Smart Cities

The City Council postponed to September a vote that would install cameras with artificial intelligence on garbage trucks, to search out blight. Areas of concern included cost amid budget tightening, and privacy.

From traffic management to smart trash cans, Raleigh, N.C., is quickly moving to introduce artificial intelligence tools into smart city platforms and projects.

Officials affirmed an expanded contract with Alabama Power to add the devices and license plate readers to power poles citywide. A federal grant to upgrade IT systems and cybersecurity will cover early costs.

Toll road systems are modernizing with seamless payment portals and other forms of tech, enabling new options to make controlling congestion easy — and generate revenue other ways, as gas taxes decline.

A new GIS-powered state planning tool brings together more than 100 data sets to offer officials and members of the public a detailed look at where electric vehicle charging exists, is already planned, and may be needed.

LiveView Technologies is releasing a new surveillance camera feature that uses AI to detect actions and determine how to proceed, in some cases prompting AI voice warnings for common issues such as illegal dumping.

A seasoned private-sector technology executive, Tyagi started work Wednesday in the Chicago suburb, which broke ground last year on a “smart neighborhood.” Its other initiatives in progress include creating an artificial intelligence policy.

The initiative is among its recent smart city endeavors. Others include working with Georgia Tech to debut a technology workspace that lets students learn among tech startups, and exploring smart mobility.

Despite a shift in the definition of the term “smart city” in recent years, the effort to make cities smarter continues, and it has evolved to include new technologies — and even tech-agnostic approaches.

The city’s municipal utility, EPB, which provides electricity and fiber optics to the greater metropolitan area, will spend $22 million to buy the computer. It is expected to be up and running in early 2026, officials said.

While viral videos of hacked crosswalks displaying faked messages amused many, the pranks highlight a sinister cybersecurity vulnerability lurking within the wireless technologies used by local government infrastructure.

The question of where speed cameras are allowed and where they aren't reveals a deeply divided nation. Government Technology mapped state laws and the locations of hundreds of speed camera programs across the country.

New fleet management technology for optimizing the use of electric vehicles crunches numerous variables related to battery performance, route, topography and temperature to get the most out of zero emissions.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute has awarded upwards of $10.4 million to upgrade online access across public and affordable housing in Salem, Gloucester and 24 other communities.

Artificial intelligence has “significant implications for municipal governance,” according to a hearing order the City Council approved. The hearing will convene city tech cabinet members, experts on AI and others.

Earlier this month, the City Council approved the Pomona Emerging Transportation Technologies Project, which will use AI to gather and analyze data. Video cameras on two streets will monitor spots with frequent accidents.

A sewer district in Ohio is using rain gauge data, coupled with radar and other inputs, to better understand how rain events will impact its service area. The goal is to inform residents about extreme weather.

The demands of parcels coming and going, and other stressors at the curb, are prompting cities to design new approaches to managing these spaces. Often, they are turning to data and technology for support.