IoT markets hold important opportunities Abdulqader Ali, CEO, Smartworld Image Credit: Supplied Urban populations are multiplying across the world, but cities are experiencing certain challenges in terms of keeping up with the demands from an increasing population. As the silent force that has transformed and developed our world, technology is now being leveraged to better deal with the growing urbanization and to build smarter cities. Since the 1950s, the urban population has experienced approximately sixfold growth, from 751 million to over 4 billion in 2018 — over half of the planet's population. In the next 30 years, cities are anticipated to add yet another 2.5 billion more people. This constant migration of rural people to cities puts intense pressure on public services and urban planning. This is why urban areas are undertaking advanced solutions that are data-driven and powered by technology to reduce the same.