The choice between heaven and hell

In 2018, the first paper on the Near Future in Cities of Things was published. Seven years later, we took the initiative to conduct exploratory research to reflect on the state of cities of things. Or, put differently: how should we assess the current state of urban robotics and physical AI?

​In this interactive event, Iskander Smit will present the learnings from the research, and a panel of four of the approximately 25 interviewed experts will share their perspectives to kick off a discussion led by moderator Monique van Dusseldorp.
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The central question is how the developments might impact and inspire the design of future cities, things, intelligent systems, and the interplay between these.

​The panelists

• ​<strong>Maria Luce Lupetti</strong>; Assistant Professor in Design at Politecnico di Torino. She is co-director of POEL – Possible Entanglements Lab, a research group dedicated to investigating how people and technologies co-shape one another, and how design can help envision desirable configurations. She was the leading author of the first paper on Cities of Things in 2018. Maria Luce will reflect on the changes in human entanglement with the artificial world, particularly in complex technologies such as AI and robotics.
• ​<strong>Sen Lin</strong>; Senior Product Designer and AI Design Consultant. Sen was among the first students graduating in the Delft Design Lab Cities of Things. Sen just returned from a 2-month stay in China and will share his impressions from urban robotics there.
• ​<strong>Tomasz Jaskiewicz</strong> is a professor of civic prototyping at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Tomasz is a founding partner in the creation of the Wijkbot platform for research through prototyping into urban robotics. He will share the learnings between experiments.
• ​<strong>Vera van der Burg</strong> is a designer, researcher, and Ph.D. candidate at TU Delft's Designing Intelligence Lab. Her research investigates how training AI models can become a reflective practice. With her research, she was awarded as Dutch Design Emerging Talent and FD Talent. She will reflect on the relations we build while applying (physical) AI.
• ​<strong>Iskander Smit</strong> is the founder of the Cities of Things, an expertise center for urban robotics and physical AI. Applying research through (speculative) design, connecting experts in knowledge events, and publishing via his weekly newsletter.

​Monique will involve other interviewed experts and participants in the event to reflect on the impact of urban robotics and physical AI on the practice of creative industries, design methods, and on relations between humans and AI.
​Before and after, there will be space to connect with other participants and explore the current Wijkbots.
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Schedule:
​15h00 - Doors open, mingle, explore Wijkbots
16h00 - Welcome and introduction to the results of the research by Iskander Smit
16h30 - Introductions of the positions by the panelists
17h00 - Interactive discussion with panel, participants
18h00 - Wrap up and drinks with bites
20h00 - End
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If you can only join part of the event, you are welcome to join later.
​Find more details about the program on the <strong>Cities of Things website</strong>.
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The event is powered by CLICKNL, and registration is free, including drinks.

𝟭𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 “𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆.”

𝗡𝗼𝘄? 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 — 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰.

On 𝟮𝟳 𝗔𝘂𝗴 2025 at 𝟭𝟬:𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧, we’ll break down exactly what works today, where the pain points still hurt, and how to electrify your fleet without disrupting your operations.

You’ll get:

• The biggest shifts in electric truck technology and adoption over the last decade

• Which fleets are running e-trucks successfully today — and where they still don’t fit

• The toughest operational and infrastructure hurdles (and why they persist)

• When e-trucks hit profitability based on TCO, range, and duty cycle

• A practical roadmap to start electrifying your fleet without disrupting operations

Speakers:

Tharsis Teoh, Smart Freight Centre — Perspective of the freight sector

Michael Ayres, Flexible Power Systems — Experience from live projects on depot charging

Rishabh Ghotge, Cenex Nederland — Live demo of KITE, a free tool for electrifying your truck fleets

Hosted by our favourite Sanne van Breukelen

Join us to cut through the noise and address the real barriers European fleets face.

Cenex, NextETRUCK, MACBETH Project, ALICE, Alliance for Logistics Innovation through Collaboration in Europe (ETP LOGISTICS), 2Zero , Connekt, Connectr - Energy innovation, ERTICO - ITS Europe, POLIS network, Niklas Schmalholz, Holly Nakatomi, Megan de Langen

On the 5th of June, during the 28th Knowledge and Demo Day, we explored the topic of Inclusive Design in the context of mobility projects together with a diverse group of network partners. Iris Ruysch introduced the theme on behalf of the Amsterdam Transport Authority (Vervoerregio), while David Koop and Lotte de Wolde from our knowledge partner Flatland facilitated the session format, moderation and visual notes.

The ambition of the Amsterdam Transport Authority

The Amsterdam Transport Authority is responsible for public transport across fourteen municipalities in the region and is working towards a mobility system that enables people to travel quickly, safely and comfortably by public transport, bicycle or car. In addition to organising and funding public transport and investing in infrastructure, the Authority actively contributes to broader societal goals such as sustainability, health and inclusivity.

Inclusive mobility is one of the key themes within the wider mobility policy. The central principle is that everyone – regardless of age, income, disability, gender or background – should be able to travel well and comfortably throughout the region. This calls for a mobility system that is accessible, affordable, appropriate, socially safe and welcoming.

The aim of the session on 5 June was to work with the network towards an initial action plan for applying inclusive design principles in mobility projects. Iris is keen to ensure that the ambitions around inclusivity are not only stated in policy and vision documents but are truly embedded in the organisation – from policymakers to implementation teams.

Session set-up

After an introduction by Iris on the context and ambitions within the Transport Authority, we got to work. In small groups, participants explored the profile of the implementing civil servant (using a persona canvas) and considered desirable changes in approach; in terms of attitude, skills and collaboration.

We then used the Inclusive Design Wheel to examine how existing programme components of the Authority could be made more inclusive. In pairs, we tackled themes such as accessible travel information, social safety at stations (specifically for women), and improving bicycle parking facilities.

The Inclusive Design Wheel is an iterative process model that supports the structural integration of inclusivity into design and policy projects. The model emphasises collaboration, repetition, and continuous learning. It consists of four phases:

1. Explore: Gather insights about users, their needs, and potential exclusion.
2. Create: Develop ideas, concepts, and prototypes that address inclusive needs.
3. Evaluate: Test whether the designs are inclusive, collect feedback, and make improvements where necessary.
4. Manage: Ensure shared understanding, set goals, engage stakeholders, and embed the process.

Outcomes and insights

While the persona profiles were being developed, I observed the group discussions and noted several important insights to take forward in the development of the action plan:

• Awareness and concrete translation: Implementation teams often already have an intrinsic motivation to contribute to inclusivity goals set in policy. However, they may not always realise how their day-to-day work can support those goals. It’s important to continuously ask the question ‘How, exactly?’. Tools like checklists, templates and practical examples can support this translation from policy to practice.
• Flexible guidelines and not ‘extra work’: Given the differences in scale, pace and content of projects, guidelines need to be flexible. There must also be sufficient room in terms of time and budget. Most importantly, these guidelines and action plans should feel supportive, not like extra rules or bureaucracy. Too many rigid frameworks can backfire.
• Interaction between policy and implementation: There is a need for more two-way communication. Implementation teams want to be involved early in policy development, especially when they will be the ones carrying it out. They also want opportunities to reflect with policymakers on whether policy is being implemented as intended. This allows for timely feedback and course-correction based on real-world experience.
• An Inclusive Design mindset: Beyond sharpened policy documents and a stronger focus on the end user, Inclusive Design also requires a mindset – one that is inquisitive and reflective. Embedding this within the organisational culture will require more than just an action plan.

What’s next

Iris collected valuable input to kick-start the development of the action plan, and participants gained a better understanding of the Amsterdam Transport Authority, the principles of Inclusive Design, and what it takes to move from policy to implementation. This summer, a trainee will start at the Transport Authority to further develop this topic and the action plan. The session, this report, and Flatland’s visual notes provide a strong foundation to build on. We’ll be meeting with Iris and David to explore how we can support this follow-up.

Would you like to learn more about any of the topics or developments mentioned in this report? Feel free to email pelle@amsterdaminchange.com.