Tech Trends for Cities and States

Smart cities technology is well behind schedule, but the technology industry hasn’t given up on new digital solutions, self-driving cars, curb management, and AI-powered systems.

1 minute read

January 4, 2023, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


An article by Danielle McLean for Smart Cities gathers readers responses about the direction they expect technology trends to head in the new year.

“2023 will bring additional federal funding to improve transportation and further momentum around trends like electric bike and car adoption, office-to-housing conversions and more,” writes McLean to introduce the conversation.

The article lists trends like curb management; “smart transportation,” with a focus on safety and access; digital twins; shared vehicles; digital adoption by state and local governments; electric vehicle charging infrastructure; adaptive reuse; and more.

Some of the responses included in the article are from sources with a financial stake in technologies they are predicting will gain new levels of prominence, so some conflict of interest can be assumed. But as a measure of where the technology industry thinks and hopes it is headed in the near-term, the source article below has a lot more to consider.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

4 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

6 hours ago - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation