Predictions for the future of "smart cities"

"Smart" cities — where technology makes life easier for the people who live and work there — are rapidly becoming reality, but there's still lots of work to do.

A news site, Smart Cities Dive, solicited predictions from readers and offered a list for 2022:

• The EV charging infrastructure will grow, becoming more convenient and resilient.
• The "digital divide" in data and technology will narrow, with high-speed internet becoming available to all city residents.
• "Curb management solutions" will grow more popular, as the pileup of food and package deliveries threatens to overwhelm us.
• Cities will make bolder climate commitments, like vowing to decarbonize buildings.
• E-bikes and shared mobility will continue to advance, for environmental reasons and convenience.

What they're saying: Wireless power will become prevalent, Hatem Zeine, founder of a wireless power company called Ossia, predicted to Smart Cities Dive.

• "Integrating wireless power into buildings and infrastructures will not only allow for reduced wiring and maintenance costs but will also enable consumers to power their smart homes and personal gadgets," Zeine said.
• "IoT sensors in these devices could track important data such as air quality, temperature, consumption of resources, health and activities around the city, allowing for streamlined analysis and improvements to be made sooner."

Go deeper: The future of "smart" cities is in streetlights