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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

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.
Holistic approaches necessary to counter lockdown fatigue

Holistic approaches necessary to counter lockdown fatigue

04 Jun 2020
Societies must be rebuilt in a way that safeguards our health and our economy and networks and knowledge sharing will be essential in building in robust structures to defend against future shocks.
Weekly: making the post-apocalyptic more palatable

Weekly: making the post-apocalyptic more palatable

25 May 2020
The opening up of a city to cyclists is one of the best ways to enforce social distancing, increase public health and also change a citizen’s relationship with their city.
Why the Toronto Quayside project is a cautionary tale and a missed opportunity

Why the Toronto Quayside project is a cautionary tale and a missed opportunity

20 May 2020
While dogged by controversy, Toronto could have showcased exactly what a smart city could deliver, something that is important now more than ever.
Getting from A to B and the conferences of the future

Getting from A to B and the conferences of the future

18 May 2020
The pandemic is changing where we go and how we get there and while none of us will mourn congestion, there’s much to miss when it comes to travelling to live events.
Rethinking Christmas, transforming events and a new editor

Rethinking Christmas, transforming events and a new editor

16 May 2020
Smart city technology is already showing how key it is to tackling the challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic and the sector as a whole will be central to rebuilding and recovery.
Data ownership could unleash truly smart cities

Data ownership could unleash truly smart cities

31 Jan 2020
A simple way to control personal data could foster greater trust around smart city initiatives and open up a discussion around what citizens really find valuable – an extension of participatory budgeting, giving people a say in how they ‘spend’ their data.
Who’s going to clear the air on 5G?

Who’s going to clear the air on 5G?

16 Sep 2019
There’s no shortage of hope and hype about the benefits 5G is going to bring but something else is gaining traction too: dissent. Who is going to step up and provide a coherent response?
SURVEY: Smart cities: Are you open?

SURVEY: Smart cities: Are you open?

18 Jun 2019
SmartCitiesWorld’s latest research, in partnership with uCIFI Alliance, focuses on openness and interoperability in smart cities.
How citizen-centric are you?

How citizen-centric are you?

05 Jun 2019
SmartCitiesWorld is running a research survey to understand what cities need in order to better engage citizens in city development and smart city initiatives.
Smart cities: How can We help?

Smart cities: How can We help?

29 Mar 2019
The We Company is expanding into smart cities. Why?
Smart cities and simpler times

Smart cities and simpler times

29 Jan 2019
Sarah Wray gets the January blues with ‘digital by default’ services.
Smart cities in 2018: Tech, transportation and tough conversations

Smart cities in 2018: Tech, transportation and tough conversations

30 Dec 2018
We look back at the top smart cities stories of 2018.
Smart cities: Will they ad up?

Smart cities: Will they ad up?

13 Dec 2018
Advertising in smart cities throws up a lot of questions. Now’s a good time to talk about them.
City data-sharing scales up

City data-sharing scales up

03 Oct 2018
New initiatives around city data-sharing look way beyond open data.
Smart cities: What’s in a name?

Smart cities: What’s in a name?

11 Jul 2018
Is the term ‘smart cities’ helpful, or could it be potentially damaging? What terminology should we use and how much does it matter?
Public-private...pizza?

Public-private...pizza?

12 Jun 2018
The new Paving for Pizza pothole-fixing campaign from Domino’s certainly wasn’t one we were expecting. Are such deals a refreshing approach to ongoing infrastructure issues or a cause for concern?
Smart cities: Mind the gaps

Smart cities: Mind the gaps

06 Jun 2018
Recent research on technology and smart cities has highlighted a number of divides – such as a potential gap in how the tech industry and consumers view smart cities, and a disconnect between how citizens think about technology for individual use versus its impact for society as a whole.
Urban Whack-a-Mole

Urban Whack-a-Mole

23 May 2018
Rather than viewing cities as a series of Whack-a-Mole problems to be solved, we should think about how we want to live.
Blockchain: Hurry up and wait

Blockchain: Hurry up and wait

09 May 2018
Despite the huge amount of hype surrounding blockchain, new research from Gartner bursts the bubble somewhat and finds that very, very few organisations are actually implementing the technology yet.
Smart places must go beyond cities

Smart places must go beyond cities

24 Apr 2018
Many towns and smaller cities are down on their luck. Will technology help them get back up or see them falling further behind? Sarah Wray takes a look
Smart cities: Reality check

Smart cities: Reality check

17 Apr 2018
There are some big ideas in smart cities, but are we making enough progress on the fundamentals?
Breaking the data deadlock

Breaking the data deadlock

10 Apr 2018
Cities have been at something of an impasse with their ability to innovate with data. Sarah Wray looks at how those taking action with bold new initiatives are paving the way for everyone to move ahead.
We need to talk about smart cities

We need to talk about smart cities

03 Apr 2018
If we don’t tell the smart city story better, we are set to see a backlash and technology’s benefits may not be realised at all, says SmartCitiesWorld editor, Sarah Wray.
Thanks and cheerio!

Thanks and cheerio!

29 Mar 2018
I’m putting the whole subject of smart cities on the back burner while I go off to play with some matches
A noble future

A noble future

22 Mar 2018
Don’t forget the empowering nature of technology
In praise of Bristol

In praise of Bristol

15 Mar 2018
Bristol – city of stars, no scrub that, city of connectivity
Learning for life

Learning for life

09 Mar 2018
Sunset Boulevard is a study in how technology can leave you behind if you aren’t ready to reskill and diversify
Markers and milestones

Markers and milestones

02 Mar 2018
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be the world’s cheerleader for 5G
Godspots & gargoyles

Godspots & gargoyles

22 Feb 2018
In the UK, the houses of God, from the early Renaissance period onwards, are being roped in to bring broadband connectivity to rural communities.
Building for tomorrow

Building for tomorrow

15 Feb 2018
And here we are, continuing the cycle of reimagining and building for the future
Cars in space, feet on the ground

Cars in space, feet on the ground

08 Feb 2018
A cherry-red Tesla Roadster floating like a tin can, far above the world
All together now

All together now

01 Feb 2018
Are we just going to have new shiny places for shiny people?
Back to basics

Back to basics

25 Jan 2018
Smart parking, isn’t it just a case of botoxing the status quo?
The winds of change

The winds of change

17 Jan 2018
The UK is the windiest country in Europe. It’s been a leader in offshore wind power since 2008, with more installed capacity than any other nation
Dry January and a sober state of mind

Dry January and a sober state of mind

11 Jan 2018
I’m in a sober frame of mind and there’s serious work to be done!
Happy holidays and a prediction!

Happy holidays and a prediction!

22 Dec 2017
It’s the last newsletter of the year
The paradox of being

The paradox of being

14 Dec 2017
In a world of 24/7 comms, it seems people are at record levels of disconnection
Online life

Online life

06 Dec 2017
Online is where we shop, socialise and find love. Increasingly too, information and communications technologies are transforming the public sector
India: white knuckle driving

India: white knuckle driving

29 Nov 2017
Before higher mobility thinking can be implemented, the fundamentals need to be addressed. In Goa the stats speak for themselves.
Barcelona and long term planning

Barcelona and long term planning

24 Nov 2017
The message in Barcelona was, with so many challenging issues facing us, all cities have to work together
Competition and collaboration

Competition and collaboration

26 Oct 2017
The UK’s smart city movement has experienced robust, forward momentum in the last 18 months
Safety by numbers

Safety by numbers

19 Oct 2017
The big question for us all is can technology make our cities safer?
Blade Runner & living the dream

Blade Runner & living the dream

12 Oct 2017
We accept what’s coming – drones, driverless cars, AI, AR, Hyperloop, commercial space travel et al – with a sense of inevitability rather than incredulity
The Silent Generation to Generation Alpha

The Silent Generation to Generation Alpha

06 Oct 2017
Alphas will become the most intensely educated, wealthiest and dynamic generation that human society has yet seen
The trouble with Uber

The trouble with Uber

28 Sep 2017
When Transport for London (TFL) announced that it would not be renewing Uber’s licence earlier this week, there was jubilation from the Black cabs and outrage from users
Low emissions delivery

Low emissions delivery

21 Sep 2017
White van man is going green and here’s how
Life on Mars

Life on Mars

14 Sep 2017
Bioenergy with cabon capture technology (BECCS) is currently touted as a possible climate change superhero
Ode to September

Ode to September

07 Sep 2017
The autumn heralds new opportunities, fresh ideas, exciting projects and meaningful collaborations
Thin crust Capricciosa

Thin crust Capricciosa

31 Aug 2017
Pizza and technology have long been cheesy bedfellows. It started as far back as 1974 when rather than a telephone, a computer was used to order a pizza