The #CitiesFirst Podcast

The #CitiesFirst Podcast

di Scott Shepard
Stagione 5
Episode 38: From Istanbul to Birmingham: Turning Mobility Innovation into Deployment (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
As the mobility sector looks beyond innovation and pilot projects, a bigger question is emerging: How do we move toward real-world deployment, integration, and measurable impact? Following the momentum of ITS European Congress 2026 in Istanbul, CitiesFirst Webinar #4 brings together leading city and mobility voices for a focused discussion on what Birmingham 2027 must deliver. ๐Ÿ“ From Istanbul to Birmingham: Turning Mobility Innovation into Deployment๐Ÿ“… Thursday, 28 May 2026๐Ÿ•› 13:00 PM CET๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Live Webinar Featured Speakers: โ€ข Scott Shepard, AICP, LEEDยฎAP, PMP โ€” Founder, CitiesFirst (Moderator) โ€ข Peter Staelens โ€” Eurocities โ€ข Berfin Sรถnmez โ€” Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Discussion themes include: โ€ข Why pilots still fail to scale โ€ข Cities as orchestrators of mobility ecosystems โ€ข Governance, interoperability, and collaboration โ€ข What Birmingham 2027 must demonstrate for the sector This conversation continues the CitiesFirst dialogue around implementation, collaboration, and the future of intelligent mobility systems across Europe and beyond. We look forward to welcoming mobility leaders, city stakeholders, ITS professionals, and ecosystem partners to the discussion.
Episode 37: From Pilot to Scale: Deploying Integrated Mobility Systems โ€“ Insights from Istanbul (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
๐Ÿšจ Cities donโ€™t just pilot innovation โ€” they need to scale it. Listen to Webinar 3 in The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast ร— ERTICO - ITS Europe ร— ITS Congresses series:๐ŸŽฏ From Pilot to Scale: Deploying Integrated Mobility Systems โ€“ Insights from Istanbul As cities move beyond pilots, the real challenge begins: deployment at scale.This session brings together senior city leaders and mobility experts from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and ฤฐSBAK to share how Istanbul is delivering integrated mobility systems in one of the worldโ€™s most complex urban environments. What youโ€™ll learn: โœ” Why scaling mobility solutions is so difficult โ€” and how to overcome it โœ” What โ€œintegrationโ€ really looks like in practice (data, modes, operations) โœ” Governance, procurement, and coordination challenges โœ” Real deployment insights from Istanbulโœ” What cities should prioritise over the next 3 years Featuring: Scott Shepard, AICP, LEEDยฎAP, PMP (Moderator) Joost VANTOMME (LL.M) Pelin Alpkรถkin Barbaros BรœYรœKSAฤžNAK Erdem Samut, This webinar also sets the stage for the ITS European Congress 2026 โ€” where these conversations continue with deeper technical insights and real-world case studies. ๐Ÿ‘‰ Register for the ITS European Congress 2026 in Istanbul (27โ€“29 April): https://lnkd.in/eGi5ZvTF
Episode 36: Cities Shaping Intelligent Mobility: From Strategy to Integrated and Seamless Systems (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
๐Ÿšจ Cities are shaping the future of intelligent mobility โ€” from strategy to real implementation! Listen to Webinar 2 in the The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast ร— ERTICO - ITS Europe x ITS Congresses series:๐ŸŽฏ Cities Shaping Intelligent Mobility: From Strategy to Integrated and Seamless Systems This session brought together leading experts to explore how cities are integrating digital infrastructure, multi-modal transport systems, and governance frameworks to deliver smarter, more sustainable mobility solutions. What youโ€™ll learn: โœ” How cities move from strategy to integrated, operational systems โœ” Role of data, AI, and digital platforms in seamless mobility โœ” Barriers to scaling beyond pilot projects โœ” Practical lessons from city-level deployment โœ” Preview of key ITS European Congress 2026 technical themes Featuring: Scott Shepard, AICP, LEEDยฎAP, PMP โ€“ Founder, CitiesFirst (Moderator) Marรญa Alonso Raposo โ€“ ERTICO โ€“ ITS Europe Marta Campos Ferreira, PhD โ€“ Universidade do Porto Sandra Witzel โ€“ SkedGo Pty Ltd ๐Ÿ‘‰ Register for the ITS European Congress 2026 in Istanbul (27โ€“29 April) using promo code CitiesFirst): https://lnkd.in/eGi5ZvTF
Episode 35: Cities at the Crossroads - From European Legacy to Living Mobility Labs (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
Cities are no longer just testing mobility innovation โ€” they are shaping Europeโ€™s deployment agenda. Across Europe, public authorities are moving from pilots to permanent solutions, balancing legacy systems with the pressure to deliver scalable, people-centred mobility. As cities take on a stronger leadership role, one question matters most: how do we turn innovation into long-term impact at city scale? On 11 February 2026, The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast, in collaboration with ERTICO - ITS Europe, hosted a live webinar contributing to the wider conversation shaping the 17th ITS Congresses European Congress in Istanbul and its growing focus on public-sector leadership. This city-driven discussion brought together three leading voices in European urban mobility:๐ŸŽค Tamara Djukic, PhD, Head of Green & Urban Mobility, ERTICO - ITS Europe ๐ŸŽค Tina Wagner, Director-General for Transport, Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg ๐ŸŽค Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS network Together, they explored how European cities are positioning themselves as living mobility labs โ€” and why sustained engagement, beyond individual pilots or events, is essential to achieve real deployment and lasting impact. What we explored included: โœ… Why cities are at a turning point for mobility delivery โœ… How long-term European collaboration builds trust and continuity โœ… Moving from research and pilots to deployment at city scale โœ… Why the ITS European Congress matters for public authorities โœ… What Istanbul represents as a living mobility lab for Europe and beyond
Stagione 4
Episode 34: Vision Zero in Action (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
Safer Streets. Smarter Cities. Better Lives. ๐ŸŒ Traffic fatalities and serious injuries are not inevitable โ€” theyโ€™re preventable. The global #VisionZero movement is transforming how we plan, design, and manage transportation systems to put people first and prioritize life and well-being. I recently contributed a guest post for PTV Group, exploring how Vision Zero is driving the journey toward zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries โ€” and how cities around the world are reimagining safety through design, policy, and innovation. ๐Ÿ‘‰ Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/ehvDAAZU As part of Umovity โ€” uniting PTV Group and Econolite โ€” weโ€™re helping cities make data-driven decisions that lead to safer, more sustainable, and people-centered mobility networks. We dive deeper into how Vision Zero is being put into practice globally, featuring insights from leading experts: ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Speakers: Snehasis "Sunny" Chakravarty โ€œSunnyโ€ Chakravarty โ€“ Vice President, Engineering, Econolite Michael Kent โ€“ Policy Director, Chicago Department of Transportation Hagen Schueller โ€“ Traffic Safety Expert, PTV Transport Consult โœ… Real-world examples of Vision Zero in action โœ… Strategies to embed safety into every level of transport planning โœ… How data and innovation are accelerating progress toward zero fatalities And if you havenโ€™t yet, tune in to The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast for more expert insights on the future of urban mobility: https://lnkd.in/d6HAa3kx
Episode 33: Shaping Transport with Digital Twins (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
Weโ€™re thrilled to share the latest episode of the #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast, featuring Michael Oliver, Technical Director at PTV Group. ๐ŸŒ ๐ŸŽ™ Episode Topic: Shaping Transport with Digital Twins Digital twins are transforming the way cities plan, operate, and optimize their transport systems. In this episode, Michael dives into how this cutting-edge technology is driving smarter, more resilient, and sustainable urban mobility solutions. Michael shares actionable insights including: โœ… How digital twins are revolutionizing transport planning and operations โœ… Strategies for building smarter and more resilient urban mobility systems โœ… Lessons learned from real-world applications of digital twin technology Whether youโ€™re a transport professional, urban planner, or just curious about the future of cities, this episode is packed with insights you wonโ€™t want to miss! #DigitalTwins #SmartCities #UrbanMobility #TransportInnovation #ResilientCities #FutureOfMobility #SustainableCities #CityPlanning #UrbanInnovation #CitiesFirst #Podcast
Episode 32: Designing Resilient Cities (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
Urban resilience isnโ€™t optionalโ€”itโ€™s essential. As climate change, rapid growth, and aging infrastructure reshape our cities, the question isnโ€™t if we should build resilienceโ€”itโ€™s how. Join us for The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast LinkedIn Live webinar, in partnership with PTV Group and Econolite๐ŸŽ™ Designing Resilient Cities: Strategies for a Future-Ready Urban World๐Ÿ“… Wednesday, September 10 | ๐Ÿ•’ 3 PM GMT+1 | ๐Ÿ“ LinkedIn Live Hear from global leaders: ๐Ÿ‘ค Ida Sami, PhD โ€“ CEO & Founder, ClimateNXT ๐Ÿ‘ค Matthias Pfriem โ€“ Senior Product Manager, PTV Group ๐Ÿ‘ค Mike Dang, M.S. โ€“ Product Manager, NEMA, Econolite Weโ€™ll cover: โœ… Defining resilient cities โœ… How smarter mobility protects communities โœ… Lessons from global innovators โœ… Why collaboration is the cornerstone of resilience
Episode 31: Data &AI in Mobility (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
๐Ÿšจ Join Us LIVE โ€” Data & AI in Urban Mobility ๐Ÿ“… Thursday, August 28 ๐Ÿ•” 4:30 PM GMT+1 ๐Ÿ“ LinkedIn Live How can cities harness data and AI to build smarter, more accessible, and more efficient transport networks? EIT Urban Mobility - Urban Mobility Explained (UMX) invites you to a special LinkedIn Live webinar in collaboration with The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast. Weโ€™ll hear from city leaders and innovators shaping the future of urban mobility. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Rob Lloyd โ€” Chief Technology Officer & Director of Information Technology, City of Seattle ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Kameale C. Terry โ€” CEO, ChargerHelp! ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Jason Cambridge โ€” Technology Manager, City of Seattle ๐Ÿ” Discussion Topics: โœ… How mobility dataโ€”from people, vehicles, and infrastructureโ€”is transforming urban transport planning โœ… Emerging AI tools to improve accessibility, equity, safety, and efficiency โœ… Real-world examples from Seattle and beyond ๐ŸŽง Warm up for the session by tuning into The CitiesFirst Podcast: Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dyRjqbvM Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dnWCxvkh RSS.com : https://lnkd.in/d6HAa3kx ๐ŸŽ“ Want to go deeper? Enroll in the free UMX course โ€œData & AI in Mobilityโ€ to explore how cities can leverage emerging technologies: https://lnkd.in/dsKw5iYa
Episode 30: Shared & Micromobility in Cities (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
EIT Urban Mobility - Urban Mobility Explained (UMX) invites you to a special LinkedIn Live webinar in collaboration with The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast. Weโ€™ll hear from city leaders and innovators shaping the next wave of urban transport. ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Julie White โ€” Deputy Secretary for Multimodal Transportation, NCDOT ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Venkatesh Gopal โ€” CEO, movmi ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Darius Mason โ€” Shared Mobility Specialist, City of Detroit ๐Ÿ” Discussion Topics: โœ… The evolving role of shared micromobility in urban systems โœ… Policy, equity, and public-private collaboration โœ… Real-world insights from Detroit, North Carolina & beyond โœ… Whatโ€™s next in micromobility innovation and integration ๐ŸŽง Warm up for the session by tuning into The CitiesFirst Podcast: Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dYv5GyGn Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/dnWCxvkh RSS.com : https://lnkd.in/d6HAa3kx ๐ŸŽ“ Want to go deeper? Enroll in the free UMX course โ€œMicromobility & Citiesโ€ to explore how cities can effectively integrate small vehicles into their transportation mix: https://lnkd.in/dnf5hxi2 #Micromobility #SharedMobility #UrbanMobility #SmartCities #SustainableTransport #MobilityInnovation #PublicTransport #CitiesFirst #EITUrbanMobility #UMX
Episode 29: AVs and the Future of Mobility (The #CitiesFirst Webinar)
How will autonomous vehicles shape the cities of tomorrow? EIT Urban Mobility - Urban Mobility Explained (UMX) is proud to sponsor an exclusive LinkedIn Live webinar in partnership with The #CitiesFirst Advisors + Podcast. Weโ€™ll explore the evolving landscape of hashtag#AVs, shared mobility, electrification, and public policy with three visionary leaders driving change: ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Henriette Cornet, CEO at Urban Innovate ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Sascha Meyer, CEO at MOIA ๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Javier Guimerรก Tena, Head of AV at Padam Mobility ๐Ÿ” Agenda: โœ… What role will AVs play in the future of sustainable urban transport? โœ… Lessons learned from pilot programs and operational deployments โœ… Intermodality and integrating AVs into existing mobility ecosystems โœ… The role of public-private partnerships in shaping AV adoption โœ… Equity, accessibility, and citizen engagement โœ… Whatโ€™s next: Policy, innovation, and the road to scale
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