The 2026 virtual summit opened with a panel discussion asking how cities can unlock greater value from their buildings, data and artificial intelligence tools. Across the session, speakers argued that the next stage of urban development depends not only on new technology, but also on stronger governance, cross-sector collaboration and a clearer understanding of how infrastructure assets can serve multiple economic, social and environmental goals.

The conversation moved quickly from infrastructure resilience to energy systems, highlighting the growing role of local authorities in shaping the way power is generated, stored and consumed. Panellists explained that a more strategic, risk-based approach to resilience can help cities prioritise investment and avoid being caught off guard by climate shocks. They also pointed to renewables, flexible demand, battery storage and smarter network management as practical levers available to city governments today.

Key facts at a glance

• The 2026 virtual summit examined how cities can adopt a strategic, risk-based approach to infrastructure resilience.
• Local authorities are shaping energy systems through renewables, flexibility, storage and smarter networks.
• Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken credits leadership, courage and community for the city’s climate action record.
• Singapore Management University president Professor Lily Kong calls for regenerative and restorative urban policies.
• Sunderland is using digital infrastructure and low-carbon innovation to reposition itself as a leading smart city.
• Dublin is developing digital twin projects, traffic reduction measures and economic growth initiatives.
• Smart lighting panels are examining cybersecurity risks and secure, interoperable streetlight networks.
• Microsoft’s Katherine Flesh says AI success in transport depends on data foundations, workforce readiness and responsible governance.
• On-demand sessions explore AI in city operations and digital twins for urban infrastructure management.

Leadership and community in Glasgow

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken is preparing to step down after nine years at the helm. In her summit contribution, she described how leadership, courage and community have combined to turn the Scottish city into a global superpower of local climate action. Aitken has been a prominent figure in the city’s sustainability agenda, overseeing ambitious commitments to reduce emissions and expand green infrastructure. Her departure will mark the end of an era, but the approach she helped embed offers lessons for other cities seeking to move from declaration to delivery.

Glasgow’s standing in the global climate conversation grew significantly during Aitken’s tenure. The city hosted the COP26 climate conference in 2021, an event that required close collaboration between local authorities, national government, police, protest groups and international delegations. That experience demonstrated how a city can turn the pressure of a global gathering into a longer-term policy dividend. It also strengthened relationships between the council, universities, businesses and community organisations, many of which continue to work together on net-zero projects, district heating and active travel.

Aitken’s emphasis on community is significant because climate action often fails when it is imposed from above. The most successful programmes in Glasgow have been those that involved local people in decisions about street trees, energy-efficient housing, cycling routes and public green space. By combining leadership with courage to take unpopular short-term decisions, the council was able to build a lasting mandate for change. Stepping down after nine years is a natural moment to reflect on what such leadership means in practice, and the summit provided a platform for her to set out those reflections for an international audience.

From resilience to regeneration

Professor Lily Kong, President of Singapore Management University, challenged cities to think beyond resilience. While resilience tends to focus on bouncing back, Kong argued that urban policy should be regenerative, restorative and sensitive to the needs of communities. This means designing systems that improve the natural environment, restore degraded ecosystems and create conditions where people can thrive. It also implies a shift in how local governments measure success, with greater weighting given to wellbeing, inclusion and ecological health alongside economic output.

The distinction between resilience and regeneration is not merely semantic. A city that is resilient to flooding may still be polluted, unequal and unwelcoming. A regenerative approach, by contrast, would aim to improve water quality, increase biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions and create public spaces that connect people to nature. Kong’s intervention is part of a wider rethinking of urban development that has gathered pace since pandemic-era lockdowns refocused attention on local environments and community links. For urban planners, the challenge is to embed these principles into zoning laws, building standards and investment decisions rather than treating them as optional extras.

Digital infrastructure and economic repositioning

Sunderland is one city attempting to turn these ideas into practice. By combining digital infrastructure with low-carbon innovation, it is building a resilient, future-focused economy. The city has invested in connectivity, smart energy demonstrators and advanced manufacturing as part of a wider effort to create an innovation ecosystem. The approach reflects a broader trend among mid-sized cities that cannot rely on legacy industries and must instead create new sources of growth while addressing climate and inequality challenges.

Sunderland was historically known for shipbuilding, coal mining and car manufacturing. As those industries declined, the city had to reinvent itself. The current strategy prioritises digital skills, software-defined vehicles, battery production and renewable energy technologies. Public and private partners are working in concert to ensure that local people can take advantage of the new jobs being created. This mix of physical investment, skills development and civic leadership is a useful case study for other post-industrial cities seeking to become smart.

Dublin offers another example of digital-led urban improvement. The Irish capital is using digital twin projects, traffic reduction schemes and economic growth initiatives to improve experiences and services for communities. Digital twins allow city authorities to simulate changes before they are made on the ground, reducing the risk of unintended consequences and making it easier to engage the public in planning decisions. Dublin’s efforts show how a combination of data, analytics and citizen insight can make municipal services more responsive and efficient.

Traffic reduction is a particularly sensitive issue in many European cities, as leaders try to balance the needs of commuters, residents, retailers and delivery companies. Dublin has approached this by using data to monitor congestion, optimise traffic signals and promote alternatives such as walking, cycling and public transport. Economic growth initiatives are being linked to improvements in the public realm, making the city more attractive to talent and investment while also delivering better day-to-day experiences for those who live and work there.

Data, AI and the future of city operations

Artificial intelligence is moving quickly from the laboratory to the control room. A series of on-demand panel discussions at the summit examined how AI is being used in city operations, with a focus on moving from pilots to everyday practice. The conversations highlighted successful use cases in predictive maintenance, traffic management and energy optimisation, while also acknowledging the practical difficulties of scaling projects beyond the pilot stage.

One recurring message came from Microsoft’s Katherine Flesh, who said that the greatest opportunities for transport agencies will depend on strong data foundations, workforce readiness and responsible governance. AI models are only as good as the data they are trained on, and cities often struggle with fragmented data silos, legacy systems and inconsistent standards. Flesh’s comments suggest that technology investment must be accompanied by investment in skills, organisational change and clear accountability frameworks.

Operating smarter with digital twins

A dedicated panel event explored the use of digital twins and AI to reshape urban infrastructure management. Digital twins provide a live, data-driven representation of physical assets, allowing operators to monitor performance, test interventions and plan maintenance more effectively. In the built environment, this can mean faster response times, lower costs and better alignment between infrastructure investment and service outcomes. But successful implementation depends on interoperability between systems, data governance and the ability of staff to interpret and act on the insights generated.

The discussion also touched on the need for common standards so that digital models from different vendors and sectors can communicate with one another. Without interoperability, a city may end up with a patchwork of smart assets that cannot be used to answer cross-cutting questions about energy, mobility, housing and social care. This is why many panellists called for cities to treat data architecture as core infrastructure, as important as roads, pipes and cables.

Energy systems shaped by local authorities

Another panel focused on how energy systems can be shaped by local authorities. The discussion covered the tools available to cities that want to accelerate the clean energy transition, including renewable energy procurement, community energy schemes, flexibility services and battery storage. It also considered the importance of smarter networks that match real-time demand with generation and allow consumers to play a more active role in balancing the grid. Local authorities are often the best-placed organisations to coordinate these changes because they own buildings, manage transport systems and work directly with residents and businesses.

The energy crisis that followed the invasion of Ukraine increased the urgency of local energy action. High prices exposed the vulnerability of households and businesses to global markets, prompting councils to explore options such as rooftop solar, heat pumps, neighbourhood batteries and local energy trading. These initiatives can reduce bills, cut emissions and improve energy security, but they require policy support and careful financial modelling. The panellists therefore urged national governments to create a regulatory environment in which municipal energy leadership is possible.

Smart lighting and cyber resilience

Street lighting has become one of the most visible applications of

Source: Smart Cities World News