It was my honor and privilege to have the opportunity to be in Barcelona for Smart Cities World events and Smart City Expo World Congress. Seeing 25,000 people flood the expo hall floors shows that face-to-face collaboration is needed. I witnessed cities from around the world come together to help solve some specific urban challenges we are all addressing.

The conference theme “TOMORROW: MOBILITY, BUILDING and BLUE ECONOMY” was broad enough to capture the interest of everyone regardless of industry background. The breakout / educational sessions had experts from all fields sharing their experiences on moving cities forward.

I was in awe as I entered the two expo halls. The halls had everything imaginable and then some to show how to make your city smarter and greener through the latest state-of-the-art technology. The technology ranged from curb management, mobility, EV, and autonomous vehicles. Other options included treating water distribution, proper disposal of waste, green facades all in an attempt to be at ZERO emission by 2050.

On a personal level, I had the opportunity to participate in several round-table discussions with more than thirty cities being represented. I got to hear first-hand how cities are revolutionizing how they plan for the future, with a major emphasis on mobility and curb management.

I was also excited and proud that during a panel discussion in which my hometown, city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was mentioned as a successful case study for implementing “Smart Loading Zones.” Our goal is to:

• Align parking and loading policies with real time data.
• Decrease emissions.
• Reduce double parking by 60%.
• Increase parking turnover.
• Improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other curb users.
• Increase delivery efficiency.

It was an honor to be a part of the important discussions leading the way towards a more sustainable future for curb management across the globe.

It is critical that we keep the momentum going to solidify our future and I would love to see everyone at our Conference and Expo in Columbus, Ohio June 2024. ◆