What smart cities know about you before you do | Alice Charles | Transform Gov

What if a city already knew your child was starting school — and simply sent you a text asking if you agreed with the proposed school?
That already happens in Helsinki.

In this episode of Transform Gov, infrastructure expert Alice Charles from Arup explains how some cities are using data, digital twins and AI to plan transport, housing and infrastructure far more intelligently.

You will hear:
• How Helsinki predicts school demand using data
• Why digital twins allow cities to test developments instantly
• Why surveys often get transport data wrong
• How Copenhagen paid for its metro by building housing around stations
• Why Dublin sometimes loses international meetings to cities with better transport
• How electricity data can reveal vacant homes

This conversation shows how data is quietly changing how cities function.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:05 Helsinki’s predictive public services
04:00 Digital twins explained
05:30 Why visual planning wins public support
06:30 AI and planning systems
08:40 Human intelligence vs AI
11:10 Why surveys fail
12:10 Copenhagen’s real cycling data
15:30 MetroLink and global infrastructure firms
17:30 Metro funding through housing
20:40 Why Dublin loses business to Amsterdam
23:30 All-island infrastructure planning
26:00 Finding vacant homes using electricity data

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