What Are Smart Cities (And Why Should We Care)?

You can be forgiven if your first reaction to hearing the term "smart cities" is an eye roll. Sure, we have smart diapers, smart toothbrushes and smart faucets, but cities? How is that even possible? While the word is a bit amorphous, there's no question that smart cities are a thing and an important one at that. Cities are the locus of much of the world's population and economic activity. By 2050, a full 66 percent of the world is expected to reside in one, according to the United Nations.