Global Scans · Smart cities · Weekly Summary

• [New] The projects launching and completing over 2026 will demonstrate whether smart city technologies can deliver on their promises of improved efficiency, sustainability, and quality of life. / USA CCE l ONLINE NEWS
• [New] Researchers at IIT-Indore have developed an Urban Flood Risk Monitoring Application aimed at improving the flood resilience of Indian smart cities. The Times Of India
• [New] The Colorado town of Vail will become the first US municipality to implement HPE's new agentic AI smart city solution. IoT M2M Council
• [New] Europe and Asia-Pacific are expected to follow with robust growth driven by urbanization, smart-city initiatives, infrastructure security and increasing commercial drone adoption. Market.us Scoop
• [New] Smart city investment in North America is projected to reach $750 billion by 2026, up from $3 trillion in 2017. CCE l ONLINE NEWS
• [New] Denver's smart city evolution centers on Pena Station NEXT, a transit-oriented, mixed-use development expected to be completed in 2026. CCE l ONLINE NEWS
• [New] Expected commercially around 2028, 6G will deliver immersive, cloud-based AI-enabled communications across smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and industrial IoT systems. aipix.ai
• [New] For 2026, we expect continued momentum, especially as AI becomes more context-aware and further integrated across mission-critical verticals such as venues and smart cities. asmag.com
• [New] At the 2025 Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, experts from three continents agreed that building resilient mobility systems will define the success of smart cities in years and decades to come. Zag Daily
• Build4Asia 2026 will introduce two new dedicated sectors - Asian PropTech and Asian Office Tech - as part of its expanded focus on smart-city development. Construction World Magazine
• The UAE has advanced smart-city initiatives and digital governance, backed by NCEMA, the 2019 National DRR Strategy, the National Strategy for Food Security 2051, and the Dubai Resilience Center, to sustain momentum and service reliability under We the UAE 2031 and UAE Net Zero 2050. Middle East Business News and Information - mid-east.in
• Tehran's potential relocation could inspire adaptive strategies worldwide, from smart city planning to climate-resilient infrastructure. WebProNews
• The coming five to ten years will likely see the Middle East solidify its position as a global technology hub, with particular strengths in artificial intelligence, fintech, and smart city technologies. #1 Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, F
• Ultra-reliable low-latency communication is a key feature of 5G that enables real-time applications, and by 2027, over 80% of smart city applications will depend on it. PatentPC
• In 2026, smart cities will no longer wait for the changes brought by self-driving cars; instead, they will proactively take action. Forum Virium Helsinki
• As global cities grapple with climate change, rapid urbanization, and technological disruption, PPPs are being redefined by performance-based contracts, ESG integration, community-centred models, and smart city technologies. GRI Hub News
• If all goes well, Pakistani telecom operators could start deploying 5G networks in early 2026, ushering in a new era of high-speed connectivity - from smart cities to telemedicine - in a country where 4G is currently the norm. TS2 Space
• By 2030 and beyond, smart-city ecosystems will mature into fully integrated urban platforms: connected mobility, predictive infrastructure, digital twins of entire cities, real-time citizen services, and sustainable digital economies. Trickdone
• Global Smart City LPWAN Initiative - The United Nations launched a $5 billion program for LPWAN infrastructure in 100+ smart cities, targeting 500 million connected devices by 2028. openpr
• 6G networks, predicted to launch commercially around 2028, will think, sense and immerse, providing integrated communications across smart cities, fleets of autonomous vehicles, and AI-enabled industrial infrastructure. Forbes
• By 2030, AI traffic management systems will become fully autonomous, operating as central nervous systems of smart cities. ADPA Foundation
• The UAE's smart cities are bristling with AI-powered surveillance that can spot everything from traffic violations to security threats. TechBullion
• Abu Dhabi's Smart City Strategy 2030 integrates people into every aspect of governance. Curly Tales

Last updated: 15 December 2025