Smart Cities Connect + Expo

At the Smart Cities Connect Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina, our team brought a different perspective to the conversation around innovation: what if the true measure of a “smart” city isn’t just efficiency or advanced technology, but how well it supports the health and well-being of its communities, especially at the neighborhood level?

Our panel explored how smart city initiatives can better serve residents by centering community voices from the very beginning. We shared about our belief that communities should be co-creators of innovation, project design, and implementation.

The first presentation emphasized designing from the neighborhood up. Drawing on work in legacy and disinvested cities, we highlighted how early and meaningful engagement ensures that technologies reflect lived experience and local priorities. When residents help shape solutions, the outcomes are more relevant, trusted, and impactful.

The second talk moved from theory to practice, illustrating how community input can directly influence implementation. From procurement decisions to governance structures, we shared examples of how neighborhood priorities translate into tangible design choices, improving safety, accessibility, and everyday mobility. Here we focused mainly on our work on preventing illegal dumping in Flint, Michigan.

Finally, we turned to evaluation. Rather than focusing solely on technical performance, we argued for measuring what truly matters: usability, perceived safety, access, and overall community well-being. These metrics offer a more complete picture of whether smart city initiatives are actually delivering on their promises.

We enjoyed having conversations about health, equity, and inclusion in smart city technology. Through these interactions, a clear theme emerged: smart cities are not just built with technology, they are built with people. When communities are genuinely at the center, innovation becomes a tool for equity, resilience, and lasting impact.