Urban Tech

At Cornell Tech, we define “urban tech” as a new field of study and an emerging sector of technology encompassing innovations that make cities more connected, livable, efficient, and accessible for people and businesses alike. 

Urban technology bridges the gap between the digital and the physical worlds through the lens of cities. In this digital age, we are faced with a collective task: updating urban infrastructure to not only optimize its performance and efficiency, but also to improve public health, the resilience of its critical systems, the vitality of its neighborhoods, the fairness of its governance, and the success of all of its citizens. Many new urban technologies are deployed either too slowly or too quickly and without due consideration of their impacts on citizens, institutions, and existing urban systems. However, if developed thoughtfully, these same technologies can open up enormous opportunities to address previously unsolvable challenges in cities.