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Are you interested in the future of urban governance? What do you think is the role of AI in urban governance? How can we utilise the localised feedback loops for the better future of cities?

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This episode is a panel discussion about the future of urban governance. The panellists, Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte, and Balamurugan Soundararaj talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban governance, localised solutions, AI, transparency, and many more.

Micah Gaudet is a Deputy City Manager who helps local governments understand and apply AI in practical, operational ways grounded in the realities of municipal leadership. He focuses on how AI reshapes workflows, decision-making, service delivery, and organizational capacity across public safety, budgeting, HR, permitting, community development, and emergency response. Micah speaks, writes, and trains governments to adopt AI responsibly while preserving context, culture, and people-first public service.

Find out more about Micah through these links:

• Micah Gaudet on LinkedIn
• Micah Gaudet website
• Fragile Systems: An Ecological Approach to AI in Government – book by Micah Gaudet

Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte is a passionate architect and urban researcher dedicated to creating just, responsible, and open cities through collaborative and community-based strategies. Her work critically examines the design, use, and impacts of (geo)technologies and data-driven approaches in diverse urban contexts. She contributed to the Dialogical Spaces Podcast as part of the “Dialogical Spaces for a Diverse University” project.

Find out more about Ana through these links:

• Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte on LinkedIn
• Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte on Google Scholar

Balamurugan Soundararaj is a Senior Lecturer at the City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, and CTO of MapAI, where he leverages Generative AI for GIS and spatial analysis. His expertise combines Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and visualisation to advance urban planning and quantitative human geography. His research focuses on integrating innovative technologies into urban studies, delivering data-driven insights and solutions for complex spatial problems to support smarter decision-making in cities.

Find out more about Bala through these links:

• Balamurugan Soundararaj on LinkedIn
• Balamurugan Soundararaj at UNSW
• Balamurugan Soundararaj on Google Scholar
• Balamurugan Soundararaj talks on Youtube
• UNSW City Futures Research Centre website
• MapAI website
• MapAI on LinkedIn

Connected episodes you might be interested in:

• No.294 – Interview with Erick A. Brimen about the minimal role of governance
• No.296 – Interview with Sally Capp about public-private partnerships
• No.298 – Interview with Carina Gormley about participatory governance
• No.449R – Cities aren’t rocket engines: the maturity of digital twins in human-centred urban planning

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