The Intelligent Community

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Turkey's First Top7 Community: A Conversation with the City of Bursa, Part 2 Oct 15, 2025

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In part 2 of this conversation with the City of Bursa on The Intelligent Community, ICF Co-Founder Lou Zacharilla has a conversation with Demet Sinmez, Smart Urbanization Branch Manager, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.

The Ottoman Empire's first capital city has transformed itself into a forward-looking community of three million while maintaining its cultural roots and skill at bringing together groups for collaboration. Bursa is a UNESCO Heritage site where one can still see the Ottoman's urban planning. Our conversation with Demet Sinmez, Head of the Smart Urbanism branch of the metropolitan municipality ranges from Bursa's focus on SMEs, education to one of its great quality of life treasures: its annual gastronomy festival. Bursa is proud of its historic achievement in the ICF program and is a case study of an historic, proud city balancing history, humanity and the need to keep pace with the economic development requirements of the Digital Age.

Demet Sinmez graduated from Uludağ University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. She began her professional career in the private sector, specializing in the Internet of Things (IoT) and telecommunications systems for approximately 12 years.

In 2009, she joined Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, where she served as an IoT and software development specialist across various departments. During this period, she played an active role in critical infrastructure and software projects aimed at driving citywide digital transformation. For the past year, she has been serving as the Head of the Smart Urbanism Branch, leading teams that develop strategic projects supporting urban innovation ecosystems, with a focus on citywide data analytics, communication networks, sustainable urban solutions, and smart city technologies.

Turkey's First Top7 Community: A Conversation with the City of Bursa, Part 1 Oct 01, 2025

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"Entrepreneurial, Resilient and No Weeds!" The Top7 Conversation with Fairfield/Jefferson County, Iowa (Part 2) Sep 17, 2025

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The smallest community in terms of population this year, Fairfield, Iowa not only thinks globally – but deep and universally! A unique place in America's heartland, Fairfield has the advantage of being in a rural setting with natural beauty and is a place where people know each other and are quick to lend a helping hand. But its leaders were among the first in the intelligent community movement who learned that its future depends on the digital infrastructure, education and – yes - the world around it. Fairfield's influence and core economic output is based on historic entrepreneurship brought forward. It is a fascinating place where the digital, practical and spiritual blend. The place has five times more small businesses per 100 people than the average for USA city. It gives transcendental meditation partial credit for its innovation and, if you like a tidy downtown, it does not have a single weed because of the tenacious goal of one person! You must hear Fairfield/Jefferson County's inspiring story.

Bob is a social entrepreneur and community leader in his native Fairfield Iowa. He is CEO of Applied Intelligence Coaching, a consulting and coaching company, as well as managing partner of his family's health products business, founded in 1970. Bob conceived and coordinates the ten-county Southeast Iowa Food Web initiative, and is one of the authors of the Food and Farm Business Chapter of the Iowa Food System Coalition Setting the Table for All Iowans plan. He coordinates the programming and publicity for Traction Thursdays in partnership with Newbo.co and serves on the Fairfield Beautification Commission. Bob has led Fairfield's participation in the Intelligent Community Forum Intelligent Communities Competition since 2023. Based on Bob's work with economic development and political leaders, Fairfield/Jefferson County has been named as one of the ICF Smart 21 cities in 2023-25, and in 2025 won a spot among the Top 7 Intelligent Cities, chosen from the Smart 21. Fairfield is the smallest city to be named to the Top 7 in the competition's 25-year history.

Bob is also an avid gardener, tennis player, and classical guitarist, a father of four and grandfather of five amazing human beings.

"Entrepreneurial, Resilient and No Weeds!" The Top7 Conversation with Fairfield/Jefferson County, Iowa Sep 03, 2025

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Bob is also an avid gardener, tennis player, and classical guitarist, a father of four and grandfather of five amazing human beings.

The Basque's Intelligent Gem: A Conversation with Bilbao, Spain's New Director of Modernization Aug 20, 2025

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It has been an urban revitalization like few others in the world. Legendary in fact. Bilbao and its metropolitan district has a strategic location near the sea which confirmed its strength as a trading center and evolution into the great economic giant of the Basque Country in the days of iron and steel, shipyards mining. But in the 1970's and 1980's it hit the skids and went into a deep crisis. As its problems got deeper people left, it physically grew uglier while its environment became more polluted. As we learned during previous conversations in 2023 https://tinyurl.com/ydh3b7fn its recovery was a modern wonder and perfect example of what the Intelligent Community movement is all about. It was a systematic plan with a flourish, one that literally defines "the soul of a city." In 2025 for the first time, Bilbao made the ICF's list of Smart21 Intelligent Communities. We decided to go back and have another discussion with its new Director of Modernization to get more on this story of a truly great 21st Century community. Here it is. Just for ICF podcast listeners!

Ane Miren, a Law graduate from the University of Deusto, has an extensive professional career linked to people management and talent development, having specialized for the past six years in comprehensive technology leadership.

Her extensive professional experience in the private sector has allowed her firsthand experience with leading Basque industry companies such as ITP Group and Vicrila, the German multinational Rothenberger, as well as the hotel sector, where she led Human Resources and Health and Safety departments.

In the public sector, from 2015 to 2019, she became a member of the Board of Directors of BilbaoTIK, a municipal technology entity of the Bilbao City Council. In 2019, she acquired the position of General Manager of BilbaoTIK until her appointment as Director of the Modernization Department of the Bilbao City Council on August 1, 2023.

Dynamic Metros Rule, Part 2 Aug 06, 2025

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ICF has its international awards program for which it is famous. But that does it take to become one of America's "Most Dynamic Metro Areas?" and where are they located? Heartland Forward's Chief Reseach Officer discusses the results of the "think and do tank's" long-awaited report and drops facts behind the reason that, despite the fact it has 39% of the national population, this vast American expanse of talent, resources and states, from North Dakota to Texas, only attracted 10% of investment - until recently. But things are changing, as Lou learns in part 2 of his conversation with Dave Shideler.

David Shideler serves as the chief research officer for Heartland Forward's research team which includes visiting senior fellows Richard Florida and Maryann Feldman. With a mission to help improve the economic performance in the heartland and change the narrative of the middle of the country, the original research efforts focus on four key pillars: innovation and entrepreneurship, human capital, health and wellness and regional competitiveness.

Shideler joined Heartland Forward after more than a decade at Oklahoma State University, serving as a professor and Community and Economic Development Specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics. In these roles, he oversaw projects in community and rural development and small business development, and published peer-reviewed research articles on the economic impacts of internet access, incentive programs, and local food production.

Shideler holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics and an M.A. in Economics from the Ohio State University, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from the Pennsylvania State University, and a B.S. in Community and Rural Development from Clemson University.

Dynamic Metros Rule Jul 23, 2025

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Discussing Smart21 Community Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands with Mr. Stephan Satijn Jul 09, 2025

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ICF's Lou Zacharilla speaks with Mr. Stephan Satijn, Regional Minister for Economy, Finance & Business Operations, Province of Limburg, in this sit-down interview discussing the Brightlands-Limburg Region, a Smart21 Community of 2025.

Perhaps best known as the place where the Maastricht Treaty was signed to establish the European Union, the Brightlands-Limburg Region has undergone a decade of growth and transformation. Through a concentrated effort to leverage existing industries and a strong university presence, the Region has developed an "ecosystem of ecosystems" focused around four campuses spread throughout the province:

Brightlands Chemelot Campus, focused on materials, circularity, and sustainable chemistry.
Brightlands Maastricht Health Campus, specializing in health.
Brightlands Smart Services Campus, concentrating on data science and AI.
Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, dedicated to food, nutrition, and the bio-based economy.

The future looks "bright" for Brightlands-Limburg as well, as the Region is in heavy pursuit of the Einstein Telescope Project - a topic that Mr. Satijn and Lou discuss at length in this discussion.

Two-time Top7 Community, Part 2 Jun 25, 2025

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Fast Company Magazine shocked a lot of people when it published its list of the most Innovative Companies for Economic Development and – whoa! – a city appeared. An Intelligent Community in the USA state of Ohio: Hilliard. The ICF network knows Hilliard as one of the leading cities and a two-time Top7 community. But this was a big-time recognition. How much of it had to do with being an Intelligent Community? The City Manager, Michelle Crandall tells us in this podcast. Michelle currently serves as the City Manager for the City of Hilliard, Ohio, USA (population 38,000). She began this position in January 2020 as Hilliard's first ever City Manager, following a charter change in the City's form of government. Previously Michelle was with the City of Dublin, Ohio for more than 25 years in a variety of roles, including Assistant City Manager, Deputy City Manager and Director of Administrative Services.

Michelle serves as vice-chair for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), chair of Broadband Access Ohio (BAO), and immediate past chair of the Central Ohio Mayors & Managers Association (COMMA). She previously served on the International City and County Management Association (ICMA) Executive Board as a Vice-President representing the Midwest region, and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Innovation.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wittenberg University and a Master of Public Administration from The Ohio State University. Additionally, she attended the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service Executive Leadership Development Program (LEAD) and the American University Washington Semester Program.

Under Michelle's leadership, the City of Hilliard was named by Fast Company in 2025 as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies in the category of Economic Development. In both 2023 and 2024, the City of Hilliard was named a Top7 Intelligent Community by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) and was named the Best Suburb to Do Business by Columbus CEO.

In 2023, Michelle was named among Columbus Business First's inaugural class of "Women of Influence", being honored as a "Trailblazer". Additionally, in 2018 Michelle was the recipient of a Richard Childs Fellowship through the Kettering Foundation in partnership with the National Civic League and a recipient of a Japan Local Government Center CLAIR Fellowship.

Two-time Top7 Community, Part 1 Jun 11, 2025

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