Cities Big And Small Race To Be Smart

"Smart city" might be a real estate industry buzzword, but it is a concept that has grown well beyond the promises of early adopters.

The drive to install smart technology in an urban setting is going to accelerate in the coming years. Smart city tech worldwide spending was $80B in 2016, and is forecast to grow to $135B by 2021, according to a report by International Data Corp.

A smart city is one that uses IT — especially the Internet of Things — to enhance the quality of urban services: transit, energy use, waste management, public safety and more.