models.
IBM's military data centers... energy efficiency for hospital buildings... help for power utilities and their customers... Daimler partners with Uber on self-driving cars. Click the links for details.
Enel is one of the world's largest renewable energy producers. But what does that have to do with its serious stake in Formula E electric car racing? Read our story to find out.
What are cities up to? Communications, transportation, cloud computing and fleet management ranked among the biggest city projects. Check out February’s biggest contracts and requests for bids among U.S. cities.
Indianapolis city leaders realized early on they couldn't achieve the smart city they envisioned without help. Read our story to learn where the city is focusing its smart city efforts and why partners are invaluable.
Like many large cities, Miami is wrestling with the challenges of growing populations and aging infrastructure. But the coastal city has another big problem: increasingly frequent tidal flooding. If your city is facing similar challenges, Miami's action plan may provide ideas and solutions you can use.
Orlando's popularity as a global tourist destination is undeniable. Now city leaders are planning the next steps to ensure it stays that way – and they haven't forgotten about the people who live and work there.
Consistently one of America’s fastest-growing cities, Austin is busy working on strategies to improve livability as people continue to move in. And it’s starting with people who would use the boost the most.
Smart cities are cities that work together. Learn how Philadelphia’s city departments are working as one to the benefit of the community.
The winners of the first-ever Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grants are Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia. Learn about their projects and the important first step you need to take to make any smart cities initiative a success.
Smart Cities Council, the world’s largest smart cities network, announced today that Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia are the five winners of the Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant program. Over 130 cities were involved in the application process. The winning cities will receive a tailored Readiness Workshop during 2017 to develop a roadmap for applying smart technologies to further innovation, inclusion and investment within their cities.
Ten cities were selected as finalists in the Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant program recently. Of those finalists, the five winning cities will receive readiness workshops geared to their particular smart cities needs in addition to technology and services to be provided by Council partners.
State officials and partners gathered to map out their strategy for transforming Illinois into a smart state at the Smart State Roadmap Workshop recently. The two-day workshop, held by the Smart Cities Council, addressed sensors and Internet of Things, citizen engagement, services delivery and much more.
The state of Illinois has taken up the ambitious goal of becoming the first smart state in the country. Read the story to learn about the strategies and priorities discussed during a Smart State Roadmap Workshop delivered by the Smart Cities Council
Energy efficiency is one of the main reasons that cities look into smart street lights, but they can also pay tremendous dividends toward improving public safety as well. Take a look at a few of the safety projects where street lights played a role.
A lot of technology is packed into smart street lights. And that technology should be adequately shielded from things like bad weather and debris. Read on to learn about a simple solution to protect your investment.
Street lights weren't always smart. Guest author James Benson from Current, Powered by GE, offers a take on how smart streetlights came to be and why they're such a good fit for smart cities.
Energy-efficient LEDs are just one part of the savings from smart street lights. Learn how smart controls are driving even more savings and how tools can make it easier to roll them out into your community.
Meet the 10 finalists for the first-ever Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grants. Learn about their initiatives and the people within the cities working to support them.
What are cities up to? Smart metering and citywide communications ranked among the biggest city projects. Check out January’s biggest contracts and requests for bids among U.S. cities.
It's a challenge for both utilities and cities to provide the best services they can while managing complex technologies and keeping costs down. Wouldn't it be great if there was an easier way to access and deliver apps to meters, sensors and other devices to boost their functionality – and value? Now there is. Think of it as an "app store."
While driverless vehicles are in various stages of development and testing, it's becoming abundantly clear that they will be part of the urban landscape in the future. Read our story to learn about a driverless passenger shuttle bus making the rounds in several U.S. cities
CH2M's innovation award... Ruckus Wireless provides WiFi in Malaysia... Enel's energy storage acquisition... a new wind energy market for Siemens... UL's online STEM education platform. Click the links for details.
Smart cities offer a sustainable place to live and work. But if your city is like so many others it may not have the bucks to invest in the projects and technologies that make a city smart. Read our story to learn about financing models and sources (and a program that helps cities in developing countries improve their credit rating).
Americans are more worried about crime than they've been at any time since the September 11 terrorist attacks. See how North Carolina is fighting crime and saving millions of dollars at the same time.
A Marine Corps recruit depot in South Carolina has contracted for a renewable energy-powered microgrid to maintain critical operations in the event of a power outage. Read on to learn why a similar solution could help protect your city's critical infrastructure.
As India moves ahead with its smart cities initiative (and will soon designate 40 more cities for smart city development), Council Lead Partner Sensus launches its first global support center in Hyderabad. Our story explains why.
As the costs of highway congestion continue to grow dramatically, a new effort could give your city what it really needs to make a difference: robust, accurate and meaningful data. Learn how the effort could not only get traffic flowing, but also improve safety.
As part of an effort to help people be more productive and engaged while traveling through the city, Chicago is working on a number of innovations, including smart bus shelters. Read our story to learn more about them.
Self-driving cars may not be on your radar yet, but they certainly are for an increasing number of major technology and car companies. Read our story to learn about new—possibly surprising—developments in the industry.
It's a dire prediction: IDC says 75% of cities worldwide will have smart city projects this year that don’t live up to expectations. Here are 4 tips to help ensure you’ll be among the 25% that thrive.
Panasonic's new partnership... Itron's MDM recognized... IBM's hybrid cloud goes to sea... ZTE and Huawei boost 5G-ready mobile equipment production... Siemens wins federal government energy savings contracts... CH2M supports USAID humanitarian efforts. Click the links for details.
2016 was a big year for smart cities in so many ways. Constantly evolving technologies, new developments and new lessons learned. Read about them in our look back at the top 10 Smart Cities Council news stories of the year.
IBM and BMW will work together to build more intuitive driver support systems for passenger vehicles. The point? To make the cars of the future more convenient, comfortable, safe — and chatty. Read the story for details.
The city of Boston has undertaken a number of IoT-based smart city pilot projects, but hasn't always been impressed with the results of their investments. To ensure it doesn't happen again, the city is asking the public and professionals to weigh in and share their thoughts and expertise.
If sharing resources makes sense within a city, doesn’t it make even more sense within a state? Learn about the Council’s work to make Illinois the first smart state — and why it may be time to think bigger than smart cities.
It’s not any one piece of technology that makes a city smart. What matters is how it all works together. Learn about the tool that lets you accomplish that—and why you should start with your smart meters.
See what your peer cities are up to. From solar power to parking meters, from gunshot detectors to cloud-based phone systems, here’s what cities in the U.S. and Canada are doing.
Cost-effectiveness and efficiency are essential for smart cities to run smoothly and provide the level of service citizens expect. Read our story to learn how smart payment technologies can help ensure those undertakings are successful.
For commuters, what really matters is getting to their destination. See how smart payments have made it much easier to travel in Chicago, even if a trip involves several transit agencies.
Two Dutch cities now have some fairly exclusive bragging rights. Between them they are said to have the largest zero-emission fully electric bus fleet in Europe. Click for details about the system and how technical issues were resolved.
You can’t be a smart city without reliable electricity, and a new pilot project in New Zealand may help shine the light on a path to manage peak loads and renewable sources of energy with fewer disruptions. Learn why.
With violent crime climbing faster in Sacramento than in most major cities, the city is trying a number of approaches to bring it down. What’s notable is that they’re feeding into one center. Learn why this is a model for any smart cities project.
Oracle's $1.4B computer science education investment... a new water contract for Sensus... Schneider Electric's new IoT solution... Ameresco's solar canopy project... Daimler's big spend on EVs. Click the links for details.
Because a smart city's success depend so heavily on complex systems and technologies, one question often asked is: where do we find the skilled tech professionals capable of operating and administering them? Fortunately, more and more universities and other institutions are stepping up to fill the talent gap.
What will tomorrow's schools look like? Several cities are already building them, earning an economic advantage from companies hungry for well-skilled workers. From after-school STEM programs and tablet computers to virtual schools and virtual reality, here are some ideas to consider.
A smart city isn't just technology. It's also made up of smart people. Your job market depends on it. Here are four great ideas for nurturing your next generation of workers so that you have the labor force businesses covet.
School buildings, like any other building, should be energy-efficient and cost-effective. Dow Building Construction's Tim Lacey shares insights on why and how choosing advanced building materials can help ensure new school buildings and upgrades meet those criteria.
One of the big challenges on the path to becoming a smart city is figuring out how to do a better job of providing services for citizens when city resources are limited. Read the story to learn how Bellevue, Washington and partners will develop a tool to do just that—and share it with other cities.
A blockchain microgrid partnership for Siemens... Cubic Transportation wins UK contract... recognition for Transdev... Itron's Australia water distribution automation project and a clean energy company award for Schneider Electric. Click the links for details.
For coastal communities subject to frequent destructive storms, there may be a line of defense that is helping to lessen their impact. New research indicates that coastal wetlands have been responsible for significant reductions in property damage. But we're not doing enough to protect them.
Connecticut was hit hard by massive storms (including Hurricane Sandy) that caused major power outages and extensive property damage a few years ago. That had a lot to with why the state quickly launched a program to fund microgrid construction: to limit outages and lessen the aftermath. Read our story for an update.
As weather patterns change and become more unpredictable, it is essential for cities to be able to quickly and comprehensively respond to disasters. Here are some approaches you can use to ensure you are deploying emergency personnel and equipment precisely where and when they're needed.
How can water utilities effectively and efficiently protect their delivery networks against floods and other disasters? Black & Veatch shares technologies they can use to better inform their decision-making and meet customer expectations of clean, safe water.
Materials science has changed substantially over the years and many of those changes now enable cities to better protect hard assets like buildings, bridges and roads against severe storms and flooding. Learn how and what you can do.
Until relatively recently, police work typically involved reacting to events as they happened or shortly after. And anticipating crime was largely a combination of officers' intuition and experience. Predictive policing is a different approach that could very well be changing the future of law enforcement. Read our story to learn how.
Cities and their police departments always seem to find themselves long on needs and short on cash. Fortunately government grants are available to support a broad range of projects, from body cameras to gang crime reduction programs.
Public safety is likely at or near the top of your list of community concerns, and it’s a challenge that’s tough to address given a number of factors. Here are the smart policing tools catching on in cities like yours — and why they work.
Leaders struggling to do more with less should not ignore the benefits the Internet of Things brings to internal government operations. Cost efficiencies are chief among them. Click for real-life examples and to download a new IoT white paper from the Council and Microsoft.
Cities are buzzing with excitement about what they can accomplish with their smart city projects and the technologies that enable them. But by overlooking or failing to take action on security vulnerabilities, IT professionals warn the benefits from those technologies could be short-lived.
Council Associate Partner Panasonic, energy storage company Younicos and electric utility Xcel are working together on a solar-plus-storage system for a Panasonic operations hub. Read the story to learn how it will benefit a community development and the electric grid, too.
Applications are now open for the Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grants. Get an inside tip on how to impress the judges and learn how everyone who enters comes out ahead.
Wondering how the Internet of Things can deliver valuable benefits in your neighborhoods and downtowns? Click for a new white paper produced by the Smart Cities Council and Microsoft; it's loaded with examples of IoT in action in cities around the world.
With a smart street light pilot project successfully wrapped up, Washington, D.C. technology and transportation officials are moving ahead with partner Cisco on an ambitious citywide smart cities upgrade that will cut the district's operating costs and pave the way for a variety of smart city benefits.
The Colorado Department of Transportation wants to make a particularly troublesome Interstate freeway that passes through the state safer and more efficient. The solution? Provide a platform that allows cars, drivers and the road a way to share information.
From renewable energy to resiliency, there’s no question microgrids can help, but who should pay for them? Learn how utilities in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Washington are trying to get everyone to pitch in.
Many cities are focused on software and sensor technologies to help them manage resources like buildings and streets. But what about the materials used to build them? Read on to learn how integrating materials science can lead to smarter, more efficient resource management – and higher quality infrastructure.
A major energy system upgrade for a Boston-area community college will not only transform the school into a green campus and provide more comfortable facilities, it also is expected to save nearly $860,000 in annual energy costs. Read the story for details.
Black & Veatch is preparing the fourth edition of its Strategic Directions: Smart City/Smart Utility Report and is looking for your views. This year’s report will examine the various ecosystems that make up the Smart City and the culture of holistic planning. Share your anonymous responses now.
Is your city on the fence about moving data and services to the cloud? Cloud computing can offer sizable advantages in terms of cost and capabilities, but there’s one capability in particular that you should watch out for.
A major power plant contract for Black & Veatch... recognition for S&C Electric... Ooredoo's data center upgrades... IBM and Siemens partner on health... and Panasonic and Schneider Electric are making building and energy management simpler. Click the links for details.
Smart Cities Council, the world’s largest smart cities network, honored three start-up companies for their commitment to providing municipalities with effective solutions to manage urban growth during Smart Cities Week in Washington, D.C. last month. Placemeter won the Innovation Alley Connectivity Award, while StratIS and OperaSoft were both awarded the Environmental Impact Award.
Understanding citizen expectations and needs is essential for a successful smart city roadmap. But what's the best way to do it? UK researchers plan to identify the types of citizens likely to benefit from and engage the most with smart city technologies and policies. Read our story to learn how and why.
India's state of Maharashtra has taken the country's digital and manufacturing initiatives to heart in a big way. And to help the realize its ambitious vision, Cisco will deliver a new manufacturing hub, a smart city, education and training programs and more.
How easy to you make it for mobile workers to truly solve issues in the field? Smart cities are mobile-first cities and a new app that lets utility workers conduct complex operations through tablets or smartphones illustrates the future.
A survey of nearly 500 city and county administrators across the U.S. identified smart city technologies as a top priority in the public safety sector. What most described as the biggest barrier to implementation, however, may not surprise you.
Self-driving cars have generated a lot of buzz. However, that buzz has mostly focused on autonomous vehicle technology, and not on how cities are planning to accommodate them. The good news is there's still time to prepare, but the window of opportunity is getting smaller.
Until there’s broadband for everyone, your city is falling short of its potential. A panel of technology experts from Boston, Pittsburgh and San Antonio shared their progress toward ubiquitous broadband — and why you need to get started today in your city.
Planning a smart city isn't easy, in large part because a successful smart city roadmap needs to extend well into the future, not just the next few years. Read the story to learn about the tools two Virginia local governments are using to ensure that future is a sustainable, livable one.
The Smart Cities Council and federal government kicked off Smart Cities Week with announcements of new investments to help cities leverage smart cities technologies. Learn about the White House’s new $80 million dollar investment and how you can get one of the five Smart Cities Council challenge grants.
It's not easy to come up with a set of recommendations for how cities can best make their smart city visions reality… because all cities are different, with different populations and different needs. But there are some lessons learned by successful cities that can help guide yours to success, too.
A panel of international experts came to Washington, D.C. to share smart cities progress in far-flung regions. Click for a few quick insights from smart cities practitioners from Dubai to India, Australia, Japan and Europe.
Microgrids aren't quite center stage yet, but they will be critical to ensuring the strong, reliable electric networks smart cities and their all-important communications systems will depend on in the not-so-distant future. Read our dispatch from Smart Cities Week to learn more about the role microgrids will likely have in our energy future.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says it’s time for a transportation revolution. The U.S. hasn’t had one in a half-century. And for the first time in our history, we have the opportunity to make our new system inclusive from the start. Learn more.
Innovation involves risks – but innovation is also improving our communities. That message came through loud and clear at a Connected Cities event hosted by the Washington Post and Qualcomm on Wednesday. Read why a Congresswoman and a mayor say the risks are worth it.
A city can’t be smart without a resilient, strong communications network to tie it together. But how does a city go about deciding the right path to success? Read the story to get advice on the topic from some of the experts speaking at Smart Cities Week.
In any transformation, the first step is often the most difficult one. At Smart Cities Week, technology leaders from all levels of government offered great advice for getting started and making your initiatives successful. Read on for their top four tips.
The Smart Cities Council commits to award five Smart Cities Council Challenge Grants to help five American cities apply smart technologies to improve urban livability, workability and sustainability. For each of the five winning cities, the Council will deliver a tailored one-day Readiness Program during the 2017 calendar year.
Oracle's Center of Excellence... Qualcomm and GE's Current partner on smart buildings... a Dubai parks project for Siemens... Cubic picked for Singapore fare collection system... Black & Veatch wins honors... Click the links for details.
After a long statewide budget impasse, several Pennsylvania school districts faced possible school closures. But one district, plagued with HVAC system failures and maintenance problems, decided to invest in a $3.4 million system upgrade despite the financial uncertainty. Read the story to learn why.
Connected cars are coming — and fast. Read about new IDC research that shows how quickly they are coming and why the future of smart transportation requires collaboration between cities and automakers.
No one likes to see piles of trash on and around trash containers, and those unexpected overflows generate citizen complaints and unscheduled trips to empty them. Edinburgh, Scotland is trying out a sensor-based solution and city officials are liking what they see so far.
It seems like there's never enough money for everything city leaders would like to do to improve or add needed services. But by choosing the right upgrade projects, you might be able to save serious money by deploying two at the same time. That's what Enel is doing. Read the story to find out how.
The most successful cities are growing even more successful — and it may be at your expense. Learn the key criteria and steps to building a virtuous circle to ensure the health and prosperity of your city.
Two trends are changing healthcare – and cities and their medical facilities should be prepared for them if they're to maintain a competitive edge. Read the story to learn about an emerging approach that puts patients first and advances in wireless health technologies that provide better care at reduced costs.
Finland, already known for its healthcare technology innovations, has ambitious plans to further improve the health of its citizens as well as its healthcare system. With help from IBM's cognitive computing technologies, the country envisions becoming one of the world's top data-led hospital systems.
Skyrocketing healthcare costs strain public resources. While much of the increase is out of your control, there is one big cost you can reduce: energy usage. Read about a Michigan hospital project that cut energy costs by $1.4 million.
As cities move away from fossil fuels and toward a smart energy network of renewable energy sources and distributed generation, the technologies needed to support those networks are evolving rapidly. Click to learn about a hybrid microgrid demonstration project that could increase the demand for microgrids as solutions for integrating renewables and backup power sources during outages.
Are you making plans to leverage the IoT in your city? If not, you’re getting left in the dust, according to new research. Check out this new report from CompTIA to find out what your competition is up to.
For Nashville Metro Water Services, manual meter reading in rural areas could be problematic. Poison ivy, meters covered in overgrown plants and other obstacles made meter reading a time-eating chore. Read the story to learn how a smart water network saved the utility money — and solved those problems.
Siemens' new grid automation system... Enevo's smart waste management partnership... Black & Veatch Hong Kong Airport water project... CH2M consults on Toronto transit rail service expansion... Intel's computer vision tech acquisition. Click the links for details.
Engaged citizens are critical to the success of smart cities initiatives. We wrap up our series on engagement with reasons to get started today, successful projects worth emulating and tools that will help.
Water and wastewater utilities share similar challenges, among them less funding and more strict regulatory compliance requirements. Learn how (and why) smart water systems can help utilities overcome those challenges -- and optimize how they use existing data.
Cities often have big ideas, but a lack of resources and expertise can get in the way. At Smart Cities Week, Current, powered by GE, will present how partnerships can bring those ideas to life. Read on for a preview.
From improving traffic flow to managing water from flash floods, Seattle is using technology to make a difference. Chief Technology Officer Michael Mattmiller will share what Seattle has learned at Smart Cities Week. Get a preview here.
Vehicle-to-grid technology, the concept of using electric vehicles to help manage the electric grid, could be a step closer to reality if Council Associate Partner Enel and its partners have anything to say about it. They have developed and installed a commercial system at a Danish utility and consider it a major step in addressing the technology's challenges.
Does your city have the financing and technological know-how it needs to plan and deploy smart transportation and mobility projects? If not, read our story for details about examples of programs the U.S. Department of Transportation has in place that may meet your needs.
During peak summer months, the heat in Persian Gulf states is extreme — so extreme that about 70% of the region's electricity demand is for cooling. Click to find out about a building management solution that can dramatically reduce energy costs and make your city more sustainable.
San Diego plans to slash water and energy use by at least 25% using a powerful combination of real-time data and analytics. Learn how the project works and how you can apply this blueprint to your own sustainability initiatives.
Earlier this year Oracle announced it would invest $200 million in U.S. computer science education as part of a larger global initiative. But company leaders wanted to take their education initiatives further. The company is now building a public high school on its corporate campus to teach students problem-solving skills and more. Read the story to learn what's behind the strategy.
A natural gas contract for Black & Veatch... Enevo's EIB expansion loan... Sungard's Public Sector's new emergency responder solution... a new project for Itron... Enel commissions new solar plant in Chile. Click the links for details.
A total of 14 projects were recognized as the top smart city initiatives in Council Associate Partner IDC's annual Smart City Asia-Pacific Awards for 2016. Click to the site to learn about two of the award-winning projects and find strategies and approaches you can use for your own smart city transformations.
Technology alone doesn’t make a city smart. Cities also need engaged citizens. Learn from three engagement attempts that missed the mark and review the three qualities that will help make your projects a success.
One of the biggest challenges cities face when considering smart city transformations is cost. Installing and integrating the technologies that make smart cities work is expensive and many cities are simply unable to afford them. Read the story for funding ideas that may help your city reach its goals.
A venture builder private equity company, a university and technology companies are working together to build a platform for smart city development — and they will use it to build a new $500 million district in a northern Virginia community.
About 13,000 acres of open space will soon bring new economic and social opportunities to Detroit in a project funded through dozens of sources, many previously untapped. Learn about the collaboration and analysis bringing the project to life.
You don’t always need to find a new funding source to pay for a major initiative. Learn about two approaches that governments are using to bring in millions in taxes and fees they are already supposed to be collecting.
Engaged citizens are at the very heart of what it means to be a smart city. In the first of a three-part series, we take a look at what works for crafting your own strategies to build engagement.
When Kansas City moved forward in May with a smart city pilot project, city leaders went with a small section of the city's core area because they wanted to be sure it worked before committing to a more ambitious smart city upgrade. Read the story for details on phase two, which will add new services and expand the area covered.
CH2M, the Nature Conservancy and a Pennsylvania high school have won a prestigious mentoring award for a program they developed to teach STEM skills to students. But the important part of the story is what the program is accomplishing and how it and others like it can contribute to the skilled work force smart cities need. Click for details.
If you’re considering body cameras to earn the public’s trust in your police department, there are five things you should think about first. Review this checklist from IDC to give your program the best chance for success.
IoT-based smarter building management systems can do a lot to increase energy efficiency (and reduce the power bill), enhance security and take advantage of data analytics to improve overall performance. But they can be expensive. Fortunately advances in the field are providing more options, like the one described in our story. Click for details.
Cities like Barcelona and Copenhagen are typically at the top of "world's best" smart cities lists. But they are existing cities with centuries of history, and their ongoing smart city transformations have had their share of challenges. Public-private partnerships in Florida and Colorado are taking a different tack: they're starting from scratch, and on a much smaller scale.
Huawai partners on Shenzhen Gigaband City project... IDC's new report on connected cars and smart cities... Panasonic and Nissan in talks about EV battery deal... Telit partners on end-to-end IoT solutions... Black & Veatch chosen for South Africa waste-to-energy plant. Click the links for details.
The typical path for school age students is completing high school, then moving on to college and/or a career. But many underserved students in impoverished rural areas drop out and never get that opportunity. Read the story to learn about an AT&T grant program that's giving rural students in North Carolina a better shot at success.
Climate initiatives and population growth have already changed utilities — but millennials want even more. Learn the top 3 things they want from utilities and why it’s worth paying attention.
The Council's Smart Cities Week returns to Washington, D.C., this year and we’re looking at what the city is doing to become smarter and more connected. Read on to learn about its pilot projects, its own data network and its plans to give more people more online access.
If you're a brand new city, what can you do quickly to make your residents' lives better? Peachtree Corners, one of Georgia's newest cities, went digital — digitizing its resources to more efficiently manage its operations and make the public safer.
With many cities facing chronically tight budgets and the need to expand services to meet the changing demands of growing populations, switching to digital services can often be the right choice. Our story explains some of the critical elements to consider when moving services online and how to provide maximum benefits for citizens and do it cost-effectively.
If one of your goals is to get the public more engaged, you should see how Los Angeles did that with open data. Deputy CIO Joyce Edson talks about the data that matters most to citizens — and explains how to engage them and startups.
Want free, expert help to help your city innovate? MetroLab Network details the top 10 ways to partner with universities — the often free resource that can often give your smart cities initiatives a huge boost.
A group of U.S. House members is collaborating on legislation to help cities make their smart city transformations work. The bill they're drafting focuses on the areas where cities usually need the most help: securing financing and the guidance and expertise they need to ensure successful projects.
Schneider Electric's online renewable energy resource... numerous awards for Ooredoo companies... Daimler beefs up EV R&D investment... Cisco to provide expertise for Hyderabad smart city project... CH2M chosen for Reagan National Airport design contract. Click the links to learn more.
One big way to cut your city’s carbon emissions is to eliminate the need for people to own cars. Five cities cut tens of thousands of tons of emissions by embracing car sharing, but there’s one thing that will help it to make an even bigger impact.
A former student's gratitude for the training that helped him land a job with Siemens has led to paid internships with the company for promising students in an Oregon community college energy management program. It's a classic win-win: good jobs for the students and a talent pool of much-needed building control technicians for the company.
A smartphone app points to the future we all want for utility field crews: to automate field operations by connecting workers to the data they need. See how the solution from Clevest can help, especially during storms, disasters and floods.
California's drought isn't over and another bout of hot, dry weather is a possibility there. Other states are on drought watch and some are already suffering. It's not just the U.S. Vietnam is enduring its worst drought in 90 years. In this special issue, we share strategies and technologies developed to ensure efficient, sustainable water supplies—and examples of why they are so sorely needed.
The U.S. wastes more than 2 trillion gallons of treated water every year — water that could help address critical shortages. See how data and predictive analytics can go a long way to plugging your city's leaks.
As prolonged droughts continue to take a toll on farmers, businesses and residents, see how CH2M's approach using risk assessments can not only make your city more resilient to drought, but any type of extreme weather.As prolonged droughts continue to take a toll on farmers, businesses and residents, see how CH2M's approach using risk assessments can not only make your city more resilient to drought, but any type of extreme weather.
A network of sensors will be installed at several locations in Chicago to monitor and track several of the things that affect livability—like air quality, climate and noise. While the project is designed to help the city become healthier and more efficient, the data collected will be open to anyone who wants to use it, from citizens and scientists to researchers and other cities.
When the residents of Georgia suburb Johns Creek want to know what their police department is up to, all they need to do is look it up rather than file a request for a report. In addition to opening lines of communication between the department and the people they serve, an experimental new program gives police the information and insights they need to operate more efficiently.
Struggling to get people out of their cars? Check out the Future Bus from Mercedes-Benz. It made headlines this week for driving itself, but its luxurious interior is also worth noting. Park-bench seating. Wireless charging. A lounge for long-distance commuters. Sound like something you would want to ride?
Council Associate Partner Huawei will provide a variety of enhancements and solutions to bring a Dubai South business park into the smart city era. The company will provide its ICT expertise and technology to help Dubai achieve its ambitions to become one of the world's smartest cities.
A new partnership between technology and car companies expects to have a platform for self-driving cars in production by 2021. It's yet another indicator of what our connected transportation future will look like—and a reminder that cities will need to be ready for it.
Data not only has huge potential to transform you city, it may also help unlock trillions in economic value. A new TM Forum report explores what your city's data is worth and how you can get the most from it.
A U.S. military microgrid project for Black & Veatch and Schneider Electric... Enevo's sustainability award... Oracle enhances its SPARC cloud platform... Enel starts on largest Latin American solar plant... Saudi Telecom's role in country's digital transformation. Follow the link to learn more.
Need a new metro train station but can’t stomach a major construction project in the middle of downtown? Read our story to learn why a smaller station might be the best option. Your CFO—and your citizens—will thank you for it.
Many cities are finding renewable energy not only helps the environment, it helps their bottom line. Read on for three new reasons, including Minster, Ohio’s groundbreaking solar storage project that’s already paying off.
As Washington, D.C. moves forward with its work to build the smart city its leaders envision, the importance of standards that consistently assure interoperability of all its elements is becoming clear. Click for insights and lessons learned so far from the DowntownDC Business Improvement District.
Standards aren’t just about interoperability. They are also key to helping you measure your progress as a smart city and seeing how you compare to others. Read on to learn about a new benchmarking model and three steps you can take today to better measure your progress.
Between swelling populations and new renewable power sources, utilities need to use more care than ever when planning new capacity. See how adhering to standards helps ensure all the components work together not only today, but decades from now.
While standards may be the last thing on your mind, they should be the first. Technology that works together is no accident. Learn why standards are so important, and how Standards Development Organizations can help you get more from your technology investments.
Many organizations are working on standards to ensure that smart cities are interoperable, cost-effective and successful. Read our story to learn how one group is working to bring those standards together in a coherent framework cities can rely on as they plan their projects.
You cannot afford to make your digital infrastructure an afterthought. The ability for your systems to talk to each other is at the very heart of what it means to be a smart city. Read on for a checklist of five components of an effective digital infrastructure strategy.
The success of a smart city is largely determined by how connected it is, not only internally, but with other levels of government. A recent panel discussion in Austin highlighted ways that governments can work better together to more effectively allocate resources, better educate students and more.
Tweaking existing technologies to create new ones happens all the time. But borrowing 150-year-old technology to provide solutions for today's air quality problems is, well—a little different. Read the story to learn how (and why) Siemens is testing old street car technology to power today's new electric trucks.
Your city likely collects a lot of data, but data by itself doesn’t have much value. It’s the analysis of that data that can transform cities. See how Philadelphia worked with CH2M analytics to safeguard its water supply and what you city could gain from big data.
Predicting how technologies will evolve (or if they will) is a difficult chore. But with millions of connected devices and sensors collecting massive amounts of new forms of data and new ways to use it, most analysts see substantial and continued growth in the number of cities moving toward Internet of Things technology as they work to make their operations more efficient and cost-effective.
There is no security without cybersecurity. As your city looks to the IoT and cloud to provide the services your citizens want, it’s critical that you’re also able to demonstrate that you can protect their data. Learn why and how to get started.
Washington, DC is engaged in several IoT-based projects designed to lead it to a safe, secure future, and to establish an open development platform for experimentation and innovation in city services delivery. Read the story for details on the projects and their progress.
There are ever increasing numbers of intelligent devices in cities, but what makes a city a smart city is what it’s actually able to do with them. From infrastructure to analytics to partnerships, see what the world’s smartest cities are doing and what you can do to make your IoT investment pay for itself.
The Obama Administration is lending its support to the second-annual Smart Cities Week, September 27-29 in Washington, D.C. The White House announced it will act in conjunction with the event, bringing leaders together to discuss new steps to help cities thrive.
When you think of making winter roads safer, you tend to think of de-icer. Blainville, however, turned to data. By bringing all of the different sources of data together with a map-based platform from K2 Geospatial, the city found ways to dramatically improve safety while cutting costs.
Self-driving cars are said to be a few years away from appearing on city streets. But electric cars are here now and their numbers are growing. Is your city prepared—or preparing—to accommodate more EVs and, eventually, autonomous cars? If not, the trends in the story below explain why it should be.
While online retailers have been stealing business from traditional stores, three British cities have launched ambitious efforts to bring shoppers back. And it’s working. From smart parking and payments to strategic development, read on for ideas you can use to make your downtown vibrant.
From population growth to climate mandates, cities have lots of reasons to get smart. But where should you start? Consider smart buildings. That’s where there’s the greatest potential to save energy — and money.
Chief Data Officers are valuable leaders that can really propel your smart cities initiatives. Los Angeles County’s first Chief Data Officer shares his insight into the toughest part of the job — and it may not be exactly what you expect. Read on for tips to make your leaders more effective.
Usually, teachers would take a dim view of students playing video games in class. But with Council Lead Partner Microsoft's educational version of a popular video game, educators can teach their students about real-world subjects (such as city planning) and more traditional coursework in a collaborative learning environment.
A sustainable energy supply that helps you make progress toward your climate goals doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. In fact, as places like California and Charlotte demonstrate, it could end up saving you millions of dollars. Read on for three tips to help you get started.
Mali is one of many regions experiencing severe water scarcity. With a growing population, a Malian water utility decided it was time to rein in its water losses so it could increase the amount of water available to the cities it serves. The techniques it used apply anywhere in the world.
Cisco is collaborating on a new innovation center in Manchester to provide support and guidance to start-up companies and their technologies in the areas of smart cities, IoT, digital healthcare and more. Manchester's a big, bustling city with equally big ambitions, but our story may give you some ideas on how collaboration can work for your city.
Few cities have shared, standard ways of connecting smart devices across departments, and that’s what’s holding many of them back. Learn how a platform approach can give you the connectivity your city needs in a matter of weeks — not months.
Smart buildings and smart grids both offer tremendous benefits, but they work even better when they’re working together. And since cities are made up of lots of buildings, you have a lot to gain by getting them to do that. Learn about a new standard that will help.
Many cities are fortunate to have plenty of open, green public space for their citizens to enjoy. But what if your city doesn't have the land or the budget to do it? Read the story to learn about how the city of Fresno and local school districts are tackling the problem.
While traffic seems to get steadily worse, there are some major cities where residents can get to their jobs in 20 minutes or so. See what cities like Buffalo, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Hartford are doing to keep people moving, reducing wasted time and environmental impact.
Nearly half the greenhouse gas emissions in your city come from transportation. Learn why developing an integrated, multi-modal transportation network not only helps you cut emissions, but gets people to their destinations faster (and saves you money.)
Connected cars are expected to be fairly common on our highways and city streets within a few years. They're seen as the way to make cars safer and the driving experience easier, improve traffic flow, reduce pollution and more. But that raises a big question: What do cities need to do to accommodate them?
New solutions combined with existing technology contribute to several aspects of a smart city's operations and services. Read the story to learn how well that concept applies to opening up opportunities for a smart, connected transportation system.
From a single pass that lets commuters pay for tolls, parking or any form of mass transit to robust data analytics, learn how San Francisco integrates all of its transportation options to make lives easier for all travelers.
A recently completed connected smart street lighting trial went so well in Tianjin, China, the city's government wants to greatly expand the deployment. And add a digital incubation center as a test bed for innovative technologies with Council Lead Partner GE's energy startup Current.
Just as drought has affected regions of the world that rarely if ever had a shortage of water, other areas are suffering from unexpected catastrophic floods. Council Lead Partner CH2M is working with government agencies in the UK to pinpoint risks and identify the best possible strategies to protect against floods well into the future. (There are economic benefits, too.)
Terrible traffic is a nearly $150 billion annual drain on the U.S. economy alone through lost productivity, environmental damage and social costs. Disjointed traffic management systems are on big reason why. See how Microsoft and Cubic plan to get your traffic moving for less.
We’re still years away from a true Internet of Things where everything is connected, but Schneider Electric is helping to get cities closer to that point by moving us toward an Internet of Buildings. Learn how this smart approach can help building owners reduce energy use and help cities toward climate goals.
In Scotland, the Meal Makers program uses a web-based platform to encourage people to cook an extra meal for an isolated senior, which improves their diets and reduces food poverty and loneliness all at the same time. Read more about Meal Makers and other community-based initiatives tackling food insecurity in Europe.
The transit agency serving the greater Boston area is working on a long-range energy management plan to cut energy costs and reduce transportation-related carbon emissions at the same time. There are a lot of approaches and opportunities, but which ones offer the biggest bang for the buck? Read on for ideas your city could use.
A Thailand surveillance system deal for Allied Telesis... a prestigious award for CH2M... Intel invests in driverless cars... Enel commissions Chile solar plant... Ooredoo's data push in Indonesia. Follow the link for more.
To thrive, cities need well-educated, high-tech workforces and cities across Australia are developing them by starting young. Check out three winning ideas from showcase schools that you can put to work in your own city. (Some of the ideas use tools you already have.)
You know that the Internet of Things can help your city run more efficiently, but did you know it can also help create jobs? Cities like Cape Town, South Africa, are finding the next generation of job creators want to be in smart cities — and their economies are benefiting as a result.
We take 911 emergency service reliability for granted. But there have been many instances when calls weren't answered or a caller's location couldn't be found, with sometimes dire consequences. Read the story to learn why one local government is working on a next generation 911 system with Council Associate Partner Black & Veatch. Then ask yourself if your city's system is as good as it could be.
The federal government has contracted with Siemens to install and operate a combined heat and power (CHP) plant at a U.S. Army command headquarters in Germany, part of a government effort to save energy and lower its power bill. At a time when clean energy sources are so much in demand, CHP may be an option for your city's smart energy strategy.
Where some see a recycling crisis, some enterprising cities and counties see a recycling opportunity. See how places like Rotterdam and Prince George’s County are helping people cut their amount of waste without breaking the budget.
As populations grow, cities are pressure from increasing amounts of waste. From sensors to big data, here’s how they are leveraging the next generation of waste management technologies to keep the waste out of landfills without unnecessarily stretching their budgets.
What started as a proof of concept for Enevo's smart waste management technology became a win-win for the city of Rotterdam. Read the story to learn how combining sensors for trash receptacles with route planning software reduces waste handling costs and encourages recycling. Could your city do the same?
Many cities and regions around the world are experiencing water shortages. And while most cities would probably find land to build a water recycling plant, that's not the case in Beijing, China. The city's short on water but land is so valuable it's prohibitively expensive. That's why a water plant operator took a different approach — and is building a large water recycling plant underground.
SAS named a leader in analytics... Qualcomm's Snapdragon tech for connected cars... an intelligent lighting partnership for Schneider Electric, Elster technology featured in new meter data collection system... Avista selects Itron electric and gas meters. Follow the link to learn more.
Energy company Enel and Nissan, manufacturer of the Leaf EV, are taking their vehicle-to-grid show on the road — specifically to the UK. The technology adds a new twist to the role of electric cars by turning them into rolling energy storage systems. Read the story to learn more, and how it could help cities with energy management.
Can your residents get where they need to go? Inadequate snow removal likely cost one big city mayor his job. See how one Colorado city used analytics to plow its streets twice as fast — and the savings are going toward making the roads safer all year.
American infrastructure is in terrible shape, getting D+ grade, according to a new report card. Deferred maintenance is one big problem, but many cities are also taking a too narrow view of what infrastructure is. You can improve, though. Seattle, Chicago, Port Manatee, Florida, and others show you how.
Cities that have seaports know they're fortunate. Ports are economic powerhouses. But ports — particularly cargo-only ports — are also like electric grids and other critical infrastructure in a way. They're susceptible to physical attacks. Read the story to learn how a Florida seaport is protecting its equipment and operations.
The United Arab Emirates wants to be one of the world's smartest countries, and its first move toward that goal is to make Dubai, the country's largest city, as connected as it can be by undertaking more than 100 separate smart city initiatives. While such a large project may not be right for your city, Dubai's transformation plan may give you some ideas for your own.
Energy efficiency is a key tool in reach climate and sustainability benchmarks. But after setting your goals, then what? Here are four proven ideas to help energy consumption in your city. You can even put some to work right away before the summer heatwaves hit.
Kansas City has taken its next steps toward becoming a sustainable city able to provide a better, more livable city for its citizens. One of those steps is a smart street lighting pilot project because city leaders see it as a win-win — a safer, more convenient environment for their citizens and an effective, efficient tool to help them manage the city.
Anyone involved in smart cities initiatives is familiar with smart street lights and probably knows they can do far more than illuminate streets at night. But there are a few things smart street lighting networks can do (or will be able to do soon) that may come as a surprise — a welcome surprise for cities that want to expand or improve the services they provide.
Energy-efficient LEDs can certainly help cut the cost of lighting your streets, but those savings can rapidly vanish if you don’t install them right the first time. Some cities spend hundreds of thousands of dollars redoing their installations. See what you can do to save yourself the trouble.
When coming up with solutions to issues, most cities tend to focus on one issue at a time. Intelligent street lights, however, can be the spark that helps you solve many issues together on a more cost-effective basis. See how.
Street lights are everywhere — and they can be much more than street lights. See how modern smart street lights can not only cut your electric bill dramatically, but can also serve as a platform for sensors, safety services, Wi-Fi hotspots, charging stations and more.
The small Ohio town of Minster might not seem a likely choice for energy technology innovation, but its solar power plus energy storage system is the largest of its kind for a municipal utility in the U.S. Not only will the storage system bring more energy reliability and new revenue streams to the city, it also will allow it to defer $350,000 in grid upgrade costs. Sound like a good idea?
Canada's national economy could take a hit from a massive wildfire that destroyed part of a power grid. See how Siemens is heling utilities, like Con Edison, to become more resilient with solutions that can allow them to restore substations in days, not months.
The dangers of cyber attacks are well-known: big banks, hospitals, retail stores, utilities and other service providers have all been hacked — cities too. To help security professionals stay ahead of the hackers IBM is training Watson, its "multi-talented" cognitive computing technology, as a super cyber security detective.
Many cities throughout the world continue to operate water distribution networks that are 70-100 years old. And while lost revenue from water leaks is staggering, it's not the only problem. Failing systems also can contribute to contaminated, poor quality drinking water. Read on to learn why your city should take a hard look at its water network -- and the available solutions.
You don’t have to be a big city to be a smart city. A regional utility is modernizing its infrastructure in eastern Washington and Idaho, and in the process, it’s bringing smart technologies to a mostly rural area. See what it’s doing and how you can too, regardless of how big your city is.
Cities spend a lot of time looking for citizens and businesses who are tax cheats, but what if the tax fraud is occurring within your own department? Cities lose millions that way — one lost $50 million. Find out what you can do to protect the tax revenue you collect.
Illinois spends more on technology than virtually every other state, but it gets the least from that investment. Now on its way to making up for a 40-plus-year technology deficit, it plans to become the first smart state. And its approach for action could work for your city.
The Edmonton Valley Line, a new light rail project in Edmonton, Alberta, is expected to help meet the growing needs of Canada's second fastest-growing city. It's also the first project for Bechtel's new Public-Private Partnership line of business. Read the story to learn more, and pay particular attention to the important role continuing public involvement has played.
IBM, Cisco and Microsoft named top smart city vendors... an award for Black & Veatch microgrid network... K2 Geospatial's Canadian rail project... Ooredoo's service expansion... Veolia wins first waste management contract in Oman...
To govern effectively and earn the public’s trust, government has to be transparent. But how do you share everything you can while protecting what you must? Learn how an effective data governance strategy helps you cut your costs while better serving the public.
Can you imagine building a community master plan in just three months? Constitución, Chile, did it and the results are something truly to behold. While disaster gave it the sense of urgency, its approach and the tactics it used are worth considering to build engagement even if times are good in your city.
Citizen engagement -- city residents participating in the decisions that affect their lives and future -- is an essential part of smart city planning. But if you're a little fuzzy on its importance, read what the deputy mayor of a mid-sized city said about the benefits of doing it well and the possible consequences of doing it poorly or not at all. We also share some tools to help you get to know your citizens better.
The Canadian city of St. Albert has numerous smart city services and projects in place and an ambitious goal of becoming a "smart city centre of excellence." But in the beginning there was no plan of action, no roadmap to guide St. Albert's smart city transition. If your city is planning a smart city transformation, St. Albert's experience and how its city leaders chose to proceed may give you some ideas you can use.
As Illinois embarks on a journey to become America’s first smart state, it got valuable advice through a Smart States event about how to identify and build people-centered solutions, which is at the heart of governance. Read on for five tips that you can put to work as you craft your own strategies.
City leaders don't need to reinvent the wheel every time they come up against a problem in their smart city implementations. There are companies they can turn to for help. One of them -- Microsoft -- has a new partner bringing several IT solutions to the initiative it created to help cities become more efficient, more economically competitive and more livable.
The quest for safer, better, more intelligent cars has already attracted car makers, technology companies and others to the connected car market. Now IT and networking company Cisco and car maker Hyundai have teamed to speed up development of next generation connected car technologies.
Sudden floods are already causing significant deaths and severe flooding is only forecast to get worse. Yet flood warning systems aren’t getting better. A Rice University professor who built an advanced system explains how it works — and why your city should build one today.
A city’s future is largely determined by its job base and the future of your job base may be driven by your ability to attract highly-skilled millennials. AT&T offers some helpful advice for companies, but it turns out they need your help too. Find out how.
The total spending on IT infrastructure products like servers and storage is expected to jump by almost 20% this year to reach $38.2 billion. And a majority of that spending will come from public sector and corporate organizations, says market intelligence firm and Council Associate Partner IDC in a new report.
Swedish city Boras has taken several steps toward sustainability. Now it's taking yet another one with an approach that integrates wastewater treatment with energy production. Read the story to learn how they plan to do it and why.
As local governments across the country continue to recover from the recession, many city and county leaders are weighing the options of raising revenue or cutting services. But, now is a good time to look at a third option: cutting expenses by identifying fraud. See how to do that.
Every day we’re surrounded by more devices that are always on and listening to us. These devices provide us a great deal of convenience, but what are the privacy implications? There are no easy answers. Check out a new white paper for a review of the key issues.
If someone wanted to create absolute traffic chaos in your city, they likely could. It would take only a little know-how and a few hundred dollars in equipment. Cities have been lucky so far. Here’s why you should care about security so you’ll be protected when your luck runs out.
Many cities are counting on connected cars and their technologies to help them deal with traffic snarls, accidents and other transportation-related issues. And car makers are doing their best to make those connected cars safe and reliable. Their latest challenge? The DOJ wants those cars to be so secure they won't be vulnerable to terrorists, cybercriminals and other bad guys.
It's a connected Internet of Things world for smart cities now. But most consumers -- your citizens -- don't know much -- if anything about it . They understand the benefits smart devices can bring. Who wants to be without a smart phone (and maybe a smart home) these days? But they're worried about their privacy and who does what with their personal information. Our story shares some good news too.
Cities will hold the vast majority of the world’s population in just a few decades, but your city’s growth is not guaranteed. In fact, some cities are shrinking rapidly. Check out new rankings of America’s fastest growing (and fastest shrinking) cities to see what you can learn from them.
Some cities are blessed with clean, high quality water -- and some aren't so fortunate. If your city falls into the latter category there are approaches you can take to provide clean water for your residents and meet increasingly strict water quality regulations. The Canadian city of Nanaimo has a success story to share about the technology it chose that should ensure clean water for generations.
Sports and entertainment venues are no easy undertaking. They're expensive to build and operate and cities often pony up millions to help pay for them. So we thought you'd like to take a look at how Schneider Electric took advantage of connected technologies to help make the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas efficient and sustainable (and less expensive to operate).
If your city hasn’t faced a water crisis yet, it’s only a matter of time: 70% of the world’s production areas will face shortages by 2050. Here are four steps you can take now to not only save a precious resource — they will also save you money.
With so much hope focused on how connected cars and self-driving cars will help cities cut traffic congestion and reduce accidents, there's some good news from Toyota and Microsoft. The two companies are working together to develop more and better connected services for drivers -- services that will make driving safer and far more convenient at the same time.
IBM partners on cloud and cognitive computing… Intel's new acquisition… Schneider Electric's cloud-based security management system… Ooredoo's ICT infrastructure deal… Qualcomm's wireless EV charging agreement… Siemens' UK energy savings and clean air projects. Follow the link to learn more.
We've said it before: smart street lighting networks are a practical, cost-effective first step toward a smart city. Now, Huawei has entered the market with its Connected City Lighting Solution. Read the story to learn about the company's new offering -- and why you should be taking smart street lighting networks seriously.
The move to renewable sources of energy is typically driven by climate goals, but as renewables take over as the world’s largest source of new power there’s a new reason: price. They can be cheaper. Find out if you should be giving renewables a second look.
Wouldn't it be great if the people who live and work in your city had an understanding of how important initiatives like smart water and smart energy are to their quality of life and future? You'll want to know about Itron's program to improve water and energy literacy -- and encourage students to consider careers in smart city technology-related fields.
As more urban areas commit to smart cities upgrades and the technologies they'll need to accomplish those transformations, it becomes increasingly clear success depends on one key element: connectivity. While the thought of planning and developing a connected network for your city may seem daunting, other cities are doing it. You don’t have to go it alone. And the benefits might surprise you.
Smart cities need to be connected cities, as we explain in our story on the importance of connectivity in this special issue. Connectivity and Internet of Things are the buzz for smart cities right now, but maybe we're overlooking something. Is the Internet fast enough for us and what we need to do? Read on for some not so great news about the status of U.S. Internet service -- and some promising developments.
A city can’t be smart without connectivity for its devices and people. How do you do that without breaking the bank? Here are four great ideas from four inspiring cities. Two of these ideas even make money for your city. Read on to find out how.
We’re more mobile than ever. We also have much more data to process. How do you and the public make sense of it all? Pioneering cities are already using augmented reality to build engagement and enhance and simplify actions. Learn how it could work for your city.
Self-driving cars, once they arrive, are likely to improve traffic flow and safety. But why wait? Siemens is helping to bring some of the benefits of connected vehicles to Florida’s roads now. See how and learn about the steps New York is taking today to reduce its congestion.
Huawei's Malaysia ICT/smart state project… Veolia provides water treatment services in Oman… CH2M's Toronto rapid transit initiative… Microsoft's Virginia solar partnership… Schneider Electric's smart city technology solutions. Follow the link to learn more.
A major Chinese LED street lighting supplier has partnered with Silver Spring Networks to turn their street lights into platforms for citywide communications, environment sensing, traffic monitoring and more. If you are still thinking that next-generation street lights are only about new LED bulbs, read this story to learn why China's approach could, in many ways, work for your city.
While the extreme drought in Texas is over, with rapid population growth, the next water shortage could be right around the corner. See how The Nature Conservancy aims to prevent that by bringing vast amounts of water data into a single resource.
Cisco, a long-time investor in India, will spend an additional $100 million to support the country's move toward digitization and smart cities. The money will be invested in early-stage tech startups, innovation labs -- and a greatly expanded training and education program to ensure the country has the skilled tech professionals it needs.
As far as cities go, carbon dioxide is supposed to be the enemy — it’s the reason for increasingly difficult renewable energy targets. But GE has found a way to turn it into something that could more efficiently power dense city blocks. Find out how.
Connected self-driving cars are getting a lot of attention from cities looking for ways to increase traffic safety and reduce traffic jams and congestion. After a successful road test in live traffic, Daimler believes its sensor-laden Internet-connected trucks will be part of the solution too. Read the story to learn more.
As more drivers choose electric vehicles for city commutes, it raises interesting questions for energy managers working at buildings with parking garages. Among them: how do you get EVs to fit in with how the building operates, particularly its electrical system? Schneider Electric and AT&T are working on a solution that may answer those questions and more.
A stadium is one of a city’s bigger investments. Are you getting your money’s worth? Discover how smart stadiums can get more people to the games, can get them to spend more and can help you cut operations costs — all delivering more money to your city’s bottom line.
Smart grids. Smart cities. And a market coming into its own: smart buildings. It's fairly easy to see how smart grids and smart cities are intertwined. Progressive utilities and cities share many of the same technologies and goals. Smart buildings do too, as it becomes increasingly apparent the 21st century's commercial buildings need to be more than big energy-guzzling boxes.
In a smart city, everything is interoperable and integrated — and that includes the smart grid. A new partnership between GE and one of America’s largest electric utilities is delivering just that. Find out why that’s so important — and why this will soon be coming to smaller utilities.
From public health to encouraging economic development, cities need to be clean — a job that’s becoming harder because of rapid population growth. See how six cities are using technology to clean up their streets and stop illegal dumping.
The technologies smart cities depend on require well-trained professionals capable of maintaining and managing them. It's the same for electric utilities. Read the story to learn how Schneider Electric is ensuring a continuous supply of high-tech talent for the energy industry -- and helping disadvantaged students. You may get some ideas about collaboration strategies your city can use.
GE's new energy company Current will take a lead role in a smart city intelligent lighting project in Tianjin, a major port city in northeast China. It is a key demonstration project in China's ambitious smart city plans -- and it will be about far more than lighting alone. Click to the site to learn more.
As important and effective as data analytics and management tools are for smart city planning and development, not every city has the resources to take advantage of it. But a new White House initiative, the Opportunity Project, could go a long way toward solving that problem. Is this something your city could use?
Today’s cities have more “chiefs” than ever, but you may still want to consider following Atlanta’s lead and adding another: Chief Bicycle Officer. Learn how this more proactive approach could save lives — and save your city money in the long run.
The Smart Cities Council, the world’s largest smart cities network, announced that its landmark Smart Cities Readiness Guide is now available in a web-based format. The Readiness Guide is the world’s leading framework for government leaders to enhance the livability, workability and sustainability of their cities.
The landmark Smart Cities Readiness Guide, relied on by cities from Hartford to Dubai and Mauritius to Yinchuan, is now available in a new web-based edition, making the resource even more valuable for your efforts to make your city more livable, workable and sustainable. Check out what’s new.
In a world where two out of three Internet of Things projects don’t live up to their potential, what can you do to be the one that succeeds? IBM studied the winners and developed a guide for IoT success. We share three things to think about before you get started.
How can you have a smart city without smart energy and water technologies? It's hard to imagine. Read our story to learn how one industry insider describes the all-important roles energy and water utilities should have in your smart city plans.
In many parts of the world railways are relied on as heavily as road or air travel, and in some places even more so. This week Siemens is sharing its take on a tailor-made smart intercity train specifically designed to accommodate the changing transportation needs of the Gulf Region -- as well as its smart city ambitions.
Between rapidly swelling populations and increasingly tough climate targets, we need more power, but we need it to come from clean, sustainable sources. Your citizens likely want to help you, but it will require a fresh look at renewable energy and the way you regulate utilities.
The drive to make utilities smarter is taking on new urgency. Traditional approaches don’t go far enough. A new survey from Black & Veatch finds smart utilities and cities have changed their approaches over the past year. Read on for two things you should be doing now.
Many cities that want a sustainable, reliable energy future are going with renewables, advanced metering, energy efficiency programs or a combination of those and other technologies. Many others are planning to do the same. Regardless of your approach, data analytics and sensors are key to making it all work. Read the story to learn why.
Have you ever wondered why some cities seem to be able to draw all the talent they need to be successful while others just can't catch a break? To answer that question, we're sharing highlights from an article that explains why it happens and steps cities can take to avoid falling behind. Your city may be doing fine, but it could probably do better.
A new report to President Obama places an urgent emphasis on smart cities. It even calls on the federal government to provide more help to cities. That’s the good news. But learn how following it blindly could cause your city to fall well short of its potential.
You’ve heard of smart cities — now Illinois is well on its way to becoming a smart state. It’s a revolutionary idea that not only will help the state function better — it could make it much easier for cities in the state to become smarter. Find out why.
9-1-1 agencies are expected to respond to all kinds of emergencies -- and show up on the scene quickly and well-prepared. But today's emergency communications networks are limited in what they can do. That's why AT&T will roll out a next generation upgrade to make those communications systems faster and more flexible and responsive.
Between swelling populations and a new generation that doesn’t want to drive, there’s a lot of pressure on cities to deliver robust transit systems. But what if light rail seems out of reach? See what Hampton Roads, Virginia, and others are learning about bus rapid transit.
Siemens' fuel-efficient power plant... Bechtel brings light rail to Edmonton... IBM's Watson powers IoT projects... GE behind world's largest LED retrofit... Civic Resource Group attracts major investors... Learn more.