How tech is transforming city planning for better cities

⚡ Pop-Up Power: Urban Fox Networks to Deploy 35,000 Retractable EV Chargers Across the UK Urban Fox Networks : a strategic collaboration between Balfour Beatty Investments and Urban Electric Networks is deploying up to 35,000 on-street EV charge-points across the UK over the next decade, backed by a £60 million investment. Planning, Building & Construction Today 🔧 Here’s how it works (and why it matters for infrastructure, accessibility and EV scale-up): 👉 ✨ Innovation in hardware – The new 7 kW on-street charger is fully retractable underground (flush pavement when idle), minimising street clutter and maximising accessibility. 👉 📍 Installation reach – Pilots show this system can be rolled out on ~80% of typical residential streets. Planning, Building & Construction Today 👉 🏙 End-to-end service model for local authorities – From funding and build, to operation & maintenance, Urban Fox offers a turnkey near-home EV charging solution for councils. 👉 📈 Scale-up ambition – This isn’t just a few test sites: this is infrastructure at national scale, intended to accelerate the UK’s drive to net-zero mobility. For EV infrastructure stakeholders, this is a textbook example of how tech innovation + infrastructure delivery capability + financial backing = meaningful scale. And for urban planners, transport strategists and mobility leaders it’s a reminder: delivering on-street charging for the 1/3 of households without off-street parking is critical. If you’re in local authority, property development, utilities or mobility planning -this is worth watching. The architecture of deployment, the civil-engineering interface (underground retractable units), the service-contract model, and the urban-integration challenge all matter. #EVCharging #CleanMobility #Infrastructure #SmartCities #NetZero #UrbanInnovation #ElectricVehicles #PopUpCharging #UrbanFox #EVCharging #ElectricVehicles #CleanMobility #SmartCities y

As cities across the Middle East continue to expand and evolve, infrastructure stands at a crossroads. No longer is it just about pipes, roads, and utilities, it’s about shaping cities that are resilient, inclusive, and future-ready. Our new report explores how city leaders can reimagine infrastructure as a strategic enabler of growth driving innovation, sustainability, and prosperity. It highlights how adopting a proactive, data-driven and integrated approach can transform urban ecosystems and unlock new economic opportunities. 🌆 Let’s move beyond pipes and roads and towards smarter, sustainable, and human-centred cities. 📘 Read the full report: http://pwc.to/4hhwPVj @PwC Middle East

As cities across the Middle East continue to expand and evolve, infrastructure stands at a crossroads. No longer is it just about pipes, roads, and utilities, it’s about shaping cities that are resilient, inclusive, and future-ready. Our new report explores how city leaders can reimagine infrastructure as a strategic enabler of growth driving innovation, sustainability, and prosperity. It highlights how adopting a proactive, data-driven and integrated approach can transform urban ecosystems and unlock new economic opportunities. 🌆 Let’s move beyond pipes and roads and towards smarter, sustainable, and human-centred cities. 📘 Read the full report: http://pwc.to/4hhwPVj @PwC Middle East

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), U.S. infrastructure scored a ‘C’ in 2025. While progress has been made, major investment is still needed. Today, modern tech tools like Citywide Assets help municipalities navigate these challenges and operate more strategically by tracking infrastructure conditions, forecasting maintenance needs, and enabling smarter budgeting. Learn how technology is shaping resilient communities through smarter, more strategic city planning: https://hubs.ly/Q03Lb-gC0 #CityPlanners #SmartCities #AssetManagement

Innovating Infrastructure — Building the Future of Urban Growth Cities are growing — and so are the challenges that come with it. 🌍  From population surges to sustainability goals, the world’s urban centers demand smarter, stronger, and more connected infrastructure than ever before.  At Hingeneering Consulting Inc., we believe innovation isn’t just about technology — it’s about reimagining how infrastructure shapes the cities and communities of tomorrow. 🚧 From smart cities and sustainable design, to pipeline integrity, marine infrastructure, and high-rise development, our engineering and consulting teams are helping transform vision into reality — one project at a time. In our latest blog, we explore how Hingeneering’s expertise drives:  ✅ Sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions  ✅ Integration of smart technologies for efficient urban systems  ✅ The bridge between global innovation and local market insight  ✅ A people-first approach to engineering excellence  🌆 Urban growth isn’t slowing down — and neither are we. 🔗 Read the full story: Innovating Infrastructure: How Hingeneering Supports Urban Growth  👉 https://lnkd.in/gn-rXMMm #WeAreHingeneering #InfrastructureDevelopment #SmartCities #UrbanGrowth #EngineeringExcellence #Sustainability #CivilEngineering #StructuralEngineering #PipelineIntegrity #InfrastructureInnovation #SmartInfrastructure #UrbanPlanning #EngineeringConsulting #Hingeneering #BuildingTheFuture #SustainableDevelopment

As cities across the Middle East continue to expand and evolve, infrastructure stands at a crossroads. No longer is it just about pipes, roads, and utilities, it’s about shaping cities that are resilient, inclusive, and future-ready. Our new report explores how city leaders can reimagine infrastructure as a strategic enabler of growth driving innovation, sustainability, and prosperity. It highlights how adopting a proactive, data-driven and integrated approach can transform urban ecosystems and unlock new economic opportunities.    Read the full report: http://pwc.to/4hhwPVj 

New York University just published a plan to build high-speed rail from Boston to DC for $12.5 billion. For context, California's high-speed rail project is projected to cost $128 billion. For one state. The Northeast Corridor plan cuts NYC-Boston travel to 1:56. High-speed trains every 10 minutes near NYC, every 15 minutes near Boston and DC. All while integrating commuter rail into the same system. How would this be even kind of possible at that price? It does three things most US rail projects don't do: 1. They coordinated the timetable first, then built infrastructure around it. Most projects build first, schedule later. This plan started with repeating patterns and only added tracks where scheduling couldn't solve capacity. Where possible, they avoided building entirely. 2. They separated routine maintenance from megaproject funding. Fixing aging infrastructure shouldn't be funded like building new infrastructure. This kept costs realistic. 3. They used European technical standards. These are already legal in the US. We just don't use them. They allow faster speeds through stations and cheaper catenary repairs using modern technology instead of replacing poles. The report is from Alon Levy and Devin Wilkins at NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management. Studio 2263 designed the interactive site that makes the technical details actually understandable. The entire approach challenges how we think about infrastructure in the US. We assume rail has to cost 10x what it costs in Europe or Asia. But the regulations allowing cheaper approaches already exist. We're just not using them. This isn't about whether the US will actually build this. It's about proving that the "it's too expensive" argument is a choice, not a constraint. Make sure to check out the full plan: nec.transitcosts.com

Plans for High-Speed Rail infrastructure in the NorthEastern USA have often been rebuffed due to complaints of complexity and high cost. The below plan from NYU proposes a creative plan to connect D.C. and Boston, with an N.Y.C. -Boston journey taking only 2 hours! This opportunity could significantly alleviate congestion in the area, allow for key preventative maintenance on major roadways, and give roads back to the drivers. This seems to be an excellent opportunity to promote sustainable development! What other benefits would arise from this proposed rail system? Where else could this methodology be applied?

🏙️ Metro Vancouver is changing — fast. Within a generation, most residents will live in apartments instead of single-family homes. That is a huge shift... That forecast carries massive implications for how we plan, finance, and deliver infrastructure across the region. For decades, growth in Metro Vancouver followed a horizontal pattern suburban expansion, long utility corridors, and car-based connectivity. The next era will be vertical: compact communities, transit-oriented development, shared amenities, and mixed-use environments built around sustainable systems. This shift is more than a housing story. It’s an infrastructure story. Density concentrates demand. Water, wastewater, energy, and transit systems will face higher peak loads within smaller footprints. That requires smarter asset design modular, efficient, and increasingly digital. Underground networks must be adaptable to serve evolving neighbourhoods, while stormwater and public-realm infrastructure will need to integrate with green space, energy systems, and community amenities. At the same time, funding and governance models must evolve. Development cost charges, rate structures, and infrastructure financing were built for a different era, one that assumed urban sprawl. Denser, transit-connected communities call for shared investment models and lifecycle thinking: lower per-capita service costs, but higher upfront intensity per hectare. Land-use policy is also transforming. Provincial legislation now encourages small-scale multi-unit housing and up-zoning of single-family lots. Municipalities are redesigning corridors around rapid transit. With that comes the need for new design standards, new servicing assumptions, and faster, more integrated project delivery. Traditional project sequencing: plan, design, tender, build may no longer be fast enough. Infrastructure and development teams must work in parallel, guided by collaborative frameworks that balance certainty with flexibility. A new way of building communities - At Maven Consulting Limited, we see this transition not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to modernize infrastructure delivery across Western Canada. By combining practical engineering with strategic foresight, we can be read for the next generation of residents. The question for all of us in the industry is simple: Are we ready for density? And more importantly, are our frameworks and delivery models built for the communities of tomorrow? read more here: https://lnkd.in/gJuEVwr9 #Infrastructure #UrbanDevelopment #MetroVancouver #Planning #PublicInfrastructure #Sustainability #EngineeringLeadership #SmartCities #MavenConsulting

💡 Where Our Budget Goes: Capital Infrastructure in Action Each year, a portion of Chicago’s budget is dedicated to capital infrastructure, the projects that build, repair, and maintain what makes life work in our City. From fixing bridges and resurfacing streets to upgrading sidewalks and modernizing lighting, these investments keep our communities safe, connected, and vibrant. Here’s a look at how this funding takes shape: Bridges & Viaducts: Replacement, repair, and full reconstruction to keep our roadways and transit routes safe. Streets & Alleys: Resurfacing residential and arterial streets, rebuilding aging roads, and adding sustainable “green alleys.” Sidewalks & Accessibility: Hazardous sidewalk repair, ADA ramp installations, and improvements that make public spaces more accessible. Street Lighting & Traffic Signals: Modernizing streetlights, upgrading traffic signals, and adding technology for safer, more reliable intersections. Facilities & Public Spaces: Renovating public buildings like libraries and clinics, and preparing land for safe, productive use. These projects are part of multi-year capital plans, that prioritize equity, safety, and resiliency. By maintaining and improving core infrastructure, we ensure every neighborhood benefits from reliable streets, safe public spaces, and strong City services. #WhereOurBudgetGoes #ChiBudget