For subscribers Commentary Why the future belongs to wise cities, not just smart ones Smart cities are powered by technology. Wise cities are grounded in human values. Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox For more than two decades, the idea of the smart city has shaped urban policy around the world. The promise was compelling. By harnessing data, sensors, digital platforms and advanced analytics, cities could become more efficient, sustainable and responsive. Traffic congestion could be reduced. Energy consumption could be optimised. Public services could be delivered with greater precision. Urban systems could be monitored in real time and managed with unprecedented sophistication. In many respects, that promise is now reality in many cities. Cities today possess capabilities that would have seemed remarkable only a generation ago. Real-time transport information guides commuters. Digital government services simplify interactions between citizens and the state. Sophisticated modelling tools help planners anticipate future needs. Increasingly, artificial intelligence is being deployed to support decision-making across domains ranging from healthcare to mobility and public safety. Technology has become an integral part of urban life. Yet, as mayors, planners, academics and other city leaders gathered in Singapore recently for the 10th World Cities Summit, an important question arises: is being smart enough? Increasingly, the answer is no. Beyond optimisation The challenges confronting cities have never been merely technical. They are also social, ethical and, increasingly, existential. Climate change demands difficult trade-offs. Artificial intelligence raises questions about fairness and accountability. Ageing populations require new approaches to care and inclusion. Rising inequality threatens social cohesion. Geopolitical uncertainty complicates economic planning. These are not problems that can be solved through optimisation alone. They require wisdom. The “wise city”, a concept with roots in urban scholarship, shifts the focus of urban intelligence from technological optimisation towards human