Building for Belonging: Demos
Programming Details for Wharton-Weitzman Future of Cities 2025
Bentley Systems x Water Center at Penn
10:00 am ET | Studio 3
Bentley Systems and SmartDCU will present on their digital twins for smart city innovations. This collaborative initiative aims to investigate the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive digital twin technology using DCU as a city microcosm for developing intelligent and sustainable urban spaces. It strives to push the boundaries of digital twins by leveraging Insight’s AI expertise and Bentley’s advanced technology applications in a secure and controlled campus environment, helping guide cities in the strategic deployment of smart city innovations.Bentley Systems is a software development company that supports the needs of those responsible for creating & managing the world’s infrastructure. SmartDCU, or SMART Dublin City University, is a Smart Dublin District, with goal to develop, test and trial cutting-edge technology innovations in a university campus setting before scaling up to the city scale.
Urban Heat: Treepedia
11:00 am ET | Studio 3
Treepedia measures urban tree canopy by analyzing the amount of greenery visible from the street, rather than counting individual trees. Using a scalable and universally applicable method, Treepedia creates visualizations that capture street-level perceptions of green space—excluding parks and off-street areas. Expanding urban tree canopy helps cities reduce heat, improve air quality, and manage stormwater. To support this effort, Treepedia developed the Green View Index, a metric to evaluate and compare street-level greenery across cities. In collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Cities and the Global Shapers community, Treepedia continues to expand its database, helping cities track and enhance their urban green spaces.
Xiaojiang Li | Project Lead, Treepedia
Circular Economy: Rego
12:00 pm ET | Studio 3
Rego is an innovative marketplace for used furniture that helps solve environmental challenges. Consumers safely buy and sell with each other while the technology, payments, communication, and pick-up/delivery are all handled by Rego.
Josh Mastromatto | CEO and Founder, Rego