In 2010, technology and consulting company IBM created the Smarter Cities Challenge, a competitive grant program (recipients are awarded $500,000) intended to help cities address critical issues. Experts from different IBM business units work closely with municipal leaders and make recommendations on how to make the city smarter and more effective. For 2014, 16 cities and regions were selected from more than 100 applicants from around the world. Click through the pages of this gallery to see which cities and regions were selected and issues they are looking to tackle.