Europe’s Smartest Moves – Top Climbers in the IMD Smart City Index 2025
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Päivi Raivio, a Helsinki-based urban designer and placemaker recognized for her innovative work on people-centered public spaces. With a background in creative urban interventions and community engagement, Raivio’s projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can make cities more vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming for every season.
Les Espaces d’Abraxas: the unique brutalist housing complex that has inspired Hollywood for over 40 years
Author | Lucía Burbano Monumental and imposing, Les Espaces d’Abraxas consists of three postmodern Brutalist buildings rich with historical references forming a large housing complex. Designed to address the specific needs a large population and alleviating residential pressure in Paris, Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill and his Taller de Arquitectura (Architecture Workshop) drew inspiration from the […]
Startups to Watch in Latin America’s Smart City Ecosystem
This is a guest post by Lucía Bellocchio, founder and executive director of Trend Smart Cities. Lucía has extensive experience working on urban innovation, and has written in leading media outlets in South America like La Nación, El Observador, Clarín or TN. The concept of smart cities has gained traction globally as cities leverage technology […]
How AI and IoT will transform cities in 2025
Author | Lucía Burbano This year marks the consolidation of a transformative concept born from the convergence of two of the most powerful technologies in recent times: the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Their integration has given rise to AIoT—the Artificial Intelligence of Things. Joining this powerful duo is a third key […]
Beyond the playground: how cities are reimagining spaces for kids
Author | Elvira Esparza It is not just declining birth rates that explain the absence of children in urban spaces. Cities are not designed with children in mind, limiting their opportunities for free play. However, some cities are launching initiatives to address this issue and create more outdoor spaces for children. Just a few years […]
Trees-as-Infrastructure: Ensuring Cool, Green and Resilient Cities
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Päivi Raivio, a Helsinki-based urban designer and placemaker recognized for her innovative work on people-centered public spaces. With a background in creative urban interventions and community engagement, Raivio’s projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can make cities more vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming for every season.
Milton Keynes is testing driverless buses as part of its efforts to enhance urban mobility
Author | Raquel C. Pico One of the main challenges cities worldwide must address is the optimization of urban mobility. Modern transportation must respond to the growing demands of citizen mobility, the increasing urban population, and sustainability goals that call for green and clean transport solutions. The real challenge lies in how to achieve this. […]
Walking the walk: Central and Eastern European cities leading the way in active mobility
Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Päivi Raivio, a Helsinki-based urban designer and placemaker recognized for her innovative work on people-centered public spaces. With a background in creative urban interventions and community engagement, Raivio’s projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can make cities more vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming for every season.
Paris has already cut its air pollution by half, but this is only the beginning
Author | Raquel C. Pico Air pollution remains one of the main challenges cities must address. Pollution has become an urban nightmare, directly affecting people’s health. It is linked to a rise in various illnesses and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, posing a threat to the planet and demanding urgent action. Major cities and State […]
The Sounds –or Noises– of Cities: Can Electric Mobility Make a City More Inclusive?
This is a guest post by Lucía Bellocchio, founder and executive director of Trend Smart Cities. Lucía has extensive experience working on urban innovation, and has written in leading media outlets in South America like La Nación, El Observador, Clarín or TN. A few weeks ago, while browsing a bookstore, I came across a children’s […]