Singapore’s lifelong ambition to become the smartest city in the world has been supported by its government’s proactive efforts to transform a country with limited resources into one of the most innovative, sustainable and tech-savvy cities in the world. Internet of Things (IoT)-related applications to improve the quality of life, such as behavioural monitoring for smoking, smart parking, CCTV and transport systems are already at mature stages.

"More connectivity is better." "The transfer of technology and best practices" through learning networks of cities are "incredibly important, more important than every climate summit that's ever been held in the world [...] " We spoke to him about his theory of a new, more connected world, the importance of knowledge exchanges between cities and how the challenges of inequality and environmental degradation in a rapidly urbanising world.
 

To promote cultural and commercial ties, encourage tourism, develop educational tie-ups, exchange technology and cooperate in a host of other spheres, Agra Municipal Corporation (AMC) signed a sister city agreement with Chengdu city of China on Thursday. A delegation from the neighbouring country visited Agra Municipal Corporation office on Thursday afternoon for the purpose.

A year after COP21 and the adoption of the Paris Agreement, international policymakers are still struggling to convert targets into action. This is clearly indicated by the title of the recent followup COP in Marrakech: Turn the Promise of Paris into Action. But as the international community putters along, cities and local communities are already staking out the front lines of the fight against climate change.

Paradiplomacy has the potential to not only strengthen the federal structure of the Indian state but also radically alter the trajectory of Indian foreign policy by helping regional governments to realise their potential in the conduct of cross border relations.

How did Brand Dubai rise in such a short time span? Three elements sum it well. Passionate people, great products with a global connect, and popular annual events like the Dubai shopping Festival and Dubai duty Free tennis. The city embodies a rich character with a pioneering spirit, a commitment to innovation, the pursuit of excellence and prosperity, while embracing vast cultural diversity.

History shows that cities have tended to embrace international opportunities in waves and cycles. They rarely break out into global activity by themselves. Cities participate in collective movements or networks to take advantage of new conditions, and often their demise or withdrawal from a global orientation is also experienced jointly with other cities as circumstances change, affecting many at once.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed often says that cities are where the global economy is most readily influenced and where its impacts are most easily felt. The mayor, who visited the Paris climate talks last year for a city leaders forum, has an ideological ally in the newly arrived French consul general in Atlanta, Louis de Corail.