#147 Lodz: Looking Beyond the Bubble of Green Politics
In this episode recorded live at the ReThink Cities Summit, we hear from Deputy Mayor Adam Pustelnik about the next moves of the city of Łódź, Poland: uncovering a historic river segment in the city centre to catalyse place-making, with works already underway, and visible momentum on reindustrialisation as factories and industrial parks rise on large sites. At the same time, the team confronts urban sprawl: an area where benefits are long term while the near-term impacts are often political and socially sensitive. The discussion also tackles the green transformation head-on, arguing that the greatest obstacles are political and that leaders must reach beyond their familiar bubbles to build broader support.
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#146 Trondheim: Fair Hubs & Data for Clean Freight
In this episode recorded live at the RethinkCities Summit, Sunniva Fossen Haugen, Climate Advisor at the Municipality of Trondheim, Norway, shares their journey from offshore oil and gas into climate policy and city logistics. The discussion tackles why commercial fleets lag behind passenger EVs (touching on incentives, payload limits, charging logistics and grid constraints) and how consolidation hubs guided by the ABC localisation principle can cut urban mileage. Sunniva outlines Trondheim’s six focus areas for zero-emission logistics, explains new procurement requirements (zero-emission/biogas vehicles in municipal contracts), and stresses the need for shared data platforms and co-operation with industry. A municipal pilot combining local food purchasing with low-emission deliveries shows how to align multiple sustainability goals. Throughout, they argue for fairness, predictability, and holistic Avoid-Shift-Improve planning to embed freight into mainstream mobility strategy.
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Bu podcast bölümümüzde, Şanlıurfa’nın iklim dirençli kent olma yolculuğunu Şanlıurfa Büyükşehir Belediyesi İklim Değişikliği ve Sıfır Atık Daire Başkanı Mehmet Demir Bey ile konuşuyoruz. Genç nüfus yapısından hareketle şehrin fırsatlarını ve kırılganlıklarını masaya<...
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#144 Manchester & Drees & Sommer: Digital Strategy to Citywide Deployment
In this episode, Sherelle Fairweather, Digital Strategy Lead at Manchester City Council, UK, and Minu Tegethoff, Senior Expert Digital Services & Technologies at Drees & Sommer, unpack how Manchester is moving from digital strategy to delivery.
They outline the city’s four pillars (people & inclusion, “what’s in the ground” connectivity, tech for good, and sustainability & resilience) then explain how a recent digital maturity assessment shifted focus from glossy plans to building a deployable network. You’ll hear why aligning definitions across departments matters, why governance, ownership and budgets are the real unblockers, and how a small advisory “front door” can speed fit-for-purpose projects.
They also dig into data stewardship and discovery as the backbone for impact, the often-overlooked risk of operations and maintenance, and partnership models that help cities learn beyond pilots.
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And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub
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#143 Neuilly-sur-Marne: Citizen-Centred Leadership for a Cohesive City
In this episode of our mayoral series, Zartoshte Bakhtiari, Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Marne, France, and Vice President of the Greater Paris Grand East administration, explores citizen-centred municipal leadership, directing investment to improve daily life and long-term resilience. Themes include ROI-minded energy renovations, tree-planting and greening to reduce bills and mitigate flooding, alongside creating new revenues through a riverside nature-tourism hub that restores urban nature. He details the “Pass for Young Citizen”, which rewards 12–20-year-olds for civic missions and volunteering, and discusses balancing a strong national vision with local flexibility. Running through it all: protect core services without overburdening residents and define “smart” as enabling people to flourish and contribute.
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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
Hop on the journey toward a better urban life and hear from top actors in the Smart City arena about stakeholders and themes most prevalent for today's citizens and tomorrow's generations.
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