How Design & Tech Are Transforming Cities – Nikki Greenberg, Real Estate of the Future, from Smart City Expo World Congress 2025

“(B)efore we're even thinking about AI, it's actually thinking about how are we using our technology effectively and is it part of our processes? Does it complicate things or does it simplify things? And the advice that I always give them is like, before you start bringing in new technology and new processes and having to train people and doing their job in a different way and adding complication first, look at what you're doing and…pair back the stuff that doesn't need to be there anymore. And then think about technology.”

Nikki Greenberg on Electric Ladies Podcast

 

Cities are in transformation mode – between affordability and housing challenges, the need to be resilient to climate’s impacts, and yet maintain the vibrancy that draws billions of people to cities. How can they do that? What role does technology play – and does AI change everything?

Listen to architect and urban designer, Nikki Greenberg, CEO of Real Estate of the Future and an advisor on urban innovation, in this fascinating conversation Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson had with her at the 2025 Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

 

You’ll hear about:

●        How cities can be hubs of “soft diplomacy” as city leaders across the globe share best practices, tips and strategies to make their cities better, more affordable and more climate-resilient.

●        First things first: The first things she counsels city leaders to do before thinking about technology, including A.I.

●        How climate change has affected city building codes: From the type of energy systems to have to where to locate them, to designing flexibility into building structures.

●        Plus, insightful career advice:

 

“You can't stop learning and you can't be complacent. And yes, you might have time constraints. Yes, you might have disadvantages. Yes, you may have been in your career and been very good at it for a very long time, but it doesn't mean that you can sit still and stop learning.…The advantage that you have is that you have experience, you have professional networks, you know how to hold down a job….But you have to get behind the new technology and learn how to use it because that's the tools that we're using moving forward.” Nikki Greenberg on Electric Ladies Podcast

 

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

 

You’ll also like:

·       Urban Climate Actions at the 2025 Smart City Expo World Congress: Listen to Joan’s panel with three extraordinary urban women leaders from across the globe who are using creative strategies to address climate issues.

·       Using Climate Modelling – with Maria Caffrey, Ph.D., UK National Physical Laboratory, on how climate modelling works and how best to use it most effectively  

·       How Cities Can Thrive Through Polycrises – With Lauren Sorkin, Resilient Cities Network, on the range of crises cities are facing all at once today and how to manage them, at Smart City Expo World Congress 2024.

·       How to Rebuild After Disaster – With Majora Carter, Urban Revitalization Expert and CEO of the Majora Carter Group

·       Predicting Climate Impacts In Neighborhoods – with Jessica Filante Farrington, AT&T’s Director of Global Sustainability

 

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our podcasts, blog, events and special coaching offers.

 

Thanks for subscribing on Apple Podcasts or iHeartRadio and leaving us a review!

Follow us on Twitter @joanmichelson