Smart in the City – The BABLE Podcast

In this special episode, recorded live in collaboration with the Urban Future conference at their 2026 edition in Ljubljana, we explore the complexities of urban rehabilitation in Porto. We are joined by Ricardo Ferreira da Silva, Programme Manager at Porto Vivo Urban Rehabilitation Society in Portugal.

We discuss the challenge of caring for a historic centre while protecting its identity and ensuring it remains a liveable space for residents. Ricardo shares insights into the fragile balance between preserving authenticity and managing the pressures of tourism.

The conversation also covers strategies to attract families back to the city centre, the importance of cross-departmental coordination, and how blended-finance models are utilised to support affordable housing and mixed-use spaces.

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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

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:04:03) - Guest background
(00:06:07) - Living in Historic Porto
(00:08:04) - Cross-Department City Collaboration
(00:11:40) - Revitalizing City Neighborhoods
(00:13:47) - Balancing Tourism and Housing
(00:16:35) - Funding and Private Partnerships
(00:19:28) - Porto's Core Urban Challenges
(00:23:51) - Adapting Plans to Reality
(00:26:59) - Lessons for Other Cities
(00:33:56) - Segment: Shout Out
(00:37:20) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”

In this episode, in collaboration with the Urban Future conference, recorded at their 2026 edition in Ljubljana, we travel to Madrid to explore the intersection of environmental infrastructure, clean mobility, digital operations, and urban innovation.

Our guest, José Luis Cifuentes Sastre, Innovation, Promotion and Information Manager at Madrid City Council, shares insights into the Valdemingómez Technology Park. This site functions as a large-scale urban sandbox, testing technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensors in a live operational environment.

We discuss how Madrid produces renewable energy from municipal waste to support urban mobility, including EMT bus lines and electric bicycles. The conversation also details the shift towards data-driven operations, digital twins, and the vital role of public-private partnerships in advancing Smart Cities.

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

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:11) - Teaser question: If Madrid were an animal, what animal would it be and why?
(00:04:44) - Guest background
(00:08:21) - Madrid's Visible Future
(00:11:29) - Valdemingomez Technology Park
(00:16:50) - City Value Chain Role
(00:23:40) - Landfill Innovation Pilots
(00:30:50) - Urban Sandbox Regulations
(00:33:45) - Scaling Waste Innovations
(00:40:56) - Building Successful Partnerships
(00:48:56) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”

In this special episode from our Major Cities of Europe 2025 series, we travel to Florence, Italy, to speak with Alessandra Barbieri, Manager in EU Projects and Fund Raising within the City Manager Department of the Municipality of Florence. We discuss the city's recently developed AI Adoption Plan, a strategic framework designed to guide the integration of artificial intelligence into public services. Alessandra explains how Florence is transitioning from isolated pilot projects to a structural system that prioritises transparency, security, and compliance with European and national regulations.

The conversation covers the practical steps of implementation, including a comprehensive internal training programme for civil servants and the importance of cross-departmental collaboration. We also examine the environmental impacts of AI and how the municipality aims to balance technological advancement with its climate goals. This episode provides a clear look at how Smart Cities can responsibly adopt new technologies to better serve their citizens.

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

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:02:00) - Teaser question: If you have to pick only three words to describe Florence, which words would you choose and why?
(00:03:13) - Guest background
(00:04:43) - Need for AI Plan
(00:06:17) - Structure of the Plan
(00:08:23) - Internal Staff Training
(00:14:20) - AI Pilot Use Cases
(00:20:20) - AI Environmental Impact
(00:22:05) - Implementation Challenges
(00:25:05) - Advice for Other Cities
(00:26:40) - Collaborating With Companies
(00:27:50) - Breaking City Silos
(00:30:49) - Segment: Shout Out
(00:34:18) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”

In this episode of Smart in the City, we sit down with Hashem Alhendawi, Head of the UITP MENA, to discuss the rapid evolution of urban mobility in Dubai and across the broader Middle East and North Africa region. Hashem explains how cities in MENA are transitioning from car-centric designs to integrated, network-based public transport systems. We explore the concrete steps Dubai has taken over the past decade to build a multimodal network that includes the Metro, buses, and marine transport.

Looking ahead to the upcoming UITP Summit 2026 in Dubai, Hashem highlights the practical challenges cities are prioritising, such as financial sustainability, workforce skills, and climate resilience. Join us to learn why the future of Smart Cities relies on reliable operations and connecting people to essential opportunities.

Editor's Note: The 2026 UITP Summit in Dubai has been cancelled due to the evolving situation in the Gulf region. While the event will no longer take place, the strategic insights shared in this interview remain highly relevant to the future of urban mobility.

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

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:01:10) - Teaser question: Can you describe UITP's mission using only three emojis?
(00:03:16) - Guest background
(00:06:04) - UITP Mission And Goals
(00:09:20) - Dubai Summit 2026
(00:13:35) - Dubai's Mobility Shift
(00:18:16) - MENA Mobility Shifts
(00:21:54) - MENA Innovation Opportunities
(00:25:43) - Future Summit Topics
(00:30:09) - World Public Transport Day
(00:31:34) - Segment: Inspire us
(00:33:42) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”

Dans cet épisode de Smart in the City, nous nous rendons en région parisienne pour échanger avec Eric Legale, directeur général d'Issy Média. Depuis plus de trois décennies, Issy-les-Moulineaux se positionne à l'avant-garde de la transformation urbaine, ayant lancé son premier site web municipal en 1996 et s'adaptant continuellement aux nouvelles vagues numériques.

Nous explorons dans cet entretien comment la ville crée de la valeur concrète pour ses habitants à travers deux initiatives majeures. Nous discutons également du lancement d'IssyGPT, une IA générative souveraine conçue pour aider les citoyens dans leurs démarches administratives tout en garantissant la confidentialité des données. Notre invité détaille également le « Budget Climat » de la ville, une stratégie inspirée des modèles nordiques qui suit les émissions de carbone avec la même minutie que les dépenses financières, menant à une réduction de 37 % des gaz à effet de serre depuis 2005.

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

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:01:40) - Teaser question: si vous deviez décrire Issi-les-Moulineaux en utilisant uniquement trois mots, quels mots vous choisiriez et pourquoi?
(00:02:51) - Parcours de l'invité
(00:05:18) - L'Assistant virtuel Issy-GPT
(00:08:22) - Fiabilité de l'IA
(00:10:30) - Sensibiliser les citoyens
(00:14:58) - Le Budget Climat
(00:21:03) - Données et transition
(00:26:32) - Les projets européens
(00:29:23) - Déployer des expérimentations
(00:35:16) - Collaborer avec la ville
(00:39:19) - Les prochains défis
(00:42:16) - Éducation au numérique
(00:44:33) - Segment: Inspire Us
(00:47:52) - Ending question: “Pour vous, qu'est-ce qu'une Smart City ?”