Smart in the City – The BABLE Podcast

• #133 CIVINET Iberia - Las Rozas, Spain: Innovation Powered by People

  Recorded live during Las Rozas’ hosting of the ICF Top7 Intelligent Communities event and produced within the CIVINET Iberia project, this episode features Cristina Álvarez Requena, CEO, and Nuria Blanco, Mobility Manager at Las Rozas Innova. They trace their journeys from multinational engineering and regional transport planning into public service, showing how the four-year-old municipal innovation company has already secured €24 million and joined 14 European consortiums. The pair explain how AI-assisted urban design, subsidised car-sharing and a citizen-co-created Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan help a dispersed Madrid suburb overcome road barriers, behaviour change and multi-level governance. Above all, they argue that passion, trust and resident-centred planning – not technology alone – create a truly smart, inclusive city.  Episode Overview: [00:00:03] Teaser: “Describe Las Rozas in three words.” [00:01:48] Guest backgrounds: shifting from private sector & regional transport to municipal innovation. [00:04:57] Growing European-funded portfolio: 14 consortiums & €24 million won. [00:07:59] New strategy: data platforms, digital twin & GovTech beyond mobility. [00:08:28] AMIGOS pilot: AI box measures pedestrian–car interactions at a multimodal hub. [00:10:44] Keeping creativity alive amid EU bureaucracy. [00:13:51] Why a public-company model speeds implementation. [00:15:11] Aligning strategy before chasing grants. [00:16:48] Citizen engagement: surveys, workshops & co-creation sessions. [00:20:58] From pilot to scale: subsidised car-sharing becomes permanent service. [00:23:39] Advantages & pitfalls of an agile, talent-driven innovation office. [00:26:50] Biggest challenges: geography, governance layers & mind-set change. [00:31:54] Career advice: results focus, serve real needs, lead with passion. [00:32:29] Trial & error: on-demand transport stalled without early multi-level buy-in. [00:34:10] “To you, what is a smart city?” [00:35:24] Closing & invitation to revisit results. Like our show? Remember to subscribe and rate it! Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page. And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub

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• #132 Mannheim: Wie Hitzewellen zu Daten für urbane Resilienz werden

  In dieser Episode teilt Robert Thomann, Geschäftsführer von Smart City Mannheim und Leiter Produktentwicklung und Innovation Smart Cities bei MVV Energie, seinen Weg von der Energieinfrastruktur hin zur Gestaltung eines digitalen, nachhaltigen Stadtmodells für Mannheim. Das Gespräch beleuchtet, wie lokaler Kontext und starke Partnerschaften effektive Smart-City-Strategien ermöglichen – mit besonderem Fokus auf Klimaanpassung, Mobilitätsinnovationen und integrierte Datenplattformen. Robert spricht über KI-gestützte Mikroklima-Simulationen, die Ökonomie urbaner Resilienz und darüber, wie städteübergreifende Zusammenarbeit sowie nutzerorientierte digitale Werkzeuge inklusive, effiziente und reaktionsfähige Städte schaffen können. Episode Overview: [00:00:00] Teaser-Frage: „Was macht Mannheim gerade zu einer Smart City?“ [00:00:42] Hintergrund unseres Gasts [00:02:10] Eisbrecher: Spannende und wenig bekannte Fakten über Mannheim [00:03:34] Die Smart-City-Schwerpunkte in Mannheim: Klima, Mobilität und Ressourcen [00:06:46] Mikroklimamodelle und KI – So nutzt Mannheim Klimadaten [00:08:42] Wirtschaftliche und gesellschaftliche Wirkung von Klimaanpassungsmaßnahmen [00:11:40] Mannheims Vision für die smarte Stadt der Zukunft [00:13:27] Herausforderungen und Chancen für Kommunen im Smart-City-Bereich [00:15:03] Zusammenarbeit zwischen Städten und interkommunale Projekte [00:18:39] Die Rolle der MVV und die Entstehung des Smart-City-Engagements [00:20:55] Die Datenplattform Smartcondi – Infrastruktur für smarte Anwendungen [00:25:11] Von Daten zu Entscheidungen: Praxisbeispiele aus Mannheim [00:27:03] Mobilität, Verkehrsmodellierung und smarte Anwendungen in der Praxis [00:30:17] Lessons Learned und Erfolgsfaktoren für Smart-City-Projekte [00:31:41] Der Wert lokaler Netzwerke und der Zusammenarbeit mit Stadtwerken [00:34:42] Abschlussfrage: „Was ist für dich eine Smart City?“ Dir gefällt unser Podcast? Dann abonnieren nicht vergessen und gerne bewerten! Möchtest du selbst einmal dabei sein? Fülle das Formular auf unserer Podcast-Seite aus. Mehr spannende Einblicke findest du in unserem BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub.

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• #131 IMAGINE the Citiverse: x-CITE Project and Digital Civic Engagement

  In our final episode of our IMAGINE the Citiverse series, Marko Teräs, Project Manager for the x-CITE Project at the City of Tampere, and Arnaud Verstraete, Project Manager at Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC), share their insights into reshaping civic participation in the digital age. The conversation explores how emerging technologies like local digital twins and immersive virtual environments are being used to enhance democracy, accessibility, and urban planning. Marko and Arnaud discuss the challenges of inclusive design, ethical considerations, and public engagement in smart city development. They highlight the importance of human-centred innovation, transparency, and collaboration in building interconnected, equitable communities. Episode Overview: [00:01:07] Teaser Question: “If you had to describe the mission behind the x-CITE project with only three emojis, which one would you use and why?” [00:03:01] Our guest’s background [00:05:30] Vision and mission of the x-CITE project [00:08:27] Arnaud’s role in communications and outreach [00:08:56] What is the ‘Citiverse’ and how does the project define it? [00:12:18] Who are the partners involved in x-CITE and where are pilots being implemented? [00:15:17] Inclusivity and addressing the digital divide in smart city services [00:16:53] Ethics advisory and human-centred values [00:18:28] Upcoming milestones and opportunities for citizen involvement [00:22:41] Reflections on the Imagine 2025 event and quadruple helix collaboration [00:29:24] Podcast Segment – Flip the Script [00:35:11] Ending Question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”   Like our show? Remember to subscribe and rate it! Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page. And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub  

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• #130 Verona: Street Sports for Urban REGENeration

  In this episode, co-branded and recorded live at Urban Future 2025 in Łódź, Marco Buemi, Senior Expert and Project Manager at Verona Municipality, Italy, shares his journey from human rights advocacy in Sweden to driving inclusive urban regeneration in Italy. The conversation explores how lived experience shapes inclusive leadership, highlighting the importance of empathy, visibility, and grassroots engagement in public service. Marco discusses the challenges of youth disengagement, the urgency of sustainable urban transformation, and the role of education, health, and tactical urbanism in building truly smart, equitable communities. Episode Overview: [00:01:17] Teaser Question: “If Verona were an animal, which animal would it be and why?” [00:02:59] Our guest’s background [00:05:38] Introduction to the REGEN project [00:09:58] Current status and impact of the project [00:12:59] Engaging young people in urban regeneration [00:17:13] Strategies for transforming abandoned urban spaces [00:19:58] Financing and public-private partnerships [00:23:13] Avoiding gentrification through community-centred planning [00:24:37] Knowledge transfer to other cities [00:27:48] Tools needed to accelerate urban change in Verona [00:30:34] Podcast Segment: Top or Flop [00:34:06] Ending Question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”   Like our show? Remember to subscribe and rate it! Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page. And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub  

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• #129 Vilnius: Lessons in Listening, Leading, and Letting Go

  In this episode, Remigijus Šimašius, former Mayor of Vilnius and Minister of Justice of Lithuania, shares his journey from legal academia and policy advocacy to leading one of Europe’s most progressive cities. The conversation explores how data transparency and lived urban experience shape inclusive, practical leadership, highlighting the importance of open governance, civic dialogue, and regulatory innovation. Remigijus discusses the challenges of fostering sustainable urban growth, the role of smart tools in public service, and the delicate balance between regulation and innovation in building truly smart, equitable communities. Episode Overview [00:02:00] Teaser Question: “If Vilnius was an animal, which animal would it be and why?” [00:03:27] Our guest’s background [00:07:23] Strategies for combating corruption and fostering transparency [00:09:53] Examples of innovative regulatory approaches in city governance [00:13:36] Balancing innovation with effective regulation [00:16:50] From talk to action: implementing change in public service [00:18:35] Reflections on decisions made as mayor [00:20:42] Advice for new mayors and aligning with community vision [00:23:01] Current urban challenges in Vilnius and needed tools for change [00:29:54] Regulation wisdom: flexibility, context, and impact [00:33:10] Podcast Segment: Inspiring story or quote [00:39:52] Ending Question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”   Like our show? Remember to subscribe and rate it! Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page. And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub

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