Drone Infrastructure Needs Attention From Cities

Nearly 70% of the world’s population could dwell in city centers by 2050 according to estimates. As cities look to solutions to challenges of city density, energy consumption and traffic congestion among others, they need help parsing which technologies can truly address their needs.

Michael Lake of Leading Cities, a nonprofit devoted to sustainable city infrastructure projects, discusses the QBE and AcelaCiTY Resilience Challenge, which enables entrepreneurs across the U.S. whose to showcase smart city projects and compete with others to address smart city issues. With more than 400 entrants, this year, Lake said the field features technology as well as non-technology-based solutions.

One entrant is a drone technology provider that works to create the infrastructure necessary for secure, efficient and sustainable drone delivery, whether for emergency services or consumer package delivery.

Lake noted that to date, only 1% has been invested in drone infrastructure. He compared this with the auto industry, which relies heavily on highway, road, traffic light and other city infrastructure to function safely and effectively.

For more, check out our conversation with Lake below. And register for the Smart Cities Summit here.