Four Questions for Smart City Leaders
Chelsea McCullough, Smart Cities Connect
Twice per year, we have the opportunity to gather in person at Smart Cities Connect to learn from each other’s perspectives and experiences. Of course we hope you can join us April 14 – 16, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas for the next Smart Cities Connect! Given that these experiences are so valuable and enriching, we thought it would be helpful to share insights and perspectives from some of the top smart city leaders in the country.
In this newsletter we are sharing insights from a Texas expert: Jennifer Sanders, Co-Founder and Executive Director for the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) and the Dallas Innovation Alliance (DIA). Jennifer has been at the forefront of public innovation in smart cities and is always creating new programs and platforms. Please enjoy insights from one of the foremost thought leaders in smart cities!
Question 1: What do you think is the biggest opportunity for smart cities in 2025?
Jennifer: I think the biggest opportunity for smart cities in 2025 is fully realizing the vision to design major investments that embrace a ‘while we’re at it’ approach [and making that step a SOP]. Take a step back, look at targeted outcomes across departments, and combine efforts (and budget) into a single integrated investment. Opportunities to bring infrastructure, sustainability and economic development directly into the fold drives readiness and outcomes that transcend public efficiencies into private sector growth.
Question 2: Given your enthusiasm for strategic smart city planning and development, what do you think is/are the biggest obstacles to achieving that vision or goal?
Jennifer: While the biggest obstacles are not new, the potential to overcome them is more possible given tools and precedent that have emerged in recent years. The big three remain: (1) Procurement, (2) Money, (3) Policy [whether outdated zoning, or a lack of policy – like standards for AI utilization].
A secondary challenge is an understanding of what smart cities are – and what it is not – while communicating to decision makers. Too often, we still find that initiatives fail, not because of the value, but because elected officials (those controlling the budget) don’t fully understand what the program will do for them. I continue to lean into advocating the importance of storytelling, and of coaching staff on how to translate ‘the technical to the transformational’ to get things done.
Question 3 – Tell us about your journey to becoming a smart city leader? Did you always imagine being in this professional sector?
Jennifer: It’s a blur, honestly, and absolutely couldn’t have predicted this destination, or the form it would take! Coming from a consulting background, I loved taking obscure topics and finding the storytelling that connects audiences, finding dots to connect, and amplifying outcomes through partnership. I also have known that my heart ultimately wanted to be in social impact or philanthropy…but I had no idea how to find the intersection of these and make a living doing it! So I suppose in function, the journey is more intuitive than I thought, but the application was wildly unknown. Grateful to be in this space, at this time, with these people.
Question 4 – If you could change one thing about the smart cities sector, what would that be? How would you influence the future?
We all talk a lot about ensuring a human-first planning approach to all programs (not just smart cities) – the complexity of also executing programs with a human-first approach is another example of why ensuring collaboration and active partners at the table is so critical to success. After you’ve defined the problem you are trying to solve, and the solution to implement, how do you continue the feedback loop with the community all the way up to the elected officials? How do we ensure there is consideration to construction schedules [and communication of daily life disruptions] as these transformational initiatives slog through the ‘messy middle’ before the impact and value is realized? Human-first execution and communication to the right audience at the right time is critical. And ironically, smart city technology can be part of the solution to the messy middle!
Stay tuned for future insights and don’t forget to register for Smart Cities Connect in San Antonio, April 14 – 16!