SmartCitiesWorld Weekly Update - 30 June 2023

Creating liveable cities is a perhaps the highest priority for city governments and local authorities, as urbanisation continues to shape our world. With a focus on improving the quality of life for residents, from cost of living to the quality of public services, cities are implementing innovative solutions and policies to drive liveability metrics. That’s why this week’s newsletter is highlighting different approaches to cities enhancing liveability for all citizens, ranging from community-driven projects to smart city roadmaps.

Our first story is that the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has announced an investment of $36 million in fast action community projects, aimed at improving liveability for older adults. By funding innovative initiatives in various cities, the AARP aims to enhance accessibility, transportation, housing, and social engagement for older residents. These projects foster age-friendly environments, encouraging healthy and active lifestyles while ensuring that older adults can age in place comfortably.

Remaining in the US, this week also brought the news that City of San Antonio in Texas has embarked on an ambitious journey to become smarter by launching a community-driven smart city roadmap. Recognising the importance of involving citizens in shaping the city's future, San Antonio is actively engaging its residents to co-create a sustainable and inclusive vision. This initiative encourages collaboration between the government, community organisations, businesses, and citizens to identify challenges, set priorities, and develop solutions.

Meanwhile, turning our attention to Europe, we reported on the “gold standard” of liveability, as Vienna regained its position as the world's most liveable city, according to the Economist Intelligence: EIU Intelligence Unit (EIU) Liveability Index. The city has consistently excelled in various factors such as stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education, and infrastructure. The city’s continued commitments to affordable housing, efficient public transportation, extensive green spaces, and vibrant cultural have been significant contributors to its liveability ranking.

If nothing else, these stories demonstrate that liveability in cities is a multifaceted concept that requires a comprehensive approach. By investing in the well-being of residents, cities can foster a sense of belonging, improve social cohesion, and ensure that urban areas are not just functional but also enjoyable places to live, work, and play.

For more on these themes, you’ll find it in our dedicated Governance & Citizen section, or for the week’s most popular stories and articles, take a look below.

Luke Antoniou , Senior editor, SmartCitiesWorld

Here is a summary of our most popular news stories and articles of the week:

1. Why energy efficiency is the low-hanging fruit of climate action
2. Colorado Smart Cities Alliance launches tech challenge
3. How the City of Coral Gables is making data more meaningful
4. AARP invests $3.6m in fast-action community projects
5. Lisbon Metro introduces contactless transit payments
6. Active travel tool provides breakthrough data
7. San Antonio launches community-driven smart city roadmap
8. BP invests €7.5m in Berlin EV charging service provider
9. Vienna returns to top of the EIU Liveability Index
10. Ferrovial partners to identify vertiport locations in the UK
11. Lyft EV drivers offered coast-to-coast discounted charging
12. Citibeats citizen voice platform integrates ChatGPT
13. How much do consumers care about green transport options?
14. Civic ID platform revenue to grow by 62 per cent by 2027
15. ￡30m clean air initiative launches at London Climate Week
16. Partnership aims to revolutionise traffic analytics
17. How can city data spaces transform data-sharing?
18. BAI brings high-speed 5G infrastructure to London venue
19. Neom and Volocopter complete electric taxi flights in Saudi
20. Seoul implements smart intersection testbed
21. Paris mayor to boost global climate change finance efforts