Global Water-Based Alkyd Coatings Market has witnessed significant growth owing to rising environmental regulations, sustainability, and low-VOC coating solutions. To this end, we propose a hybrid coat solution that combines features of traditional alkyd resins as well as aqueous formulations, making them particularly attractive in architectural, industrial, automotive and maritime applications. Because of the rising demand for environmentally friendly products, leading top coatings companies have been spending extensively on R&D to build efficiency features such as drying time, corrosion protection and gloss & adhesion. As per SNS Insider, the demand for Water-Based Alkyd Coatings Market was valued at USD 4.42 Billion in 2025 and it is estimated to reach USD 7.41 Billion by the end of 2035, with a CAGR of 5.34% between during period (2026–2035). Key Market Drivers Supporting Growth Stringent Environmental Regulations and VOC Reduction Policies Water-based alkyd coatings are expected to witness the highest growth due to the increase in strict environmental regulations. Other states or regions have set limits on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions from solvent-based coatings. It has led to a movement away from the use of solvent-based products, in favor of water-based coatings. EU sustainable requirements such as REACH and other EPA necessities are among the factors driving forward the use of green coating technologies. Rising Infrastructure and Construction Activities High demand for architectural coatings due to urbanization processes and construction activities undertaken in many cities. Water-based alkyds have been successful owing to their good coalescing property, economical and environmental protection. Rise in smart city and housing projects increases the demand for such solutions. Leading Key Players in the Water-Based Alkyd Coatings Market Akzo Nobel N.V. Akzo Nobel operates as one of the leading companies in the production of paints and coatings with a primary emphasis on sustainable, high performing coating. Apart from
Apr 24, 2026 · via snsinsider.com
BENGALURU: A Japanese construction technology firm and an Indian Institute of Science-backed data platform have joined forces in a bid to unlock one of urban planning's most persistent blind spots: the vast troves of construction data that go dark the moment a building project closes. ONESTRUCTION Inc., a Tottori-based specialist in open-standard built environment data, and DataKaveri Systems, the commercial arm of IISc Bengaluru's Centre of Data for Public Good (CDPG) signed an MoU to integrate construction data into AI-ready urban data exchanges across Indian and Japanese cities. The signing took place on the sidelines of the inaugural Japan-India AI Strategic Dialogue â a bilateral initiative to advance cooperation in AI and data infrastructure. Under the agreement, the two organisations will work to connect ONESTRUCTION's openBIM platform â built around IFC, the internationally recognised open data standard for construction information â with DataKaveri's Intelligent Universal Data Exchange (IUDX), a platform already live across 55 smart cities in India covering urban mobility, utilities, environment and public services. The ambition is to make construction data such as floor plans, utility layouts, and asset histories, flow securely into city-scale AI applications and digital twins, rather than being lost or locked within individual project silos once construction ends. Lucas Haywood, VP of Global Strategy at ONESTRUCTION, said the collaboration pointed toward a future where standardised building data could be useful "in the context of everything else that describes a city." Ashok Krishnan, VP of Commercial Business and Revenue at CDPG and DataKaveri, described the construction industry as sitting on "a goldmine of data" that rarely travels beyond the boundaries of individual projects. The two firms said they would jointly explore AI use-cases drawing on combined construction and urban datasets, and pursue bilateral funding opportunities. Both said they hoped the model could be replicated internationally.
Apr 24, 2026 · via timesofindia.indiatimes.com
As cities across Australia continue to grapple with rising demand, tighter development constraints and increasing pressure to deliver more liveable urban environments, artificial intelligence is rapidly emerging as one of the most disruptive forces in the built environment. Yet according to smart cities expert and architect Matthias Hollwich, Founder and Principal of HWKN Architecture, many in real estate are still underestimating just how fundamentally AI is reshaping the way cities are imagined, designed and delivered. Working at the intersection of architecture, technology and culture, Matthias brings a perspective that blends design thinking with commercial awareness, an increasingly important combination as development decisions become more data-driven and less intuition-led. He says AI is not simply an incremental tool, but a structural shift comparable to major architectural movements of the past. AI as a generational shift in design thinking For Matthias, the impact of AI extends well beyond efficiency or workflow improvements. It is already reshaping how architects think about creativity itself. “I believe that AI is one of the most radical changes that is happening in the world for decades, and I sometimes refer to it that we are now at the same time when modernism really emerged within the world, with Bauhaus for example, in Germany, because it touches everything, right? “It touches the way how we search, the way how we research, and also how we design, and it’s a very interesting kind process and a very interesting future we’re getting into, and AI has so many different potentials.” Specifically for real estate professionals, he says the shift is significant. AI is no longer confined to optimisation tools, it is influencing how ideas are formed at the earliest stages of feasibility and design. Recognising this change will influence how agents position, pitch, and sell developments. From intuition to data-led
Apr 24, 2026 · via eliteagent.com
GS Construction Partners with Vietnam’s FPT Corporation on Data Centers and Smart Cities On the 22nd, GS Construction CEO Yoonhong Heo (fifth from the left) and Nguyen Van Khoa, CEO of FPT Corporation (sixth from the left), along with executives, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and took a commemorative photo. GS Construction View original imageGS Construction is expanding into future businesses such as data centers and smart cities, in line with Vietnam’s national digital transformation (DX) strategy. On April 24, GS Construction announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FPT Corporation, Vietnam’s largest private IT company, for the development of data centers and the construction of smart cities. The two companies will collaborate on developing large-scale data centers in key regions of Vietnam, starting with an initial project of several tens of megawatts (MW) and expanding in phases. In particular, they plan to build high-efficiency data centers using advanced technologies and modular construction methods to respond to the growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud services. They will also cooperate in smart city development. The companies aim to build digital infrastructure across cities, including intelligent transportation systems, smart energy management, and integrated public safety platforms, and to enhance urban operational efficiency through AI and Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions. GS Construction will be responsible for the development and execution of data center and smart city projects and will provide design and construction capabilities for building AI infrastructure. FPT Corporation will focus on technology collaboration, such as cloud services and digital platforms, while also supporting the creation of local demand and cooperation with government and municipal authorities. Meanwhile, on the previous day, GS Construction also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for comprehensive financial service cooperation with the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam
Apr 24, 2026 · via asiae.co.kr
HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2026-- Global technology corporation FPT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GS Engineering & Construction Corporation (GS E&C) to strengthen collaboration in AI-ready data center infrastructure and smart city development in Vietnam, supporting the country’s digital infrastructure ambitions and sustainable urban development. The event took place during the Viet Nam-South Korea Business Forum in Hanoi, held during the official visit of South Korean President H.E. Lee Jae Myung to Vietnam. kAm%9:D AC6DD C6=62D6 762EFC6D >F=E:>65:2] ':6H E96 7F== C6=62D6 96C6i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]3FD:?6DDH:C6]4@>^?6HD^9@>6^a_ae_cab``hbe`^6?^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm9EEADi^^HHH]3FD:?6DDH:C6]4@>^?6HD^9@>6^a_ae_cab``hbe`^6?^k^2mk^Am kAm%96 |@& 6I492?86 H2D H:E?6DD65 3J >:?:DE6CD 2?5 D6?:@C 8@G6C?>6?E C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 7C@> ':6E?2> 2?5 $@FE9 z@C62]k^Am kAm&?56C E96 28C66>6?E[ u!% 2?5 v$ tU2>Ajr H:== 25G2?46 E96 56G6=@A>6?E @7 =2C86\D42=6 52E2 46?E6C AC@;64ED :? ':6E?2>] %96 724:=:E:6D 2C6 56D:8?65 E@ >66E 9JA6CD42=6[ 4@=@42E:@?[ 2?5 6?E6CAC:D6 56>2?5[ H:E9 2 DEC@?8 7@4FD @? D42=23:=:EJ[ 6?6C8J 677:4:6?4J[ 2?5 25G2?465 4@@=:?8 E649?@=@8:6D]k^Am kAm%96 4@==23@C2E:@? H:== 2=D@ 6IE6?5 E@ D>2CE 4:EJ 56G6=@A>6?E 24C@DD 5:8:E2= :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ :?E6==:86?E EC2?DA@CE2E:@?[ D>2CE 6?6C8J >2?286>6?E[ AF3=:4 D276EJ[ 2?5 FC32? D6CG:46D] %9C@F89 E96 :?E68C2E:@? @7 px\6?23=65 2?5 x@%\32D65 D@=FE:@?D[ 3@E9 D:56D 2:> E@ 3F:=5 >@C6 677:4:6?E[ C6D:=:6?E[ 2?5 =:G23=6 FC32? 6?G:C@?>6?ED]k^Am kAmqJ 4@>3:?:?8 v$ tU2>Ajr’D DEC6?8E9D :? 6?8:?66C:?8[ 4@?DECF4E:@?[ 56D:8?[ 2?5 =2C86\D42=6 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 56=:G6CJ H:E9 u!%’D 42A23:=:E:6D :? 4=@F5 D6CG:46D[ 5:8:E2= A=2E7@C>D[ :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ 2?5 =@42= 64@DJDE6> 6?8286>6?E[ E9:D A2CE?6CD9:A :D 6IA64E65 E@ DFAA@CE C:D:?8 56>2?5 7@C 4=@F5 D6CG:46D[ 9:89\A6C7@C>2?46 4@>AFE:?8[ 2?5 px H@C<=@25D :? ':6E?2>]k^Am kAm“%96 A2CE?6CD9:A 36EH66? u!% 2?5 v$ tU2>Ajr C67=64ED E96 8C@H:?8 DEC2E68:4 2=:8?>6?E 36EH66? ':6E?2> 2?5 $@FE9 z@C62[ 8C@F?565 :? E96 EH@ 4@F?EC:6D’ 4@>AC696?D:G6 DEC2E68:4 A2CE?6CD9:A :? E649?@=@8J 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 56G6=@A>6?E] (:E9 @FC px\7:CDE DEC2E68J 2?5 px\2F8>6?E65 H@C<7@C46[ u!% :D 4@>>:EE65 E@ 4@?EC:3FE:?8 @FC E649?@=@8J 42A23:=:E:6D E@ DEC6?8E96? =@?8\E6C> 5:8:E2= 42A24:EJ[ 25G2?46 E649?@=@8J EC2?D76C[ 2?5 566A6? 4C@DD\3@C56C 4@@A6C2E:@? 36EH66? E96 EH@ >2C<6ED[” D2:5 w2 |:?9 %F2?[ r9:67 tI64FE:G6 ~77:46C @7
Apr 24, 2026 · via joplinglobe.com
Nagpur: In a sweeping administrative overhaul marking the end of the Centre-backed Smart City Mission, the Maharashtra govt has ordered dismantling of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) across eight cities, including Nagpur, transferring all powers to municipal commissioners and effectively signalling the closure of the decade-long urban flagship programme. In a govt resolution issued on April 21, the urban development dept directed that chairpersons and board members of Smart City SPVs be relieved of their duties immediately. The respective municipal commissioners will also assume the role of chief executive officers (CEOs) of the SPVs. The decision impacts key urban centres, including Nagpur, Pune, Nashik, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Solapur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. In Nagpur, for instance, the powers held by MMRDA commissioner Sanjay Mukherjee as SPV chairman have been handed over to municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar. The move comes in the backdrop of the Smart City Mission's official timeline ending, with no further financial support expected from the Centre. Despite an extended deadline to complete projects by Dec 2025, the state acknowledged that the mission period has lapsed, necessitating a transition framework for governance, assets and personnel. In a parallel directive, the govt has ordered immediate transfer of all Smart City assets to the respective municipal corporations. Civic bodies have been asked to submit a compliance report by April 30. Crucially, all contractual staff working under Smart City SPVs will be relieved, with their responsibilities redistributed among existing municipal staff â a move that could trigger concerns over job losses and administrative burden on already stretched civic systems. The GR also mandates that, once asset transfers are completed, the SPV companies â incorporated under the Companies Act specifically for the mission â must be formally wounded up by their CEOs. The state govt has asserted its overriding authority over SPVs, reiterating that
Apr 23, 2026 · via timesofindia.indiatimes.com
A panel discussion on Monday, April 27 will mark the launch of “Smart as a City: The Politics of Test-Bed Urbanism,” a new book by Burcu Baykurt, assistant professor of communication. The event, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on the third floor of the Integrative Learning Center Hub, will explore so-called “smart city” initiatives and their broader implications for technology, governance and urban life. The event is open to all. Those interested in attending may RSVP online. Baykurt will be joined in conversation by anthropologist Sareeta Amrute of The New School for Social Research and UMass faculty members Jonathan Corpus Ong, professor of global digital media, and Timothy Pachirat, professor of political science. “Smart as a City” (University of California Press, May 2026) examines how “smart city” initiatives, which integrate digital technologies into infrastructure and public services, are implemented and experienced at the local level. Drawing on ethnographic research in Kansas City, Missouri, Baykurt follows civic entrepreneurs, residents and city officials during the rollout of a citywide gigabit internet service and various municipal pilot projects. The book argues that “smartness” is not simply a technological upgrade, but a contested process shaped by local needs and inequalities. Baykurt writes that aligning civic concerns with emerging technologies is often difficult and produces mixed results, with data-driven systems sometimes reinforcing—rather than solving—existing disparities. “Baykurt’s ethnography crackles with insight, exposing how flashy ‘innovation’ and hollow promises of reinvention often sideline community wisdom and the real sources of urban inequity,” says Ruha Benjamin, the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of African American studies at Princeton University. “This book is a stirring reminder that lasting justice requires valuing the people who understand their cities from the ground up.” The event is hosted by the Research and Intellectual Life Committee in the Department of Communication and supported the
Apr 23, 2026 · via umass.edu
Brussels, 22 April 2026 At a webinar organised by the EU Commission 19 March 2026, participants discussed how to improve interoperability, build trust in AI tools, reduce administrative burdens, and help farmers and innovators benefit from more accurate, sector-specific solutions. The 1st part of the 5th Apply AI webinar showcased the potential of Artificial Inteligence (AI) in Europe’s agri-food sector. Representatives from Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) discussed how AI can enhance sustainability, efficiency, and competitiveness in agriculture and tackle challenges that hinder the adoption of AI-based solutions across the EU. AI already supports precision farming, automation, and reduced administrative burdens, uptake of digital technologies in the EU is slower than in other parts of the world. Factors such as a lack of trust, lock-in effects, cost-effectiveness, and interoperability issues often discourage farmers and start-ups from using new technologies. Besides, innovative solutions frequently do not reach or sustain on the market. To address these issues, the Commission has launched a number of measures. Two initiatives particularly foster AI adoption: a marketplace for AI-based agri-food solutions and capacity building for agriculture-specific foundation models. A Digital Marketplace for Smart Farming The proposed AI marketplace will act as a central hub where farmers, advisers, and agri-food businesses can discover and compare AI-enabled tools. By providing independent reviews and a search engine interoperability standards, the AI Marketplace aims to facilitate seamless switching between vendors, building trust and a level playing field for applications. The marketplace will make it easier for innovators and startups to bring their solutions to the market, boosting healthy competition and innovation. Strengthening Data Foundations High-quality agricultural data is key to reliable AI – yet access across Europe remains fragmented. The Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS)
Apr 23, 2026 · via ieu-monitoring.com
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Apr 23, 2026 · via youtube.com
photo: The Holland Times With the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13) set to take place in Baku from 17-22 May 2026, Azerbaijan is preparing to present its urban transformation journey on a global stage. The country’s cities embody a unique continuity-linking ancient settlement traditions with the rapid modernization of the industrial era and an emerging vision of smart, sustainable urban development. As one of the world’s key platforms for dialogue on urban futures, WUF13 will highlight issues such as resilience, housing, and sustainable growth-challenges increasingly shared across regions, including Europe and the Netherlands, The Caspian Post reports via foreign media. A Deep Urban Legacy: From Rock Art to Medieval Cities Azerbaijan’s urban story begins thousands of years ago, rooted in some of the earliest traces of human civilization. The archaeological landscape of Gobustan preserves prehistoric rock engravings that document early human life, creativity, and settlement patterns. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Gobustan illustrates the depth of Azerbaijan’s cultural foundations and its long-standing relationship between people and landscape. The medieval period further shaped the country’s urban identity. The historic core of Icherisheher (Old City) of Baku,enclosed within fortified walls, stands as one of the most significant heritage ensembles in the region. Monuments such as Maiden Tower and the Palace of the Shirvanshahs reflect a synthesis of architectural traditions shaped by centuries of trade, cultural exchange, and political continuity. Cities such as Shamakhi, Ganja, Shaki, and Shusha developed sophisticated urban systems centered around caravanserais, marketplaces, mosques, and bathhouses. These cities were not only commercial hubs but also early examples of human-centered planning, featuring neighbourhood structures, water systems, and integrated public spaces. The mountain settlement of Lahij is notable for its preserved urban fabric and early engineering solutions, including advanced water and sanitation systems dating back more than a millennium. This
Apr 23, 2026 · via caspianpost.com
Dive Brief: - Forty-four percent of U.S. residents live in a county that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution, and 33 million live in counties with failing grades for ozone and short-term and long-term particle pollution (also known as smog), the American Lung Association’s 27th annual State of the Air report found. - The report examines data centers as “a newer, rapidly-growing contributor” to air pollution, noting that “communities located near large data center clusters often experience higher localized pollution burdens than regional averages, particularly when facilities are sited in already overburdened or economically disadvantaged areas.” - Bangor, Maine, was the only city to make the cleanest cities list for all three pollution sources measured in the report. “This is a change from historic reports, which had multiple cities on that list,” said Diana Van Vleet, director of nationwide clean air advocacy for ALA. She called this “another grim indication of the deterioration of air quality nationwide.” Dive Insight: The State of the Air report, released Wednesday, grades counties’ air quality based on data from 2022 through 2024. “While we have seen significant progress in cleaning up the air over the past 50-plus years, 152 million people across the country are still living in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution,” Van Vleet said. “No city and no place is immune from air pollution.” Extreme heat, drought and wildfires are exposing more people to ozone, particularly in southwestern states from California to Texas and most of the Midwest, the report states. The number of people living in counties with ground-level ozone pollution has increased by nearly 4 million since last year’s report. Los Angeles is the city most polluted by ozone, followed by Visalia and Bakersfield in California, Phoenix and Fresno, California,
Apr 23, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Dive Brief: - Expansion of state-supported intercity bus routes, new and expanded bus stations and a significant Greyhound investment in new motor coaches paint a bright picture for travelers, experts said Wednesday during a webinar hosted by DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development. - Higher gasoline prices and air fares may also increase intercity bus ridership this year, Chaddick Institute Director Joseph Schwieterman said on the webinar. - The institute also found less service expansion on some major routes in the Northeast last year, Schwieterman said, which may have been rightsizing following growth in 2024. Dive Insight: Schwieterman provided a preview of the institute’s upcoming industry newsletter, with a mostly positive outlook for the intercity bus industry. He outlined four key trends for 2026. 1. States continue to expand subsidized intercity bus services. Virginia launched its first cross-state bus route Monday, connecting with four north-south routes that allow riders to reach Union Station in Washington, D.C., where they can continue on Amtrak or other intercity bus lines. Ohio’s GoBus service launched four new routes in March, connecting Toledo to Cincinnati, Columbus and Ashtabula, and Columbus to Pittsburgh. In February, Wisconsin added a La Crosse to Green Bay route to its eight other state-supported services. “States are making the case that there's something new and different with their services, which has been good to see,” Schwieterman said. 2. New, expanded and renovated bus terminals improve travel for riders. Boston’s South Station bus terminal increased bus docks by 60% last year, and work has begun on the Midtown Bus Terminal in New York City. FlixBus and Greyhound opened a new station in Northwest Dallas last year, and Cleveland got a new bus station, built by Barons Bus, a family-owned charter and intercity bus company, in February. The city of Chicago is
Apr 23, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
For councils and utilities across Australia and New Zealand, street lighting is no longer just a basic public service. It is one of the most visible assets in the urban environment, one that citizens notice instantly and that operators manage every day. More importantly, it is often the most practical starting point for broader digital transformation: a way to improve efficiency, reduce pressure on budgets, strengthen resilience, and create a smarter foundation for future public infrastructure. Who Is Flashnet? Flashnet is a global technology provider focused on smart street lighting, smart cities, and intelligent utility management. For over two decades, the company has helped cities around the world turn traditional lighting networks into intelligent, connected systems that deliver measurable value. What defines Flashnet is not just technical depth, but a clear philosophy: cities deserve solutions that are open, interoperable, and built for long‑term evolution. Innovation is not pursued for its own sake, but to solve real operational challenges: reducing costs, improving sustainability, and making public services more responsive. With extensive international experience and a strong record of large‑scale deployments, Flashnet brings proven capability to the Australian and New Zealand, backed by lessons learned across diverse regulatory, climatic, and urban environments. Introducing inteliLIGHT®: City‑Centric Smart Street Lighting At the core of Flashnet’s portfolio is inteliLIGHT®, a city‑centric smart street lighting platform designed to help municipalities and utilities gain full control of their lighting assets while future‑proofing their infrastructure. inteliLIGHT® transforms streetlights into smart, data‑driven assets. Through a scalable software platform, cities can monitor, control, and optimize their entire lighting network in real time, whether managing thousands of luminaires or hundreds of thousands. The system is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing infrastructure, enabling gradual rollouts and flexible expansion without disruption – infrastructure that can support better decisions today and wider smart
Apr 22, 2026 · via insite.ipwea.org
| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... | While San Mateo County presents itself as a climate leader, the real test is implementation. How “Green” is San Mateo County really? Climate change is a real threat, especially for coastal communities, and San Mateo County is particularly exposed because it faces risks along both the Bay and Pacific shorelines. That should make local climate action a priority. Earth Day is a good moment to ask whether San Mateo Democrats and county leaders are acting like climate warriors, or just talking like them. “Climate Warriors” versus “Climate Deniers” The two extremes on the climate action front are the Climate Warriors and the Climate Deniers. In between, there is plenty of space for a whole zoo of climate categories. | Category | Primary Stance | Common Criticism | | Climate Warriors | “Emergency action is required now.“ | Accused of being “alarmist” or “unrealistic.” | | Conspicuous Conservationists | This is all about displaying green virtue. Without this, Tesla would have never survived. | Bill Gates owning a ‘Carbon Capture’ company while also leading emission charts would be a great example of how this doesn’t work. | | Delayers | “We should act, but now is never a good time.” | Punting goals to 2030, 2050, or 2100. Missing the window for prevention. | | Climate Coward | “It’s a problem, but it’s China’s and India’s fault.“ | Avoiding personal/national agency. Too convenient or too fearful to take action and make simple changes. | | Climate Doomer | “We’re already finished.“ | Encouraging paralysis. | | Luke-Warmer | “Earth’s climate has always been changing.” | Pretending not to understand the difference between 100 and 10,000 years of evolution. | | Denier | It’s not happening / It’s a hoax. Rejection of scientific consensus
Apr 22, 2026 · via rwcpulse.com
Medellín and Kyiv advance international partnership to drive public innovation By Ruta N -Through this alliance, Medellín strengthens its international positioning. The Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Medellín (C4IR Medellín) and the Global Government Technology Centre Kyiv (GGTC Kyiv) of Ukraine, both part of the World Economic Forum network, are moving forward with a partnership focused on knowledge exchange and joint work. Since the agreement was signed in 2025, two strategic meetings have been held with the participation of Ruta N’s Smart Cities team. The first focused on methodologies to address urban challenges, marking the start of joint implementation. The second delved into digital government platforms and citizen services, where Medellín presented Ciudadano 360, an integrated public management model, while Kyiv showcased Diia, its internationally recognized digital services platform. For Kateryna Frolova, Director of GGTC Kyiv, the process goes beyond technical exchange. “This is about strengthening a global community of public innovators who are solving real urban challenges under different, yet equally complex, conditions. Kyiv and Medellín demonstrate that innovation in the public sector achieves greater impact when it responds to concrete needs, is validated in real environments, and is built through cross-sector collaboration,” she said. She also highlighted that the connection between the GovTech Lab approach and FutuMed, the District’s first Special Treatment Zone, creates a bridge between ecosystems that enables experimentation to be transformed into scalable public value. These advances are integrated into the city’s strategy through FutuMed, where public challenges are turned into solutions through collaboration among academia, industry, and government. With four hubs under development and more than ten projects underway, this ecosystem is driving urban transformation based on science, technology, and innovation. For her part, Ruta N’s CEO, Carolina Londoño, emphasized that the process is centered on people. “The transformation of a city stems
Apr 22, 2026 · via rutanmedellin.org
Dive Brief: - Houston is expanding its multifamily recycling pilot program in an effort to bring more reliable recycling services to a growing part of the city’s population. - The project, first launched in September, is testing several collection and education methods in a range of apartment buildings. It’s funded by a grant from The Recycling Partnership and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. - Around 1,334 units are already enrolled, and the city’s Solid Waste Management Department plans to add services for 500 more units this month. By the end of the pilot in late 2026, about 3,000 units across 12 properties are expected to have recycling services, according to The Recycling Partnership. Dive Insight: Houston’s multifamily housing population is growing, but recycling resources for them are not, according to Houston officials and environmental groups. About 1 million Houston residents — about half the city’s population — now live in apartments or other multifamily units, according to Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas. That number is expected to hit 1.6 million by 2040, he wrote in a recent blog post. The Recycling Partnership estimates that 20% of multifamily households in Texas have recycling access, and in Houston, that’s limited to just a “handful of properties.” Houston SWMD estimates about 15% of the city’s waste comes from such units. Looming landfill capacity issues are also at play, Houston SWMD officials noted during a March 31 update to City Council. The nearby McCarty landfill is expected to reach capacity in the next nine years, prompting the city to do more to increase recycling efforts as it also plans to shift waste to other facilities, officials said in their presentation. City Council member Abbie Kamin spearheaded the multifamily recycling initiative, which was established in a 2021 budget amendment. Grant support from
Apr 22, 2026 · via wastedive.com
Recent policy developments have added new momentum to the Northern Metropolis development. The 2026–27 Budget, heavily aligned with the 2025 Policy Address, and the move to formulate a five-year development blueprint aligned with the national 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30) underscore the growing strategic importance of the Northern Metropolis as a core platform for innovation and technology (I&T) development as well as integration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Indeed, among the many exciting projects in which Hong Kong is currently involved, the Northern Metropolis is undoubtedly the one with the highest potential. It is more than a planning blueprint; it is Hong Kong staking its future on a bold vision of spatial renewal, economic transformation, and regional integration. The budget reaffirmed the priority given to this massive project: It is, in effect, intended as a new engine of growth and a bridge to the Greater Bay Area. What was promised is ambitious; what is required to fulfill it is structural courage, institutional reform, and disciplined execution. Recent events have also underscored why long-term planning, which will be embodied in the city’s first five-year plan, and institutional capacity matter so deeply for projects of this scale. The deadly Tai Po fire last November was a sobering reminder that urban development must go hand in hand with safety, governance, and accountability. The response that followed, including swift emergency action, public communication and the launch of independent review mechanisms, demonstrated Hong Kong’s ability to confront challenges openly and systematically. These same attributes will be essential to the success of the Northern Metropolis, where speed must be balanced with quality, innovation with responsibility, and ambition with public confidence. A city capable of learning from adversity is also one capable of executing transformative projects with confidence and credibility. The 2026–27 Budget has added definite
Apr 22, 2026 · via chinadailyasia.com
Abstract Urban infrastructure network is the core supporting part of the public management system, which includes key subsystems such as transportation, energy, water supply and drainage, and communication. The stability of its operation is directly related to the normal operation of urban functions and public safety. At present, the traditional anomaly detection (AD) methods have some problems, such as insufficient processing ability of multi-source heterogeneous data, poor adaptability to complex scenarios, and lagging real-time response, which make it difficult to meet the higher requirements of new smart cities for infrastructure network security management and control. In view of this situation, this paper gives a framework for AD of urban infrastructure networks based on multi-modal in-depth learning, namely MM-ADF, which integrates multi-modal information such as sensor time series data, device appearance images, running audio and network logs, with the help of cross-modal feature fusion, spatio-temporal correlation modeling and network logs. Accurate identification and real-time early warning of equipment failure, data leakage, abnormal performance and other issues. The experimental results show that the detection accuracy of the framework reaches 94. 7%, the false detection rate is reduced to 3. 2%, and the average response time is shortened to 280 ms on the real urban infrastructure data set, which is much better than traditional single-mode detection method, and effectively enhances the robustness of the urban public management system against interference and strengthens its emergency response resilience. It provides a practical technical scheme for the safety management and control of new smart city infrastructure. Similar content being viewed by others Data availability The experimental data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request. References Gao, Z. et al. Utilizing angle-based outlier detection method with sliding window mechanism to identify real-time crash risk. J. Transp. Saf. Secur.
Apr 22, 2026 · via nature.com
The Metropolitan Civic Leadership Alliance, a coalition of nine business-led civic organizations representing major cities, sent letters yesterday to members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works outlining eight priorities for the next surface transportation legislation. “Consistent, predictable investment in urban transportation is essential to economic growth,” Kathy Hollinger, CEO of the Greater Washington Partnership, said in an emailed statement to Smart Cities Dive. The Alliance said their communities “benefitted greatly” from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and “have a vested interest in continuing to participate in reauthorization discussions.” These are the coalition’s priorities: - Leverage transportation investment to spur economic growth by funding multimodal transportation projects, including roads, bridges, and transit and rail fleets. - Reduce regulatory delays and costs due to time-consuming permitting and approval processes. - Improve intercity and commuter rail with ongoing federal support. Key projects include the Hudson Tunnel project along the Northeast Corridor, Washington Union Station expansion and Caltrain’s downtown San Francisco extension, along with continued funding for the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program. - Maintain safe, high-performing public transit systems through the federal Capital Investment Grants program and by empowering cities and metropolitan regions to develop locally informed responses to specific urban mobility challenges. - Develop innovative programs to address growing urban congestion, such as HOV lanes, tolling, transit, passenger rail and multi-use trail networks. - Promote transit-oriented development by reducing red tape for financing and project deployment and tapping into federal programs to unlock private investment. - Invest in urban multimodal freight networks, including rail, port, water, bridge, road, highway, and aviation infrastructure critical to 21st-century trade. - Continue to strengthen support for major aviation hubs by expanding access to the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation
Apr 22, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
Vietnam, South Korea sign deals on tech, nuclear power Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts. HANOI - Vietnam’s top leader To Lam hosted South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Hanoi on April 22, announcing a dozen cooperative agreements including on tech innovation and development of nuclear power plants. South Korea is Vietnam’s biggest source of foreign investment and one of its top trading partners, with two-way trade topping US$90 billion (S$114 billion) in 2025. Mr Lee’s visit showed “high political trust” between the two countries, Mr Lam said during the meeting at the presidential palace. “Vietnam welcomes South Korean companies to make new investments and expand existing projects, with a focus on the development of infrastructure, smart cities, semiconductors, AI data centres, nuclear power (and) smart seaports,” the Vietnamese leader said. It was the second meeting in less than a year between the two Asian leaders, following Mr Lam’s visit to Seoul in August 2025. After the agreements inked on April 22, Mr Lee said that geopolitical uncertainty was at “unprecedented heights”. He added that they hoped “the people, businesses and governments of both countries will build on the quantitative achievements we have forged together”. Cooperation for development Hanoi wants more South Korean investments in infrastructure, advanced electronics manufacturing, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and renewable energy. Among the agreements signed on April 22 was a framework for a Vietnam-South Korea “master plan on cooperation in science, technology and innovation”. Other agreements dealt with digital cooperation, intellectual property, and the development of nuclear power plants. Mr Lam, who became President this month in addition to Communist Party boss, is pushing a “new growth model” that prioritises digital and technological innovation as Vietnam aims to escape
Apr 22, 2026 · via straitstimes.com