Innovation is not exclusive to dense megacities. In this special episode from our Major Cities of Europe 2025 series, we head to the UK to speak with Kurt Frary, Head of IT and CTO at Norfolk County Council. Kurt shares how Norfolk navigates the unique challenges of a large, mixed rural region to build robust digital foundations.

We discuss practical applications that save real time and money, from an IoT network that automatically manages flooded roads to AI tools that reduce social care documentation from hours to minutes. The conversation also covers the strict "human-in-the-loop" philosophy, tech scepticism, and the importance of data privacy. Tune in to discover how Norfolk is scaling innovation effectively and what public and private sectors can learn from each other.

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• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:02:04) - Teaser question: If you had to describe Norfolk county state of innovation with just three emojis, which would they be and why?
• (00:02:50) - Guest background
• (00:05:22) - Geography of Norfolk County
• (00:07:19) - Innovating in Rural Areas
• (00:08:52) - IoT Network and Flood Safety
• (00:12:48) - Overcoming Innovation Challenges
• (00:14:19) - Scaling Up Successful Pilots
• (00:15:41) - Designing for User Groups
• (00:17:37) - AI Program and Governance
• (00:22:44) - Addressing Technology Skepticism
• (00:25:13) - Data Privacy and AI
• (00:28:24) - Collaboration of Data
• (00:32:38) - Working with Private Partners
• (00:35:10) - Cyber Security and People
• (00:36:50) - Segment: Hot Take of the Day
• (00:41:09) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”

In dieser Folge von Smart in the City reisen wir nach Luxemburg in die Gemeinde Leudelange. Moderator Alexander Schmidt und Co-Moderator Michael Agostini von Drees & Sommer begrüßen Bürgermeister Lou Linster, um über die Herausforderungen eines einzigartigen demografischen Profils zu sprechen: eine Gemeinde mit 2.800 Einwohner:innen, aber über 10.000 Arbeitsplätzen.

Bürgermeister Linster gibt offene Einblicke in ein kürzlich durchgeführtes lokales Referendum über ein gemeindeweites Tempolimit von 30 km/h. Er spricht über das Ergebnis, die Bedeutung der Bürgerbeteiligung bei radikalen städtischen Veränderungen und wie das Feedback der Öffentlichkeit zukünftige Mobilitätspläne formt. Das Gespräch beleuchtet auch die ambitionierte Investitionsagenda von Leudelange, einschließlich der Umgestaltung des Dorfkerns in einen Shared Space, Strategien für bezahlbaren Wohnraum und die Integration von Geothermie-Systemen. Diese Folge bietet einen praxisnahen Blick darauf, wie kleinere Gemeinden Smart-City-Initiativen vorantreiben und gleichzeitig schnelles Wirtschaftswachstum bewältigen können.

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• (00:00:00) - Einleitung
• (00:02:19) - Hintergrund des Gastes
• (00:06:28) - Teaser-Frage: Wenn du eine Superkraft hättest, die dir bei der täglichen Arbeit helfen würde, welche Superkraft würdest du dir dann wünschen?
• (00:07:57) - Struktur und Besonderheiten Leudelanges
• (00:09:41) - Zukünftiges Wachstum und Stadtplanung
• (00:15:09) - Referendum zur Verkehrsberuhigung
• (00:24:35) - Lehren aus der Bürgerbeteiligung
• (00:33:05) - Radwegenetz und bezahlbarer Wohnraum
• (00:46:56) - Segment: Hot Take of the Day
• (00:49:16) - Abschlussfrage: „Was ist für dich persönlich eine Smart City?“

In this episode, recorded live at the neext 2025 in partnership with Drees & Sommer, we travel to the historic "Square Mile" with Alderman Gregory Jones KC of the City of London, UK. As a barrister and elected representative, Gregory provides a unique perspective on the intersection of planning law, heritage preservation, and urgent sustainability goals.

We discuss the City's "retrofit first" presumption and the specific challenges of upgrading buildings in a dense, historic financial district. The conversation also explores the complexities of whole-life carbon, the reliability of current tools for measuring retrofit savings, and the importance of designing flexibility into new structures for future resilience.

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Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page.

And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:01:40) - Defining the City of London
• (00:05:20) - Teaser question: Which one would you choose and why?
• (00:06:41) - Guest background
• (00:09:32) - Retrofitting in council work
• (00:11:36) - National Planning Policy Framework
• (00:13:29) - Local development plan challenges
• (00:17:04) - Presumption of retrofit first
• (00:21:33) - Whole life cycle carbon
• (00:25:04) - Designing for flexibility
• (00:27:41) - Measuring retrofit savings
• (00:34:59) - Advice for other councils
• (00:41:50) - Segment: Inspire Us
• (00:45:24) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”