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- World Cities Day is celebrated annually on 31 October to promote urban globalisation and sustainable development globally.
- Technology-driven cities and smart urban planning can improve public safety and reduce health risks.
- Dahua Technology and Hanwha Vision are leading providers of technologies to develop smart, sustainable cities.
What is World Cities Day?
World Cities Day is celebrated annually on 31 October and serves as an opportunity to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world.
The day of global observance was first established by the UN in 2014. Each year it is held in a different city, and the day focuses on a specific theme.
The theme for 2025 — “Promoting People-Centred Smart Cities” — highlights the growing role of technology, data, and AI in creating safer, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments. This year’s global observance takes place in Bogotá, Colombia, a city known for its rapid urban transformation, public transport innovation, and commitment to inclusive development.
Why smart cities matter more than ever
Urban areas continue to grow and now house more than half the world’s population. Smart cities use technology integrated with urban infrastructure to improve quality of life through efficient resource management, real-time data, and citizen-focused services.
The World Health Organisation joins the UN and its partners in observing this day each year, emphasizing how smart urban planning can reduce health risks, from non-communicable diseases and infectious outbreaks to injuries and violence. When cities are intelligently designed, they become healthier, more resilient spaces.
Dahua and the tech behind tomorrow’s cities
Smart cities are only possible through the innovations of global tech companies. Dahua Technology, a leading provider of video-centric smart IoT solutions, is at the forefront of building safer, data-driven cities.
Dahua says that its Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) is widely deployed in cities worldwide. The traffic enforcement system helps to reduce traffic accidents by increasing driver awareness. The system detects multiple traffic violations to improve road efficiency and safety. Dahua’s key contributions include:
ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition): Tracks vehicles in real-time, improves traffic flow, and assists law enforcement with high-accuracy plate recognition systems.
Smart Parking Monitors: Reduces congestion by guiding drivers to available spaces and enables dynamic pricing based on demand.
Speed Detection & Violation Monitoring: Enhances road safety through automated systems that reduce human error and bias in traffic enforcement.
Urban Surveillance & Public Safety: AI-powered cameras detect unusual behaviour, help locate missing persons, and assist in emergency response.
Other key players in the industry that provide tech for smart cities include Hanwha Vision and Honeywell. Hanwha provides AI-based security for smart transportation systems, whilst Honeywell contributes urban air quality sensors and building management systems that cut emissions and energy use. These technologies, when used responsibly, reduce crime and lower pollution. They create safer sustainable, liveable cities.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month and World Cities Day: an October intersection
World Cities Day coincides with the final day of Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As cities get smarter, their defences must too. A key takeaway from World Cities Day 2025 is that smart cities are not just about sensors or AI, they’re about people. The best technologies are those that serve communities, empower governments, and bridge inequality gaps.
Smart infrastructure, including traffic systems, surveillance and emergency alerts all rely on secure, encrypted data environments. A single breach can cripple essential services. Dahua, Hanwha Vision and Honeywell embed cybersecurity protocols directly into their platforms, using encryption, AI-based threat detection, and secure cloud storage to protect public assets and privacy.
Dahua have demonstrated their commitment to leading cybersecurity protocols by achieving internationally recognised cybersecurity certifications, such as the Common Criteria (ISO/IEC 15048) EAL 3+ certificate and ISO/IEC 27701 for Privacy Information Management System. Similarly, Hanwha Vision has obtained IEC 62443-4-1 Certification for Industrial Cybersecurity Capability and complies with the ISO 27001 Certification for Information Security Management.
Conclusion: building the future of cities
Tech leaders are proving that with the right tools, and the right partnerships, we can build cities that are not only smart, but also safe, sustainable, and human-centred. This World Cities Day, we recognise the growing role of technology, data, and AI in creating safer, healthier, and more sustainable urban environments.
Smart cities are made possible through the innovations of global tech companies such as Dahua Technology and Hanwha Vision, leading providers of systems that build safer, data-driven cities and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world.
