SmartCitiesWorld Weekly Update - 9 June 2023

With health warnings over air quality in place in New York due to wildfires in Canada, and a city skyline that wouldn't look out of place in a Ridley Scott movie, it seems fitting to focus this week's newsletter on what is being achieved in urban climate action.?

That begins in the City of Flagstaff , Arizona, which has announced plans to implement a new decarbonisation, energy and water efficiency programme through an energy performance contract (EPC). It has contracted with energy and sustainable solutions provider, NORESCO , for the $4.4m project which, the company claims, will provide $6.1m in guaranteed savings and will enable critical infrastructure upgrades while accelerating progress on Flagstaff’s Climate Neutrality Plan. The plans have been hailed as a "critical next step for the City of Flagstaff’s commitment to carbon neutrality" by mayor Becky Daggett .??

Elsewhere in the US, we reported that Williamson County in Texas is set to deploy what has been described as “world-first” operational flood intelligence to enhance its emergency preparation, response and recovery during flood events. Williamson County is vulnerable to flooding disasters, and the associated damage, injury, and loss of life and property. Its new contract with FloodMapp will see the Australian-based startup supply the Williamson County’s Office of Emergency Management with its ForeCast, NowCast, and PostCast products, which is expected to help emergency responders and the public take appropriate action ahead of a flood event, as well as support flood response activities.?

In recognition of positive climate action achievements, we also reported this week on the?eleven mayors who have been recognised for their leadership in addressing the effects of climate change with a 2023 Mayors’ Climate Protection Award.?Denver mayor Michael Hancock and his city’s Climate Protection Fund and River Forest mayor Catherine Adduci and her Cross Community Climate Collaborative were named this year’s top award winners during the US Conference of Mayors' 91st annual meeting.?

Urban climate action has been a significant focus for SmartCitiesWorld in the last 18 months, and that culminated in April's Cities Climate Action Summit. We're pleased to say that the Summit is now available to watch on demand in its entirety – simply click the link to browse and find out how you can get your pass to access all sessions today.?

Luke Antoniou , Senior editor, SmartCitiesWorld

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

1. Phoenix covers 100 miles of streets with cool paving
2. How Fort Lauderdale is creating a vibrant and relevant night-time economy
3. Keflavik Airport uses real-time data to direct passengers
4. How Fort Lauderdale is creating a vibrant and relevant night-time economy
5. Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 11 – Gareth Morgan, Cape Town – Mainstreaming and institutionalising urban resilience
6. Podcast: Re-evaluating smart cities for a joined-up future
7. Cities Climate Action Summit 2023: driving global change for a green future
8. Optimising public transport holds key for sustainable cities
9. London smart cycling project aims to promote active travel
10. Williamson County boosts flood preparation and response
11. City of Flagstaff plans critical infrastructure upgrades
12. Leeds gears up for electric bike launch
13. Singapore unveils master-planned digital infrastructure
14. Partnership proposals invited for US green bank network
15. Toronto Transit awards contract for up to 621 electric buses
16. Global platform supports proximity in urban planning
17. Egypt’s first Smart Cities Experience Centre opens in Cairo
18. 10 cities named winners of cycling infrastructure initiative
19. US mayors recognised for leadership on climate action
20. City of Helsinki launches event carbon footprint calculator
21. Welsh authorities use AI sensors to monitor speed limits
22. Serve strikes Uber Eats deal to scale robotic delivery
23. Virginia Beach launches mobile ticketing for summer visitors