Verdict lists the top five terms tweeted on future cities in Q2 2021, based on data from GlobalData's Influencer Platform. The top tweeted terms are the trending industry discussions happening on Twitter by key individuals (influencers) as tracked by the platform. The importance of analytics and visualisations for city governments, how smart cities can unlock the full potential of IoT, and the applications of IoT in smart cities and smart buildings were some of the trending discussions in Q2. Kirk Borne, data scientist at DataPrime, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based solutions provider, shared an article on the importance of analytics and visualisation for city governments. Government policymakers are required to collect and store data to ensure data privacy across organisations and to enable the provision of services that boost the economy.

With its ambitious project to build Woven City -- a fully-connected, human-centered city at the base of Mount Fuji -- Toyota Motor Corp. aims to become a world leader in smart city technology. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rethink of how people move and live, and has reinforced the need to create technology that supports "happy, healthy" human life, says Toyota Chief Digital Officer James Kuffner. "Woven City is not meant to be a technology bubble where the technology stays only within Woven City. It's really meant to be a place where we incubate it, test it, accelerate it and then export it all over the world," Kuffner said in a recent interview. For countries like Japan, addressing the challenges posed by the graying of society -- such as mobility and healthy living -- is an urgent task.

The US federal government should do more to fund research and facilitate collaboration which helps cities tap the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, says a new report from non-profit thinktank the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). "Smart cities offer an important opportunity to address both infrastructure needs and strained state and local budgets at the same time," the report says, noting the large revenue shortfalls many cities face due to the pandemic. Cities can use AI in transport, the electrical grid, buildings, city operations and more. Similarly, a 2020 report from Microsoft and PwC found that AI-enabled decarbonisation technologies could reduce the carbon intensity of the global economy. ITIF's research outlines several key challenges to deployment.

As the Internet of Things continues to permeate more areas of modern life, we've begun to see the rise of the "smart city." These urban areas leverage IoT technology like sensors and beacons to collect data and better manage a city's resources, services and operations. This ultimately makes a city safer and can improve the quality of life for residents. Because this smart city technology is virtually invisible to those who aren't operating it, many outside of the tech industry may not realize the full impact IoT can have on urban life. Below, 14 experts from Forbes Technology Council explain some of the current and upcoming tech innovations that are changing the way cities function.

Many countries have introduced social distancing measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand if these recommendations are effective, we need to assess how far they are being followed. To assist with this, our team has developed an urban data dashboard to help understand the impact of social distancing measures on people and vehicle movement within a metropolitan city in real time. The Newcastle University Urban Observatory was established to better understand the dynamics of movement in a city. It makes use of thousands of sensors and data sharing agreements to monitor movement around the city, from traffic and pedestrian flow to congestion, car park occupancy and bus GPS trackers.

Our cities are growing at an uncontrollable rate. The UN estimates that there are now 33 megacities with a population of over 10 million, (five in India and six- or more-in China), and the largest city in the world, Tokyo, has close to 37.5 million people. As cities sprawl into green space and their inhabitants endure increasingly cramped and polluted conditions, accurate planning about how urban spaces function is more important than ever. With the climate crisis looming, data and new technology could be our best option to create more liveable and sustainable cities. Part one of this series will focus on visualizing how cities are growing, how to plan them more accurately and sustainably, and explore how smart technologies can make cities more efficient now and in the future.

Our cities are growing at an uncontrollable rate. The UN estimates that there are now 33 megacities with a population of over 10 million, (five in India and six--or more--in China), and the largest city in the world, Tokyo, has close to 37.5 million people. As cities sprawl into green space and their inhabitants endure increasingly cramped and polluted conditions, accurate planning about how urban spaces function is more important than ever. With the climate crisis looming, data and new technology could be our best option to create more livable and sustainable cities. Part one of this series will focus on visualizing how cities are growing, how to plan them more accurately and sustainably, and explore how smart technologies can make cities more efficient now and in the future.

AI research at US agencies includes work on autonomous systems, predictive maintenance, smart cities technology, and more. The US government sees a need for increased emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI) research and development. To address this, the federal government plans to spend almost $1 billion in nondefense artificial intelligence research and development in fiscal 2020, according to a supplemental report to the president's budget request. See also: Real-Time Analytics in Big, "Brutal" Environments Already work is underway across agencies to make use of all forms AI, including projects involving applications of continuous intelligence (CI) based on AI-assisted, real-time analysis of streaming data. NASA: To accommodate longer journeys, NASA is funding a project to build smart habitats that are livable and operate autonomously while vacant.

VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. (CSE:VSBY) (OTC:VSBGF) (5VS.F) is uniquely positioned to facilitate the growth of smart city technology in the Latin American market, according to company co-founder and CEO Jay Hutton. This will be made possible through the company's just announced three-year agreement with intelligent lighting solutions provider Energetika. VSBLTY is to provide real time crowd analytics and audience measurement for Latin American communities. Hutton explained how VSBLTY's technology is ideal for the growth of smart cities in the region. "If you think of smart cities as a three-legged stool: the one leg is information, the second is analytics and the third is facial recognition for the purposes of law enforcement," said Hutton.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and financial firm Deloitte have made a major investment at this year's Consumer Electronics Show to highlight smart cities technology and encourage attendees to explore the solutions presented by this emerging sector. Companies that are pioneering new solutions include major brands like Bosch, Ford, Nissan, and Ericsson. They and others will be on hand to explore new opportunities in smart transportation, smart grids, public safety, cybersecurity, health care, artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), and more. This year, more than 11,000 square feet of the show, which is held annually in Las Vegas, will be dedicated to The Smart Cities Marketplace, presented by the CTA, the industry's trade organization, and Deloitte. It will feature smart city-enabling technology and solutions.