INTERVIEW | Prof. Albert-László Barabási on networks, global inequality and artificial intelligence

UrbanizeHub had the opportunity to meet Prof. Albert-László Barabási, a distinguished professor from the Northeastern University, Central European University and Harvard University. He introduced in 1999 the concept of scale-free networks and proposed the Barabási–Albert model to explain their widespread emergence in natural, technological and social systems, from the cellular telephone to the World Wide Web or online communities. Author of …

Why should smart cities invest in IoT?

If cities across the globe today were to universally adopt and deploy smart city strategies, technology and services, what would that mean for citizens? An Intel-sponsored Juniper research has the answer to this query: dividend in terms of time and quality of life to each citizen. Examining a number of cities across the globe in …

These glowing plants could light up city streets in the future

Imagine that instead of streetlamps during the night, you see glowing trees along the busiest promenade in your city. This imagineering of what the future looks like using technology seems like a scene in sci-fi movie but it is actually getting close to reality. Plant lamps instead of desk lamps, treelights instead of streetlights; and …

These huge US cities have economies larger than most countries

Leading the world’s trillion-dollar club economies, the US still has what it takes to be the world’s epicenter of the global economy. Americans are known for their “adventurous spirit, which distinguishes the commercial character of America,” as Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the American nation, described it. Perhaps this would account for …

15 Shared Transport Sectors who signed the Shared Mobility Principles

15 Mobility and tech firms pledge to create livable cities

If cities are the engines of economic growth, an efficient transport system is the oil that prevents these engines from seizing up. With that said, one of the features that should define the future of our cities is a sustainable transport. Urban transport is undeniably an indispensable component of city life that should be taken …

Singapore, Barcelona, London notch the top global smart cities list

Which cities in the world today are widely regarded as the best smart cities? What accounts for their success? In a report published by Philips Lighting and Smart CitiesWorld, Singapore, London and Barcelona were named the best smart cities. The reasons behind the choice: Singapore, for its forward-thinking infrastructure including its buildings, transportation and use …

Saudi megacity to rival the size of Belgium

Mind-blowing. That’s how one of the most ambitious city projects in the contemporary time can be described when viewed in terms of size and magnitude. A start-up city 33x the size of New York and almost the size of Belgium, this megacity project is estimated to require around $500 billion. The NEOM Project forms part and …

Timișoara 2021 – Simona Neumann at Urban Talks

“Timișoara 2021 – European Capital of Culture” is a remarkably ambitious long term project that started as early as 2011. Using the help and the active engagement of the citizens, the initiative imagined a feasible development for the city during the next decade and even further, attracting numerous partners as well as media coverage and …

A global agenda for a world of smart cities

The world has agreed that it has to change, fundamentally, in order to successfully accommodate the urbanization wave that is to come in the next few decades. Urban innovation has to be advanced, along with the integrating capacities of the cities, to achieve the ideal smart city of the future. Future Cities Catapult has just …

Singapore’s plans for a car-lite future

Singapore is already considered one of the greatest cities to work and live in, due to its easy access to high-quality, efficient public transportation. Further efforts now attempt to establish the state as a “car-lite” nation by 2030, making public transport account for 75% of rush hour commutes. Besides boosting the use of public transport, …