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SmartCitiesWorld

Editor's Blog

Graeme, our editor, loves to give his take on how smart cities are evolving. His weekly blog gives a small insight into his thinking on this week's news.

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Featured Stories

Reality bites

Reality bites

16 Apr 2021
Joe Biden has hit the ground running as US president, determined to make up for the somewhat eventful four years of his predecessor in office, rebuild international alliances and, critically, put climate at the heart of his presidency.
The fourth generation of cities

The fourth generation of cities

01 Apr 2021
It’s a strange time. Of course, it has been a strange time for well over a year but optimism surrounding vaccination rates in countries like Israel, the UK and Chile is being sharply tempered by fresh and sudden lockdowns in Europe, vaccine scepticism in some countries and a deadly and passive approach to the virus in Brazil.
(Almost) everything flows

(Almost) everything flows

26 Mar 2021
First off, I would like to apologise to you for being unable to find a smart cities angle on the hapless ship stuck in the Suez Canal. I am sure you all have been as horribly fascinated with the story as I have and I regret being unable to write about it.
Should we still keep it simple?

Should we still keep it simple?

19 Mar 2021
Can simplicity be damaging? This is a question I have been chewing over for most of the week. Many careers, journalism included, reward keeping it simple. It doesn’t mean limited or unambitious - it means engaging and inclusive.
From tiny acorns

From tiny acorns

05 Mar 2021
George Orwell had a point when he once wrote: “The planting of a tree, especially one of the long-living hardwood trees, is a gift which you can make to posterity at almost no cost and with almost no trouble, and if the tree takes root it will far outlive the visible effect of any of your other actions, good or evil.”
Twin town

Twin town

26 Feb 2021
Here in the UK, the phrase "build back better" is an inescapable mantra of the government as it looks to rebuild the economy following a successful vaccination programme (and take attention away from its chaotic handling of the pandemic itself).
Aiming for zero

Aiming for zero

19 Feb 2021
Net-zero climate targets are ambitious and essential. But they can be onerous to some. How best to manage reducing emissions alongside fiscal challenges, generating employment, managing traffic networks and the myriad of daily challenges you face with the uncertainty of Covid-19 thrown into the mix?
Open cities

Open cities

12 Feb 2021
It’s the little things that matter. Consider kerbs. For the majority of us they’re things we ignore (and occasionally trip over). For those with mobility problems they can be obstacles for travelling around a city, at times closing off parts of where they live
Micro-mobility milestones

Micro-mobility milestones

05 Feb 2021
Covid has stopped many of us flying for business and leisure. ‘Think of the positive environmental impact’ is a common refrain in my house. And its true; transport accounts for 16 per cent of greenhouse gases.
Charging ahead

Charging ahead

22 Jan 2021
The five-minute rechargeable battery for an electric car was the story that generated the most excitement at SmartCitiesWorld this week. I would love to charge any manner of household items in five minutes - whether my iPad, vacuum cleaner or Nintendo Switch - let alone a car
Moving past 'the new normal'

Moving past 'the new normal'

15 Jan 2021
What happens when we get back to normal? The heartbreaking news of continued deaths from Covid-19 thanks to botched government policies in some countries, least of all the UK, is being tempered by the increasing speed of rolling out vaccines. One hopes the latter quickly overshadows the former but once it does, the question of ’what next?’ becomes unavoidable.
New year, new hope?

New year, new hope?

08 Jan 2021
Happy new year. I hope the Christmas period gave you the opportunity to relax, help turn your attentions away from the challenges we all face and return to work this year refreshed. The start of 2021 has been bleak, especially for us in the western world.
Taking stock of 2020

Taking stock of 2020

23 Dec 2020
It’s nearly impossible to put this year into context. What I hope for is we take advantage of the opportunity that exists. Covid-19 has made it clear that we need to change our lives.
Cities of dreams

Cities of dreams

16 Oct 2020
Big topics, big challenges and big questions around the future of cities dominated the discussion at SmartCitiesWorld’s inaugural advisory board meeting – and we look forward to addressing them.
It's the economy, stupid

It's the economy, stupid

21 Aug 2020
GDP figures around the world make grim reading and one of the few certainties of the pandemic is economic pain, leaving cities having the difficulty of cutting their cloth accordingly.
Child's play

Child's play

14 Aug 2020
There is a theory that if you design a street for kids, you will have designed a street that works well for everyone so is this the key to smarter and safer cities?
Levelling up

Levelling up

07 Aug 2020
Smart cities need great ideas and great technology behind them but they also need great people, which is why SmartCitiesWorld is launching a new People & Skills section.
My kinda town

My kinda town

02 Aug 2020
Like many US cities, Chicago is facing some tough challenges but it can look to its favourite adopted son as an example of how a single-minded focus can change fortunes for the better. 
A bridge too far?

A bridge too far?

31 Jul 2020
The incremental benefits that smart cities programmes can bring over large-scale vanity infrastructure projects might be more subtle but are ultimately more substantial.
All change

All change

23 Jul 2020
Transport agencies need to move quickly in order to play their role bringing people back to work in the post-Covid19 era. What they need is disruption.
Tunnel vision

Tunnel vision

14 Jul 2020
Why the deftest communication skills will be required to sell the benefits of technology and major smart infrastructure projects to citizens in the future.
Prime Directives

Prime Directives

29 Jun 2020
When it comes to developing and applying new technologies, the guiding principle should always be: just because you can, it doesn’t mean that you should.
Unlocking innovation by solving inequality

Unlocking innovation by solving inequality

23 Jun 2020
Coronavirus is forcing us to reexamine how we live and work. It’s vital to make sure that no part of society is left behind while we recover.
Opening up the workplace

Opening up the workplace

15 Jun 2020
Technology is helping organisations return to work safely but, whichever way you look at it, working in an office may never be the same again.