News

Scroll down to read the latest news and trends in the smart cities space. Also check out timely articles about Compassionate Cities.

The digital revolution underway in emerging Eastern European city Hincesti

04/13/2018

The city of Hincesti, which lies 33 kilometres west of Moldova’s capital Chisinau, has a population of just over 12,000, yet this small-sized city is poised for major change. Plans for digitalization are underway in Hincesti thanks to a series of smart initiatives transforming this emerging economy in Eastern European into a “connected city.” Let’s take a look at some of the solutions underway in Hincesti and how other small-sized cities can follow their lead.

The app connecting Italian town of Mantua with its citizens

04/13/2018

Seen as the “smart city evolution,” Mantua has dubbed itself Italy’s first “Phygital City,” connecting physical and digital experiences residents can have. So what does this mean exactly? The 2016 Italian Capital of Culture, with the help of fabbricadigitale (the Italian IT company behind Telecom Italia’s digital experience at the Expo 2015), is working with big data-based, advanced machine learning technologies that can analyse smart city information in real time.

Why cities should look beyond e-vehicles

04/13/2018

As cities across Europe from Paris to London are starting to announce car bans in an effort to tackle urban pollution, electric vehicles are stepping into the spotlight as a smart solution. But this is only one solution in terms of sustainability. Towns such as Birmingham are investing in more progressive projects like sustainable railways, while Hamburg and Lisbon are working with the World Business Council For Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to develop sustainable transportation solutions.

Can Sarajevo rebuild from the rubble?

04/01/2018

Sarajevo is home to 275,000 residents, and like most cities looking to become smarter, it faces one big constraint: finance. So how does a city dealing with technical debt and remnants of war rise from its ruins and rebuild as a technology-driven smart city? For Sarajevo, the answer may be in its youth. Let’s take a look at how the new generation may help pull the city out of its war-torn past thanks to a wealth of innovation and app-driven solutions.

How Rotterdam is helping the Netherlands' low-carbon transition

03/23/2018

By transforming non-recyclable waste into “green” methanol, the facility will help lower carbon emissions by creating a raw material that can be used to replace fossil fuels, offering clean energy to fuel the chemical industry and transportation sector. Let’s take a look at how this facility—which is the first of its kind in Europe—will be revolutionary for Rotterdam.

Aberdeen is Scotland's first city to receive full fibre rollout

03/13/2018

Before 5G mobile data service debuts in the UK, residents in up to 5 million homes will already reap the benefits of high-speed Internet at a lower cost. Aberdeen, the third-most populated city in Scotland and the country’s “technological heart,” will be the second spot in the UK to make the transition to “full fibre” broadband Internet, switching out copper cables connected to roadside cabinets for fibre-optic ones running right to the buildings themselves.

In Tenerife, social media is a low-budget way to reach a large number of citizens

03/02/2018

In today’s world, communication via social media is sometimes even preferred over a standard phone call, as people share everything from life updates to photos via platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media is one easy, cost-efficient tool cities are turning to as a way to communicate with previously disengaged citizens, as well as assess public opinion, conversing with citizens and looking to their feedback as a source to improve public services.

How the EU’s GDPR will be a game changer for cities using open data

02/26/2018

Open data is one of the key elements when it comes to building a smart city and improving urban life. While open data can be seen as a gold mine in terms of driving forward smart initiatives, it can also pose a risk, with cities becoming just as hackable as smartphones and computers. Cities in Europe will have to re-evaluate the way they use open data once the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into play this spring.

Crue de la Seine à Paris : les effets du changement climatique

02/26/2018

Janvier 2018 a marqué l'anniversaire de la "Grande Inondation de Paris" de 1910, l'une des pires catastrophes naturelles de la ville. La Seine s'est élevée de près de 8 mètres, causant 1,2 milliard d'euros de dégâts, transformant la ville en Venise française et forçant des milliers de personnes à évacuer les rues transformées en canaux détruisant les infrastructures de base. La capitale française n'était pas préparée pour faire face à une telle catastrophe qui dura deux mois.

Is climate change causing Paris’ floods?

02/21/2018

Last month marked the anniversary of the 1910 “Great Flood of Paris,” one of the worst natural disasters to hit the city. The Seine rose nearly 8 metres, causing $1.5 billion worth of damage (in today’s terms), transforming the city into a French Venice and forcing thousands to evacuate as streets morphed into canals that destroyed basic infrastructure. At that point in time, the French capital was unprepared in terms of handling such a crisis, which lingered for two months.

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