Category: Smart Cities
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Buying a Diesel Car Today is Selfish and Irresponsible
We all know that pollution, like tobacco, kills! We also know that diesel fuel is extremely dirty. Unfortunately, until a few years ago, the automobile industry had deceived us into believing that diesel was as clean or cleaner than gasoline. Volkswagen, the German automaker caught installing cheating devices to pass emissions tests, went as far […]
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Uber drivers are helping company kill their own jobs
Uber needs only a few more years to start its driverless mobility services. Meanwhile its million-plus self-employed drivers are providing the company with money, data, and future customers before their jobs get permanently ditched. The company’s latest valuation, reported by the Wall Street Journal, is $68 billion. Its coffers are full and being used to […]
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Susan Etlinger: We are at a critical turning point about data
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming and in big waves. But the way it functions, analyzes, and makes decisions without human input is already affecting the lives of billions of people. We all need to understand the basic benefits and dangers of the technology to make sure AI become an useful tool. That was the main topic […]
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A young mayor tackles one of Europe’s most polluted capitals
As mayor of Tirana, Albania, Erion Veliaj has introduced alternatives modes of transport to the city’s traffic-clogged streets and made the public a full partner in the process. Tirana’s colorful buildings — Wikimedia Commons At a roundtable on walkable and cyclable cities at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona this week, Erion Veliaj, the mayor of […]
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Free Public Transport: a Good Idea?
If public transport were free in your city, would you leave your car at home? That was one question the Tallinn city government was about to answer last year when it introduced free public transport for all residents of the Estonian capital. The main benefits the city hoped to gain from such a dynamic move […]
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Sadiq Khan Pledges to Clean Up London’s Toxic Air
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced on Friday (May 13) that he will launch a formal policy consultation in a matter of weeks on a major package of measures to tackle air pollution in London. The new Mayor made the announcement during a visit to Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School, in Aldgate, […]
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No Free Parking — Leave Your Car At Home
Free and cheap parking is expensive for cities. It becomes a pull factor for commuters to bring their cars every day, together with the pollution they create, traffic congestion, accidents and lost revenue for public transport.
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Peterborough: a City Shaping Its Own DNA
Peterborough may not be the first city that pops to mind when one thinks of smart. The press tends to play up the big names like London, Paris and New York. But the smartest cities around the world are sometimes below the radar, transforming their economies with little fanfare. Peterborough’s profile is rising, however. Last November, […]