Just a few decades ago, slowing global population growth was an international policy priority. Nowadays, pundits and decision-makers are fretting about the fact that people are having smaller families – a development that, in the past, would have been heralded as welcome progress. But which side is right? — July 11 marks World Population Day, a day singing a light “on the urgency and importance of population issues,” and established by the United Nations in 1989. Back then, it was widely understood that sustained human population growth has the potential to outstrip available resources, cause ecological devastation, exacerbate poverty, and trigger social unrest and armed conflict. Yet today, World Population Day largely goes unmarked, even by the UN. Baby Bust Panic Reflects Infinite Growth Delusions The dominant population narrative now revolves around declining fertility rates (the number of births per woman), and the supposed threats these present to our economies. Little attention is given to the alarming fact that we are still adding roughly 70 million people (equivalent to the entire population of the United Kingdom) to the world every year, and are on course for a peak of more than 10 billion in the 2080s. While population aging – and, in some countries, decline – certainly brings new socioeconomic challenges, these are manageable with available social policy measures. More problematic is the fact that global fertility decline is not happening fast enough. At our current population size of 8.3 billion, all environmental health indicators are already in the red. We are facing catastrophic climate change and a sixth mass extinction, and are using natural resources almost twice as fast as the Earth can regenerate them. Every few years, we breach more planetary boundaries and have already transgressed seven of nine. Scientists agree that we are moving ever closer to
Jul 11, 2026 · via earth.org
Cities Japan’s mixed-generation living experiment finds success; Lucerne’s train station goes underground; a Tel Aviv-based start-up helps US city leaders hear what residents are saying. Protect your elders Japan — housing While the consequences of ageing populations are felt in many parts of the world, Japan has particularly struggled. But the country has also pioneered some creative solutions. Kozoji New Town in the city of Kasugai offers a brilliant example. Like many similar developments across the country, Kozoji New Town was built by Japan Housing Corporation in the 1960s at the dawn of Japan’s economic boom. The 710-hectare plot of land was designed as a smart urban project with houses, danchi (social-housing blocks), shopping centres and sports facilities, to accommodate about 80,000 residents. Fast-forward to 2014 and the development’s population had decreased. And those remaining had aged: 28 per cent of those still in the danchi and houses were over the age of 65, with many feeling isolated and lonely. The solution? “Building a mixed community,” says Tomohiko Itokawa, the danchi manager at Urban Renaissance Agency (formerly Japan Housing Corporation). It joined forces with Kasugai City and by chance the nearby Chubu University was also exploring ways to connect its students with the community. “So, we decided to collaborate by accommodating students in our danchi.” Today, students who live in the danchi contribute to the community by participating in disaster drills and street clean-ups with the elderly residents. The students receive a 20-per-cent discount on their rent and the feedback from seniors has been uplifting. “Interacting with younger people has made them more positive and outgoing,” says Itokawa. “Also, annual events like summer festivals tend to be discontinued in a community with no vitality but here students participate too.” It goes to show how cross-generational co-operation can make a big
Jul 10, 2026 · via monocle.com
Türkiye and Russia pledged to deepen cooperation on urban development, sustainable infrastructure and climate initiatives during talks Friday in Moscow. Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum met Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, who oversees construction and regional development, as well as Housing and Utilities Minister Irek Faizullin, at the Russian government headquarters. "Our goal is to fully combine Türkiye's vast experience in urban transformation and post-disaster reconstruction with Russia's strong technical expertise to jointly build the smart, safe, people-centered cities of tomorrow based on an 'infrastructure for life' vision," said Kurum. He added that cooperation between the two countries on urban renewal, energy-efficient buildings, digital city management and green infrastructure could serve as "an inspiration not only for our region but for the entire world." The minister said relations between Türkiye and Russia extend beyond those of neighboring countries, describing the partnership as a multidimensional relationship spanning energy, trade, tourism and urban development. He urged closer collaboration ahead of the UN climate summit COP31, which Türkiye is set to host in Antalya later this year. "As the COP31 president, we believe it is time to move from words to action," said Kurum, adding that Türkiye values Russia's support in achieving concrete outcomes at the summit. Khusnullin welcomed the visit ahead of COP31, saying the conference would mark an important step in advancing the international agenda on sustainable urban development and infrastructure. "In recent years, Türkiye has significantly increased its engagement on the global climate agenda and has become one of the most active participants in international dialogue on climate issues," Khusnullin added.
Jul 10, 2026 · via anews.com.tr
From Cradle to Silver: Are Cities Designing for Wellbeing at Every Stage of Life? Wellbeing in city is shaped not only by access to services, but by how care is woven into the fabric of everyday life. As populations age and social needs become more complex, cities are moving beyond isolated systems toward more connected approaches that link health, social services, housing, and community networks. This shift places greater emphasis on prevention, inclusion, and proximity, ensuring support is accessible across all stages of life. From child-friendly environments to age-inclusive strategies, the focus is on creating conditions that enable independence, connection, and dignity, while strengthening the social and economic foundations that underpin long-term urban wellbeing. Stage: Cities X PeopleWellbeing in city is shaped not only by access to services, but by how care is woven into the fabric of everyday life. As populations age and social needs become more complex, cities are moving beyond isolated systems toward more connected approaches that link health, social services, housing, and community networks. This shift places greater emphasis on prevention, inclusion, and proximity, ensuring support is accessible across all stages of life. From child-friendly environments to age-inclusive strategies, the focus is on creating conditions that enable independence, connection, and dignity, while strengthening the social and economic foundations that underpin long-term urban wellbeing. Parent Session - Caring Cities Tuesday 03, 15:05h - 15:50h | Stage: Cities X People All Passes
Jul 10, 2026 · via smartcityexpo.com
What Does It Really Take to Connect the City of the Future?
Reliable, high-capacity connectivity is now a critical foundation for smarter urban services, real-time data use, and more connected public infrastructure. This roundtable discusses where cities stand in the deployment of IoT, specifically 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and smart networks, while considering the coverage, integration, and performance challenges that still need to be addressed to create digital infrastructure that is resilient, dependable, and prepared for future demands.
Stage: AI X CitiesReliable, high-capacity connectivity is now a critical foundation for smarter urban services, real-time data use, and more connected public infrastructure. This roundtable discusses where cities stand in the deployment of IoT, specifically 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and smart networks, while considering the coverage, integration, and performance challenges that still need to be addressed to create digital infrastructure that is resilient, dependable, and prepared for future demands.
Parent Session
- Urban Connectivity & IOT Tuesday 03, 14:05h - 14:50h | Stage: AI X Cities All Passes
Jul 10, 2026 · via smartcityexpo.com
Fit for the Future: How Smart Platforms Are Transforming the Built Environment Digital tools are fundamentally changing how cities conceive, deliver, and operate the built environment. What was once a fragmented process is evolving into a more connected, intelligent, and data-driven ecosystem, where design, construction, and operations are increasingly linked across the full lifecycle. This session examines how technologies such as BIM, digital twins, advanced simulation, and automation are transforming the way urban assets are planned, delivered, and managed, opening new possibilities for efficiency, coordination, and performance. In doing so, it reflects on how buildtech is contributing to a more sustainable, resilient, and future-ready urban environment. Stage: Impact TechDigital tools are fundamentally changing how cities conceive, deliver, and operate the built environment. What was once a fragmented process is evolving into a more connected, intelligent, and data-driven ecosystem, where design, construction, and operations are increasingly linked across the full lifecycle. This session examines how technologies such as BIM, digital twins, advanced simulation, and automation are transforming the way urban assets are planned, delivered, and managed, opening new possibilities for efficiency, coordination, and performance. In doing so, it reflects on how buildtech is contributing to a more sustainable, resilient, and future-ready urban environment. Parent Session - Buildtech Tuesday 03, 14:05h - 14:50h | Stage: Impact Tech All Passes
Jul 10, 2026 · via smartcityexpo.com
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is testing an innovative waste management technology that uses Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae to transform organic waste into high-protein animal feed and organic fertiliser. The trials offer what scientists believe could become a practical solution to the country’s growing urban waste crisis while creating new economic opportunities. The pilot project, launched recently in Babati, Manyara Region, by the National Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), seeks to demonstrate how organic waste can be diverted from landfills and converted into valuable commercial products. Although the trial is being conducted in Babati, experts say its greatest potential lies in rapidly expanding cities such as Dar es Salaam, where municipal authorities face mounting challenges in managing ever-growing volumes of waste. As Tanzania’s urban population continues to increase, waste generation has risen sharply. Dar es Salaam alone produces an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 tonnes of solid waste every day, according to figures from the city council and urban development studies. Between 55 and 65 percent of that waste consists of biodegradable material from households, food markets, hotels and restaurants. Much of this organic waste ends up at disposal sites such as Pugu Kinyamwezi or is dumped into drains, rivers and open spaces. Besides creating unpleasant odours, it contributes to blocked drainage systems, flooding during the rainy season, greenhouse gas emissions and growing public health concerns. Scientists say Black Soldier Fly technology directly addresses this waste stream by using larvae that rapidly consume decomposing organic material. Within a matter of days, the larvae can reduce the volume of waste by as much as 70 percent while producing commercially valuable by-products. Unlike common houseflies, adult Black Soldier Flies do not feed on human food and are not regarded as vectors of disease. Their larvae, however, consume large quantities of organic waste
Jul 10, 2026 · via thecitizen.co.tz
MUSCAT: Oman’s ambitious pipeline of smart cities and urban development projects is expected to create demand for around 6.7 gigawatts (GW) of additional power generation capacity over the long term, requiring major expansion and modernisation of the Sultanate of Oman’s electricity transmission infrastructure, according to Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC). The majority state-owned grid operator said it is laying the foundation to integrate a portfolio of strategic urban developments — currently at various stages of planning and implementation and backed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning — into its long-term grid development plans. “OETC plays a vital role in integrating these smart cities into a reliable, efficient and future-ready power grid”, the company stated in its 5-Year Annual Transmission Capability Strategy 2026-2030. The integration plans will focus on strengthening transmission networks to accommodate renewable energy sources, including solar and wind projects, enabling decentralised power generation, developing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and enhancing grid capacity through new transmission lines and reactive power compensation systems. OETC said the planned developments will require a new generation of smart grid solutions capable of supporting growing electricity demand while maintaining reliability and efficiency. Among the largest contributors to future electricity demand is the Greater Muscat Structure Plan, which is expected to require more than 5 GW of power capacity by 2040. The ambitious urban framework aims to transform the capital region into a smart, resilient metropolis supported by renewable energy integration, artificial intelligence-enabled urban services and advanced transport networks. The Sultan Haitham City, Oman’s first fully integrated smart city development, is projected to require around 105 MW by 2040. The project is being developed around principles of sustainability, including net-zero buildings, digital infrastructure, green spaces and electric mobility solutions. Other major urban plans identified by OETC include: •Greater Salalah Structure Plan —
Jul 10, 2026 · via omanobserver.om
3D concrete printing is revolutionizing the entire construction industry globally because it provides a means through which the construction process can be done faster, sustainably, and in a highly automated manner. With governments and private investors looking for ways to reduce construction costs to solve issues related to housing deficits and infrastructure development, 3D concrete printing stands out as a disruptive innovation that will help in making the construction process faster, minimize waste, and increase design possibilities. As per SNS Insider, the 3D Concrete Printing Market has been valued at USD 0.73 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 36.34 billion by 2035, at a phenomenal CAGR of 47.81% from 2026 to 2035. The driving factors that propel the growth of the market include increasing demand for sustainable construction, advances in robot printing technology, increasing adoption of smart cities, and increased investment in automated building technology. The deployment of about 12,000 3D concrete printing units in 2025 further supports the fact that the adoption of this new technology in the construction sector is gaining pace at an incredible rate. One of the most prominent trends in the market includes the adoption of artificial intelligence and automation, advanced construction software, and eco-friendly concrete material into large-scale printers. Major Key Companies 1. Apis Cor Inc. Apis Cor is known as one of the frontrunners when it comes to 3D printing technology for concrete in a mobile setting. Apis Cor has developed an array of robotics construction systems which are able to print whole buildings using little labor force. The innovations by Apis Cor have found their application in various projects related to residential housing, commercial complexes, and infrastructural development, thus proving the viability of the automated construction processes to reduce costs and speed up project realization. 2. COBOD International A/S
Jul 10, 2026 · via snsinsider.com
Dive Brief: - The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $1.73 billion in grants under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development program. Awards went to 127 projects across all states and the District of Columbia. - More than three-quarters of grants, or $1.3 billion, went to road and bridge projects. Public transit projects received $169.9 million, less than 10% of total grants. - Funding for the grants included $1.5 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, along with recently canceled or withdrawn Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grants and congressional appropriations. Dive Insight: The DOT received nearly 1,200 eligible applications requesting over $14.5 billion in total funding, it said in a news release. Applications closed Feb. 24. Awarded highway projects include: - Brook Park, Ohio: $25 million to modernize access at the Interstate 71 interchange, reconstruct regional and local connectors, and integrate high-capacity transit and pedestrian infrastructure. - Norman County, Minnesota: $24 million to replace up to three bridges over the Red River of the North linking North Dakota and Minnesota. - North Dakota Department of Transportation: $24 million to install new pavement and install 10 miles of high-tension cable guardrails along Interstate 94. Awarded transit projects include: - Dallas Area Rapid Transit: $25 million to improve accessibility at eight train stations on two DART light rail lines. - Rhode Island Public Transit Authority: $25 million to construct an intermodal transit center in downtown Providence, adjacent to Amtrak’s station. The project will include accessible bus operation infrastructure, accommodations for micromobility users, and an indoor passenger concourse with ticketing, customer service, security, real-time transit information and other amenities. - Virginia Passenger Rail Authority: $25 million to complete the final design and construction of an overnight storage and servicing rail yard to support existing and future passenger rail
Jul 10, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Dive Brief: - Tens of thousands of California state government workers are heading back to the office this week as a mandate from Gov. Gavin Newsom requiring agencies to make four in-office days the default takes effect. - The policy could expose the inadequacy of the state’s office space to accommodate workers, say consultants and others who’ve analyzed workers’ changing views over what constitutes a productive work environment. “Employees need space to focus, space to collaborate, and space to connect but most offices manage one, maybe two,” says Adam Morgan, co-founder of furniture and design company Bureau. - The state’s mandate has drawn pushback from local unions and other groups that say the requirement will hurt recruitment and retention while increasing costs. Dive Insight: Newsom’s return-to-office order took effect July 1. It requires California state agencies that still offer hybrid arrangements to make four in-office days the default, increasing from the two-day office schedules that many employees in the state have been operating on, according to reports. The state employs more than 224,000 full-time workers, according to a release by the governor’s office. The mandate will impact approximately 109,000 of those workers, the Sacramento Bee reported. When he issued his executive order last year, Newsom said workers spending more time in the office will help improve accountability, collaboration and innovation, but that claim has never been fully supported, according to a 2025 California State Auditor report. The report found that the governor’s office had not gathered key data on job performance, service delivery, office needs or costs. The report says California could save as much as $225 million annually if employees worked in the office only two days a week by allowing the state to shrink its office footprint by 30%. State policy requiring dedicated workstates for employees who are
Jul 10, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Scan Scam: Criminals Redirect China’s Public QR Codes to Porn China’s QR codes — a hallmark of daily life in the country — are increasingly being hacked by criminals, redirecting users to pornographic and other illegal websites, according to an investigation published July 7 by state broadcaster CCTV. Beijing’s municipal government introduced public QR codes in the capital in 2016 as part of “smart city management,” touting it as a way to collect feedback to help cities run more efficiently. Streetlights, bus stops, and mailboxes were gradually affixed with QR, or quick-response, codes so citizens could access facility information or submit repair requests by scanning them with their smartphones. The rest of the country soon followed. CCTV’s report described an incident in March in which an online user reported scanning a QR code on the windshield of a public park’s shuttle bus in the eastern city of Suzhou, only to be redirected to a pornographic website. Park management told the reporter that the vehicle’s QR code had been hijacked after becoming invalid. Similarly, in February, a Beijing resident shared screenshots revealing that a QR code on a street pole that they had reportedly scanned redirected to porn. CCTV found that the domain, registered through the capital’s official internet content provider (ICP) licensing system — mandatory for Chinese website registration — had expired on Feb. 27. Social media users reported that the code redirected to a pornographic website shortly after that date. When the reporter called the ICP license holder — seemingly a technology company — to investigate, staff hung up, and subsequent calls were ignored. Upon visiting two physical addresses registered to the business, the reporter found an abandoned industrial space and an apparently unrelated office. Unable to reach the company, CCTV filed a complaint through China’s 12345 citizen service
Jul 9, 2026 · via sixthtone.com
The Wichita City Council on Tuesday approved spending nearly $10 million on developing a direct potable reuse program and constructing a small-scale water purification plant to treat wastewater to drinking water standards. It would provide proof of concept that could be used to educate the public and inform regulators and elected officials to build support for a full-scale reuse facility. “This is going to be a proving ground,” Gary Janzen, director of Wichita Public Works and Utilities, said Tuesday. “It’s going to be a trial. It’s going to be a great place for regulators to see how this process is working.” Besides perfecting the complicated treatment process, the pilot project aims to get the water-consuming public to lower their guard to the idea of drinking treated sewer water. “When people talk about toilet to tap, I always say it’s not toilet to tap, it’s toilet to treatment to treatment to treatment to treatment to tap,” council member Becky Tuttle said. “So it’s being treated more than our water supply.” The city initially approved a $1.1 million contract with CDM Smith in May 2025 to develop a water reuse master plan. It expanded that contract Tuesday — adding an estimated $7 million to build and operate the small-scale plant. The council approved issuing revenue bonds up to $9.9 million for the project, which would purify about 70,000 gallons of water a day. Revenue bonds would be paid off by water and sewer user fees. The pilot project will not put any water into the city’s distribution system, Janzen said. Instead, it will go back into the wastewater treatment plant. The new treatment process is needed to combat future droughts and support expanding industries in the Wichita area, Janzen said Tuesday. “It’s an expensive endeavor,” Janzen said. “The technology, the implementation of
Jul 9, 2026 · via governing.com
Estonia’s Digital Affairs Minister: Switzerland never had a ‘burning need’ to go digital Estonia has become a global model for digital government. Minister Liisa Pakosta says Switzerland already has everything it needs to follow a similar path – except the sense of urgency that drove Estonia’s transformation. Estonia is widely regarded as one of the world’s most advanced digital societies, promoting itself with the slogan “0% bureaucracy and 100% digital services”. Citizens can vote, sign legal documents, access healthcare records and even divorce online using a national digital identity. Switzerland, by contrast, is still grappling with fragmented digital public services. The rollout of the electronic patient record has been slow and uneven across the country. Swiss voters rejected the country’s first national electronic identity (e-ID) in a referendum in 2021, largely due to privacy concerns and the role of private companies, before narrowly approving a fully state-run eID in 2025. How did the Baltic nation of just 1.3 million people become a global model for digital government? And what trade-offs come with building a state increasingly powered by artificial intelligence (AI)? According to Estonia’s Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa Pakosta, the answer lies more in history than in technology. “Switzerland is a very wealthy country,” she tells Swissinfo on the sidelines of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva. “The only obstacle you have is that you haven’t had the burning need for change.” After regaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Estonia faced a deep economic crisis. Inflation surged and public resources were scarce. “We started not even from zero, but from a deep minus,” Pakosta says. “We had to find the cheapest, most effective and quickest way of governance,” she recalls. “When you are looking for the least expensive and most efficient way
Jul 9, 2026 · via swissinfo.ch
Figures Abstract The construction of smart cities has entered a new stage of industrial development in light of the industrial revolution. The aim is to create digital twin cities that integrate the dual systems of physical and digital bodies. The drainage system of a city forms the foundation and core of its digital twin, hence the need for a construction and simulation study proposed in this research. The study is based on the five-dimensional model of the digital twin. First, the research aims to develop a five-dimensional digital twin model that incorporates twin data and connections, building upon a three-dimensional model to improve its applicability. Second, the research looks to create a digital twin drainage system model using a lightweight framework, employing a dynamic scheduling algorithm and model-view-controller to facilitate intelligent scheduling of the drainage system and enable real-time data collection and transmission. The experimental outcomes indicate that in normal conditions, the overflow loss of the mathematical twin drainage system was 30m3/s, 34m3/s, and 25m3/s under the conventional fixed-priority scheduling algorithm and dynamic scheduling digital twin drainage system algorithm, respectively. Due to the ratio of the improved overflow loss to the pre improved overflow loss being called the improvement ratio, the improvement ratios generated by the mathematical twin drainage system in different situations were 48.67%, 48.1%, and 48.57%, respectively, which significantly enhanced the performance and durability of the urban drainage system. The model effectively transforms and enhances the current urban drainage system by increasing the efficiency of scheduling pumping station clusters. It also offers valuable reference for the implementation of digital twin concept and technology. Citation: Zhao Y, Yang M (2026) Modelling and simulation of smart city drainage system based on digital twin five-dimensional models. PLoS One 21(7): e0352787. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0352787 Editor: Erman Ülker, Izmir Katip Celebi University: Izmir Katip Celebi
Jul 9, 2026 · via journals.plos.org
Every summer, India's cities face a growing challenge. Heatwaves are becoming longer, more frequent and more intense. Temperatures crossing 45°C are no longer unusual, while dense urban neighbourhoods often feel even hotter because of the urban heat island effect where concrete, asphalt and built structures absorb and retain heat throughout the day. Against this backdrop, Bhopal has emerged as an unlikely pioneer. On World Environment Day 2026, the Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL), in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Smart Surfaces Coalition (SSC), released what is being described as the first citywide assessment in India of how urban surfaces can be redesigned to reduce temperatures at scale. According to the study, widespread adoption of “smart surfaces” could lower peak summer temperatures in parts of Bhopal by as much as 2.8°C and reduce citywide temperatures by up to 3°C. The findings are significant because they challenge the assumption that air conditioning is the primary solution to urban heat. Instead, the study argues that the very surfaces that make up cities like roofs, roads, pavements, trees, open spaces and solar installations, can be transformed into a powerful cooling system. The report, titled Bhopal Citywide Smart Surfaces for Cost-Effective Cooling and Resilience, was supported by the MacArthur Foundation and developed using advanced satellite data, urban morphology analysis and temperature modelling. According to the project partners, it is the first effort in India to quantify the cooling benefits of smart surfaces at a citywide scale. The science behind urban heat is well established. Most urban surfaces have low reflectivity, meaning they absorb rather than reflect solar radiation. Dark roofs, asphalt roads and concrete structures store heat during the day and release it slowly at night. The Bhopal study found that the city's average albedo, or surface reflectivity,
Jul 9, 2026 · via indiawaterportal.org
Abstract The rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) deployments has made smart device discovery difficult in heterogeneous environments where devices differ in type, location, operational status, metadata structure, and communication interface. Conventional IoT search approaches often rely on keyword matching, static indexing, or predefined metadata fields, which limit their ability to interpret user intent in Web of Things (WoT) environments. This paper presents an intent-based WoT query framework for smart device discovery. The framework converts natural-language queries into structured search constraints by extracting device type, operational status, and geographic location. The prototype uses Flask, TextBlob for lightweight preprocessing and tokenization, Google Maps Geocoding API, and Apache Solr, with modular components for user interaction, robust intent extraction, geospatial resolution, query construction, retrieval, and multi-factor ranking. The evaluation was extended using a 380-query intent-robustness benchmark, a 10,000-record enriched WoT-like metadata corpus with controlled noise conditions, multi-factor ranking ablation, stronger lexical and semantic baselines, and external standards-backed validation on combined W3C Thing Description 1.1-style and OGC SensorThings-style metadata. Results show overall intent-extraction accuracy of 0.968, normalized noisy-metadata retrieval F1 of 0.978, NDCG@10 of 0.950 for full multi-factor ranking versus 0.446 for timestamp-only sorting, and clear superiority over keyword, BM25, fuzzy lexical, and TF-IDF baselines. External validation reached query success rate 0.946 and NDCG@10 0.905 on 55 labelled queries over a reproducible standards-backed corpus. Remaining limitations include spelling-error sensitivity, synthetic data constraints, the modest size of the external standards corpus, and the need to integrate the full ranking module into the live Flask/Solr interface. Similar content being viewed by others Funding The authors would like to thank the Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, for supporting this work under Grant No. KFU263603. Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding authors Ethics declarations Competing
Jul 9, 2026 · via nature.com
Smart City Solar Platform Solutions A Versatile ESG-Compliant Infrastructure Platform SUGARLAND, TX, UNITED STATES, July 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The term Smart Cities has been around for the better part of the last two decades. The concept of a smart city is desirable, but the implementation of it has been significantly more difficult. First, what is a Smart City? Jon Polly, Chief Solutions Officer with ProTecht Solutions Partners, a security technology consulting firm with a history in the Smart Cities space, defines a Smart City as this: âA Smart City is an ecosystem of interconnected technologies and unified planning across city stakeholders and public-private partnerships, championed at the highest levels, to increase the livability of the city.â At the heart of almost every smart city initiative are requirements around lighting, connectivity, and sustainability. Unfortunately, until recently, these were rarely complementary to each other.Introducing the Iluminar PowerStack modular pole. Iluminar Inc. (www.iluminarinc.com), a leader in infrared and white light illuminator manufacturing, in partnership with PowerStack, has released a U.S.-manufactured modular vertical solar pole built specifically for the demands of modern physical security. The Iluminar PowerStack consists of vandal-resistant glassless solar panels and is rated to withstand temperature extremes and up to Category 5 hurricane winds, and comes with a factory 10-year warranty. The Iluminar PowerStack modular pole is more than just a solar pole. It is an entirely off-grid vertically integrated energy platform. What does that mean? As a vertically integrated energy platform, the pole allows for the ability to mix and match technologies for up to 120W continuous power with five (5) days of no-sun battery backup using long-life batteries. Since it is off-grid, the Iluminar PowerStack is designed to be installed quickly with zero concrete or conduit work. Unlike other solar poles, the innovative square design of the Iluminar
Jul 9, 2026 · via einpresswire.com
The City as a Living System: Navigating the Era of Agentic AI AI is moving beyond generating insights or supporting decisions, executing tasks, and interacting with complex environments with increasing autonomy. This session inquiries into what that shift means in practice, examining examples of how agentic AI systems are already being deployed across real-world settings and what their growing capabilities could mean for cities, institutions, and urban services. From autonomous systems, algorithms, LLMs, VLMs, to emerging forms of machine reasoning, the conversation will consider both the opportunities and the implications of AI that does not only assist but increasingly acts. Stage: AI X CitiesAI is moving beyond generating insights or supporting decisions, executing tasks, and interacting with complex environments with increasing autonomy. This session inquiries into what that shift means in practice, examining examples of how agentic AI systems are already being deployed across real-world settings and what their growing capabilities could mean for cities, institutions, and urban services. From autonomous systems, algorithms, LLMs, VLMs, to emerging forms of machine reasoning, the conversation will consider both the opportunities and the implications of AI that does not only assist but increasingly acts. Parent Session - Agentic AI Tuesday 03, 10:15h - 11:50h | Stage: AI X Cities All Passes
Jul 9, 2026 · via smartcityexpo.com
Cities as Living Laboratories: The Smart City Projects of Amsterdam, Singapore, and Barcelona
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Jul 9, 2026 · via archdaily.com