Webinar: How 5G in smart cities accelerates innovation

The latest webinar from SmartCitiesWorld and Cloudera takes an in-depth look at how 5G is accelerating urban innovation, and the role of data analysis as part of that acceleration.

Kyoto: the Japanese start-up community powering the future of smart cities (Part 2)

This webinar explores Keihanna Science City - one of the most successful start-up hubs, hosting more than 150 research facilities and incubating fledging companies

Urban Exchange Episode 4: Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami

Cities on the  Frontlines: LIVE from cop26 advancing net-zero and resilience

Preview: Lauren Sorkin, executive director at Resilient Cities Network, will be joined by Mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, for reflections live from Cop26 and a discussion around advancing urban resilience.

Podcast: Enhancing city operations through 5G, AI and data management

In the latest SmartCitiesWorld podcast, sponsored by Cloudera and IBM Storage, senior editor Luke Antoniou hosts Anthony Behan, managing director for communications, media and entertainment at Cloudera, to talk 5G, data, connectivity, and what innovation in this space means for telcos and their customers in cities.

Smart Cities Reports

Podcasts

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 9 - Susan Aitken, Glasgow City Leader - Progress at COP27 and climate finance

Preview: The latest episode of the Urban Exchange Podcast sees Lauren Sorkin, Resilient Cities Network, chat with Susan Aitken, Glasgow City Leader to talk COP27 and climate finance.

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 8 - Making cities green, resilient and inclusive in a changing climate

Preview: The latest episode of the Urban Exchange brings together the principal authors of the World Bank’s latest extensive report on urban climate to discuss the 10 key findings.

Opinions

City of Ottawa: Driving the future of mobility and smart citiesSponsored by Accenture

We hear from Sonya Shorey at Invest Ottawa as she discusses the innovation, its impact on the community and global markets, and the importance of the ecosystem approach.

Reviving smart cities with edge computing and 5G

How can edge computing and 5G help cities rebuild post Covid? Two executives from Wipro explain how.

Home | Editor's Blog

Editor's Blog

Our editor, gives his take on how smart cities are evolving. If you would like to receive these direct to your inbox as part of our weekly newsletter, make sure you sign up as a member (free!).

Moving with the times

Editor's Blog16 Jul 2021

Members and regular visitors to our site won’t need to be told that SmartCitiesWorld has undergone a major redesign. Much like the cities and the technology featured on the site, we recognise that we ourselves must also evolve and react to changing times.

22 - 26 June 2026: Find out more

Latest City Profile

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Dublin

Smart Cities Reports

Find out how Dublin is innovating to improve experiences and services for its communities in the latest SmartCitiesWorld City Profile, including digital twin projects, traffic reduction, and economic growth.

Latest Trend Report

Trend Report 2025: Planning and operating thriving cities – innovation for smarter urban living

Trend Series

Download our latest report to uncover how artificial intelligence is being used to support cities in how they plan and operate city services to ensure they are vibrant, sustainable and economically thriving modern spaces.

Latest Webinar

Panel Discussion (20 Jan): Digital twins and AI as the intelligent operating layer for cities

Webinars

Join us for insights from real-world case studies on the use of digital twins and AI as the present and future of urban management.

Latest Podcast

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 32 – Flood and energy resilience in Quezon City

Urban Exchange Podcast

Tune in for the latest Urban Exchange where we get a first-hand account of city resilience measures from Quezon City following unexpected extreme rainfall.

Latest Urban Exchange Podcast

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 32 – Flood and energy resilience in Quezon City

Urban Exchange Podcast

Tune in for the latest Urban Exchange where we get a first-hand account of city resilience measures from Quezon City following unexpected extreme rainfall.

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What is ‘Smart City’ and why do we need them?

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SmartCitiesWorld Newsletters (Daily/Weekly)

Our editorial newsletter pulls together our latest news items into one email, direct to your inbox. We also feature our latest city interviews, Special Reports and Guest Opinions.

Oil leaks

Editor's Blog21 May 2021

Michael Lewis, the forensic chronicler of the 2008 financial crash in The Big Short (among many, many other incredible books), made a headspinning comment this week: "There are six times more people over the age of 60 than under the age of 30 working in computer systems."

Making haste with waste

Editor's Blog14 May 2021

What’s important to you where you live? Waste is one area that is overlooked all too often, perhaps understandable given what it literally is, but you quickly realise when your city isn’t getting things right

Bus conductors

Editor's Blog07 May 2021

You wait for stories on electric buses and then two come along at once. This week saw Gothenburg in Sweden and Charlotte in the United States announce plans to electrify their public transport networks.

Who lives in a house like this?

Editor's Blog30 Apr 2021

There’s no place like home. And up until recently there has been no place that has built via a 3D printer. This week Elize Lutz and Harriet Dekkers got a digital key to their two bedroom bungalow in the Beatrix canal in the Eindhoven suburb of Bosrijk.

Soft power

Editor's Blog23 Apr 2021

Momentum is building. Earth Day this week saw world leaders falling over themselves to promise even further cuts to climate emissions in a sign that our leaders are taking this issue seriously.

Reality bites

Editor's Blog16 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

Editor's Blog01 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

Editor's Blog26 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?

Editor's Blog19 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

Editor's Blog05 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

Editor's Blog26 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

Editor's Blog19 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

Editor's Blog12 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

Editor's Blog05 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

Editor's Blog22 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'

Editor's Blog15 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?

Editor's Blog08 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

Editor's Blog23 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.