Ride-hailing, bike-sharing and other "new mobility" services are already changing how people get around in cities around the world -- but not always for the better, especially for lower-income people. Governments can incentivize these services through policy to reduce congestion, improve safety and improve quality of life for all citizens, not just the wealthy, Aniruddha Dasgupta and Guangzhe Chen write.

City Brain, an AI-powered smart traffic system that analyzes roads in real time to coordinate signals, has dramatically reduced congestion in Hangzhou, China, according to Alibaba, which created the system. More cities in China and elsewhere are experimenting with City Brain and other smart traffic systems to lessen commute times and optimize emergency services.

Beijing has implemented electronic meters for street parking spots in three districts since the start of the year. The government plans to expand the smart parking program to the entire city by year-end.

Mike Zeto, general manager of AT&T's Smart Cities business, talks about internet of things innovations that are changing how cities deal with crime, traffic and more in this interview from CES 2019. He says AT&T's smart sensors are listening for gunshots, monitoring traffic and air quality, and making sure street lights are working.

There's a high risk of secondary accidents while first responders are dealing with crashes and investigating the scene, but drone technology and 3D printing can cut down on that vulnerable time by quickly mapping crash scenes so traffic can return to normal much sooner. The sheriff's department in Tippecanoe County, Ind., experimented with drone imaging in 2018 and found that and it "can cut 60 percent off the down time for traffic flow following a crash," Capt. Robert Hainje says.

The internet of things could make heavy use of 5G's ability to handle large amounts of data, although Paul Bevan of Bloor, a consulting and advisory firm, says many IoT devices can still function well without it. "It is in areas requiring low latency, such as autonomous vehicles or, further down the track, remote robotic surgery that 5G really comes into its own," Bevan adds.