The Big Sip
Image: rankingroyals.com
The take: The fastest way to fix cities is software over concrete.
What happened: Cities deployed 1.7 billion IoT sensors last year, reducing weekly commutes by up to 90 minutes and energy waste by 30%. The same systems also built comprehensive surveillance networks.
Why it matters: Singapore's traffic system reduced congestion by around 8% in six months. London's bins send a text message when they are full. Barcelona's streetlights save €42.5 million annually. But each improvement requires constant data collection.
What to watch: Fresh USDOT SMART grants and EU AI Act rules will determine which deployments scale and which get stalled by privacy law and procurement delays in 2025–2026.
Reciepts
• [Primary] CMU SURTRAC pilot: −26% travel time, −21% emissions. (2012–2013 field test) Carnegie Mellon University+1
• [Report] McKinsey: smart mobility can cut average commutes 15–20% (2018 report). McKinsey & Company
• [Counter] OECD smart-city data governance: how to do privacy right (2025). OECD
Your rulers think they bought infrastructure. Tech companies know they bought a data farm with a traffic management feature.