SmartCitiesWorld Weekly Update - 11 August 2023

News of the wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui this week are yet another reminder of the need for urgent climate action. There’s been no shortage of media coverage of the extreme weather events in recent weeks, and it highlights how the impact of climate change is being felt on the doorsteps of many around the world.?

As well as focusing on record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events, though, Ladd Keith , PhD, assistant professor of the 美国亚利桑那大学 , stresses the importance of year-round coverage in our special report this week. “It’s understandable to highlight these occurrences because they feel startling, but my concern is that solely focusing on breaking records might create a seasonal pattern of attention towards heat-related issues,” he says. “By highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by communities and the continuous need for heat mitigation and management measures, we can encourage the public and policymakers to prioritise heat as a critical climate concern year-round.”?

SmartCitiesWorld very much sees this year-round focus as part of its remit and, with this in mind, we highlight the city of Auckland’s efforts to tackle climate change this week with its upcoming climate festival in September. It’s a great example of citizen engagement with more than 150 events on offer and tens of thousands of people expected to join together to accelerate climate action – from individuals making more conscious consumer decisions to major entities influencing government policy.?

Michelle Kennedy, founder of Auckland Climate Festival , says the festival is for anyone who wants to work towards “a safe, equitable and regenerative future” for the city: “It enables us to scale up change at pace, gain solidarity and harness the synergies that come with collective action.”?

We also brought news of more collective action this week in the shape of a major global air quality project, led by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and space agency NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration . They are working with 21 universities from three countries that are deploying advanced instruments in multiple, coordinated research campaigns. The aim is to investigate how air pollution sources have shifted over recent decades.?

Richard (Rick) Spinrad , administrator at NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration , describes it as “an unprecedented scientific investigation” in terms of scope, scale and sophistication of an ongoing public health threat that kills people every year. “No one agency or university could do anything like this alone,” he added.?

Without doubt, battling the impact of climate change requires everyone to pull together and you can find more stories on the subject in our dedicated Climate Action section. If you have a story to share, do get in touch. In the meantime, for more smart city news and articles, read on below.?

Sue Weekes , News editor, SmartCitiesWorld

Here is a round up of the headline stories from the past week:

1. The Routing Company awarded non-emergency transport contract
2. City of London calls for investment to plug green skills gap
3. OPINION: Intelligent education for a digital future
4. Tallinn launches e-scooter parking pilot
5. Auckland accelerates climate action with month-long festival
6. SPECIAL REPORT: Tackling extreme heat isn’t a summertime job – it’s a year-round effort
7. Two solar projects go online in Contra Costa and Napa
8. Thailand claims world’s largest factory rooftop solar project
9. Birmingham launches e-scooter hire scheme
10. Sacramento set to start Broadway Complete Streets project
11. Platform aims to help cities boost disaster preparedness
12. Melbourne’s visionary Greenline project reaches milestone
13. TfL partners to improve accessible transport across London
14. New York City expands free broadband programme
15. US scientists launch major air quality research project
16. 5G teleoperated shuttle pilot launched in Bonn
17. City of London upgrades electric charging network
18. Corporate campus shuttle service launches in Washington DC
19. Dubai economic zone implements smart pedestrian systems
20. Turkish bus company uses AI to increase efficiency
21. Digital twin to drive carbon-neutral treatment plant