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] Singapore and China have signed a memorandum of understanding for a new smart city twinning initiative that also opens several opportunities for communications industries to collaborate in various sectors including intelligent transport, smart education and smart environment management. ITS International
• [New] Singapore and China have teamed up on the development of smart cities opening up new opportunities for local enterprises. ITS International
• [New] Global urban populations are projected to reach 68% by 2050 according to United Nations data, with mega-cities experiencing traffic congestion costs exceeding 3-5% of regional GDP. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The approaching urbanization dilemma - as estimates have suggested that 66-70% of the world's population will reside in cities by 2050 - has accelerated academic discussion of sustainable urban development. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Event-driven travel remains less predictable as high trip costs and shifting sentiment could temper expected compression around the 2026 World Cup, while Europe's development pipeline is raising concerns about localized oversupply in major cities and potential pressure on future performance. Hotel News Resource
• [New] Cities across Punjab need to upgrade drainage systems to manage heavier rainfall and reduce flooding risks. The Friday Times
• [New] Digital and Smart City Alignment: The global smart city agenda and rapid expansion of urban charging infrastructure are expected to enhance long-term growth opportunities for electric vehicle manufacturers across all vehicle segments. openpr
• [New] In a study focused on New York City, MIT researchers have shown that existing sensors and mobile data can be used to generate a near real-time, high-resolution picture of auto emissions, which could be used to develop local transportation and decarbonization policies. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• [New] Integration with Multimodal Mobility and Smart City Plans Air taxi services are increasingly being envisioned as components of broader multimodal urban mobility plans integrated with metro, bus, rail, and micro-mobility networks in UK. Mobility Foresights
• [New] The UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading digital transformation; Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 includes a $20 billion investment in AI and big data for smart cities and healthcare. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Cities like Hamilton and Milton might see faster processing for new subdivisions or condo towers, reducing the time from proposal to sales launch. PreconFactory
• [New] Flying taxis will launch 2-3 years late in major U.S. cities. Air Taxi Central
• [New] Most cities will not have vertiports until 2028-2030. Air Taxi Central
• [New] Local officials in Salt Lake City, Utah, have called on residents and businesses to begin conserving, with a goal to cut up to 10 m gallons, while city facilities will curb 10% of their use. The Guardian
• [New] From 2026, deployments are slated for Mumbai - where a fleet of 10 P - 12 s will cut travel times from Navi Mumbai Airport to the city center from around two hours to 35 minutes - as well as the Maldives, Saudi Arabia's NEOM project, Thailand, and additional markets. SustMeme
• [New] Waymo's current trajectory suggests 1 million weekly rides by year end 2026 and potential expansion to 15 to 20 cities by 2028. The AI Consulting Network
• [New] The Pact seeks to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and the planet in cities worldwide by 2030. UN Decade on Restoration
• [New] Fastest-growing Region: Asia Pacific is expected to be also the fastest-growing region, driven by rapid urbanization, increasing disposable incomes, and significant investments in cold-chain infrastructure and modern retail systems. Persistence Market Research
• [New] If successful, what Dubai is building will be the most complete real-world demonstration of AI-driven urban governance in existence - a proof of concept that other cities, from London to Lagos to Los Angeles, will study, adapt, and replicate. BUSINESS 2.0 NEWS
• [New] The Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment is building a city-scale data mesh projected to support AED 10 billion in GDP growth within two years. BUSINESS 2.0 NEWS
• [New] Asia Pacific is expected to grow rapidly with a CAGR of 20.5% throughout the forecast period, fueled by growing disposable incomes, rapid urbanization, rising vehicle production, and increasing investments in electric and autonomous vehicles. Precedence Research
• [New] As cities worldwide seek cleaner, more efficient transport systems, the adoption of shared vehicles is expected to continue rising significantly over the forecast period. openpr
• [New] City and state officials already granted Waymo, which is expected to benefit most from an expansion of driverless vehicles, permission to test a small number of supervised autonomous taxis in New York City, at least through the end of March. Black Car News

Last updated: 11 April 2026