Across the globe, major tech companies and multinational developers are pouring billions of dollars into building futuristic “smart cities” designed to showcase cutting-edge infrastructure and architecture — and serve as models for new cities worldwide. From self-sustaining energy systems and driverless vehicles to software that runs metro areas like operating systems run computers, emerging cities in India, China, South Korea and elsewhere are introducing technology that backers say can reduce common urban problems such as pollution, crime and congestion. For cities to survive and grow, they contend, society must reinvent them. But critics question whether building new metropolises is wise when existing ones need attention. No smart cities are being built from scratch in the United States, but smart-growth strategies designed to make existing communities more livable are taking root from New York to Kansas.

David Hatch is a veteran technology journalist based in Arlington, Va., who previously served as a staff writer with the National Journal Group and Crain Communications in Washington, DC. His publishing credits include The Daily, Dallas Morning News, Advertising Age, Crain's New York Business and the Boston Herald. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.