Global Scans · Cities · Weekly Summary

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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] Within the Dubai Pavilion, Digital Dubai will highlight a portfolio of transformative initiatives and projects powered by advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, reaffirming Dubai's position as a global digital capital and a model for future-ready cities. Default
• [New] Bristol City Council has a vision of creating a well-connected city that enables people to move around efficiently with increased transport options that are accessible and inclusive, while also helping achieve net zero by 2030. Mobility Hubs 2025
• [New] The German city of Heilbronn has been named as European Green Capital 2027. Green Traveller
• [New] While the Full Self-Driving system offered in its customer cars has not yet achieved full autonomy, company-owned Robotaxis are operating in pilot projects in Austin and the San Francisco Bay area and will roll out more cities before the end of the year. American Cars And Racing
• [New] Cities account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions and over 65% of energy use, making urban action decisive for Europe's climate goals - from cutting emissions by 55% by 2030 to achieving climate neutrality by 2050. Research and Innovation
• [New] The EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, one of the five EU Missions under Horizon Europe, has exceeded its objective of supporting 100 cities in their plans to become climate neutral by 2030. Research and Innovation
• [New] Climate change and human activities are driving the surge, which poses a serious threat of flooding for major cities around the world. Euronews
• [New] The development of the Health City will be a catalyst for economic development, attracting global investment and partnerships in healthcare infrastructure. Travel And Tour World
• [New] The Health City project will further cement Shiraz's position as a global leader in health tourism, offering a comprehensive experience that combines healthcare and recovery with luxury and comfort. Travel And Tour World
• [New] The FAA's Innovate 28 program aims to have air taxi operations underway in at least one major U.S. city by 2028 with a view to nationwide adoption. SlashGear
• [New] Stationary surveillance cameras, bolstered by AI facial recognition, form vast networks in cities like San Francisco and Washington D.C., processing video in real-time for threat identification. The Watchtower
• [New] Cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have leveraged drones for crowd control during protests and suspect tracking in vehicular chases, while emergency responses - such as assessing bomb threats - benefit from their rapid deployment. The Watchtower
• [New] In 2025-26 we expect to see more public rollouts - Waymo expanding to new U.S. cities, more robotaxis in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and delivery bots increasingly integrated into urban services. AI Insider
• [New] Uber, Lucid, and Nuro will launch a Level-4 robotaxi service on the Uber platform-starting in a major U.S. city in 2026 - with a plan to deploy 20,000+ Lucid Gravity vehicles equipped with Nuro's Driver system over six years. AI Insider
• [New] Although we will not see flying traffic above cities any time soon, aircrafts like EHang's eVTOLs could soon be used for tourism, cargo deliveries, fire-fighting or medical supplies, where there are fewer technical and regulatory barriers. DirectorsTalk Interviews
• [New] Chinese state media recently reported China's official launch of its plan to provide processing resources across China, to link City Brains and other smart-city elements together in a mega computing project that will create regional data hubs. Unlimited Hangout
• [New] The GCoM plan is that large-scale financing instruments will fund local implementation of frontier technologies to construct global governance (SDG) compliant smart-cities. Unlimited Hangout
• [New] The site of a glass factory in Brisbane's inner city is set to be transformed into a new riverfront precinct that could feature thousands of homes, as well as entertainment spaces. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] London, which is often associated with black cabs, will be the first European city to host Waymo's innovative robotaxis. Yahoo News UK
• [New] Looking ahead, AI Smart Cities 2025 will likely evolve into even more integrated systems: combining augmented reality for navigation, robotics for maintenance, AI mediators for citizen-government interaction, and further decentralization via edge computing. learnaitools.in
• [New] A team of scientists led by Rutgers researchers has uncovered evidence that modern sea level rise is happening faster than at any time in the past 4,000 years, with China's coastal cities especially at risk. EurekAlert!
• [New] By 2030-2035, for urban journeys including airport to city and city-to-city short hops, fully autonomous air taxis or with minimal human pilot intervention will be an accepted option in several parts of the world. OnlySky
• [New] By 2028-2030, several cities in Asia, China, parts of Africa, and the Middle East will have regular air taxi/eVTOL service offerings. OnlySky

Last updated: 25 October 2025