Urban Insights | July 2026 Edition Now Available

What city leaders need to know, now.

The third edition of Urban Insights, Smart Cities Council's global publication, continues to bring together leading voices from government, industry, academia and innovation to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of cities, infrastructure and connected communities.

This month's edition examines some of the most pressing issues facing organizations today—from preparing workforces for the age of artificial intelligence and building trusted digital infrastructure, to rethinking climate finance, strengthening governance and placing people at the center of city transformation.

Inside this edition:

🔹 Corey Gray reflects on leadership, perseverance and the commitment required to turn ambitious ideas into reality.

🔹 Lynne Goodyer (NCS Australia) explores why successful AI adoption is fundamentally a workforce and organizational change challenge.

🔹 Tom and Kristen Kubank (TestInvest) examine how independently verifying software capability can reduce project risk and improve workforce readiness.

🔹 Dr Delton Chen presents a bold new approach to financing climate action through the Carbon Reward.

🔹 Wayne Herbert (Ai Assets) explains why trusted infrastructure data is the foundation of truly intelligent cities.

🔹 Convera shares how better management of currency risk can strengthen governance, resilience and investor confidence.

🔹 Corey Gray also explores one of society's most confronting challenges—the decline of human intimacy—and what it means for wellbeing, trust and the future of our communities.

🔹 ZIGURAT Institute of Technology showcases how transport digital twins are helping cities move from reacting to congestion to predicting and preventing it.

From artificial intelligence and digital transformation to climate finance, workforce capability, infrastructure intelligence, leadership and human wellbeing, the July edition delivers practical insights and strategic perspectives for leaders navigating an increasingly complex world.

Read the July edition of Urban Insights and discover what city leaders need to know, now.