Even before the coronavirus pandemic, there was recognition that smart cities needed to return to basics and focus less on flashy technological displays and more on solutions that actually helped citizens. Now that the pandemic decimated local tax revenues, city budgets are under stress and IT investments may be curtailed. ..

The way ahead for smart cities is for civic and IT leaders to emphasize solutions that are both practical and data-driven, and not pushed by technology vendors or hype. Ultimately, they need to demonstrate real value for residents.

One example is an artificial intelligence-driven traffic-signaling system Pittsburgh recently deployed. The AI software detects vehicle traffic and produces a predictive model that generates a signal timing plan in real time, as GovTech reports.
More>>