Smart cities offer new opportunities (and potential problems). China is leading the way:

The results reflect years of investment by the Chinese government in smart cities. Hundreds of Chinese cities have pilot programs, and by some estimates, China has half of the world’s smart cities. The spread of edge computing, cameras, and sensors using 5G wireless connections is expected to accelerate use of smart-city and surveillance technology.

Given both the rapid urbanization of China plus the adoption of smart cities, this will create an interesting mix. Will this lead to more global cities in China? Different forms of urban life compared to those elsewhere in the world? New innovations that build on the smart city platform?