Episode Transcript
[00:00:06] Tamlyn Shimizu: Welcome to Smart in the city, the BABLE podcast, where we bring together top actors in the smart city arena, sparking dialogues and interactions around the stakeholders and themes most prevalent for today's citizens and tomorrow's generations.
[00:00:21] Tamlyn Shimizu: I am your host, Tamlyn Shimizu, and I hope you will enjoy this episode and gain knowledge and connections to accelerate the change for a better urban life.
[00:00:31] Tamlyn Shimizu: Smart in the city is brought to you by BABLE Smart Cities we enable processes from research and strategy development to co creation and implementation. To learn more about us, please visit the BABLE platform at BABLE Smartcities EU.
[00:00:46] Tamlyn Shimizu: So welcome to another episode of Smart in the City. We're back with another series. This one is all about the medium sized city in the UK called Milton Keynes. It's located about 50 miles, or 80 km northwest of London, and this city does things a bit differently and its open culture to testing innovation is positioning it in a very unique spot for innovative companies to set up shop and lots of other innovations to happen. So probably there's not too many better people to talk to about Milton Keynes than the guests I have here today.
Councillor Shanika Mahendran was first elected to Milton Keynes City Council in May of 2022, and in December 2023 she was made a cabinet member. And now she is the cabinet member for economy, sustainability and innovation. The youngest counselor and first ever asian woman to be given a cabinet position in Milton Keynes. So welcome, Shanika.
[00:01:44] Shanika Mahendran: Thank you for having me.
[00:01:46] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, absolutely. Our pleasure. I'm really excited to get to know even more about Milton Keynes. I've really been enjoying getting to know a lot about the city and really loving all the different innovation initiatives happening.
But before we get going, digging in a bit deeper, I always like to start with a little bit of a teaser question for you. That teaser that I have for you today is, if you could have dinner with any historical figure who inspired your journey in public service and environmental advocacy, who would it be and why?
[00:02:23] Shanika Mahendran: And I found this a bit of hard when I was thinking about it, because I think the person who inspired my journey into environmental advocacy the most is Lisa Simpson from watching the Simpsons when I was younger. But in terms of my proper answer, I'd probably say Jenny Lee, who's a.
She was a Labour member of parliament for Canuck, which is in Staffordshire, I believe.
Like me, she was quite a young politician. So she was elected when she was 25, I was 24 when I got elected to council. And she's really pivotal in sort of the history of Milton Keynes as well. She was really key in the formation of the open university, particularly ensuring that had really high standards and wasn't just seen as sort of an unimportant option, and also in the expansion of the arts council. So she's a really pioneering woman, so I think she'd be my choice.
[00:03:31] Tamlyn Shimizu: Good choice. That's a really, really interesting, also background story and a little bit insight into Milton Keynes.
I want to get to know you a little bit better first, before we get to know Milton Keynes a little bit better. So I would love to hear a bit more about your story. It's really interesting how you got into office so early on. I really want to hear about your background. You already told us a little bit of your inspiration, but would love to know more about that as well. And. Really. Yeah, tell us your story a bit.
[00:04:03] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah. So, I was born in Milton Keynes and have lived here my whole life. I grew up with both of my parents working in the NHS, so I think that really instilled in me an important sense of. Of public service, although I'm really squeamish. So I was never going to go and become a doctor or a nurse myself.
I did my undergrad degree in art history at the University of Buckingham, which is just nearby, and I did a master's in sustainability in sustainable cities at King's College London as well. I ended up getting involved in politics just because a local election candidate came and knocked on my door while they were out canvassing. I told him that I was a Labour Party member and it all just sort of spiraled from there. I ended up going out campaigning with him, found out sort of how much you can do at a local level and how much of an influence you can have through being a local councillor, and not just in terms of helping people, which is sort of the most rewarding part of it, but also as someone who's been born and grown up in Milton Keynes, being able to have sort of a shaping on how the city moved forwards is really, really valuable to me. And as you've already mentioned, I was then elected to council in 2022. In the sort of autumn of that year, I became chair of the planning committee and then in late 2023, joined the cabinet.
[00:05:47] Tamlyn Shimizu: Really interesting kind of initiation into politics, I would say.
So, thanks for sharing your story.
So, tell us a little bit about Milton Keynes. Can you set the stage?
What is the city doing? What's innovative about the city? What are the key challenges of the city?
[00:06:09] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah. So I think Milton Keynes was sort of born out of a desire to fix some of the challenges within society. We're a wholly planned place, designed to sort of be a good place to live in this sort of ideal of what a city can be, one of the post war new towns.
And I think we've been a really shining example of that. Milton Gins is a wonderful place to live. We've got an amazing mix of sort of the urban, but also we've got countryside and you've got parks and you've got lakes, and you've also got the sort of evolving tech and innovation quarter that we're trying to build in the city centre. So it's a really, a really diverse place as well. There's lots of different communities. I think about a third of school children in Milton Keynes come from an ethnic minority background, so diversity is really key part of our city as well. But we do have challenges as a city.
We are sort of relatively affluent, but there are really big pockets of deprivation in the city. And, you know, we're marked by these sort of grid roads that go throughout the city, but on sort of one side of the grid road to the other, your life expectancy can differ by about eight years depending on which grid square you're living in.
So health and wellbeing is a really important sort of challenge we're facing.
Like all places, we're suffering from a lack of funding and resources. I think sort of local government has been cut to the bone a bit in our country. And then in terms of the sustainability aspect, we do have some challenges around how the city was initially planned in terms of the low density.
So being able to have sort of viable bus routes that make enough money to be able to function, it's quite difficult when you've got sort of a sprawling city without too many sort of high density clusters of people living together.
[00:08:41] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, really interesting insights and a good background into Milton Keynes. Thank you.
I keep on hearing a lot about this approach that Milton Keynes is taking to this openness to innovation.
[00:08:55] Shanika Mahendran: Maybe.
[00:08:55] Tamlyn Shimizu: Can you share a few examples of innovative projects that are currently being tested or have been successfully implemented in the city?
[00:09:05] Shanika Mahendran: Yep. So we've been on our sort of smart city journey since around 2012 and in 2014 launched this MK smart project, which then went dormant for a few years, but we've just relaunched it again.
A lot of the work so far has focused on transport, but we're also now in responding to those challenges I mentioned before, trying to look a bit more into sort of health and wellbeing and also sustainability.
So a couple of examples of projects we've got going on our street cab which is a trial of autonomous vehicles in the centre of the city. So we've got the trials launching in the autumn and that will give residents a chance to explore some different ways of getting around the city centre. Then another project that's ongoing at the minute is called Drone Port MK, which is a project that's exploring the use of drone services and the specific sort of test cases that we're focusing on. One is around health aspects. So it's the delivery of medications from MK University Hospital to our local hospice, Wilan Hospice. And then we've also got another aspect of that which is more in the sort of local government innovation in terms of inspecting highways, defects.
[00:10:33] Tamlyn Shimizu: We're all really interesting projects and also we've been learning a little bit about it from use cases that are being uploaded on the babbel platform. We'll make sure to link all those also in the show notes, of course, so people can explore a bit more there with any of those innovative projects, autonomous vehicles or drones. Have you seen a lot of acceptance from the public to push forward on these types of innovations?
What's the general feeling in Milton Keynes about these?
[00:11:01] Shanika Mahendran: I think because Milton Keynes is a new place.
Everyone who has come to Milton Keynes is sort of a pioneer in their own way. We have this general acceptance of innovation and new things coming forwards because I think we really do see ourselves, the citizens who live here, as being sort of a place that's at the forefront of innovation and always has been. So I think it's really a marker of who we are as a city. And so we do get a lot of sort of buy in from citizens as well.
[00:11:42] Tamlyn Shimizu: Good. Good to hear. So maybe also moving a little bit more to this sustainability aspect.
How is Milton Keynes really addressing these challenges of climate change that many cities are facing and which practices or projects are being prioritized within the development plans.
[00:12:06] Shanika Mahendran: Yep. So we've got a bit of sort of change going on at the minute. We're redoing our sustainability strategy at the moment. As a city council, we've focused a lot on our internal emissions and reducing carbonous in terms of the council's buildings and our practices. But we really want to scale up the sort of citywide aspect and the council acting as a key convener and sort of a thought leader in that space.
And a big part of that is within our development plan. So we've just published the draft of our next local plan, and sustainability is really a key aspect of that. So in developing the plan, we underwent a really extensive carbon and climate study with Arup to be an underpinning feature of the plan to ensure that sustainability is a core focus of it. And then there's a whole load of sort of sustainability measures within that city plan that I could probably talk for a long time on.
Things like the sustainable construction and low and zero carbon energy production that you might naturally think of. But then other things like in terms of new developments coming forward, embedding things like green roofs and allotments and community orchards, looking at sustainability within water. So having water on new buildings and also making it a bit easier to retrofit some of the more challenging types of buildings that we have in the city. So really sort of holistic approach to sustainability within that new plan.
[00:14:04] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, it sounds like a very comprehensive approach. I guess my question would then be more along the lines of how has Milton Keynes really prioritized which projects will have the most impact in the future? How is that process going?
[00:14:25] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah, so, as I say, we have mainly focused on transport so far, but both in terms of our attitude to the smart city projects coming forward and to that city plan, two of the key focuses within that are health and wellbeing and sustainability. So it's kind of sort of just the mindset we're taking forward in really trying to address those key challenges in the projects that we're taking forward. So where we're doing sort of bids for pots of funding and trying to find people to collaborate on new projects with trying to focus on projects that meet those sort of objectives is a shift we've been taking.
[00:15:20] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, really interesting there in terms of kind of more along the lines of economic impact.
I know there's a big strategy and push to really foster a lot more, foster and attract a lot more innovative companies to Milton Keynes. So how does the local government play a role in this? And what are you doing to foster this really collaborative and innovative environment?
[00:15:47] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah, I think the sort of collaboration's a really key point. We wouldn't really be able to do any of this without collaborating with other organizations. And we've really, since the start of our journey, established this sort of what we call city as a testbed approach. So we say to companies and organisations, if you want to come to Melton Keynes and try something, we will support you and we'll help you and we'll collaborate with you on that.
So just some examples of where we've done that. We've had Jaguar Land Rover trialling autonomous vehicles here, or we've had starship robots trialling their delivery robots in the city I heard it quote once, it's by Peter Drucker, where it says that culture eats strategy for breakfast. And I think that just underpins our entire approach. It's about the culture of innovation and openness that we have. And I think organizations that we've worked with previously have really appreciated that and that's been a real driver in how we've been able to move forward with this smart city project.
[00:17:10] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, I love that. I love that phrase as well, that this culture is really one of the most driving factors of innovation. What do you think? Just interesting to know your thoughts. What do you think is preventing other cities from having this kind of open approach to innovation?
[00:17:32] Shanika Mahendran: I mean, local government as a whole has not always been the most innovative in terms of how councils operate. We have statutory targets and things that we meet and sometimes there has been a mindset of that's what we do and that's what we focus on, which we obviously do that in Milton Keynes, but we also try to go beyond that and really be champions for our city and try and drive innovation and growth in the city.
I think, as I've said previously, it's just in the fabric of Milton Keynes. It's what we are.
We've always been innovative, we've always been new, we've always been sort of on the front foot and it's something that we really value about our place.
So I think that's hopefully quite a good example for other cities who would like to sort of begin their journey, is just having an idea of let's try it and see.
[00:18:53] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Thank you. So I like to play devil's advocate a little bit.
Some critics might argue that focusing on innovation and trying to rapidly develop inviting companies and all of these things can sometimes lead to gentrification, displacement of longstanding communities.
You've already mentioned that as being a potential challenge, is some inequalities and inequities in Milton Keynes. So can you kind of address how Milton Keynes is balancing this?
[00:19:29] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah, it's a really, really important point and it's a really valid concern, I think, that people. Have I mentioned before that I did a master's in sustainable cities, and when I did my dissertation for that, I specifically focused on the area of social sustainability.
So when looking at sustainability, there's sort of one of the models is that three legged stool model where you've got economic, social and environmental sustainability as sort of the three legs of the stool. So always keeping that sort of social sustainability in mind when we're doing these things is really important.
I think one of the important things is to always ask yourself as a public servant, fundamentally, why are we doing these things? And I think the benefits of innovation and development, they bring benefits for the citizens who live in a place and it can make their lives better. So having that in mind in terms of how the projects that we're pursuing and how what we're doing is benefiting the citizens who live here today and the issues and challenges and inequalities that they face is really important.
And that's why, as I've said, we're shifting a bit more of what we're doing to focus on health and wellbeing and sustainability, because really those are sort of fundamental issues of social justice and those are things that we should be focusing on as public servants.
[00:21:19] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, absolutely. So we know that Milton Keynes has a great culture and openness to innovation, but I'm guessing things are still moving a lot slower than you would like them to move.
It's still a local government, it's still a city with many moving parts.
And one of the main goals at BABLE is to accelerate these things happening. So it's always really interesting to hear your perspective on what internal or external changes do you think need to be made to ensure acceleration towards your targets.
[00:21:59] Shanika Mahendran: I think the main thing is having more collaboration and more partnerships. We, as I've said before, can't do any of what we're doing without collaborating with other organizations. And I think if we want to sort of accelerate towards the targets we want to reach, whether that's, as I say, having that tech and innovation quarter that's thriving in our city, or reaching our targets, of having a city that's carbon neutral by 2030, which is a very bold target, but when it comes to the climate crisis, I think you have to be bold.
There's no time to sort of sit around and wait. So if we're going to reach those targets and achieve the things we want to, just having as many different businesses, innovators, organisations on board and supporting us and working with us to reach those goals is the main way that we can go further faster.
[00:23:10] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, I think it's always complex, managing so many different potential partnerships, but I hear this again and again from multitude of cities, that those are the times when they make the most impact, is doing it together. So a really, really good point there. With that, I would like to ask you if there's anything in the main interview part now that we didn't get the chance to talk about, but that you really think would be important for the listeners to know. I give you the open floor now if you'd like to take it. You don't have to, but you can take it now if you'd like.
[00:23:48] Shanika Mahendran: I think one of the main things that I've tried to emphasize in my time in politics and my time sort of having a bit of a voice and a platform is just to encourage more women and more people from ethnically diverse communities or other underrepresented communities to put themselves forward to become politicians and policy makers. I think that it's really important, as we're pursuing these goals and wanting to innovate, that we have diverse voices around the table, because if you don't, then the work you're doing isn't going to be going in a direction that is inclusive for everyone. Each person who is from a different background brings something different to the table and brings a different perspective that you might not have considered. So I think that's something really important is that as we're all working to build sort of a better future and what we'd like to see a better future look like, we have to have a different range of voices to ensure that that better future is actually better for everyone.
[00:25:02] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, really, really good point. Actually have a small follow up on that that I'm really curious to know your thoughts on, from your experience.
What being a young woman, probably from a different background than a lot of other people in the council, what different perspectives do you think that you've brought to the table which made people say, ah, okay, that's a different perspective or a different way of thinking about things. Have you had that experience before?
[00:25:33] Shanika Mahendran: I mean, just yesterday I was sat in a meeting where someone or two people actually, who are sort of middle aged white men were saying, were implying that sort of public realm improvements to our underpasses don't really make a difference. And I was thinking, as a young woman, if I'm walking alone at night, that makes a huge difference to me. If the area looks nicer.
I think that was just one that highlighted to me the importance of having different perspectives. Because even within the public realm, your background and the way you experience life will mean that you experience the public realm in a different way. And that's a really important part of development.
[00:26:36] Tamlyn Shimizu: I'm sure you have many more.
[00:26:38] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah, there's been a lot of things. Yeah.
[00:26:45] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah. A really good example. Thank you so much.
With that, now we get to play a fun game on one of our segments. It's a relatively new segment of ours and it's called top or flop.
Top or flop. Respond quickly with your positive or negative review on a variety of topics.
So you either go top or flop, and we go through quickly. At the end, you can always explain why you decided it was a top or flop.
Are you ready?
[00:27:18] Shanika Mahendran: Yes.
[00:27:18] Tamlyn Shimizu: Okay, perfect. Live music on public transport.
Flop drone deliveries for urban areas.
[00:27:29] Shanika Mahendran: Top.
[00:27:31] Tamlyn Shimizu: Autonomous vehicles. Top 5g connectivity.
[00:27:37] Shanika Mahendran: Top.
[00:27:39] Tamlyn Shimizu: Innovation hubs.
[00:27:41] Shanika Mahendran: Top.
[00:27:43] Tamlyn Shimizu: Offering tax incentives and grants to innovative companies setting up in Milton Keynes.
Tough one.
[00:27:56] Shanika Mahendran: Top. If they're coming from national government, because we don't have the money to do that.
[00:28:03] Tamlyn Shimizu: The iconic concrete cows of Milton Keynes.
[00:28:08] Shanika Mahendran: Top.
[00:28:11] Tamlyn Shimizu: The idea of installing more roundabouts to maintain Milton Keynes title as the city of roundabouts.
[00:28:18] Shanika Mahendran: Top.
[00:28:19] Tamlyn Shimizu: Okay, good, good. Do you want to explain anything else?
[00:28:27] Shanika Mahendran: I don't think so. I mean, roundabouts are expensive and they take a long time to install. So we love our roundabouts, but we just.
They're not always as easy as we'd like.
[00:28:43] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, that's true. But, you know, I'm originally from the US and whenever I go back there, I'm always like, oh, I miss the roundabouts because all you get is stop signs everywhere.
[00:28:54] Shanika Mahendran: Yeah, I mean, the roundabouts are amazing, and they actually have sort of surprising sustainability benefits in that you're not sort of stopping, going and stopping and going, which is really good. But, yeah, I love our roundabouts.
[00:29:14] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, sounds good. Thanks for playing. Now we get to the final question. It's the question we ask every single guest that comes onto the podcast. It is to you, what is a smart city?
[00:29:28] Shanika Mahendran: I think a smart city is one that sort of harnesses new technologies, new innovations to improve the lives of the citizens who live there.
[00:29:41] Tamlyn Shimizu: Yeah, perfect. Good and concise answer. I like it.
Good with that. That's all we have for you today. I want to really applaud you for the amazing work you're doing. It's really an inspiration also to see someone, one young woman, being so influential in Milton Keynes. So, yeah, thank you for your service there, and thank you so much for coming onto the podcast.
[00:30:06] Shanika Mahendran: Thank you for having me. Really enjoyed it.
[00:30:09] Tamlyn Shimizu: Good. I'm glad you can come back anytime.
And to all of our listeners, thank you as well. So don't forget, you can always create a free account on BABLE Dash smartcities EU. You can find out more about smart city projects, use cases from Milton Keynes which will also link there solutions and more implementations. So thank you very much.
[00:30:31] Tamlyn Shimizu: Thank you all for listening.
[00:30:33] Tamlyn Shimizu: I'll see you at the next stop on the journey to a better urban life.
