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] Future smart cities will switch their focus from the optimization of individual systems to the creation of effective network systems. KPMG
• [New] Winnipeg will be the first Canadian city with 60-foot battery-electric buses in its fleet. City of Winnipeg
• [New] By 2050, cities will be almost entirely carbon-neutral, powered by renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower. Earth
• [New] From smarter cities and precision agriculture to enhanced security and autonomous systems, the potential for GeoAI to transform the world is limitless. Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
• [New] With an estimated economic growth of 7.5% in 2024-25 and 9.5% in 2025-26, J & K can redesign its urban landscape through initiatives such as the Srinagar Smart City Mission and metro projects in Jammu and Srinagar. Brighter Kashmir
• [New] Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, and Jakarta are among Southeast Asia's most climate-vulnerable cities, with critical infrastructure facing high exposure to multiple climate hazards. Fortune
• [New] Recent modelling from Zurich Resilience Solutions found that six major cities in Southeast Asia-Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila-all face at least a high risk of extreme precipitation, heatwaves, and rising sea levels through the 2040s. Fortune
• [New] Southeast Asia as a whole faces an escalating climate risk, due its densely populated cities, frequent heavy rain, and insufficient infrastructure. Fortune
• [New] The success of New York City's program, which led to significant reductions in traffic and improved bus travel times, could encourage more U.S. cities to try it. Planetizen
• [New] By 2025, industries like autonomous driving, smart cities, and disaster management will rely heavily on edge computing combined with GeoAI. Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
• [New] As 2025 approaches, we will see a blend of advanced materials and smart tech that makes scooters not just practical, but also integrated with smart city infrastructures. How the Best Fold Away Scooter Adapts to 2025 Technolog
• [New] Waymo plans to bring its robotaxi service to Washington, D.C., in 2026 and is testing autonomous operations with safety drivers in Boston, New York City and Philadelphia, all cities that can experience harsh winter weather. Smart Cities Dive
• [New] Expanding services that connect North Texas residents across cities will be central to leveraging the full power of transit to move people with greater efficiency. The Dallas Morning News
• [New] Transit-oriented hubs will rise near stations like Sharjah's University City and Sakamkam in Fujairah, with walkable, mixed-use clusters. Middle East Business News and Information - mid-east.in
• [New] Urban environments worldwide have grown rapidly, with current estimates predicting that 6.7 billion people will be living in cities by 2050. Nature
• The UAE is moving forward with both ambition and precision, upgrading the systems that power its cities and fostering the innovation that will define tomorrow. UAE Business Directory - Find Companies & Listings | UA
• New York City is actively pursuing a greener future, aiming for a city-owned fleet of all-electric vehicles by 2027. Ainvest
• The urban transportation landscape in New York City is poised for significant disruption with the advent of Tesla's Robotaxis. Ainvest
• House prices will rise nationally by 5.3% over the next six months and by 5.6% during 2025, KPMG's new property report on Australia's capital cities finds. KPMG
• From co-working spaces in tropical locales to long-term stays in bustling cities, the digital nomad trend will continue to thrive in 2025. Not Just Travel
• In the future, we will experience increasingly prolonged heatwaves and a higher frequency of tropical nights - something that is already very evident in many Mediterranean cities in Spain. Healthy Cities.
• The Asia Pacific is projected to experience fastest CAGR during the forecast period due to accelerated urbanization, rising demand for utility digitization, and expanding smart infrastructure. Polaris

Last updated: 23 August 2025