More cities around the globe are being designed and built with advanced technologies and sustainability at their core. These urban centres are integrating Internet of Things (IoT) devices, pioneering mobility solutions, prioritizing sustainability, and implementing advanced cybersecurity measures to create safer, smarter, and more efficient living environments. Here are eight of the most exciting futuristic cities set to redefine how we live, work, and interact in urban spaces.
1. NEOM, Saudi Arabia
In August 2022 the Saudi Arabian government unveiled visuals of The Line, a linear construction as tall as a 500 metre skyscraper, 200 meters wide, and 170 kilometres long, and covered with a glass-mirror facade. It is planned to be part of the NEOM mega-development in the north west of the country. NEOM is an ambitious $500 billion project that aims to be a city of the future, combining cutting-edge technology with sustainable living.

This tree-topped mega-city will span over 26,500 square kilometres, of which 95% will be preserved for nature, with an expected population of nine million people. It is designed to function as a high-tech hub powered by 100% renewable energy sources including wind, solar, and hydrogen.
Designed as a linear alternative to the traditional circular urban layout still used in most other futuristic cities, transport options will include autonomous vehicles, high-speed rail, and drone taxis to provide efficient movement without bottlenecks, traffic jams or pollution. The zero emission high-speed rail system will take just 20 minutes to travel the 170 kilometres from one end of The Line to the other. Vertical mobility solutions will also be implemented, allowing residents to access amenities, workplaces, and residential areas within a five-minute walk.
IoT devices will be embedded throughout the city to monitor and manage energy consumption, water usage, traffic, and waste management. Sensors and smart grids will optimize resource use in real time, strongly contributing to the city’s sustainability. Autonomous services are designed to make living at The Line as easy as possible.
As a smart city driven by data, it will be vital that everyone can trust in the security and reliability of the technology. The city will therefore integrate robust cybersecurity frameworks in homes, workplaces and public places to protect personal data and city infrastructure alike from potential cyber threats. This will ensure a safe digital environment for all residents, as is necessary in all futuristic cities.
However, that number of residents may not be as many as first intended. In April 2024 it was reported that Saudi Arabia has scaled back its medium-term ambitions for the desert development of Neom. By 2030, the government had hoped to have 1.5 million residents living in The Line. Now, officials expect the development will house fewer than 300,000 residents by that time, according to Bloomberg.
2. Smart Forest City, Cancun, Mexico
The city of Cancun in Mexico is an international tourist gateway to the country’s Caribbean coastline, its Mayan Riviera. The Mayan civilization was one of the most sophisticated cultures in pre-Columbus America, and flourished primarily from 250 A.D. to around 900 A.D., though the famous cliff top temple at Tulum, overlooking the Caribbean, wasn’t built until some time between 1200 A.D. and 1450 A.D. Ancient pyramids still provide vantage points above the forest treetops, and limestone roads connected Mayan cities. Now this region is going to host an equally impressive 21st century sustainable smart city built on a 557 hectare site near Cancun, and according to the Italian architect Stefano Boeri it will contain 7.5 million plants.

Once completed, with buildings including vegetation-covered skyscrapers, the Smart Forest City will absorb 116,000 tons of carbon dioxide with 5,800 tons of CO2 stocked per year. Ideally, this home for 130,000 residents will inspire further eco-efficient developments.
The design plans have sensors distributed within the building fabric to collect and share relevant information. Analysis will turn the data into suggestions in support of everyday life, such as where the most comfortable outdoor conditions can be found each day within the city.
Preventing the spread of diseases and making the most of energy use are among other benefits. The naturally hot and humid conditions support insects and other creatures that spread disease. Dynamic pricing of energy based on overall consumption will steer users to cheaper times of day when energy is more abundant.
The Italian architect has teamed up with German engineering partners to make the city self-sufficient in food and energy through measures including automated irrigation and solar panels.
An internal electric and semi-automatic mobility system developed by Milan urban and transportation planning firm MIC (Mobility in Chain) means all residents will leave vehicles on the fringes of the city.
3. BiodiverCity, Penang, Malaysia
BiodiverCity is a smart city project led by the Penang State Government (PSG) in Malaysia to bring to life a master plan designed by the Danish architects BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), working with other partners Ramboll and local architect Hijjas. Working together, the three of them won a challenge competition launched in January 2020 to design the futuristic Penang South Islands (PSI) city. PSG received a global response of 124 submissions from 26 countries, and five finalist consortium teams were selected in January 2020 to submit masterplan design proposals. BIG’s winning entry was to build a 1,821 hectare development spread across three man-made islands off the coast of Penang Island.

Urbanisation in Penang has in recent years had a negative impact on local biodiversity, which is one of the widest ranging examples in the world. The three islands were to be built as an intersection of nature and city living, stimulating cultural, economic and ecological growth in which people and nature coexist.
Utility services will be provided by renewable energy, localized water resources, and sophisticated waste management. Building construction will rely on green sustainable materials and methods, using a combination of bamboo, Malaysian timber and “green concrete” that uses recycled materials as aggregate. An autonomous transport network will completely eliminate the use of cars within the development.
The intention was to create not only a smart city reliant on leading edge technology, but also a way of living that is socially and economically open, fair and inclusive. Each island was to be home to 15,000 to 18,000 residents drawn largely from global talent, entrepreneurs, innovators and investors. However, in 2023 the plan was amended to be a single, larger island, and the first phase of work began to reclaim around 1,260 acres from the sea. The intended completion date is 2050.
4. Telosa, United States
Founded by billionaire Marc Lore, Telosa aims to be a smart city in the western U.S. that embodies principles of equity, sustainability, and inclusivity. It is designed (by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his studio BIG) to house five million people over 150,000 acres in a desert, and will be a smart city powered by IoT technology.

IoT devices and sensors will monitor everything from water usage to waste management, ensuring efficient resource use and sustainability. It will also focus on a “15-minute city” concept meaning residents should be able to access all essentials within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Autonomous electric shuttles will also provide convenient mobility options.
Telosa will employ advanced cybersecurity measures to protect the IoT capabilities, and residents’ data, to ensure a secure digital infrastructure for communication, transactions, and smart city functions.
Other aspects of Telosa represent societal and financial experiments, as well as architectural and technological. Marc Lore’s intention of equitable inclusivity could be delivered through the land being owned by a community endowment. This would mean increases in value could fund the city’s development (rather than add to personal wealth), with communal resident welfare as the main priority.
5. Songdo International Business District, South Korea
Songdo is one of the world’s first fully functional smart cities, designed from scratch to be a sustainable and interconnected urban hub. Although technically part of the city of Incheon, it has become a model for integrating technology into city planning.

Songdo was conceptualized in the early years of the 21st century as the antithesis of the over-crowded and polluted sprawl of Seoul. It would be a completely sustainable, high-tech city, designed for a future without cars, without pollution, and without overcrowded spaces. It occupies 1,500 acres of land reclaimed from the Yellow Sea. Construction began in 2003 and its main phase of development was largely completed by 2015. Work still continues today. The main architect is Kohn Pedersen Fox.
Thousands of IoT devices and sensors monitor traffic, energy consumption, and vehicle-free waste collection, making Songdo one of the world’s most efficient cities. Homes are operated by smartphone apps that control everything from heating and air conditioning, to artificial light levels.
In common with most futuristic cities it features smart traffic management, autonomous buses, and bike-sharing programs to enhance sustainability through reducing carbon emissions and easing traffic congestion.
Nearly 40% of the city’s area is reserved for green spaces, and all buildings are constructed with energy-efficient materials, minimizing the city’s overall environmental footprint. A 100-acre recreational park sits at the centre of the city’s rich urban fabric, and a network of sea canals is powered by wind turbines and refreshed every 24 hours.
Despite its high-tech appeal, there are a few reported challenges. Some residents describe Songdo as feeling a bit “sterile” or “too planned,” lacking the organic vibrancy of older, traditional cities like Seoul or Busan. Much of the infrastructure works through presenting an identity card. Signs everywhere warn of 24 hour surveillance. It can feel quiet, especially in the evenings, as it’s still developing its cultural scene. It certainly lacks the buzz of Korea’s capital, Seoul, which is about an hour’s drive away.
6. Woven City, Japan

Woven City, near Mount Fuji in Japan, is a real-world laboratory experiment mounted by the Toyota Motor Company. It is a top example of futuristic cities, and is being built on the 175 acre site of a former Toyota car factory. The first residents (Toyota employees) are scheduled to move in before the end of 2024.
It is being purpose-built at a cost of approximately US$10.5 billion to monitor the impact of a transport system that will exclusively use autonomous vehicles. Toyota’s business aim is to progress from being a car maker to an all-round mobility provider for people, goods and data. Through the seamless integration of autonomous transport, robotics and IoT devices, Toyota intends to learn how enhanced mobility can improve delivery of healthcare, food and agriculture, energy, finance and education.
The city will be fully connected, with homes, buildings, and streets wired with IoT devices. On the roads, there will be dedicated lanes for pedestrians, personal mobility devices, and fast-moving vehicles. Residents’ smart homes will be typically made of wood, with solar panels and powered by hydrogen to enhance sustainability. The main architect, once again, is the Danish firm BIG.
Through an open collaboration policy, researchers and businesses from around the world will be able to apply to use Woven City to pursue projects relating to personal mobility, driverless technology, AI and robotics, and to test new products and services.
Given its heavy reliance on data, Woven City will incorporate advanced cybersecurity protocols to protect residents and infrastructure from cyber threats.
7. Amaravati, India

Following the redrawing of state boundaries between Andhra Pradesh and the newly created state of Telangana, renowned architects Foster + Partners designed the masterplan for a new government complex, which forms the central focus of the 217 square kilometre city of Amaravati. Located on the banks of the River Krishna, the emerging smart city of Amaravati will be the new high-tech and sustainable capital of Andhra Pradesh.
The city’s centre’s focal point will be a government building topped with a striking needle-like structure, looking out over the central district’s area which will be 60% dedicated to lush green spaces and water elements. With an abundant supply of fresh water from the River Krishna, Amaravati will be one of the most sustainable of all cities in the world, not just compared to other futuristic cities.
Real-time data from IoT sensors will optimize traffic management, energy consumption, and waste disposal, contributing to the city’s sustainability goals and residents’ personal mobility.
Electric buses, cycle tracks, water taxis and pedestrian-friendly pathways will promote eco-friendly mobility, while smart traffic signals will reduce congestion and improve safety. Shaded streets and squares will encourage people to walk through the city.
Amaravati will leverage advanced cybersecurity measures to protect the city’s critical data and infrastructure from potential cyberattacks.
8. Masdar City, United Arab Emirates
Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi, is one of the world’s most sustainable urban developments and a pioneer in clean technology. Designed to be a low-carbon city, it incorporates advanced IoT solutions and renewable energy sources to create a sustainable urban ecosystem.

The concept for Masdar City was launched by the Abu Dhabi government in 2006 under the Masdar Initiative, a program aimed at diversifying the emirate’s economy and positioning the UAE as a leader in renewable energy and sustainability. The city is another one designed by the British architectural firm Foster + Partners, led by Norman Foster. The goal was to create a zero-carbon, zero-waste, and car-free city, powered entirely by renewable energy. It was initially envisioned to house 50,000 residents, 40,000 commuters, and numerous research and development institutions, companies, and startups.
Construction officially started in 2008. The city was planned to cover six square kilometres and sustainable design features were integrated early on. They included narrow streets to maximise shade and wind cooling (reducing the temperature by 5 to 10C), blending traditional Arab architecture with modern technology such as solar power facilities, including one of the largest photovoltaic installations in the Middle East.
In 2010, due to the global financial crisis and challenges in scaling up the city’s ambitious goals, the timeline and scope of the project were scaled back. Initial plans to finish the entire city by 2015 were extended. The revised plan emphasised phased development over several decades, allowing flexibility as new sustainable technologies emerged. The target date for completion was adjusted to 2030, and the area now aims to eventually be big enough for a revised target of 40,000 residents.
In the meantime, IoT devices manage energy use, air quality, and waste, while smart streetlights adjust lighting based on human presence, reducing energy consumption and improving sustainability. The city features a network of autonomous electric vehicles and driverless personal rapid transit pods, making movement around the city efficient and eco-friendly. Masdar City is designed to reduce water and energy consumption by 40%, which is very important given its desert location with temperatures regularly reaching 47C. Solar panels and wind turbines provide renewable energy to power the city.
Conclusion
These eight futuristic cities not only showcase how advanced technologies such as IoT devices, mobility solutions, sustainability initiatives, and cybersecurity are redefining urban living, but also how the location of futuristic cities no longer depends on former criteria such as access to a fossil fuel supply or proximity to a trade route. As these cities continue to develop, they will set benchmarks for how we design, build, and manage smart, efficient, and sustainable urban spaces for future generations. At least one of our selection was the result of a challenge competition that crowdsourced entries. Several are societal and social as well as architectural and logistical experiments. Some are also elaborate PR exercises aiming to reposition national or corporation identities in an online future. Perhaps the learnings from some of these developments will even influence the design of human habitats in space, where the use of IoT devices and sustainability will be paramount.
BOLD Awards VI, 2025
The entry deadline for BOLD Awards VI has now closed. However, in addition to category finalists, non-entrants can request a VIP Invitation to attend the BOLD Awards gala dinner in Lisbon, Portugal, on Friday March 28th, 2025. These are strictly limited in number, and provide a rare opportunity to be part of a unique celebration to highlight and reward multiple forms of outstanding digital innovation. Network with some of the world’s finest innovators, entrepreneurs and disruptors, plus the category sponsors!
Winners will be announced to collect their awards at the gala dinner. This BOLD Awards VI edition is supported through strategic partnerships with APDC (Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications) and Unicorn Factory Lisboa, two prominent organizations dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurial success.