| | | | Welcome to the June edition of Urban Insights. As cities, communities and organizations navigate an increasingly complex world, one theme continues to emerge above all others: the need to place people at the center of transformation. In this edition, Professor Tim Stonor challenges conventional thinking by drawing unexpected connections between a humble potato crop, Earth Observation Data and the future of human-centric cities. His thought-provoking feature explores why understanding people and place remains the most valuable data of all. We also explore the growing Healthspan movement with Dr Melissa Grill-Petersen, examine emerging AI risks with Twyla Jackson, showcase innovative technologies from NCS, and celebrate the launch of the SCC Marketplace—our new global platform connecting project owners with transformational products, services and solutions. Whether your focus is policy, technology, infrastructure, governance or community wellbeing, this edition offers fresh perspectives, practical insights and bold ideas for shaping smarter, more resilient futures. Please enjoy “Urban Insights” Edition 2 and share it with your friends. If you have feedback or would like to know how you could contribute to Urban Insights, please Click Here. | | | | | | English Potatoes & Croatian Cabbages Where Bio-urbanism & Biophilia Meet, Human-centricity Takes Root By Corey Gray, Chair & President, Smart Cities Council
In this deeply personal reflection, Smart Cities Council President Corey Gray explores the intersection of people, place and purpose through an unlikely lens: potatoes, cabbages and the lessons of history. Drawing inspiration from Professor Tim Stonor's observations on Earth Observation Data and a famous story from Roman Emperor Diocletian, Corey challenges readers to reconsider what is truly real, valuable and measurable in an increasingly complex world. From bio-urbanism and biophilia to human-centricity and community wellbeing, this thought-provoking piece examines why understanding people in their place may be the most important data of all. It is a reflection on cities, relationships, resilience and the enduring value of deep engagement in a world often distracted by noise. As Urban Insights Edition 2 begins, Corey invites readers into the SCC garden to explore a future where technology, humanity and place are better connected. | | | | | |
On potatoes & Earth Observation Data: the benefits of ‘home-grown’ Reflections on the World Urban Forum & the challenges facing urban planning practice
By Tim Stonor, Managing Director Space Syntax What if the future of urban planning isn't just being observed from space, but shaped from the ground up? In this thought-provoking reflection from the World Urban Forum in Baku, urbanist Tim Stonor explores the evolving role of Earth Observation Data and challenges conventional assumptions about where valuable planning intelligence comes from. While satellite imagery continues to transform our understanding of urban growth, environmental change and infrastructure needs, Tim argues that some of the most powerful data is being generated much closer to home. Drawing on examples from community-led mapping initiatives, drone-based surveys and grassroots data collection efforts, the article highlights how local knowledge can strengthen planning outcomes, empower communities and help address the global shortage of professional planning capacity. It presents a compelling case for combining top-down technology with bottom-up expertize to create more inclusive, responsive and sustainable cities. Read the full article to discover why a 'home-grown' approach may be the key to better urban futures. | | | | | | Grounding AI: How Organizations Are Moving from Good Guesses to Verifiable Truth By Kevin McCaffrey, CEO/Founder Tr3Dent Organizations everywhere are racing to implement AI, yet many are discovering a critical challenge: how do you ensure the answers generated are accurate, compliant and based on trusted information? Without proper controls, AI can produce convincing responses that are outdated, misleading or entirely incorrect. For organizations operating in regulated environments, that risk can quickly become a governance issue. In this edition of What's Working, we explore how one global organization transformed its approach to Agentic AI by grounding it to verified internal and external sources of truth. The result was greater accuracy, stronger compliance and increased confidence in AI-generated outputs. As governments, businesses and smart city leaders increasingly adopt AI-driven tools, the lessons from this project offer valuable insights into one of the most important questions facing organizations today: how do you move from AI-generated guesses to trustworthy, verifiable intelligence? Read the full story to discover what is working. | | | | | | Beyond Smart Technology: The Global Shift Towards Shared Capability and Reuse By Mark Thomas, Regional Lead - New Zealand, Smart Cities Council Across New Zealand, councils are embracing AI, digital twins, automation and data-driven decision-making. Yet despite significant investment and innovation, many local authorities continue to tackle similar challenges independently, often duplicating effort, resources and expertize. What if there was a better way? In this edition of Global Trends, Mark Thomas explores the concept of a Smart Collaboration Hub—a shared platform designed to help councils discover, access and reuse proven frameworks, tools, case studies and smart city solutions already developed across the sector. Drawing on lessons from leading international collaboration models in Denmark, the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond, the article examines how shared capability, trusted networks and practical reuse could become the next evolution of smart local government. As councils face increasing financial pressures and growing community expectations, the question is no longer whether collaboration is important—but how quickly it can be scaled. | | | | | | The Trojan Horse Problem In AI: The Real Risk Isn’t Intelligence — It’s Unauthorized Participation By Twyla Jackson, Founder Helixis Technology Corp As AI systems evolve from tools into autonomous participants, society may be focusing on the wrong threat. In this edition of Urban Insights, Twyla Jackson examines how the real risk of AI may not stem from intelligence, but from unauthorized participation inside trusted infrastructure. Drawing parallels to the Trojan Horse, the article explores why capability alone is no longer enough in an autonomous era where machines increasingly negotiate, transact and interact without direct human oversight. From banking and aviation to cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, the future may depend less on smarter systems and more on governance frameworks capable of determining who — or what — is authorized to participate. This thought-provoking piece challenges current AI narratives and highlights why trusted participation may become the defining infrastructure issue of the century. | | | | | | Lighting in transition: Asset owners must budget now for a post‑halogen, post‑fluorescent, post HID lighting world. By Malcom Richards, CEO Lighting Council Australia Australia's lighting landscape is undergoing a significant transformation. With halogen, fluorescent and many high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps being progressively phased out under new energy efficiency and mercury reduction regulations, asset owners can no longer rely on a simple "replace as required" approach. In this article, Lighting Council Australia explores the implications of these changes for councils, government agencies, infrastructure owners and facility managers. As replacement lamps become increasingly difficult to source, organizations face growing risks related to maintenance, cost, compliance and service continuity. The transition to LED lighting presents more than just an opportunity for energy savings. Modern LED systems can support smart city initiatives, improve operational efficiency, reduce emissions and provide the foundation for connected urban infrastructure. Now is the time for organizations to audit existing assets, align renewal programs with phase-out timelines and develop strategic plans that position lighting as a critical component of future-ready communities. | | | | | | For decades, smart cities have measured success through technology, efficiency, and digital transformation. But as cities become smarter, an important question remains: are the people living within them becoming healthier, more resilient, and better equipped to thrive? In this thought-provoking article, Dr. Melissa Grill-Petersen, Founder of Human Longevity Institute, explores why Healthspan—the years we live in good health, vitality, and functional capacity—must become a core metric of future city development. She examines the growing global challenge of chronic disease, burnout, and declining human resilience, and introduces The Healthspan Model™, a pioneering framework developed in partnership with Smart Cities Council. By focusing on People, Planet, and Systems, the model provides a practical pathway for governments, industry, and communities to create environments that actively enhance human wellbeing, productivity, and long-term societal prosperity. | | | | | | | | | | By Khaled Daher, SCC Global Thought Leader, Mobility; Senior Lecturer in Smart Cities, ZIGURAT Institute of Technology
As cities around the world grapple with rapid urbanisation, congestion and sustainability challenges, mobility is emerging as one of the most critical foundations of future city success. In this thought-provoking article, Khaled Daher explores why smart mobility is about far more than transport. From Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and digital twins to trusted data ecosystems and inclusive mobility design, he examines how connected mobility systems are reshaping urban planning and creating more liveable, resilient and economically productive communities. Discover why the cities that thrive in the decades ahead will be those that place people, connectivity and accessibility at the centre of their mobility strategies. A must-read for city leaders, planners, policymakers and technology innovators shaping the future of urban environments. | | | | | |
By NCS Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded across the systems that shape modern cities — from transport and utilities to planning, infrastructure and citizen services. But as adoption accelerates, the challenge for city leaders is no longer simply whether AI can improve services, but whether these systems can be properly governed, controlled and audited. In this edition of Urban Insights, we explore why sovereign AI is emerging as a critical issue for cities and connected infrastructure environments. Beyond data residency, sovereign AI also includes operational control, auditability, vendor access, model governance and accountability across the full AI lifecycle. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into public infrastructure, cities that build secure, explainable and governable AI foundations from the outset will be better positioned to scale innovation with trust, resilience and long-term operational confidence. | | | | | | The future of cities is being shaped by artificial intelligence, connected infrastructure, digital transformation and sustainability. Yet many professionals are finding themselves involved in smart city projects without a clear understanding of the frameworks, technologies and strategies that underpin them. Whether you work in government, infrastructure, technology, planning, property, utilities or consulting, smart cities are no longer a niche topic—they are becoming central to how organizations plan, invest and deliver services. The Introduction to Smart Cities course has been designed to help professionals build a practical understanding of the concepts, technologies and governance principles driving urban transformation around the world. It provides a clear pathway for anyone looking to strengthen their knowledge, increase their confidence and better contribute to the future of cities and communities. If you want to stay relevant, informed and prepared for what comes next, this course is an excellent place to start.
| | The Smart Cities Council is pleased to launch Marketplace, a new member-focused platform designed to connect organizations with trusted products, technologies, platforms and specialist service providers from across the SCC ecosystem. Whether you are seeking innovative technologies, implementation partners, professional services or solutions to support infrastructure, digital transformation and smart city initiatives, Marketplace provides a central destination to discover and connect with organizations already engaged within the SCC community. Marketplace has been developed to help members reduce the time and effort involved in identifying potential suppliers and partners while providing access to exclusive member offers, preferred pricing and other commercial benefits where available. Launching with categories including Building & Infrastructure Technologies, Business Services, Digital Transformation, and Governance, Risk & Compliance, Marketplace will continue to expand as new partners and solution providers join the platform. We invite SCC members and partners to explore Marketplace and discover the growing range of solutions available through our global network. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jeju, Korea 2-6 August 2026 | | | | | | For more information click the link below or contact our Global Events Manager, Karen Norden. | | | | | | Share Your Story with Urban Insight We hope you’ve enjoyed the launch of Urban Insight, our new monthly publication sharing real-world projects, emerging trends, member stories, and practical insights shaping smarter communities and industries. As a member-driven publication, we would love to hear from you. Whether it’s a project, innovation, case study, announcement, event, or thought leadership piece, we welcome contributions that help showcase the expertize and impact across our community. | | | | Find Out More
Becoming a Smart Cities Council member means joining a global community of innovators shaping the future of cities. Smart Cities Council provides our Members and Partners in the Public Sector, Private Sector and Academia with the education, training, capital, tools, use cases, networks, policies and advice to set their organizations and projects up for success. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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