What is a smart city?

Our cities and the way they operate is evolving. While the overarching purpose of transport, construction and other man-made infrastructures remains the same they are developing to become more connected, intelligent and data-driven.

As part of Interchange - the London Transport Museum's thought leadership programme in collaboration with Gowling WLG and Thales UK - we have produced a series of 'Rethinking' reports exploring the most important themes facing an evolving world.

Focussed on the barriers and opportunities facing urban transport and infrastructure, the reports draw on roundtable discussions with transport, legal and finance industry leaders, policy makers and academics. Exploring topics including 'smart' cities, transport, finance and construction, the reports are focussed on furthering the conversation to bring about positive change and drive innovation in industry to bring a smarter future into reality.

Rethinking Urban Mobility: Three questions that will shape the future of transport in cities

Paving the Way Autonomous Vehicles White Paper

Communication-based technologies are enabling new and different approaches to mobility for both people and goods. In our report, Rethinking Urban Mobility: Three questions that will shape the future of transport in cities, produced in collaboration with the London Transport Museum, Arup and Thales UK, we explore the challenges and opportunities facing our cities' transportation and infrastructure systems. The report highlights the role that our cities should take in shaping change and recommendations for the future as we look ahead and consider what a smart city is and what strategic policies are needed to make them a reality.

Rethinking Smart Futures: Focused on people, enabled by transport, powered by technology

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Considering the like of autonomous vehicles, cyber security and new financing methods, Rethinking Smart Futures: Focussed on people, enabled by transport, powered by technology brings together the thoughts of more than 60 decision makers from across the transport industry to consider the challenges and opportunities faced by cities, transport and infrastructure.

Rethinking transport finance and funding: where will the money come from?

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Adequate funding and financing have long been a challenge for the development, operation and maintenance of public transport infrastructure. Today, new technologies, changing working practices and concerns for the environment are disrupting how and why we move around and the modes of transport we choose to use. As a result, major transport schemes exist in a world where they compete against each other (and other infrastructure types) for investment.

Now, more than ever, opportunities exist to develop transport infrastructure that embraces emerging technologies, maximises public benefit and drives economic growth in our towns and cities. But one question remains the same: where will the money come from? Our latest report 'Rethinking transport finance and funding: where will the money come from?' addresses how we finance and fund future infrastructure, to build and create the sorts of cities imagined for coming generations.