The long-term acceptance of intelligent environments will depend less on their technical sophistication than on how they feel to inhabit. People embrace systems that feel helpful, calm and respectful.

As the late urban planner Jaime Lerner once argued, the future of architecture lies not in building new cities but in updating those that already exist. In a world where resources are finite and urban ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Adam writes about state and local policy and urban economic issues. Most Americans—more than 80% in a recent National Association ...