Global Scans · Cities · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Smart cities are the talk of the town right now and so they should be to cope when over 60% of us will live in cities by 2030. E-bikes, Driverless- connected vehicles, buildings that talk to each other will help but many cities are susceptible to climate change and pandemics. Explore the issues faced by cities and the new ideas that will change the way urban dwellers live in the 21st century.

• [New] For reference, the EU Horizon Mission Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 has earmarked USD 107 million for systemic smart city transition projects across more than 100 European cities, helping to scale digital infrastructures and urban data platforms. MarkNtel Advisors
• [New] The Asia-Pacific region is expected to experience the fastest growth over the forecast period, driven by rapid urbanization and increasing environmental awareness. The National Law Review
• [New] Cities like Tokyo and Seoul must grapple with the challenges of population decline-aging infrastructure, shrinking workforces, and the risk of economic stagnation. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] By 2050, Dhaka is projected to be the world's largest city with 52.1 million residents, followed by Jakarta, Shanghai, New Delhi, Karachi, and Cairo. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] The cities of 2050 will still feel familiar, but they will run on cleaner energy, be easier to navigate and offer a healthier relationship with the environment. NEW TIMES MAGAZINE
• [New] DrinkPrime will use the newly raised capital to fuel geographic expansion, aiming to scale its presence to 20 cities and serve one million households over the next three years. Yourstory
• [New] New partnerships include Uber for Level 4 robotaxis targeted for 2027 deployment in 28 cities, plus HPE's AI Grid and expanded DRIVE Hyperion adoption. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Supported by a growing roster of automaker platforms, NVIDIA and Uber today announced an expanded partnership to launch a fleet of autonomous vehicles entirely powered by the full-stack NVIDIA DRIVE AV software across 28 cities and four continents by 2028. NVIDIA Newsroom
• [New] Nvidia is broadening its partnership with Uber, saying it will launch a fleet of autonomous vehicles powered entirely by Nvidia's Drive AV software in 28 cities across four continents by 2028, with Los Angeles and San Francisco starting earlier in 2027. ZDNet
• [New] Uber will add Nvidia-powered robotaxis to cities as early as 2027. ZDNet
• [New] Wedbush expects Tesla robotaxi services in over 30 cities by end of 2026 with a price target of $550. MEXC Blog
• [New] Robotaxis are rapidly expanding into more cities as companies race to commercialize autonomous ride-hailing, but Alphabet's Waymo remains the early leader while Tesla's vast manufacturing scale and financial resources could reshape the competitive landscape. Economic Times
• [New] Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR in the coming years, fueled by the growing amount of organic waste and the fast pace of urbanization. Precedence Research
• [New] As climate, population patterns and global trends shift, the question of what California's major cities will look like by 2050 is becoming more relevant. NEW TIMES MAGAZINE
• [New] Flooding from high-intensity rainfall is an escalating hazard in cities worldwide, with ~1.8 billion people living in flood-prone areas, and risk increasing rapidly due to urban expansion and intensification of extreme precipitation. Nature
• [New] By 2027, most mid-sized cities in Europe, North America, and urban Asia will have a richer menu of structured local experiences than existed in 2019. Nano Banana Magazine
• [New] The IAF will conduct continuous powerful strikes in Tehran City. / Israel Critical Threats
• [New] Healthcare has been a bedrock of AI innovation for years, and in 2026 that trend will continue with life-saving applications that operate in real-time across entire cities. DE-CIX - we make interconnection easy. Anywhere.
• [New] Increasing investments in smart cities, connected vehicles, and digital mobility ecosystems will continue to drive MaaS adoption globally. openpr
• [New] Economists at all of the big four banks have downgraded their property price forecasts for 2026 and 2027 on the back of the interest rate hike, and even the hottest capital cities of Perth and Brisbane are expected to see a rapid pullback in price growth. realestate.com.au
• [New] Taiwan will continue to unite government, industry, and academia to refine AI City solutions and promote them internationally, building Taiwan's reputation as a hub for urban AI innovation. Mobility India
• [New] Vulnerability to Day Zero: Major urban centers like Mexico City and Tijuana still face high risks of localized water crises due to population growth and dependence on imported water. The Yucatan Times
• [New] Professional networking opportunities for remote workers in 2026 are strongest in large cities and established hubs, where meetups, tech events, and sector specific groups are frequent. The Traveler

Last updated: 21 March 2026