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Smart Cities
How can data-driven solutions reverse the aging building crisis?
Much like its population, Hong Kong’s buildings are aging fast. As of 2025, 68 percent of private buildings were at least 30 years old, with that figure set to surpass 82 percent over the next decade. Safety concerns surrounding building upkeep reached a boiling point after a horrific 2025 fire at Tai Po’s Wang Fuk Court — which was undergoing renovation — cost the lives of 168 people in November. To mitigate future risks, experts have recommended mandatory, regular preventive maintenance for older properties and the adoption of smart tools to maximize the longevity of newer structures. Leveraging internet of things (IoT) sensors, artificial intelligence digital twins, and real-time analytics, Homegevity — a tech-driven smart maintenance model — has helped Cyberport's luxury Residence Bel-Air save over HK$1 billion in projected renovation costs. Founder Allen Ha Wing-on compares Homegevity to a "data-driven building health physician”. The system prioritizes preventive diagnosis and full-lifecycle management over waiting for government inspections to trigger costly overhauls. The Bel-Air residences comprise 2,700 units across 30 high-rise blocks, and have been occupied since 2004. By reallocating existing maintenance funds into predictive technology, the committee extended the buildings' lifespan without imposing extra fees on residents. ALSO READ: How safe are Hong Kong buildings? Ha, former CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo and convenor of the Bel-Air owners' committee, said that applying technology to building upkeep aligns with national smart-city goals, transforming facility management into a science-based discipline. Critical of the traditional approach to aging infrastructure, Ha said that major building overhauls at the 30-year mark are a relic of the 1970s. Designed for single, low-rise buildings run by self-formed owner groups, this outdated model is ill-suited for modern, multi-tower estates and complex facilities worth billions. In 2012, the government launched the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme, requiring owners of private buildings aged
Governance through intelligence: how <b>smart cities</b> enhance new quality productive forces
Abstract Although digitalization has progressed rapidly, there is still a limited empirical understanding of how smart governance contributes to the evolution of new quality productive forces (NQPF) in developing countries. This study exploits the implementation of the smart city initiative as a policy shock and draws on panel data from Chinese cities spanning 2007 to 2019. The results indicate that smart city development is associated with a statistically significant increase in the growth of NQPF. Moreover, the estimated effects are stronger for new labor tools and new labor objects than for new labor force. Specifically, smart city initiatives facilitate greater governmental digital subsidy support for strategic emerging industries, significantly increasing both the breadth and depth of digital subsidies they receive. Additionally, smart city policies improve the local digital development environment while attracting digital enterprises and talent, fostering spatial agglomeration. Moreover, the influence of smart city development on strengthening NQPF varies according to a city’s degree of innovation capacity and the extent of focus it receives from both governmental agencies and the public. Notably, the policy-driven promotion of NQPF through smart city initiatives is more substantial in large urban centers, non-resource-based cities, and municipalities that do not belong to the category of old industrial bases. Acknowledgements This work was supported by The Youth Fund for Humanities and Social Sciences Research of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant Number: 24YJC630188). Ethics declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical approval This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Informed consent This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Additional information Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Supplementary information Rights and permissions Open
RUCKUS: Solving Modern Enterprise Network Friction
Video Technology & AI RUCKUS: Solving Modern Enterprise Network Friction August 27, 2026 undefined mins Deploying 1,500 discreet access points across the City of Mesa provides reliable public internet access alongside advanced AI cloud management systems Bart Giordano, Senior Vice President and General Manager of RUCKUS, explores how the company is addressing high-density connectivity challenges to power modern smart cities. Highlighting a decade-long partnership with the City of Mesa, Arizona, Bart details how over 1,500 RUCKUS access points provide public Wi-Fi to bridge the digital divide while supporting essential city operations like traffic management, environmental sensors and public safety cameras. He also explains how connectivity has become a vital utility. To overcome physical logistics and preserve urban aesthetics, RUCKUS integrates discreet hardware directly into existing municipal infrastructure, such as streetlights, to access pre-existing power and backhaul.
Mesa: The Arizona <b>City</b> Leading a Digital Frontier
In Arizona’s the Valley of the Sun, the City of Mesa is setting the pace for municipalities across the United States with its digital transformation tools and strategies. Sitting at the centre of this technological frontier is Scott Conn, Mesa’s Chief Information Officer, and Paul Poledna, Assistant CIO. Scott famously looks the part of a modern trailblazer, frequently sporting a classic cowboy hat, a fitting nod to the American Southwest. But in Mesa, being a cowboy isn’t about wild-west lawlessness. Scott’s spirit aligns more with that of a pioneer. It’s a mindset of grit, independence and a fearless willingness to venture into uncharted territory before anyone else. From AI-driven citizen services and regional tech alliances to cybersecurity triumphs, Scott and Paul share the strategic partnerships and bold philosophies that are driving one of America’s top digital cities. Mesa, the trend setter The city’s ability to stay ahead of the curve is rooted in a collaborative environment that genuinely values cutting-edge tech. “One of the great things about being in Mesa is we have a city council and a city manager’s office that is extremely supportive of technology and of IT in particular,” Scott proudly states. “We call ourselves the Department of Innovation and Technology, otherwise known as ‘DoIt’. Now, a lot of other city departments are starting to call themselves DoIt. “I just want to make it clear: Mesa was the first. I’m absolutely honoured and flattered that people want to copy what we’re doing with the name, but it is an accurate description of what we do here in Mesa. “With the city council’s support, we are able to experiment with things other cities are uncomfortable doing. In my prior two cities, they had more of a philosophy of ‘we’re not even going to look at this until 20
How publics perceive <b>smart cities</b>: identifying social determinants of citizens' attitudes to ...
This study examines how citizens perceive the increasing integration of digital and data-driven technologies in (sub)urban governance, commonly referred to as the ‘smart city’. Despite the increasing focus on citizen roles in the co-production of smart city initiatives, little is known about how the public perceives these developments and how such perceptions are socially shaped. Drawing on survey data from 3270 Belgian respondents, this study examines socio-demographic characteristics, familiarity (i.e. awareness, digital literacy and (prior) technology adoption), and risk–benefit perceptions as determinants of public attitudes toward smart cities. Results suggest that attitudes tend to be more positive for older, higher educated and male respondents, although the effects of gender and education become negligible once other variables are considered. Among the familiarity dimensions examined, only technology adoption significantly affects attitudes. This indicates that it is not formal knowledge about smart cities that shapes attitudes, but rather that attitudes are dependent on experiences with different (digital) technologies that smart cities might provide. The strongest associations arise at the level of risk–benefit perceptions: perceived misuse risks are negatively associated with support, whereas perceived benefits exhibit a substantially stronger positive association than perceived risks. These findings refine the traditional ‘familiarity hypothesis’ by demonstrating that public attitudes toward smart cities are not necessarily driven by formal knowledge, but rather shaped by everyday technological experiences and perceptions of potential risks and benefits. This insight highlights the importance of experiential and evaluative dimensions in public perceptions of emerging forms of data-driven governance.
Aruni Kashyap on India's Cockroach Youth Movement
Aruni Kashyap on India’s Cockroach Youth Movement In Conversation with V.V. Ganeshananthan and Jennifer Maritza McCauley on Fiction/Non/Fiction Novelist Aruni Kashyap joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Jennifer Maritza McCauley to talk about the surprising surge of a new youth movement in India. Kashyap, the author of a new novel, How to Date a Fanatic, about young queer academics navigating the Indian campus protests of the mid-2010s, explains how the Chief Justice of India likening unemployed youth to “cockroaches and parasites” has prompted the rise of a wildly popular satirical group. He shares the history of the Cockroach Janta Party or Cockroach People’s Party, whose followers now number in the millions and whose political demands have become well known. Kashyap discusses those demands and the historical significance of campus politics in India, considers how a satirical organization is pushing real reform, and recalls his own experiences with campus protests in India, where he grew up and previously taught. Kashyap reflects on writing about political violence, love, and queer life in India. He reads from How to Date a Fanatic. To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This podcast is produced by V.V. Ganeshananthan and Christian Barter. How to Date a Fanatic • How to Date a Fanatic excerpt from LitHub • The Way You Want to Be Loved • The House with a Thousand Stories How to Tell the Story of an Insurgency Others The rise of the Cockroaches – The Hindu EXCERPT FROM A CONVERSATION WITH ARUNI KASHYAP Jennifer Maritza McCauley: We’re going
<b>City</b> of Mesa's Scott Conn and Paul Poledna | Energy Digital
City of Mesa’s Scott Conn and Paul Poledna City of Mesa’s Scott Conn and Paul Poledna Third time’s a charm for CIO Scott Conn Scott Conn is the Chief Information Officer and IT Director for the City of Mesa, Arizona. “This is actually my third career. I started in the private sector climbing the corporate ladder at AT&T fresh out of college. “I later left them for the world of small company turnarounds. And yes, I was the mean, nasty guy that would walk in and go, ‘You’re fired. You’re fired. You’re fired.’” Scott also promoted employees and suggested changes within company structures to help make them profitable again. “I did seven of these very successfully. The last one was a company that I actually purchased – a medical software company up at Lake Tahoe.” Scott merged the company, Vantage Med, with six other firms, took it public and then retired. “That lasted all of six months,” he laughs. “I got bored – you can only do so much camping, fishing and playing golf. So I decided to start an executive technology consulting firm, which I did for 20 years while living at Lake Tahoe.” Scott’s clients included Barclays, Cisco, Disney, IBM, Kraft Foods, HP, and Motorola, and the job involved guiding C-level executives in improving their technology investments. “I then sold that company to a San Francisco firm and retired again. Six months in, the same thing happened again – I got bored out of my skull.” The city of Concord, California, happened to have his details from his previous consulting work and called on Scott for help with its network infrastructure. It’s from here that he headed the IT Division for Concord, where he ran managed IT for the Police Department. “Thus, I embarked on my third career
The Team Behind Yokohama's “Asia-Pacific Circular <b>Cities</b> Forum” on Urban Dialogue and ...
Sponsored by 横浜市 The global transition to a circular economy is accelerating. In Europe, top-down regulatory frameworks have led the way, and Amsterdam’s circular strategy drew international attention, rapidly spreading the concept of the “circular city” around the world. Across Europe, where entire regions are embracing the circular economy, cities are strengthening their solidarity through frameworks such as the European Circular Cities Declaration. But what about Asia? In November 2025, the “Asian Circular Cities Declaration (ACCD)”—an Asian counterpart to such city-level declaration frameworks—was born from an initiative by the City of Yokohama. With ICLEI Japan, the Japanese office of the international organization representing more than 2,500 local governments worldwide, serving as its secretariat, the framework launched with Yokohama’s signature and has since grown to include 26 cities across 7 countries, representing a combined population of over 57 million people. On September 3–4, 2026, the signatory cities will gather in Yokohama for the first time at the “Asia-Pacific Circular Cities Forum 2026 (APCC Forum),” to be held at PACIFICO Yokohama North. We sat down with Toshikazu Yazawa (谷澤寿和), Director of Global City Strategy at the City of Yokohama’s Policy Management and International Strategy Bureau and the official leading the forum’s planning, to hear about the aspirations behind this inaugural event. Speaker Profile: Toshikazu Yazawa (谷澤 寿和) Director, Global City Strategy Division, Policy Management and International Strategy Bureau, City of Yokohama. Joined the City of Yokohama in 2008. In fiscal year 2018, he was involved in establishing the City of Yokohama’s Americas Office and served as its inaugural Deputy Director, based in the United States until fiscal year 2022. From fiscal years 2023 to 2024, he oversaw inter-city partnerships through international technical cooperation with Asian cities including Bangkok, Thailand, as well as support for Yokohama-based companies expanding their businesses overseas. In fiscal
Electra, <b>City</b> of Helsinki, and Haaga-Helia University Sign MOU to Explore Direct Aviation ...
Collaboration will study how Electra's Ultra Short aircraft can create faster, quieter, and more direct connections between Helsinki and Tallinn, where 7.5 million people travel each year HELSINKI, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Electra today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Helsinki and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences to explore how Direct Aviation can enable faster, quieter, and more efficient regional air mobility across the Gulf of Finland. The collaboration will study a new approach to Helsinki-Tallinn connectivity using Electra's Ultra Short aircraft, designed to take off and land in just 50 metres, and compact access points located closer to where journeys begin and end. The parties will also evaluate additional regional destinations of interest to Helsinki residents, businesses, and visitors. Helsinki and Tallinn are twin cities, with just 80 kilometers separating them across the Gulf of Finland. Approximately 7.5 million travelers move between the cities each year, reflecting their strong commercial, tourism, and cultural ties. Despite the short distance, the journey can take hours. Ferries take two hours, plus the time required to reach the terminal and board, while flying today requires traveling through international airports and the traditional airport and security process. Direct Aviation means flying from where people are to where they want to go. By combining Ultra Short aircraft with compact access points closer to travelers, it can reduce the friction of ferry crossings, airport transfers, long drives, and hub connections and create faster, simpler, easier regional connections. "Helsinki and Tallinn are a natural Direct Aviation market: strong travel demand, short distance, and too much friction in the journey today," said Diana Siegel, Vice President of Commercial Programs at Electra. "By studying demand, infrastructure, operations, and economics together, we can understand what it would take to make this connection
Today TOP Headlines | Sakshi Telugu News | 26-08-2026 | @SakshiTV
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Signing of Record of Discussions on Technical Cooperation Project with Ethiopia
Signing of Record of Discussions on Technical Cooperation Project with Ethiopia: Contributing to the capacity development for training implementation in urban planning, development, and management for sustainable and decentralized urbanization On August 19, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed the Record of Discussions on the framework to implement the technical cooperation project titled âProject for Capacity Building in Urban Planning and Urbanizationâ, with the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure (MoUI) in the capital city Addis Ababa. The signatures were exchanged between State Minister Fenta Dejen of the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure of Ethiopia and Chief Representative Hiroyuki Yakushi of JICA Ethiopia Office. Signing ceremony This project supports the capacity building of officials responsible for developing secondary cities in Ethiopia, addressing the rapid overconcentration in Addis Ababa. By developing trainers at the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, Regional Urban Planning institutes, and regional urban planning directorate, the project will establish a capacity-building system for urban planning in these secondary cities. Furthermore, to practically address the specific challenges of each secondary city, the project will conduct practical training for administrative officials and other relevant personnel in designated pilot cities. This training will incorporate themes tailored to on-the-ground needs, such as Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), smart cities, and urban data management. Through these initiatives, the project will build a framework for the continuous development of human resources capable of formulating and implementing urban plans in secondary cities. This contributes to mitigating overconcentration in the capital and realizing sustainable and balanced national development. The project outline is explained below. Project for Capacity Building in Urban Planning and Urbanization - Country (TargetAreas) Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia - ProjectObjective The capacity of officials and experts of MoUI, Regional Urban Planning Institutes, regional urban planning directorate and the target cities to conduct training program on
<b>Smart Cities</b>, Big Returns: How Local Government Can Do More with Less
Local governments face a familiar challenge of needing to balance tight budgets and rate pressures, with rising community expectations for reliable infrastructure and rapid service delivery. In response, forward-thinking councils are turning to smart city technologies to optimise public assets, streamline maintenance, and improve resource allocation. At its core, a "smart city" is not about futuristic gimmicks or technology for its own sake. A smart city integrates connected digital technologies, such as sensors and data networks into physical public infrastructure to be more efficient, sustainable and liveable. By equipping assets like drainage networks, bins, vehicles, buildings, and public lighting with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, councils can gather granular, real-time spatial data. This informs capital works planning, asset life-cycle management, predictive maintenance schedules, and resource allocation, which in turn helps infrastructure work smarter for both residents and businesses. Globally, several European cities have demonstrated the long-term dividends of early smart technology investments. Over a decade ago, Barcelona City Council deployed a comprehensive network of IoT sensors, including dynamic smart streetlighting, real-time soil moisture sensors in public parks, and fill-level sensors in municipal waste containers. Through these initiatives, they achieved a 25% decrease in park water use, saving approximately €425,000 annually, and a 30% reduction in energy use across their lighting network. Equally, Zurich has been ranked number one on the International Institute for Management Development’s Smart City Index for seven consecutive years. A pioneer in smart city innovation, Zurich has deployed dynamic streetlighting to reduce energy consumption, integrated public transport systems onto a single cohesive digital platform, and used real-time sensor data to improve traffic flow, waste management, and public services. Closer to home, local councils in Victoria are also leading the way in smart city innovation. At the City of Stonnington, their smart city journey began in 2020 with
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<b>Smart</b> Waste Infrastructure Retrofitting for <b>Sustainable</b> and Resilient <b>Cities</b>
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Who Will Build & Finance India's <b>Cities</b> of Tomorrow? | Viksit Bharat 2047 Conclave Ep. 5
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Why eVTOLs Need a Whole New Kind of Airport
The air taxi revolution has a problem, and it's not the aircraft. Joby Aviation has flown from JFK to Manhattan in seven minutes. Archer Aviation has been named the official eVTOL provider for Belgrade's Expo 2027. FAA type certification is in the final stretch. The machines, against all odds, are nearly ready. The ground, however, is not. For electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to operate as commercial air taxis, they need somewhere to land, charge, and take off again—repeatedly, safely, and at scale. They need a new kind of airport. The industry calls them vertiports, and building them is turning out to be harder, more expensive, and more politically fraught than building the aircraft themselves. 🏚 Vertiports cost between $1M (basic retrofit) and $15M (flagship hub) ⚡ Fast-charging infrastructure is essential — aircraft need rapid turnaround 📢 Noise regulations remain a major hurdle despite eVTOLs being quieter than helicopters 💰 Funding models unclear — cities, operators, and developers all pointing at each other ✈ Joby flew JFK to Manhattan in 7 minutes; Archer signed for Belgrade Expo 2027 📋 Aircraft certification is ahead of infrastructure readiness in almost every market What Is a Vertiport, and Why Can't We Just Use Heliports? The simplest explanation: a vertiport is a heliport with a power outlet. But that dramatically understates the engineering challenge. Joby's prototype charging system is designed to deliver megawatt-class power. For context, a typical fast-charging station for electric cars delivers around 350 kilowatts. eVTOL charging requires three to four times that power, and a busy vertiport might need several chargers operating simultaneously. That means new power lines, upgraded transformers, and potentially on-site energy storage to buffer peak demand. Worse, there's no standardization yet. Joby's charging system is proprietary. Archer and Beta Technologies have started working on interoperability, but the
Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa: SIDSSA 2026
Remarks by Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2026 (SIDSSA), Ministerial panel discussion: Reimagining municipal trading services – building financially sustainable cities through infrastructure investment, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town 25 August 2026 Programme Director, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Distinguished government leaders from South Africa and across the world, Representatives of Infrastructure South Africa, Mayors and municipal leaders, International development partners, Investors and development finance institutions, Industry leaders, Infrastructure experts, Organised business and labour, Professional bodies, Civil society, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen. Good day. It is a privilege to participate in this important discussion at SIDSSA 2026, particularly in the presence of government leaders, investors, infrastructure specialists and industry partners from South Africa and beyond. The diversity of this audience is important because the challenge before us cannot be addressed by government alone. The infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing our cities and municipalities require government, businesses, investors, development finance institutions, technical experts, and communities to work together around a common objective: building infrastructure that enables sustainable economic growth and improves the lives of our people. Our discussion on reimagining municipal trading services and building financially sustainable cities through infrastructure investment speaks directly to that challenge. It calls on us to look beyond the traditional understanding of municipal water, electricity, sanitation, waste management and related services as simply functions that municipalities must perform. We must understand these services as economic foundations upon which our cities and towns are built. When municipal services are consistently reliable, businesses can operate with greater certainty, industries can expand, investors can make long-term decisions and communities can participate more meaningfully in the economy. When municipal services are unreliable, the consequences extend far beyond the municipal balance sheet. They affect investment decisions, business confidence, productivity, employment, property values and the
Industry Leaders Call for Cooling Security to Become a National Priority as India Accelerates ...
Grundfos-led roundtable at ISHRAE CoOL Conclave 3.0 identifies district cooling as a strategic enabler of energy security, sustainable urbanization, and net-zero growth COIMBATORE, India, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As India experiences unprecedented urban growth, rising temperatures, and increasing demand for cooling, industry leaders, policymakers, urban planners, utilities, developers, academics, and sustainability experts convened at ISHRAE CoOL Conclave 3.0 in Coimbatore to discuss one critical question: how can India secure its cooling future while continuing its path towards sustainable growth and Viksit Bharat 2047? The answer that emerged repeatedly throughout the discussion was clear: district cooling must play a significantly larger role in India's future urban infrastructure strategy. The roundtable, hosted and moderated by Grundfos, brought together stakeholders from across the cooling ecosystem under the theme 'Accelerating Net Zero Cities of the Future: The Role of District Cooling in India'. Participants agreed that cooling can no longer be viewed simply as a building-level technology choice. It must be recognized as essential infrastructure that underpins economic productivity, public health, urban resilience, and long-term energy security. India's cooling demand is growing rapidly, driven by economic development, urbanisation, increasing living standards, and the expansion of new cities and industrial corridors. Participants noted that cooling demand is expected to continue rising for decades, creating significant pressure on electricity infrastructure and peak power requirements. While India has made remarkable progress in expanding renewable energy capacity, particularly solar power, the discussion highlighted the growing challenge of meeting cooling demand during evening and nighttime periods when solar generation is unavailable. A recurring theme throughout the roundtable was that energy security and cooling security are becoming inseparable national priorities. Participants emphasized that securing reliable, affordable, and sustainable cooling for homes, businesses, campuses, hospitals, commercial developments, and future cities will be essential to sustaining India's growth ambitions. The conversation
New Jersey seeks 150 MW of behind-the-meter storage to support VPP | Utility Dive
Dive Brief: - Eligible customers of Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, Public Service Electric & Gas and Rockland Electric could receive up to $200/kW per year over a 10-year term to dispatch energy stored in small-scale batteries during periods of grid stress under a procurement proposed last week by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. - The proposal targets up to 150 MW of behind-the-meter energy storage capacity that can reliably discharge during dispatch events called by the four electric distribution companies, which will administer capacity enrolled in their service territories. The BPU will host a virtual stakeholder meeting on Sept. 3 to solicit feedback. - The procurement is the first capacity block of the second phase of the Garden State Energy Storage Program, a statutory framework that requires New Jersey to deploy 2 GW of bulk and distributed energy storage capacity by 2030. The BPU is halfway to meeting that goal after procuring a combined 1 GW of transmission-connected storage in the program’s two-block first phase earlier this year. Dive Insight: In a statement, BPU President Ben Hertz-Shargel tied the Aug. 17 proposal to an executive order signed by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill shortly after taking office on Jan. 20. It directed the BPU to issue solicitations for new solar and storage capacity and to begin developing a virtual power plant program open to third-party energy suppliers. “The Garden State Energy Storage Program advances Governor Sherrill’s Executive Order No. 2 by growing energy storage deployments in-state to meet growing energy demand while improving affordability and resilience,” Hertz-Shargel said. Residential and small commercial batteries would be eligible to participate in a temporary, technology-neutral VPP program that will begin next year and run for two years before transitioning into a market-based, open-access VPP tariff in 2029, the