Creating an environment of co-innovation is the key to smart cities

Smart cities need more than new, hyper-connected technologies to progress. They need a local environment of collaboration, with innovation hubs as the centerpiece.

By Alex Goryachev • July 24, 2018

UK lays groundwork for 5G deployment, full fiber broadband coverage by 2033

The government has a list of ambitious goals for connectivity, including in rural areas that have been traditionally underserved by new technologies.

By Jason Plautz • July 24, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

Smart Cities Technology and Data

Cities are increasingly looking to technology and data to address real-world issues from traffic safety to law enforcement.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Ofo blames onerous city regulations for US departures

The dockless bike-share company announced it would pull out of most U.S. cities last week, staying only in jurisdictions where rules are less stringent.

By Chris Teale • July 24, 2018

Portland, OR to extend Uber's operating license by a year

The extension follows contrition by the ride-hailing company, which apologized for "certain missteps" in its dealings with the city in the past.

By Chris Teale • July 23, 2018

New York utilities outline 'transformative' uses for blockchain

The four utilities will research blockchain and learn from other industries as the technology evolves, with the ultimate goal of drawing up a joint proof-of-concept and testing their findings.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 23, 2018

AT&T adds 3 cities to 2018 5G rollout

Carriers are racing to become the market leaders in 5G, which will not only offer faster speeds but also help cities roll out networks for connected infrastructure, smart grids and AVs.

By Jason Plautz • July 23, 2018

Report: Streamlining 5G infrastructure deployment could add $100B to the economy

Building out a 5G network will depend on the installation of 300,000 small cells, according to the research, making infrastructure requirements one of the biggest barriers to full-scale deployment.

By Jason Plautz • July 20, 2018

Judge blocks NYC law requiring Airbnb to disclose host data

“The city has not cited any decision suggesting that the governmental appropriation of private business records on such a scale ... qualifies as a reasonable search and seizure," the judge wrote.

By Chris Teale • Updated Jan. 4, 2019

Ekin Spotter tracks traffic, safety and environmental data — all from the sidewalk

The all-in-one device offers a promising way for city governments to streamline data collection and analyze data in a more holistic manner.

By Kristin Musulin • July 19, 2018

Inrix launches pilot for AV communication platform in 4 US cities

The cities, along with a number of manufacturers and transportation authorities, have agreed to test software that would allow two-way data sharing.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 19, 2018

Seattle welcomes newest ride-hailing option, ReachNow

ReachNow says it is the first company to offer both a car-sharing and ride-hailing service within a single app.

By Kristin Musulin • July 18, 2018

Rubicon's smart waste tech is now available on AWS marketplace

This update speeds up the procurement process, giving city governments the ability to purchase the technology "with one click" by way of their existing AWS contracts.

By Kristin Musulin • July 18, 2018

Smart cities: Can we afford them?

Tech and infrastructure advancements won’t come cheap to most cities. Many decisions will boil down to how fast do we want to do this, and where do we want to start?

By Todd Thibodeaux • July 18, 2018

How police are adopting smart tech to improve public safety

From bodycams to drones and facial recognition, police departments are using innovative approaches to protect citizens — and their civil liberties.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 17, 2018

FCC likely to approve policy that would help Google Fiber expansion

Google Fiber said it "didn't fully appreciate" how access to pole space would be such a barrier to a full rollout of its gigabit-speed fiber internet.

By Jason Plautz • July 17, 2018

For many US cities, the digital divide is more than an infrastructure problem

Broadband access problems aren't limited to rural areas. In cities, the digital divide is a barrier to urban revitalization and the full realization of a "smart city" vision.

By Jason Plautz • July 16, 2018

Army taps Austin, TX for new research and development facility

The Army said Austin’s existing tech scene and academic environment from the University of Texas made it the ideal site for the headquarters.

By Jason Plautz • July 16, 2018

For some Baltimore residents, a smart city simply means more Wi-Fi access

A recent survey of West Baltimore residents found 68% of respondents use their cell phones to search for jobs, complete homework or stay connected to the community, as leaders seek to "close the digital divide."

By Kristin Musulin • July 13, 2018

Facebook ups AI research with navigation tests

Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research says the "Talk the Walk" program's goal is to achieve "full comprehension of human language."

By Jason Plautz • July 13, 2018

Uber lays off AV testers in Pittsburgh, San Francisco

Some might view these layoffs and Uber's widespread scale-back as an indication that it intends to shut down its AV sector altogether.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 13, 2018

FCC to auction high-band frequency spectrum for 5G deployment

Beyond offering faster wireless and broadband to customers, wider deployment of 5G will help advance connected vehicles and infrastructure technology that smart cities are eyeing.

By Jason Plautz • July 12, 2018

Waze, Esri expand partnership to provide real-time road data to cities

The data will be available in Esri’s ArcGIS Marketplace, which allows cities to use it without purchasing additional software or writing code.

By Jason Plautz • July 11, 2018

10 times fiction predicted smart city advancements

From data analytics to hyperloop and cutting-edge transportation methods, many smart city concepts aren't entirely original ideas.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 10, 2018

Lime announces Uber as 'strategic partner' of scooter operations

The ride-share company will invest in Lime as part of the partnership, which comes less than a week after rival Lyft invested in bike-share provider Motivate.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 10, 2018

Smart Cities Council releases online project coordination platform

The platform promises to not just help individual cities move through projects with less bureaucracy, but to help share best practices among cities around the world.

By Jason Plautz • July 9, 2018