SMART CITIES ARE ONLY SMART IF THEY’RE HUMAN TOO

As I reflect over the last three months, the keynotes I have delivered around the globe, the audiences I have shared insights with, the lessons learned, I’m called to consider in our haste to progress, to grow, to advance, have we forgotten how to be human?

I’ve long been fascinated by cities, by all that is urban, by the potential for our metropolises to be magical hubs for humans and nature to thrive. For despite being a lover of nature, especially the sea, I’m a Leeds-born city girl through and through. In my hometown of Brighton (for the last 20 years), I’ve found (for me) the perfect blend of grey, green and blue, a city that combines the urban with the rural, the cultural with the natural. In June, I had the honour of delivering an Opening and Closing Keynote at the UITP Global Summit in the smart city of Hamburg where thousands of public transport leaders gathered to collaborate, innovate and be inspired. Now as we head towards the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, I’m wondering, in an age of rapid urbanisation, climate change, inequality, digital transformation, AI… what makes a smart city truly smart?

Photo by Dibakar Roy via Pexels

To my mind, a city is only a smart city if it’s human-centred too. For people are the lifeblood of cities, communities the backbone, sharing and collaboration the heartbeat. But keeping that heart beating requires working in harmony with the planet, understanding the potential and the impacts of development, remembering that human ingenuity, creativity and compassion deliver genuine progress that benefits people and planet. That’s what I call smart.

Over the coming months, I’ll be exploring more on this theme, but for now, I’m reposting my interview with Jonathan Andrews for Cities Today Magazine published ahead of the UITP Global Summit because despite its public transport focus, it encapsulates why to become future cities, smart cities need to put both humans and nature right in the urban centre.

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Public Transport Should be a Catalyst for Social Transformation

In her keynote speech, global changemaker Benita Matofska outlined the key role that transport can play in changing people’s lives.

Yesterday Benita Matofska* opened the 2025 UITP Summit with a call to reframe public transport as a driver of inclusive, sustainable change. In this interview, she shares key takeaways from her keynote, her “7 Ways to Achieve Positive Change” framework, and what she hopes mobility leaders carry into their work ahead of her return to the stage for the Summit’s closing session.

Jonathan: In your keynote, you outlined the ‘7 Ways to Achieve Positive Change’. How do these principles help organisations, particularly those in mobility, build sustainable, resilient futures for both people and the planet?

Benita: The principles I outlined are fundamental to what makes us human: our capacity to share, collaborate, adapt and show compassion. These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re essential tools for survival and thriving. In an age dominated by AI and technology, it’s easy to forget that human ingenuity, creativity and empathy are irreplaceable. If we want to build resilient, sustainable systems, we must return to those basics. Public transport isn’t just about getting from A to B. It’s about connection. It has the potential to be a catalyst for social and environmental transformation, and the sector is uniquely placed to lead that charge.

Jonathan: You brought a strong message of purpose-driven innovation to the Summit stage. Why is it so important for sectors like public transport to embrace social and environmental transformation now?

Benita: Because time is not on our side. In 2024, we passed the critical 1.5°C climate threshold. The climate crisis isn’t coming, it’s already here. Sustainability, at its core, means the ability to continue. That’s what’s at stake. There’s also a powerful business case. The sustainability market is valued at over US$12 trillion. But beyond economics, this is about survival, resilience, and equity. Public transport touches billions of lives globally. That means the sector has immense power, and responsibility, to lead transformational change. The moment to act is now.

Jonathan: Throughout your career, you’ve worked with changemakers and forward-thinking businesses around the world. What lessons from that global work do you believe are most relevant to leaders shaping the future of urban mobility?

Benita: The most important lesson is that we need to change the narrative. Less than 5% of the stories we hear are positive, yet we know that optimism and possibility drive change. Positivity empowers, it shifts people from feeling helpless to feeling they can make a difference. There’s science behind this. A positive outlook inspires creativity, collaboration and action. If leaders in mobility want to create impact, they need to focus on what’s working, celebrate success, and use that as fuel to go further.

Jonathan: The concept of community-powered change is central to your work. How can large, often complex systems like transport integrate that ethos into their innovation strategies?

Benita: Start by listening. It sounds simple, but we’ve forgotten how to truly listen. There’s so much noise in our world, so much information coming at us, that we’ve tuned out. Genuine innovation starts with asking people what they want, what they need, and how they want to be involved. It’s not about imposing solutions from above, but co-creating them with communities. Citizen innovation, people coming together to collaborate on solutions, is happening all over the world. But organisations have to be open to hearing it and acting on it.

Jonathan: Equity and inclusion were recurring themes in your address. What practical steps can mobility organisations take to ensure innovation serves everyone, especially the most underserved?

Benita: Ask: who isn’t being served? Who isn’t at the table? Who is invisible in your planning or your strategy? Then go out and connect with those people. Make the effort to understand their experiences, not as a tick-box exercise, but because you genuinely want to build a system that works for them. There’s a big difference between consultation and co-creation. It’s not just about gathering feedback, it’s about valuing that input and changing your actions accordingly. That’s where true equity and inclusion begin.

Jonathan: You’ve said that sustainability must be human-centred, not just tech-driven. How can transport and urban services keep people at the heart of their climate and innovation agendas?

Benita: We must value people. It sounds obvious, but it’s often overlooked. People are the lifeblood of any system, and when they feel valued, they want to contribute, to collaborate and to help co-create solutions. There’s also a strong case for this from a performance perspective. Collaborative, supportive organisations that value their people perform 83 percent better. Social, environmental and financial sustainability are deeply interlinked. If you get one right, it strengthens the others.

Jonathan: Looking at the big picture, climate instability, inequality, resource scarcity, what gives you hope that we can still build future-ready, socially impactful systems?

Benita: The change is already happening. There are incredible examples of innovation and community action all around us. Take OLIO, a food-sharing app with 8 million users across 50 countries. They’ve rescued over 100 million meals that would otherwise go to waste. It’s a simple act, sharing surplus food, but the environmental and social impact is profound. We waste a third of our food globally. Just by sharing what we already have, we could solve hunger. That gives me hope. The solutions exist. The innovations are already out there. We just need to scale them, support them, and act.

Jonathan: For those who heard your keynote, what one action or mindset shift would you most like them to carry into their work moving forward?

Benita: See the future as an opportunity to create positive impact. Embrace the idea that you are a changemaker. You don’t need to wait for permission. If all you do is share a positive story that inspires someone else, you’re already creating a ripple. Every conversation, every meeting, every policy decision, these are moments to shape the future. Change the narrative, focus on solutions, and we can collectively change the world.

Jonathan: What are you looking forward to at this Summit?

Benita: Meeting people from around the world with different perspectives, especially those working on the ground in urban mobility. I’m not a transport expert, but I am passionate about how sectors like this can embed positive change. I also love being on stage. My hope is that people walk away from my talks not only inspired, but also equipped with the mindset and tools to act. That’s what success looks like for me.

*Matofska, author of Generation Share and founder of Climate Women, has advised businesses, governments and grassroots changemakers.