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Politico
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Letitia James sings Adrienne Adams' praises
Presented by Solving Hunger NOT-SO-SECRET WEAPON: New York City mayoral candidate Adrienne Adams lacks money, time and name recognition with just five-and-a-half weeks until the Democratic primary. So she's hoping to make up for those deficits with a top attribute: the support of Attorney General Letitia James, one of the state's most popular Democrats, POLITICO reports. 'My candidate, the woman that I am supporting, a woman of faith, a woman of conviction, a woman without drama, someone who understands (how) we are struggling in the City of New York, and who can deliver, and who has consistently delivered,' James said on Mother's Day at a Brooklyn church, gesturing from the pulpit to her preferred mayoral candidate in the front row. 'Ladies and gentlemen, I am supporting that sister: Adrienne Adams.' James catapulted to national fame for winning lawsuits against President Donald Trump, and remains very popular among the city's Democratic primary voters. Short of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has yet to get involved in the race, James' endorsement is among the most sought after from a Democratic politician in New York. Adams, the City Council speaker, is scrambling to build support ahead of the June 24 primary that's dominated by Andrew Cuomo's universal name recognition, polling lead and multimillion-dollar super PAC. And since the attorney general went from Cuomo's political ally to one of his most hated foes — having issued a report that led him to resign — Adams is leaning on her to help her with the arduous task of defeating him. And Adams needs help to stay competitive. She's risen in the polls, up to the third spot of nine candidates in the Marist College survey out this week. But she has not yet reported enough donors to unlock the city's 8-to-1 public matching funds program, leaving her with significantly less money than her opponents. Adams is continuing to attend fundraisers as she races to catch up. But her campaign declined to share how much she has raised in the two months since the last public report, and declined to say whether she anticipates unlocking matching funds. Adams launched her campaign in March for a race that she had planned to stay out of. And since then, James has been Adams' fundraiser, adviser and cheerleader. After Adams finished a campaign speech at Al Sharpton's Harlem-based National Action Network earlier this month, James took the mic and urged her back up. 'One thing that my candidate, Adrienne Adams did not tell you, is she can sing. She can sing,' James emphasized. 'And I've told her time and time again, if we're going to break through this, you've got to sing. So I'm going to take my seat. … She's going to blow you away.' The experienced gospel singer did step up — 'To God be the glory, for the things He has done' — showing off that James' friendship isn't her only secret weapon on the campaign trail. Then James then finished a rousing speech, praising Adams as 'a mayor who can go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump' and 'someone without all of the drama.' 'I'm with Adrienne,' James concluded. 'But I can't do this alone. I need you. Don't have my back, have hers.' — Jeff Coltin FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL 'I WANT TO KNOW IF WE HAVE A DATE?": Mayoral front-runner Andrew Cuomo flirted with a female radio host this morning, asking her if she would dance one-on-one with him and go on a date with him. The on-air interaction comes as Cuomo is mid-stride into an epic, but unfulfilled political comeback, which was precipitated by resigning as governor after accusations he sexually harassed 13 women, allegations he denies. 'Eric Adams, he has been actively engaging with the Latin American community; he's out there all the time, even dancing merengue,' 97.9 FM radio host Excarlet Molina said to Cuomo. 'I want to know if Andrew Cuomo will be willing to dance merengue with the Dominicans?' 'Are you asking me to go dancing with you?' Cuomo responded, laughing. 'If that's a personal offer, yes. I'm interested.' The host doubled down on her question in Spanish and explained that she was only asking because she wanted to know how Cuomo would connect with Latinos. As Cuomo surrogate Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia intercepted that question, the station began playing merengue, to which Cuomo swung his arms as other hosts laughed. When the music stopped, the former governor said, 'Thank you for having me,' adding, 'I want to know if we have a date?' 'Uh, yeah,' Molina responded, awkwardly. The Cuomo campaign told Playbook the whole thing was a joke and encouraged us to speak with the radio host herself. Less than an hour later, Molina called Playbook and said the same: it was a joke, the show was all in good fun and Cuomo was 'very respectful.' 'He didn't even want to touch her,' added Carlos Molina, her producer who was also on the call. 'He didn't want to get into it. The question was a little awkward. That was the problem.' — Jason Beeferman KRUEGER FOR LANDER: State Sen. Liz Krueger endorsed City Comptroller Brad Lander for New York City mayor today. 'I am a New Yorker. I need a city government that works. I need responsible stewardship by principled, intelligent people who understand the job,' Krueger said outside an Upper East Side grocery store. 'I'm confident that we can have that if we all get out there and vote for Brad Lander on primary day.' Krueger is the chair of the New York State Senate Finance Committee and has considerable influence over the state budget. She had originally endorsed both Lander and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, but Lander is now her sole endorsement, bucking the trend of some politicians backing a slate of candidates to take advantage of ranked-choice voting. In her remarks today, she also called for people to not vote for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. — Cris Seda Chabrier FROM THE DELEGATION READY OR NOT: Amid speculation the now six-person Democratic primary for NY-17 could get even more crowded, leaders of the Westchester Democratic Party sent out an email last night that lists at least five other names as candidates for the NY-17 seat. According to two people who saw the email, which was sent to party members, the Westchester Democratic Party is planning to host three candidate forums on May 28, June 5 and June 12. In addition to the six Democrats already registered to run for Rep. Mike Lawler's Hudson Valley seat, the forums will feature Briarcliffe Manor Deputy Mayor Peter Chatzky, New Castle Deputy Town Supervisor Jeremy Saland, MTA board member Neal Zuckerman and two others — Nick Porfilio and Brandon Del Pozo — as 'candidates' in the NY-17 race. 'We invited individuals, whether or not they were registered candidates, who had indicated to me as the county party chair that they were seriously considering becoming candidates,' said Suzanne Berger, the county party chair. Already in the race is Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, anti-poverty nonprofit executive Jessica Reinmann, Tarrytown trustee Effie Phillips-Staley, former Biden national security staffer Cait Conley, former TV reporter Mike Sacks and former FBI analyst John Sullivan. Each will appear at one of the forums. The county committee will begin its discussion and evaluation of the candidates this summer. — Jason Beeferman IN OTHER NEWS — CUOMO FRIENDS' DARK MONEY HELP: A group funded by political operatives with ties to Cuomo is sending out mailers echoing his campaign's messages, but it isn't registered as a PAC. (The New York Times) — WILL THEY OR WON'T THEY: The New York Times' editorial board 'reserve(s) the right to endorse' in the mayoral race this year and is planning how to weigh in on the contest. (New York mag) — HIGHER SODIUM CONTENT: A $40,000 SALT offer was discussed with New York Republicans and other holdouts on the House GOP's megabill. (POLITICO) — AFTER 109,000 APPLICATIONS: The imminent closing of New York City's Asylum Application Help Center marks another turning point in the city's response to the migrant crisis. (The New York Times) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politico
15-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Un-renewable goals
Presented by Solving Hunger RENEWABLE RESET: President Donald Trump's quashing of offshore wind projects — on top of rising costs for new renewables, affordability concerns and growing electricity demand — have put New York's 2030 target for 70 percent renewables out of reach. But the state's Public Service Commission, which is responsible for achieving the goal, declined to make that official Thursday, POLITICO Pro reports today. Instead, the commission tweaked current policies and kicked off a wholesale review of the state's renewable energy development efforts, acknowledging the status quo hasn't succeeded. 'We have a wide array of challenges we need to overcome,' Public Service Commission Chair Rory Christian said at today's commission meeting. 'The dynamic realities of project development has shown us that we are taking what I view to be a measured approach towards putting ourselves in a position to meet those goals.' Rising costs, Trump's election and the sharp pivot in federal policy on renewables have made achieving decarbonization goals a far heavier lift — with the state and its residents likely paying more for the up-front investments needed. Environmental advocates have pushed for more aggressive action, but Gov. Kathy Hochul has been increasingly focused on voters' cost-of-living worries and has repeatedly raised concerns about rising utility bills in recent months. None of the commission's actions today will significantly close the shortfall in meeting the 70 percent goal on time. The order does boost the amount of onshore renewables the state will procure each year, extending that program through 2029. The commission's new order sets up additional battles over how to achieve the state's goals. It calls for more discussion about utility ownership of generation and future subsidies for existing nuclear power plants. In addition, the order requires a wholesale review of the longstanding procurement mechanism New York has – unsuccessfully – relied on to achieve its renewable goals. — Marie J. French From City Hall BANNER LEGISLATION: New York City Mayor Eric Adams is planning to push the City Council to ban masks to curb college protests over the Israel-Hamas war. 'Not only are individuals using these masks to carry out crimes, but also, when you see some of the protests in the street, many people are covering their faces,' he said during an interview on Israeli network i24NEWS. 'You saw it on the college campuses.' City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said the legislation would exempt mask wearing for religious or health reasons. Adams is pursuing a longshot reelection bid as an independent, planning to run on a new 'EndAntiSemitism' ballot line. The move is his attempt to snatch the calling card of Democratic mayoral frontrunner Andrew Cuomo, who called antisemitism a leading issue in the race. During today's interview, Adams said the state's new mask regulations — criminalizing wearing one while committing certain crimes, but not prohibiting them outright — fell short. 'We were hoping that we would have a strong piece of legislation to come out of Albany to deal with this issue,' he said. 'The legislation, I don't believe, goes far enough.' The mayor has long supported banning masks for protesters. His renewed zeal comes days after he announced the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism, an office that will focus on antisemitism and hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers, who make up 10 percent of the population but were victims of more than half the city's hate crimes last year. The mayor's predecessor, Bill de Blasio, launched the Mayor's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes in 2019 in response to a spike in antisemitic incidents. It did not, however, have antisemitism in the name in a pivotal election year. A spokesperson for the City Council declined to comment. — Joe Anuta FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL EVERYBODY VS. CUOMO: Brad Lander slammed Cuomo for going soft on President Donald Trump and Adrienne Adams accused him of supporting the briefly in vogue 'defund the police' movement as the mayoral candidates focused their attacks on the Democratic primary's frontrunner today. Lander called on Cuomo to pledge he wouldn't seek or accept a pardon from Trump, regarding House Republicans' criminal referral accusing him of lying to congress about Covid. The city comptroller suggested Cuomo was pulling his punches on Trump so the president would quash the investigation. 'What good is a bully who's actually a chicken?' Lander said. He specifically cited Cuomo skipping a question about a mayor's Trump strategy on a recent candidate questionnaire as a proof point. The former governor has increasingly criticized the president on the campaign trail, though Lander provided a list of issues for which Cuomo has not condemned Trump, including his administration clawing back $80 million in migrant funds from the city. 'The stench of Brad Lander's desperation is so strong you can see it,' Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said on X. At a separate press conference during which Adrienne Adams introduced her public safety plan, she was asked about Cuomo's claim to be the only Democratic candidate who didn't want to defund the police. 'My take is to always fund the police, as we've done in every single city budget,' she said. But she also misrepresented Cuomo's record while trying to turn it back on him, saying, 'It's interesting, because the former governor actually praised the defund movement, and he actually took away money from the NYPD in 2020, via executive order.' Cuomo called 'defund' a 'legitimate school of thought' in 2021, but before that and since had criticized the slogan and the movement behind it. And while Cuomo signed a 2020 executive order threatening public funding for police departments if they didn't institute reforms, no funding was ever cut, Azzopardi said. Azzopardi called Adrienne Adams' claim 'a straight up lie.' — Jeff Coltin RESCIND CUOMO'S FUNDS: Election reform advocates and lawmakers asked the New York City Campaign Finance Board to take even more drastic action than it already has regarding Cuomo's potential coordination with a super PAC supporting him, Fix the City. 'They must do more to protect the public and the campaign finance system.' said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a nonprofit focused on government accountability. 'Until the Cuomo campaign stops trying to scam New York and follows along, the Campaign Finance Board must send a clear message: no more public money.' The board had already denied Cuomo's campaign more than $600,000 in matching funds, alleging coordination with Fix the City over an ad buy of the same amount. It nevertheless approved a payment of more than $1.5 million. Fix the City later spent $675,000 on another ad buy. Council Member Lincoln Restler, who endorsed a slate against Cuomo, has introduced legislation to give the board more oversight over candidates' fundraising. 'I have introduced a package of legislation that would give the CFB more authority to hold bad actors like Andrew Cuomo accountable,' Restler said, noting that the measures would give regulators the authority to withhold funds if campaigns ignore information requests. He also aims to close loopholes around reporting intermediaries and cap how much money lobbyists and people doing business with the city can raise on behalf of campaigns. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said the campaign is confident it will get full matching funds. 'Our campaign has operated in full compliance with the campaign finance laws and rules, and everything on our website was reviewed and approved by our legal team in advance of publication,' Azzopardi said. — Cris Seda Chabrier. From the Capitol NEUTRAL PATH: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated again today he won't weigh in on his hometown's mayoral primary — and declined to speak about it at length. In fact, he kept his response to two words when a reporter in Washington asked whether he plans to make an endorsement before the June vote. 'I don't,' the Brooklyn official said, offering to take another question from the same reporter instead. Jeffries backed progressive mayoral candidate Maya Wiley in 2021 — unsurprising given his cool relationship with fellow Brooklyn Democrat Eric Adams, who won the race. The House minority leader told reporters in February in New York, 'I have no intention at this moment of endorsing anyone until a candidate emerges from the Democratic primary.' — Emily Ngo IN OTHER NEWS — SALT COULD STAY: House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested increased state and local tax deductions could be included in a Republican spending plan if Medicaid work requirements are implemented sooner. (NBC News) — TRUST ME, BRO: Antitrust legislation geared at making it easier for the state's attorney general and others to sue corporations like Amazon will not move out of an Assembly committee this year. (Bloomberg Government) — THAT NEVER HAPPENED: A document filed by the federal government in an apparent accident detailing the weaknesses of its congestion pricing case cannot be used in court. (The New York Times) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Politico
13-05-2025
- Health
- Politico
Assisted dying bill moves forward
Presented by Solving Hunger AID IN DYING ALIVE: Dozens of advocates who've spent years in the Capitol's hallways pushing for terminally ill New Yorkers to legally end their own lives with a physician's aid are finally seeing hope. With the Assembly having passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act last month, all eyes are on the Senate, where Democratic support for the measure has continued to grow over the last few years. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said today she will move the bill once her conference amasses enough support for a floor vote. 'I'm happy that the conversation is starting around death and dying,' she said. 'I don't think that our culture was one that really embraced that conversation. Certainly more people have signed on in the Senate than had been over the past few years, and if I get the support, I'll certainly bring it to the floor.' She noted 25 senators are sponsoring the bill, which needs 32 votes to pass. Senate Republicans have yet to conference the bill, and one GOP senator — Long Island's Jack Martins — told Playbook he hasn't made up his mind on the measure. But it's highly unlikely the Democratic Senate leadership would allow their Republican colleagues to be able to cast the decisive votes to push the bill forward. Instead, the bill is only expected to move once it has enough support to pass within the Democratic conference. That's just Albany, folks. So for now, all eyes are on the Senate Dems — and their majority leader — as the bill hangs in the balance. Aid-in-dying advocates — whose bright-yellow shirts and exhaustingly consistent presence in the Capitol has made them an Albany fixture — say they've had conversations with Democratic senators who say they would vote for the bill if it came to the floor but don't want to put their name up as a sponsor. Corinne Carey, senior campaign director for Compassion & Choices, said that, after conversations with Stewart-Cousins, she can tell the Senate majority leader is 'engaged in a way this year that she's never been before.' In the meantime, the New York State Catholic Conference, the Conservative Party and other groups are waging their own battle to stop the bill. 'We're certainly not conceding the Senate by any means,' said Dennis Poust, executive director of the catholic conference. 'We think that the Assembly vote, the closeness of that vote, really laid bare some deep divisions among Democrats on this bill. We intend to continue to highlight the reasons why 21 Democrats voted 'no' in our conversations with the Senate.' Poust pointed out the influential assemblymembers of color who opposed the measure, like Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Michaelle Solages, chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus; and Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. Bichotte Hermelyn and other Democratic opponents have long expressed concerns that health inequities in communities of color would disproportionately steer those vulnerable populations to their end. 'There are very very serious concerns, this is not a religious issue,' Poust said of the bill. — Jason Beeferman From the Capitol POWER FIGHT WITH GOVERNOR OFF THE TABLE: The Senate's unlikely to go nuclear in a power struggle with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Stewart-Cousins said today. Several members grumbled about the unequal distribution of power in Albany as members were wrapping up the budget last week. Sen. James Skoufis notably called on the Legislature to start sending bills to the governor's desk immediately — stopping Hochul from waiting until the winter to veto them and opening the door to the first overrides in decades. But that's not going to happen anytime soon, Stewart-Cousins said. 'We have historically worked with the executive to kind of time these things out as the executive would like, in order to hopefully have positive outcomes in regards to our legislation,' she said today. 'I don't see a wholesale change in that.' She also downplayed the likelihood of a constitutional amendment to give the Legislature more power over the budget. While Stewart-Cousins said that members have been discussing the idea, she noted that approving an amendment would take 'years' and wouldn't be guaranteed to win a referendum. 'We're really trying to stay in the present and do what we can today on behalf of New Yorkers,' she said. – Bill Mahoney THE TOLL STAYS: A Democratic-led Senate panel voted down a bill today that would repeal the congestion pricing toll program and audit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Senate bill, sponsored by Martins, garnered only two votes to advance through the Senate Transportation Committee: Republican Sen. Peter Oberacker and Democratic Sen. Monica Martinez. She told Playbook after the vote she was realistic about the bill's chances given the support for the toll program on the committee. President Donald Trump moved to rescind federal approval of the tolls, a maneuver that's being challenged in federal court. Hochul has emerged as a vocal congestion pricing supporter and personally urged the president to keep the program. — Nick Reisman NOT IN OUR BACKYARD, EITHER: A Flushing-based community group that opposes Mets owner Steve Cohen's bid for a Citi Field casino is pressing lawmakers opposed to casinos in their own districts to block the Queens one as well. 'If you believe a casino is not in the best interest of your constituents, how can you justify placing one in ours?' the Korean-American group writes in a letter addressed to state Senators that's now circulating online. The letter notes how Sen. Jessica Ramos, whose district includes the site of the proposed casino, opposes the idea. Stewart-Cousins indicated two weeks ago she would allow a bill from Sen. John Liu that clears the way for the casino project in Ramos' district to move forward. The targets of the campaign include the likes of Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger and Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, who both oppose Manhattan casino plans. Meanwhile, nearly 50 supporters of the Citi Field casino proposal were in Albany today as the Assembly version of Liu's bill passed the Assembly's Ways and Means and Rules committees. Supporters who made the trip up to Albany included Michael 'Sully' Sullivan, Cohen's chief of staff for his firm Point72 Asset Management, and the CEOs of the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Elmhurst Hospital. — Jason Beeferman FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL CUOMO COULD LOSE MORE: The super PAC boosting Andrew Cuomo for mayor reported spending another $675,000 on an ad that's drawn regulators' scrutiny — raising the possibility the Democratic primary front-runner could get that much more withheld in public funds. The New York City Campaign Finance Board held back more than $622,000 from Cuomo's campaign Monday because it had 'reason to believe' that the Fix the City super PAC used messaging shared by the campaign in a TV ad. The campaign was still paid out $1.5 million in matching funds. Fix the City had initially reported spending $622,000 on the ad in question. But a Tuesday morning filing raised that to $1.3 million. The campaign finance board declined to comment. It isn't expected to take any action until the next meeting on May 30. At that time, Cuomo would be eligible for another payment of public funds, based on the filing due May 23. A Fix the City spokesperson confirmed the spending but declined to say whether the super PAC planned to spend more on the ad. — Jeff Coltin FROM CITY HALL HATE CRIME OFFICE: Mayor Eric Adams announced the creation of the Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism today. Last year, the NYPD reported 54 percent of hate crimes were against Jewish New Yorkers, who make up only 10 percent of the population. 'There's no way we can continue to allow this trajectory of hate that we are seeing across the globe,' Adams said during a press briefing. The office, helmed by Executive Director Moshe Davis, will report to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, who promised a flurry of action that will include potential litigation and a review of all taxpayer-funded organizations to ensure they are not promoting antisemitism. Exactly what crosses the line was unclear, though Adams cited a recent newsletter from the Department of Education that accused Israel of committing genocide as an example. The mayor's office already has a unit dedicated to hate crimes that was formed specifically to combat antisemitism. In 2019, former Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Mayor's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes that, like the one Adams announced today, was created in response to high rates of hate crimes against Jewish New Yorkers. That office reports to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry. In addition, the NYPD has its own Hate Crimes Task Force. That led one opponent of Adams in this year's mayoral election to accuse the mayor of creating the new unit to improve his standing with Jewish voters. Adams is planning to run on the EndAntiSemitism ballot line in this year's general election. 'Creating a taxpayer-funded office in the waning days of his mayoralty to rhyme with his made-up personal ballot line is cynical and transparent, even for this mayor,' City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement. 'Jews are not pawns for Eric Adams, Donald Trump, or Andrew Cuomo.' — Joe Anuta DEBT OF GRATITUDE: The mayor said he wasted no time in thanking President Donald Trump during their face-to-face meeting at the White House last week. 'Why wouldn't I say thank you? While I was going through the most devastating experience I had as a human being, this person that I didn't know said: It's wrong what they're doing to the mayor of the City of New York,' Adams said today at an unrelated press briefing. 'And the first thing I did when I walked into his office, I said thank you.' Adams insisted the other presidential candidates should have also highlighted his legal plight during the campaign. He was hit with a five-count federal bribery charge in September after nearly a year of raids and phone seizures targeting him and his top aides. The following month, Trump expressed solidarity with Adams at an annual political dinner. In January, Adams sat down with the president near Mar-a-Lago, though he did not mention thanking Trump at the time. Since that luncheon, Trump has been sworn in, and his Department of Justice has successfully moved to dismiss Adams' charges — a deal the former prosecutor in charge of the case described as a quid pro quo designed to gain the mayor's cooperation on immigration enforcement. Adams has denied any such deal. — Joe Anuta IN OTHER NEWS — RIKERS RECEIVERSHIP: A federal judge has stripped Adams of control of the city's jail system and Rikers Island. (The New York Times) — SCHOOL CYBERATTACK: Over 20 school districts on Long Island suffered a cyberattack. (New York Post) — EVEN ELECTION YEARS: The Court of Appeals will hear arguments over whether Hochul's law to move local elections to even years is constitutional. (Newsday) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
Mid East Info
27-03-2025
- Business
- Mid East Info
Transparent metrics that measure economic impacts will be critical to unlock smart city potential
Titled 'Solving the Challenges of Smart Cities: An Integrated Approach to Realizing Urban Potential', JLL and Honeywell's latest whitepaper outlines practical recommendations to create more cohesive and effective smart city environments. Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Acknowledging that the journey towards creating efficient, sustainable and citizen-centric urban environments is complex, JLL and Honeywell today released a new whitepaper providing a practical blueprint for navigating the complexities of smart city development and building truly transformative urban spaces. Titled 'Solving the Challenges of Smart Cities: An Integrated Approach to Realizing Urban Potential', the whitepaper identifies organizational fragmentation, technological integration and workforce readiness as key challenges hindering smart city progress. In response, JLL and Honeywell recommend an integrated approach, leveraging enterprise agility, data-driven decision-making, and advanced technologies such as digital twin simulations to create more cohesive and effective smart city environments. As rapid urbanization continues to reshape the global landscape, these actionable insights will significantly empower cities to achieve genuine, measurable gains. The paper underscores the importance of establishing rigorous performance metrics to measure the success of smart city initiatives. By focusing on outcomes and data-driven insights, organizations can ensure that investments are aligned with strategic goals and deliver measurable value. Dr Matthew Marson, Managing Director EMEA, Technology Advisory at JLL, said: 'Smart cities are crucial in addressing critical urban challenges of resource management, citizen well-being and city-scale attractiveness. Realizing this potential requires a fundamental shift in how we approach such initiatives. Our new white paper provides an action-oriented roadmap for organizations to overcome the barriers in this journey, ensuring that their smart city projects deliver tangible benefits to both the enterprise and the city's inhabitants.' Mohamed Moselhy, Global Smart Cities Director at Honeywell Building Automation, said: 'The future of smart cities hinges on breaking down silos and fostering seamless integration between advanced technology, governance, and human capital. Our collaboration with JLL underscores the importance of an enterprise-wide approach—leveraging digital twins, IoT-driven insights, and agile governance models to enhance operational efficiency and citizen experience. By implementing transparent performance metrics, we ensure that smart city investments not only help drive sustainability and economic growth, but also create truly connected, responsive urban environments that evolve with societal needs.' Outlining an integrated approach in the whitepaper, JLL and Honeywell emphasize the need to break down departmental silos in organizational structures through unified governance and cross-functional collaboration among stakeholders as internal fragmentation leads to redundant expenditure on overlapping systems, lower adoption of city services by end-users, prolonged deployment timelines, and reduced adaptability to new technologies or business environments. To address these internal silos, organizations must embrace enterprise agility, focus on value-stream alignment and adopt an architectural approach that fosters modular, easily reusable solutions. A similar approach is recommended to address technological and construction complexities and to seamlessly integrate IoT sensors that monitor air quality, energy consumption, or occupancy with building management systems, analytics platforms, and occupant engagement apps. Additionally, adopting digital twin technologies to create virtual replicas of buildings and infrastructure will enable organizations to predict outcomes, reduce risk, and accelerate learning. The whitepaper also highlights that investing in training and skills development will be critical to equip the workforce with the necessary tools to navigate the evolving smart city landscape. This includes formal upskilling programs such as workshops, mentorships or certification pathways to allow knowledge to flow across departmental boundaries and facilitate best-practice sharing. A significant challenge would also be to retain and motivate talent, and to support this, JLL and Honeywell recommend implementing strategies that enhance career progression, flexible work arrangements and recognition of innovative contributions. Since traditional construction project management strategies are often ill-suited to technology environments, JLL and Honeywell suggest adopting agile and realistic project management practices such as phased rollouts and proofs-of-concept to test new solutions in a controlled setting. A structured risk management framework is further recommended to anticipate supply chain delays, policy changes, or occupant pushback, paving the way for continuous improvement and adaptation based on real-world feedback. The paper calls upon smart city organizations to assess progress and deliver real value via robust, transparent metrics that measure economic impacts including job creation, foreign direct investment, and operational efficiencies alongside environmental benefits, social outcomes, and citizen experience. It concludes by urging organizations to adopt an operational model similar to streamlined multi-product corporations with experts recommending agility in responding to changing urban needs and maintaining focus on integrated, scalable, and user-centric solutions. About JLL: For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500® company with annual revenue of $23.4 billion and operations in over 80 countries around the world, our more than 112,000 employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM. About JLL MEA: Across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) JLL is a leading player in the real estate and hospitality services markets. The firm has worked in 35 countries across the region and employs over 2000 internationally qualified professionals across its offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Cairo, Casablanca, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Nairobi. About Honeywell: Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world's toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter, safer, more secure and sustainable. For
