Dialogue, partnership, community: putting people first in urban innovation

One of our first initiatives is a digital transformation assessment tool – a kind of diagnostic we’ve designed to help urban areas understand where they stand. It’s a structured questionnaire that allows us to get a clear picture of a city’s digital maturity across several dimensions. And I deliberately say “city” rather than “municipality,” because innovation is never the result of a single actor – it happens across an entire ecosystem. Of course, we often start with the municipal government, but we’re interested in the broader context: is there a shared vision across stakeholders? What kind of leadership exists? What are the strengths and weaknesses in areas like infrastructure, inclusion, sustainability, privacy and ethics?

This kind of assessment is critical – not just to identify where to begin, but also to ensure that any technology or strategy introduced truly fits the local context. What worked in Rome won’t necessarily work in Paris or London – every city has its own culture, history, priorities and challenges. You have to start there if you want to plan meaningful evolution.

Finally, one of the biggest lessons I took from Rome – and one of the values we strongly believe in at Urban Innovators Global – is that cities should never face these challenges alone. Yes, every city has its own identity, but by seeing themselves as part of a wider network, they can unlock new perspectives and solutions. Sometimes a governance model used for mobility in one part of the world can inspire improvements in waste management in another. That’s the power of international collaboration – it pushes you to think differently and more creatively.

At Urban Innovators Global, our mission is to strengthen the innovation capacity of urban environments – and this aligns closely with the work being done by the Thick Cities Initiative. I found a lot of resonance with their principles and their charter, and many of their guidelines reflect my own experience and current way of thinking. So for me, this next step feels like a natural evolution of the journey I began in Rome. 

SCW: How should cities adopt new technologies like AI and digital twins in a way that enhances their relationship with their communities? 

RF: I think the starting point has to be open and continuous dialogue with people. Citizen engagement is essential – but it can’t just be a checkbox. If we want people to be genuinely engaged, we have to begin with their issues, their needs. That means focusing not just on the technology itself, but on the problems it’s trying to solve. Cities should involve communities throughout the entire process – from identifying needs, to co-designing solutions, to implementing and even monitoring the services or infrastructure that result.

So engagement needs to happen across all stages – from strategy development to individual project design, to the long-term evaluation of outcomes. And within that engagement, principles like openness, transparency and ethics become absolutely critical. Especially now, as we face another wave of dramatic technological transformation – driven by AI – we need these principles to guide the way. They help build trust, and they provide a framework for cities and communities to shape the development of powerful technologies, rather than being shaped by them.

Another key point is impact. Financial and economic indicators matter, of course – but we can’t lose sight of the broader social impact. What is the technology doing for people? What is it doing for the suburbs, the neighbourhoods that are often left behind? Too often, we assume that economic impact and social benefit go hand in hand – but that’s not always the case. We need to be intentional about measuring and pursuing the outcomes that matter most to people.

This is even more important in a time of accelerating change. The world can shift dramatically in just a few years – we’ve seen that with the pandemic, with geopolitical instability, and with the energy crisis. So any strategy has to be flexible, and we need shared tools and frameworks that allow communities to continuously adapt, learn and respond. That includes tools for engagement, for understanding new contexts, and for building a common culture around digital transformation.

And we can’t forget that many people still don’t fully understand what’s happening or how rapidly things are changing. If we fail to make these transformations accessible and understandable, we risk leaving large segments of society behind. And that creates a real problem – because if people don’t understand how or why resources are being allocated, they’re less likely to support or trust those decisions. Participation depends on understanding, and understanding depends on transparency.

From my experience in the public sector, I’ve seen firsthand how the distance between institutions and people has grown. Citizens often feel that public institutions are disconnected from their daily lives. Technology can either widen that gap or help close it – but only if we put the right principles in place. And we must also recognise that the major drivers of digital change today are private actors – companies with goals that may not align with those of cities or the public sector. That makes it even more important for public institutions to take an active role – to understand what’s happening, to guide development in the public interest, and to use one of the last strategic assets they still control: citizen data.

The future of AI in cities depends on our ability to govern that data responsibly. And that’s no longer just the job of the chief digital officer – every policymaker, across departments, needs to understand the implications. From social services to urban planning, from tourism to infrastructure – all areas need to engage with the opportunities and risks these technologies bring. Because if cities can manage data well, it becomes a key asset for building partnerships with the private sector – not just for funding, but also for bringing in the right skills and capabilities.

We also have to find the right balance between short-term responsiveness and long-term vision. Yes, change is happening fast – and that can drive an emphasis on quick wins. But the societal transformation we’re going through is profound. We’re laying the foundations for a new generation of infrastructure – and that takes time. These systems will create value over the long term, so we need a mindset that looks ahead while also staying grounded in immediate realities. 

Of course, that’s challenging in the public sector, where decision-making is often tied to political cycles. But cities need to think beyond a single mandate. In fact, this kind of long-term vision also benefits the private sector – because it reduces uncertainty and risk, creating a more stable environment for investment.

So yes, it’s about balance – between short-term agility and long-term strategy, between innovation and inclusion, between public responsibility and private collaboration. But that balance has to be deliberate. Too often in the past, it hasn’t been. Now is the time to change that.