« All Events

CS3 2026 Innovation Summit: AI For Purposeful, Vibrant Streetscapes

February 5 @ 9:00 am - 5:30 pm

Welcome to the CS3 2026 Innovation Summit: AI for Purposeful Vibrant Streetscapes

Join the Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3), an NSF Engineering Research Center, for the 2026 Innovation Summit: AI for Purposeful, Vibrant Streetscapes—a convening of researchers, industry leaders, public-sector innovators, and community stakeholders working to move AI beyond buzzwords and into measurable, real-world results.

The 2026 Summit centers on redefining what AI means in urban contexts—disentangling hype from reality and examining how data-driven technologies can be responsibly designed, deployed, and governed to deliver tangible public value. 

This event is invite-only.

This page will serve as the central hub for the day. Here you will find:

  • Full program schedule
  • Session details
  • Speaker info
  • Slides & resources (as available)
  • Key links and logistics

Bookmark this page—resources will be updated.

Full Program Schedule

8:00 | Doors Open

Coffee served

9:00 – 9:10 | Welcome & Opening Remarks

Shih-Fu Chang, Dean of the School of Engineering, Columbia University

Andrew Smyth, CS3 Director & Principal Investigator, Columbia University

9:15 – 10:00 | Keynote & Fireside Chat: Scaling Public-Private Innovation for the Next Generation – Empowering Agencies to Harness AI and Technology

Speaker: Kristin White, Transportation Industry Executive, Head of Transportation Strategy & Partnerships, Google Public Sector

Moderator: Andrew Smyth, CS3 Director & Principal Investigator, Columbia University

10:00 – 10:55 | Panel Discussion: From Sensors to Systems: Real-Time Traffic Analysis for Faster Decision-Making

What does it take to turn real-time sensor data into actionable traffic insights? This panel explores a collaboration between city agencies, industry, and academia aimed at building and validating accurate traffic models for New York City. Speakers will discuss technical approaches to sensor fusion, the challenges of forecasting in complex urban environments, and what it will take to move from research to real-world implementation.

Speakers:

  • Ahmed Darrat, Chief Product Officer, INRIX
  • Robert Holbrook, Executive Director of “Get Stuff Built”, Office of the Mayor of NYC
  • Mehmet Turkcan, Associate Research Scientist, CS3

Moderator: Olivia Moore, Managing Director, CS3

10:55 – 11:15 | Perfect Pitch Competition – Session 1

Hear 90-second “elevator pitches” from the Center’s students. The audience will vote to select the competition winner, who will go on to represent the Center in a nationwide engineering research competition.

11:15 – 11:30 | BREAK

11:30 – 12:30 | VALIDATE Accelerator Demo Day 

Accelerator teams present their demos in Edge AI for Streetscapes, Safe and Privacy-Preserving Sensing, and Digital Twin Platforms

12:30 – 2:00 | Lunch & Research Poster Session

2:00 – 2:30 | Keynote Address: Evolution of AI

Speaker: Christopher White, President, NEC Labs America

2:30 – 2:50 | Perfect Pitch Competition – Session 2

Hear 90-second “elevator pitches” from the Center’s students. The audience will vote to select the competition winner, who will go on to represent the Center in a nationwide engineering research competition.

2:50 – 3:20 | Faculty Lightning Talks

Shree Nayar, T. C. Chang Professor of Computer Science, Columbia University: Minimalist Vision

George Sklivanitis, Schmidt Research Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University: Beyond Connectivity: Resilient, Secure and Sensing-Integrated Wireless Streetscape Networks

Jorge Ortiz, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University: CityOS: A Privacy-First Operating System for Sensed Environments

3:20 – 3:35 | BREAK

3:35 – 4:25 | Panel Discussion: Testbed Perspectives on Local Value of Technology in Streetscapes

This session explores how CS3 testbeds and deployment partners translate research into measurable public value by aligning technology with everyday user needs and public-sector operations. The conversation will surface lessons from both street-level community experiences and city and county operations. Insights from CVG Airport will highlight how airports can help validate smart streetscape technology before moving to full city-scale operations.

Speakers:

  • Chris Roog, Executive Director, City of West Palm Beach, Florida
  • VJ Rajvanshi, Director of Planning, Middlesex County, New Jersey
  • Brian Cobb, Chief Innovation Officer, Cincinnati/Kentucky International (CVG) Airport 

Moderator: Bill Kenworthey, Regional Leader of Planning and Urban Design, HOK

4:25 – 4:30 | Closing Remarks and Awards

4:30 – 5:30 | Networking Reception

Resources & Downloads

Resources will continue to be updated post-event.

Logistics & Venue Info

    • Address + map
    • Columbia University 601 West 125th Street Mail Code 9802 New York, NY 10027
    • Room locations
    • Accessibility information
    • Restrooms
    • The Forum has gender-inclusive restrooms on the concourse level and on the 3rd Floor. Gendered restrooms are found in the concourse level and 2nd Floor. All the gendered bathrooms include changing tables, and the 2nd Floor women’s restroom includes a lactation room.
  • Emergency info

​​Questions?

Contact: [email protected]

Details

Organizer

  • Center for Smart Streetscapes

Venue

  • The Forum at Columbia University
  • 601 West 125th Street
    New York, NY 10027 United States     + Google Map