Webinars

OnDemand COP30 Webinar: Powering the future: energy innovation for people and planet

With speakers from the City of Toronto and CReDO, this session examines how cities are creating energy systems that are both innovative and people-centred. It highlights how digital tools, IoT-enabled efficiency platforms, and AI optimisation are driving progress, alongside community-focused initiatives that ensure inclusivity in the transition.

OnDemand Webinar: How edge AI is transforming city operations and services

Join Barcelona and Kyiv for this webinar as we look at how edge AI applications are coming to cities and supporting positive outcomes across mobility, lighting, and safety.

Special Reports

A clean and efficient future: energy in focus at Cities Climate Action Summit 2024

Discover how this year’s Cities Climate Action Summit puts the spotlight on the switch to clean and renewable energy, and the importance of energy-efficiency.

SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024: experience ‘Tokyo 2050’ todaySponsored by The SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024 Showcase Program Executive Committee

Discover innovative concepts to solve urban issues through SusHi Tech Tokyo’s programme focused on leveraging diverse ideas, digital know-how and cutting-edge technologies.

Smart Cities Reports

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Dublin

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.

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile 2024 – City of Madrid

Discover how the city of Madrid is innovating to become a smarter, more sustainable city that’s able to deliver improved services to residents and visitors alike.

Podcasts

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

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.

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 31 – Resilient Sydney: 33 local governments, one resilience strategy

Join us for a journey of collaboration on the Urban Exchange Podcast, where we discover how Resilient Sydney is aligning more than 30 local councils on a single resilience plan.

Opinions

Building smarter cities: scaling sustainability and efficiency with smart city platformsSponsored by ST Engineering

ST Engineering’s Richard Ng explains how integrated smart city platforms can support cities in becoming more sustainable and efficient at the scale that is right for them.

Cities Climate Action Summit 2024 – meet the exhibitor: Latitudo 40

Latitudo 40 sits at the convergence of satellite imagery analysis and AI and will demonstrate the vital role satellite data has to play in helping cities tackle the challenges of climate change.

Home | Smart Cities News

Smart Cities News

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 11 – Gareth Morgan, Cape Town – Mainstreaming and institutionalising urban resilience

Urban Exchange Podcast08 Jun 2023

Gareth Morgan, executive director of future planning and resilience for the City of Cape Town, joins the Urban Exchange to talk about his efforts to put resilience front and centre of all aspects of the city’s work.

Glasgow raises £1m for solar energy projects

Solar power26 Jan 2026

Investors were able to pledge as little as £5 to the scheme which will be used by the sustainability team for solar energy projects on city council buildings.

Plan outlines how Sacramento could adapt to extreme weather

Climate action22 Jan 2026

SacAdapt is a joint effort between the City and SRTD to prepare roads, bicycle facilities, sidewalks, bus stops and light rail infrastructure for climate impacts.

UKPN aims to accelerate implementation of low-carbon tech

Climate action21 Jan 2026

The EcoVar device helps maximise the use of the existing electricity network, enabling more homes to adopt clean technologies like EVs and solar panels.

Boston to build first hotel under new Net Zero Carbon Zoning

Climate action19 Jan 2026

One of five projects to be approved under the initiative, the building will improve the public realm with landscaping, street trees and pedestrian connections.

Cambridge begins construction of £6.1m solar park

Solar power19 Jan 2026

Project will see the installation of a one-megawatt solar system paired with a battery to power electric bin lorries and other council vehicles in the UK city.

Microsoft pledges community-first AI infrastructure approach

AI and Machine Learning16 Jan 2026

Community-First AI Infrastructure is a five-point commitment to ensure it is “a good neighbour” in the communities in which it builds and operates data centres.

Massachusetts launches climatetech support initiative

Climate action15 Jan 2026

Massachusetts Clean Energy Centre has announced the first awardees of its CriticalMass programme that focuses on projects with measurable climate impact.

Zero Bills homes launch in Scotland

Climate action15 Jan 2026

The scheme allows customers to move into homes in Dundee equipped with green technology such as heat pumps and pay no home energy bills for at least 5-10 years.

Canberra empowers community climate action

Climate action15 Jan 2026

Total of $300,000 has been committed over two years to fund projects up to $30,000, supporting initiatives that reduce emissions and adapt to climate impact.

Thessaloniki modernises water infrastructure

Water14 Jan 2026

Thessaloniki Water Supply & Sewerage is working with Itron to deploy smart water solutions as part of the utility’s digital water transformation programme.

Suffolk County Council accelerates EV charging

Electric vehicles14 Jan 2026

It is working with Believ to install the first of thousands of planned public EV charge points across Suffolk as part of the council’s Plug in Suffolk Project.

US mayors criticise US withdrawal from UNFCCC

Climate action12 Jan 2026

Following US Federal Government’s announcement to withdraw from the framework, mayors describe decision as “a self-inflicted blow to the US and its residents”.

Westminster City Council launches ‘retrofit-first’ policy

Climate action12 Jan 2026

It requires developers to explore all reasonable options for retrofitting and adapting buildings before seeking permission for demolition and redevelopment.

How cities are turning environmental disclosure into action

Climate action12 Jan 2026

The latest Cities A List and the States and Regions A List from CDP demonstrates the pivotal role cities play in shaping a resilient and earth-positive future.

Berlin boosts climate and environmental protection

Climate action08 Jan 2026

The German capital’s Senate has more than €570m available, which it will use on a raft of measures to build a climate-resilient and liveable city in the future.

Leicester on course to meet electric bus target

Electric vehicles08 Jan 2026

With 60 further e-buses coming on stream in September, Leicester will have a 240-strong fleet of zero emission, electric buses across the city network.

Las Vegas receives $125k from CTA to advance sustainability

Climate action06 Jan 2026

The grants programme aims to underscore CTA’s long-standing commitment to environmental innovation and to giving back to the community that hosts CES each year.

First homes connected to Cardiff heat network

Climate action05 Jan 2026

Scott Harbour becomes the first residential building in Cardiff to receive sustainable heat and hot water from the council’s low-carbon district heat network.

SmartCitiesWorld’s top news stories of 2025

News31 Dec 2025

Which cities, trends and technologies made the smart cities headlines over the past 12 months? SmartCitiesWorld brings you its 10 top stories of 2025.

Engineering academy awards £39m to scale climate innovations

Climate action29 Dec 2025

Thirteen engineering innovators receive £3m each to develop solutions that tackle multiple causes of the climate crisis, and mitigate and adapt to its impacts.

UK hospitals work with Vital Energi to decarbonise

Climate action22 Dec 2025

South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is working with the sustainable energy infrastructure company to install air source heat pumps at two sites.

Christchurch opens fund for climate change projects

Climate action22 Dec 2025

The fund is open to community organisations, schools, social enterprises and businesses for projects that help meet the City’s climate change projects.

German public transport operator to deploy 61 battery trains

Rail Travel19 Dec 2025

Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe will deploy the second largest fleet of battery trains in Germany via a leasing model, starting in December 2029.

London trams depot in Croydon makes green transition

Solar power18 Dec 2025

Sustainable transformation of the depot has seen a major upgrade to its heating and power system, improving energy efficiency and saving money in the long-term.

Tucson partners with Itron to conserve water

Water17 Dec 2025

Deployment marks a new era of innovation for the city as it lays the technological foundation to advance water conservation goals and improve operations.

Austin announces Electric System Resiliency Plan

Resilience17 Dec 2025

The strategy aims to ensure the grid is reliable and resilient against disruptions and can recover quickly from outages as well as adapt to future challenges.

Los Angeles no longer uses coal in city power supply

Climate action16 Dec 2025

The announcement is a major milestone on city’s accelerated transition to 100 per cent clean energy by 2035 and a pivotal step in its climate leadership.

Canberra expands neighbourhood battery network

Batteries and renewables16 Dec 2025

The batteries will help futureproof the ACT’s electricity network and are an important step in the ACT’s efforts to reach net-zero emissions by 2045.

Californian solar schools project to save over $6m

Solar power15 Dec 2025

Orange Unified School District in Orange County has worked with Ameresco to reduce energy costs and efficiency with solar PV solutions across seven schools.

Tool launched to track Europe’s race to net-zero transport

Climate action11 Dec 2025

Part of the Path2Zero project, PolicyFrameMapper is a dashboard designed to map, compare and analyse transport decarbonisation strategies across Europe.

Phoenix City Council approves Energy Access Plan

Climate action10 Dec 2025

The plan outlines strategies to reduce high energy burden across the city and improve energy affordability for households affected by extreme heat and utility costs.

Ottawa approves climate action, water and waste investment

Climate action09 Dec 2025

Investments are complemented by $94m in capital contributions that apply a climate lens to projects across the city, including $32m to strengthen resiliency.

Kenya uses geothermal energy to power air carbon capture

Climate action08 Dec 2025

After capturing CO₂ directly from ambient air, it is compressed and cooled, which causes it to liquify so that it can then be transported to secure geological sites.

How Europe’s cities can lead the climate transition

Special Reports05 Dec 2025

Policymakers and city leaders must act to unlock vital sources of private capital and cities must engage investors at a much earlier stage, says Delphine Queniart of Bankers Without Boundaries.

Renewable heat project funding boost for England

Climate action05 Dec 2025

Projects will enable public and private sector bodies to harness waste heat from sources such as rivers, data centres and sewage works to strengthen resilience.

Off-grid fleet charging hub installed in East Boston

Electric vehicles04 Dec 2025

Located at Zipcar’s maintenance facility in East Boston, an Environmental Justice community, this project delivers scalable, equitable EV infrastructure.

Why the tech sector must put nature at heart of operations

Climate action04 Dec 2025

The tech sector could unlock $800bn in value by 2030 if tech companies reduce their negative impacts on natural systems and dependencies on natural resources.

Latest cities announced for EU peer learning programme

Climate action04 Dec 2025

The ‘Twin cities’ will work together on local climate action as part of the Twinning Learning Programme, a peer-learning initiative of the EU Cities Mission.

How Canberra aims to build its future today

Economic Development04 Dec 2025

ACT’s Strategic Economic Development Framework is designed to ensure Canberra remains a place where people can live well, work flexibly, and stay connected.

National Grid utilises AI to combat rising wildfire risk

AI and Machine Learning03 Dec 2025

National Grid will deploy advanced AI technology that identifies and prevents wildfire risks across its electric transmission and distribution networks.

UK launches marketplace for biodiversity net gain units

Climate action03 Dec 2025

Greenshank Environmental’s platform enables developers to browse credits, view pricing and unit types, and purchase verified BNG and nutrient credits online.

Nairobi launches air quality action plan and portal

Air quality01 Dec 2025

For the first time, city leaders and residents in the Kenyan city will have access to hyper-local data about pollution levels in the places they live and work.

West Midlands launches major nature recovery strategy

Parks and green space27 Nov 2025

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy outlines 62 actions to restore habitats, improve rivers and canals, expand urban green space and strengthen resilience.

Cities urge stronger multilevel climate governance after COP30 outcomes

Cop Conference26 Nov 2025

Local and regional governments are calling for deeper national collaboration and clearer funding pathways following on from the COP30 negotiations in Belém.

New £25m Water Efficiency Lab launches to cut consumption across England and Wales

Water26 Nov 2025

Water Efficiency Lab is opening a £5 million first-year funding round to support innovations that give clearer water-use insights and help drive down demand.

Dallas expands EV charging with seven more Beam systems

Electric vehicles25 Nov 2025

The systems, which generate and store their own clean electricity, will be used to charge the City’s growing fleet of EVs, including electric pickup trucks.

Toronto opens first City-run net-zero building

Climate action25 Nov 2025

The building, a childcare centre, demonstrates the city’s leadership in climate action and supports its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.

Chicago nears tree-planting target with 90 per cent achieved

Parks and green space24 Nov 2025

Our Roots Chicago is a community-driven initiative to expand tree planting in the city, with a focus on underserved neighbourhoods with low tree canopy cover.

Bristol City Council hits climate investment target early

Climate action24 Nov 2025

The programme gave people, communities and businesses of Bristol an opportunity to invest in climate related projects, helping the city’s green transition.

City of Chandler strengthens energy security with solar

Solar power21 Nov 2025

The Arizona city is working with Ameresco to generate 14.5 million kWh annually, reduce utility costs, as well as enhance long-term energy independence.

Cop30: heavy-duty electric truck trial in Brazil announced

Electric vehicles21 Nov 2025

Amazon, DHL and Scania project will see the truck travel from Cajamar to Taubaté, in São Paulo, Amazon’s main freight corridor in Brazil, for six months.

Cop30: local climate action is an “indispensable force”

Climate action21 Nov 2025

A new assessment from GCoM and C40 Cities reveals strong and accelerating growth in local climate implementation across Champ-endorsing countries.

Sacramento incentivises residents to use EVs car share

Electric vehicles20 Nov 2025

Through a partnership with Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s programme, income-qualified residents receive $100 in Zipcar credits.

Cardiff heat network delivers first low-carbon heat to customer

Climate action20 Nov 2025

First city-scale heat network in Wales is delivering heat to Cardiff and Vale College with other major buildings in Cardiff Bay to follow, including the Senedd.

Detroit breaks ground on solar neighbourhoods

Solar power19 Nov 2025

Ten neighbourhoods vied for the opportunity to transform blighted vacant land into landscaped solar arrays with the first to be activated in mid-2026.

Which are the most bicycle-friendly cities?

Micromobility19 Nov 2025

The Copenhagenize Index 2025 finds cycling is no longer treated as a niche mobility issue but as a lever for climate action, public health, and quality of life.

South of France launches smart water network

Water19 Nov 2025

Developed in partnership with Xylem and the University of Côte d’Azur, the €5.9m project will modernise 3,000km of infrastructure across the Côte d’Azur.

Cop30: ICLEI and KfW extend urban resilience finance programme

Climate action19 Nov 2025

The ProUrbano programme helps cities across Latin America and the Caribbean better understand and transfer climate risks and finance adaptation measures.

QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge winner named

Resilience18 Nov 2025

Leading Cities’ resilience and smart city accelerator attracted entries from more than 820 startups in 71 countries and involved a six-month vetting process.

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