Public Safety

Four communities are piloting visual icons to provide more transparency about technology that is deployed in public spaces, such as sensors and cameras. The initiative aims to increase trust around smart city projects and give residents a new...

Reports of spontaneous e-scooter fires and explosions have recently gathered pace. Christopher Carey looks at what’s behind the issue and what more can be done to increase safety. The benefits of a compact, fast and fully electric mode...

Prague has claimed a European first with the launch of a chatbot for Ukrainian refugees. The chatbot is designed for both people who want to offer help and those who are fleeing the war and arriving in the...

San Diego City Council has approved the creation of a Privacy Board to advise on the acquisition and use of surveillance technologies. It will comprise nine volunteer members, six of whom must be city residents, appointed by the...

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv residents used the city’s official app to buy transport tickets and pay for parking but overnight it has been transformed into a life-saving tool. The Kyiv Digital app – which has...

The City of Somerville in Massachusetts is piloting sensor-equipped rat traps that provide real-time data to inform pest control. Working with partner Modern Pest Services, the city will install 50 SMART Boxes in four neighbourhoods for the five-month...

A colourised powder formula for improved disinfection, a micromobility firm that studies how e-bikes and scooters can be integrated into mass transit, and a tool that optimises bus performance were the three pilot programmes selected for the New...

Chicago has completed a massive streetlight modernisation project that has improved the quality of night-time visibility throughout the city and is projected to save taxpayers US$100 million in electricity costs over the next ten years. The Chicago Smart...

Researchers from University College London (UCL) are working with micromobility operators to research and develop a ‘universal sound’ for e-scooters to alert pedestrians and other road users of their approach. The sound will be developed at the university’s...

Private companies, research institutions and government organisations in Amsterdam are now obliged to report sensors deployed in public spaces. The information is being displayed via an online map to give residents more insight into how, where and what...