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The UN SDGs Report 2026: Energy and Climate Pressure Mount The United Nations (UN) has published its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Report 2026, underscoring that the world is now just four years away from the 2030 deadline. The report shows that progress is increasingly tied to resilient energy systems, procurement, manufacturing capacity, supply chain stability and digital infrastructure. While advances continue across several goals, only 36% of the 139 measurable targets are on track or making moderate progress, 49% are moving “too slowly” and 15% have worsened since 2015. The UN attributes these setbacks to climate change, slower economic growth, higher debt, conflict and weakening development assistance. The energy transition and industrial resilience Energy remains central to sustainable industrial growth and the report presents both progress and exposure. Since 2015, electricity access has risen to 92% of the global population, while around one-third of global electricity is now generated from renewable sources. Internet access has also climbed from 40% to 74%, opening up more scope for connected manufacturing, digital procurement and efficiency gains across industrial operations. Yet the energy picture is far from stable. The report says conflict, trade disruption and climate-related stress are feeding through to prices, logistics and production, with energy availability increasingly linked to wider economic resilience. In 2024, 673 million people experienced chronic hunger and 2.3 billion faced moderate or severe food insecurity. - Global temperatures reached 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels in 2025, bringing the world closer to the 1.5°C threshold The report states that the war in the Middle East has “disrupted maritime traffic, choking off energy, fertiliser and food corridors and driving up inflation.” Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have affected shipments of fertilisers, sulphur, natural gas and fuels, increasing production and transport costs across global manufacturing and food supply chains, particularly for
Dive Brief: - Two scenarios forecasting U.S. data center electricity demand by 2030 differ by 42 GW, highlighting growing uncertainty about the scale of the buildout even as it accelerates, Bloomberg NEF analysts said Wednesday. - A base case modeled on U.S. data center development BNEF considers likely to materialize shows demand from the sector of 118 GW in 2030 and 194 GW by 2035, an upward revision of 52% and 83%, respectively, from the firm’s previous outlook, which it published in December. A second forecast developed around expected AI chip deliveries finds there could be 207 GW of U.S. data center demand by 2033. - The report highlights the difficulties in modeling the new demand. “BNEF underestimated installed data-center capacity in 2025,” the research provider says in a new report. Installed capacity topped 47 GW by the end of last year, 16% higher than BNEF’s forecast. Dive Insight: “We track data centers across the U.S. and in the last year, we've added about 100 GW of project capacity,” BloombergNEF Senior Associate Nathalie Limandibhratha said Wednesday in a discussion of the estimates. “It's not only the number of data centers and new developers that are flooding the market, but it's also the size of these data centers.” How big is the gap between the two forecasts? That 42 GW is more than four times the peak load of New York City, analysts noted for context, and it grows to 63 GW by 2033. Driving the uncertainty are the growing size of data centers, power availability and the extent to which developers get more efficient in their building, they said. When BNEF was forecasting data center demand a year ago, a 1-GW project was considered large, Limandibhratha said. “In our pipeline now, we have over 70 projects that are a gigawatt
Remembering the life and innovations of Coquitlam SAR volunteer Mike Coyle He was a husband, a father, software engineer, writer, innovator, and for approximately 27 years he helped lost hikers and injured mountain bikers get home safely as part of Coquitlam Search and Rescue. Michael Coyle died on Saturday after being found unresponsive while mountain biking in Squamish, according to a post from Coyle’s partner Sylvia Fuller. Fuller thanked the other mountain bikers and Squamish EMS for trying to save Coyle’s life. Local news that matters to you No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable. “Thank you to Squamish Search and Rescue for carrying him out and taking care of our dog,” she wrote on social media. “We are shattered.” Having worked with Coyle for approximately 27 years, Coquitlam SAR president Nick Zupan described Coyle as selfless, hardworking, and a “solid dude.” “The way to describe Mike would be: solid, dependable, knowledgeable, able, competent,” he said. “He’s a team guy.” As a backcountry skier, climber, and mountain biker, Coyle had qualities that made him a natural fit for search and rescue. But it was that “love of the team” that kept him at it for decades. A software engineer by trade, Coyle wrote that his avocation is search and rescue, joining his first SAR team in 2000. “At the time I was frustrated with volunteering for various organizations and needed a simple way to feel useful, and to give back to society. SAR was that opportunity,” he wrote on his blog. Certified in longline helicopter rescue, Coyle and Zupan worked with North Shore Rescue to bring a helicopter team to Coquitlam. Coyle was emphatic that anyone in trouble deserved rescue, whether or not it was their own fault.
Dive Brief: - Fair housing advocacy groups sued the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last week, claiming the agency’s funding restructuring drastically reduces their ability to receive funds from the Fair Housing Initiatives Program. - The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, argues that HUD’s July 2 notices of funding opportunities unlawfully introduced criteria that “will disqualify nearly all existing fair housing organizations” from FHIP funding. It calls the alterations an "assault" on the grant program. - It is the third lawsuit concerning the Trump administration’s distribution and management of FHIP funds filed against HUD in the past two years. Dive Insight: The Trump administration has pledged to scale back fair housing enforcement efforts that it views as “beyond the scope of the Fair Housing Act,” according to HUD. “We will continue to enforce the law as written, and nothing else,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner told a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in May. “Fair housing is about equal rights, not extra rights.” If the funding changes introduced by HUD this month move forward, more than 100 fair housing law enforcement and education nonprofits stand to lose funding, according to the National Fair Housing Alliance, one of the plaintiffs in the July 23 lawsuit, along with the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center. The lawsuit was filed on the organizations’ behalf by civil rights law firm Relman Colfax. The Fair Housing Initiatives Program was created in 1987 to provide competitive grants to nonprofits dedicated to improving the effectiveness of the Fair Housing Act, the complaint states. “NFHA’s member organizations handle three in four housing discrimination complaints every year,” with HUD handling others, NFHA Executive Vice President Nikitra Bailey said in a news release. “Virtually all these community-based organizations depend on FHIP’s critical funding to operate, and many will not survive
Dive Brief: - The Trump administration’s cancellation of $7.6 billion in clean energy grants last year was “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state,” the U.S Department of Energy said in a July 15 court filing first reported by the New York Times on Friday. - DOE in October 2025 canceled 223 clean energy project grants, all in states that voted for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Some of the cancellations have been overturned in court. - Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., called DOE’s filing a “stunning admission” that the Trump administration is “weaponizing the federal funding process,” and further warned that an Office of Management and Budget proposal filed in May would normalize the approach. Dive Insight: There is growing outrage among Democratic lawmakers and advocates to the Trump administration’s use of the federal purse to further its political agenda. The Department of Homeland Security has proposed tying grants to states’ willingness to assist in the enforcement of immigration law. And in May, OMB proposed a new process that would give federal agencies more control over federal grants. DOE’s July 15 filing conceded that none of the 2025 grant cancellations were “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor ... the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State.” Details about the grant cancellation process were offered as part of an agreement for DOE to avoid the court’s discovery process. “This stunning admission from the Trump administration confirms what we have long known: they are weaponizing the federal funding process to punish people who did not vote for President Trump,” DeLauro
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SONDA Reaches US$11 Million Net Income in 1H26 SONDA reported a net profit of US$11 million for the first half of 2026, up US$7.4 million year over year, driven by stronger operating performance, improved margins, and proceeds from the sale of non-strategic subsidiaries and real estate assets. The company also increased revenue, EBITDA, and commercial activity across Latin America, supported by large-scale digital infrastructure and technology projects that expanded its regional pipeline. SONDA reported stronger profitability in the first half of 2026, as operational improvements and a growing portfolio of long-term technology projects lifted earnings despite higher financial costs and taxes. The Latin American technology services provider reported net profit attributable to shareholders of US$11 million for the six months ended June 30, 2026, an increase of US$7.4 million compared to the same period in 2025. The results reflect progress in the company's strategy to improve profitability through efficiency initiatives and a greater focus on large-scale, long-term projects. The improvement was supported by a 41% increase in operating income, which reached US$38 million, along with gains from the sale of the Solex and Microgeo Ingeniería subsidiaries and selected non-strategic real estate assets. Those transactions generated a net after-tax gain of US$4.6 million and contributed positively to discontinued operations. Higher financial expenses and increased income taxes partially offset those gains. Margins Improve as Regional Projects Mature SONDA generated consolidated revenue of US$792 million during the first half of the year, representing 10.8% growth in reporting currency. EBITDA reached US$64 million, increasing 20.8% year over year, while expanding across all operating regions. The company improved its EBITDA margin by 70 basis points and its operating margin by 110 basis points, reflecting greater operating leverage and the continued execution of efficiency programs. According to the company, EBITDA growth was primarily driven by the
Dive Brief: - Waymo driverless vehicles were involved in 68% fewer crashes than human drivers in the same areas and years, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report published this month. - From 2021 to 2024, Waymo vehicles in driverless operation were involved in 1.28 reportable crashes per million vehicle miles traveled in four cities, compared with 4.06 crashes per VMT for human drivers, the report found. - “This new IIHS research underscores why these technologies should be judged by consistent data collected over millions of miles, not by overreactions caused by a single viral video, isolated incident, or perception of a lack of safety that isn’t supported by data,” Governors Highway Safety Association CEO Jonathan Adkins said in a statement. Dive Insight: Looking at specific types of crashes, the IIHS study found that Waymo robotaxis’ rate of rear-ending another vehicle was 91% lower and their rate of being rear-ended was 40% lower than human drivers. Waymo “is maintaining a level of safety as its technology develops” in locations where its vehicles can safely operate in autonomous mode, the report concluded. That doesn’t make them perfect. Waymo vehicles have been seen driving into flooded streets, passing stopped school buses and impeding emergency vehicles. News of those incidents might be overshadowing the bigger picture of the vehicles’ safety compared with human-driven vehicles, however. “For years, we have expected autonomous vehicles (AVs) to be flawless while quietly accepting a human driving record that kills more than 36,000 people on our roads every year,” GHSA’s Adkins said. “This research is a powerful reminder that progress, not perfection, must be the standard for AVs, just as it has been for seat belts, airbags, automatic emergency braking and every other safety technology that eventually earned the public’s trust.” The IIHS report cautioned that
FSO and VLC / Li-Fi Technology Innovation: Key Trends, Growth Drivers, and Future Opportunities Introduction to FSO and VLC / Li-Fi Technology The rapid expansion of digital transformation, smart infrastructure, Industry 4.0, and next-generation wireless communications has accelerated demand for high-speed, secure, and energy-efficient networking technologies. Free Space Optics (FSO) and Visible Light Communication (VLC) , commonly known as Li-Fi (Light Fidelity), are emerging as revolutionary optical wireless communication technologies capable of complementing traditional Wi-Fi and cellular networks. FSO transmits data using laser beams through free space without requiring fiber-optic cables, making it ideal for long-distance, high-bandwidth communication. Li-Fi, on the other hand, utilizes LED lighting infrastructure to transmit internet data through visible light, delivering ultra-fast wireless connectivity while simultaneously providing illumination. Unlike conventional radio frequency (RF) communication, both technologies offer enhanced security, minimal electromagnetic interference, ultra-low latency, and exceptionally high bandwidth. These advantages are driving adoption across smart cities, defense, industrial automation, healthcare, aviation, transportation, education, and enterprise networking. As organizations continue investing in digital infrastructure, FSO and Li-Fi are becoming integral components of future wireless ecosystems. History of FSO and VLC / Li-Fi Technology The concept of Free Space Optical communication has existed for several decades, initially serving military and satellite communications because of its secure, high-capacity transmission capabilities. Visible Light Communication gained momentum after the widespread adoption of LED lighting systems. In 2011, researchers introduced Li-Fi, demonstrating that LED lights could transmit data at extremely high speeds while maintaining normal illumination. Since then, continuous innovations in LED technology, photodetectors, optical modulation, AI-enabled networking, and semiconductor devices have transformed Li-Fi from a laboratory concept into a commercially viable communication technology suitable for enterprise and industrial applications. Benefits of FSO and VLC / Li-Fi Technology FSO and Li-Fi offer several advantages over traditional wireless communication technologies. 1. Ultra-High-Speed Connectivity
The Kochi Corporation in Kerala is set to undertake a detailed stock-taking of assets procured under the Smart City project, as the special purpose vehicle (SPV), Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML), created for its implementation, prepares to wind up operations on completing its mandate. Mayor V.K. Minimol has directed the superintendent engineer to submit a comprehensive report on the efficiency and utility of assets and projects created under the project, now being handed over to the Corporation, which will be largely responsible for their future operation and maintenance. The council is expected to hold an in-depth discussion on the matter once the report is tabled, with councillors, particularly from the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), sharply critical of CSML’s functioning and procurement practices. Originally conceived for infrastructure development and retrofitting in a limited number of Administrative Business District (ABD) divisions — one-and-a-half divisions in the city and five in West Kochi — the Smart City project was later expanded into a pan-city initiative. With the Centre’s approval, funds were channelled into projects beyond ABD divisions, including the improvement of parks, installation of streetlights, and the purchase of machines and vehicles such as compactors for waste management. “Does Kochi look like it has received funding of more than ₹1,000 crore under the Smart City project? Deviations from the original plan were made without taking the Corporation into confidence,” Ms. Minimol remarked. She pointed out that CSML, chaired by the Chief Secretary, had only the Mayor representing the Corporation, despite the project being meant for the city. Taking a veiled swipe at former mayor M. Anilkumar, she wondered whether he had “remained silent while the city’s interests were sidelined.” Mr. Anilkumar countered by recalling that the project commenced in 2015 when the UDF was in power both at the State and the
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Choosing where to live can involve balancing opportunity and security. Big cities offer diverse job markets, extensive amenities and greater access to public services. But they also sometimes come with more acute safety concerns. While no major population center is entirely free from danger, some are more successful than others at creating environments where people can live, work and travel with confidence. In this follow-up to SmartAsset’s America’s Safest Midsize Cities study, SmartAsset examined 83 U.S. cities with populations of 250,000 or greater — more than 90% of America’s big cities — to identify the nation’s safest. Cities were ranked using composite scores based on violent crime, property crime, traffic fatality rates and disaster risk. Key Findings - Virginia Beach is America’s safest big city. Virginia Beach, Virginia, has below-average violent and property crime rates — 0.9 and 16.4 per 1,000 residents, respectively — and a modest motor vehicle fatality rate of about seven per 100,000 residents. Its “relatively low” FEMA disaster risk rating, a metric measuring expected disaster losses, social vulnerability and community resilience, helps support its top-tier rank. - Memphis ranks last. High crime and motor vehicle fatality rates, along with a “relatively high” FEMA disaster risk rating, combined to place Bluff City at the bottom of the rankings. - Texas is home to some of America’s safest and least safe cities. Twelve Texas cities were included in the rankings, and the Lone Star State is the only one with cities among both the 10 safest (Plano and Laredo) and the 10 least safe (Dallas and Houston). - Disaster risk can affect otherwise safe cities. Despite moderate violent and property crime rates, Irvine, California (No. 12), and Santa Ana, California (No. 20), both landed outside the top 10 safest cities. The two cities share the highest possible disaster
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Chile's Sonda closes US$1.19bn in contracts with US$7bn pipeline The Chilean IT services firm Sonda closed deals worth US$1.192 billion (bn) during the first half of 2026, a 46.9% increase compared with the same period in 2025, while carrying out a capital increase to finance its portfolio of regional projects. Commercial growth was led by North America (+106.8%), followed by the Southern Cone (+45.9%), Brazil (+42.5%) and the Andean Region (+30.5%). The pipeline of opportunities, meanwhile, reached US$6.922bn, with Brazil (33%) and Chile (26%) as the most significant markets. Among the contracts awarded in the semester, noteworthy in Chile are intelligent transportation projects, smart cities and business connectivity with the Ministry of Transport, the Municipality of Copiapó and clients in the financial sector. In Brazil, the Infovía and Mobi Rio digital infrastructure and mobility initiatives stood out, in addition to a printing outsourcing contract with Banco do Brasil. In Mexico, Sonda, together with Siemens was awarded a telecommunications, signaling and control project for the railway line between Mexico City and Irapuato. In Peru, the company added a Smart Safety and monitoring center contract with the Regional Government of San Martín, while in Colombia it carried out corporate cybersecurity and photovoltaic energy projects. In Guatemala, it was awarded a national electronic ankle bracelet monitoring platform for the Ministry of the Interior. The company increased consolidated revenues by 10.8% to US$792 million (mn) and raised its Ebitda by 20.8% to US$64mn, with net income attributable to the parent company of US$11mn, US$7.4mn more than in the first half of 2025. Capital to sustain execution In May, Sonda approved a capital increase of up to $50,000mn Chilean pesos (US$52.7mn) to finance its project portfolio in the region. According to the company, this portfolio entails gross capex requirements of more than US$200mn, of which
Dive Brief: - New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, on July 14 signed the first state moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, those that could consume 50 megawatts or more of electricity, by pausing state environmental permits for these facilities for up to one year while policymakers build out a regulatory framework. - Hochul issued the executive order to give the government time to parse through a broader bill that the state legislature passed, but the governor hasn’t yet signed, that would include requirements impacting existing data centers. - Hochul’s executive order addresses many of the same policy concerns as New York’s proposed Responsible Data Center Development Act, A11560, which passed on June 4, but is narrower, according to DLA Piper. Dive Insight: New York Independent System Operator, the state’s electricity grid operator, reported that its large-load interconnection queue grew from six projects totaling roughly 1,045 MW in 2022 to 48 proposals totaling approximately 12 GW as of Dec. 31, according to a Harris Beach Murtha analysis. Although the executive order is intended to govern future data centers, it could affect projects already in the permitting pipeline, according to an analysis by Davis Wright Tremaine. Projects in the pipeline with approval pending as of July 14 by the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation could be impacted while those proceeding solely through local permitting processes that don’t require DEC approval wouldn’t be. “For companies developing, financing, or operating data centers, the Executive Order serves as a reminder that successful projects increasingly require coordination across land use, environmental permitting, energy, technology transactions, commercial contracting, financing, and regulatory compliance,” the Davis Wright Tremaines analysis says. The key difference between the bill and the EO is scope, DLA Piper says, with the EO using a 50-MW threshold, compared with the bill’s lower, variable peak
Berg Insight estimates that cellular IoT connectivity revenues reached €14.5 billion in 2025, while the number of cellular IoT connections rose to 4.2 billion worldwide. The figures point to a market that is still expanding in volume, but where revenue per connection remains under pressure. Cellular IoT has become a scale business, but not necessarily a high-ARPU one. As more meters, vehicles, payment terminals, industrial devices and tracking units are connected to mobile networks, the economics of the market are increasingly defined by very large installed bases, automated lifecycle management and thin recurring connectivity margins. That tension is visible in new data from Berg Insight, which says global IoT connectivity revenues increased by 5 percent in 2025 to €14.5 billion. Over the same period, cellular IoT connections grew by 11 percent to 4.2 billion at year-end, equivalent to around 32 percent of all mobile subscriptions. Monthly ARPU fell by 7 percent to €0.31. The distinction matters. A market can be expanding in unit terms while becoming more demanding commercially for operators and IoT connectivity providers. The gap between connection growth and revenue growth indicates that additional devices are, on average, contributing less revenue per month than the installed base. For IoT buyers, this may support lower connectivity costs at scale. For connectivity providers, it reinforces the need to compete on platform capabilities, coverage reach, integration tools and operational efficiency rather than SIM volume alone. China’s operators dominate the connection rankings Berg Insight’s ranking also underlines how concentrated cellular IoT scale remains in China. China Mobile is identified as the world’s largest cellular IoT connectivity provider, with 1.48 billion connections at the end of 2025 and 5 percent year-on-year growth. China Telecom followed with 746 million connections, while China Unicom ranked third with 723 million. That means the three Chinese operators
Dive Brief: - A bipartisan bill to replace the fixed percentage formula the Environmental Protection Agency uses to allocate Clean Water State Revolving Fund grants with a needs-based formula was introduced in the Senate July 17. - Using the newly proposed formula, based on 2022 data, 31 states would receive the same or up to a 260% increase in CWSRF funds and 19 states would see reductions, some by as much as a 53%, according to a 2024 Government Accountability Office report. The GAO created the formula to better align the program with the EPA’s goals, including water quality and affordability. - The new formula reflects current clean water infrastructure demands, state populations and economic burdens, said the sponsors, led by Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Rick Scott, R-Fla. Dive Insight: The EPA estimated in 2024 that it needs $630 billion over the next 20 years to repair and replace clean water and wastewater infrastructure, according to the GAO report. The EPA awards CWSRF low-interest loans and grants, which help pay for sewer repair, wastewater treatment plan upgrades, stormwater management and wetland protection, based on a statutory formula enacted in 1987. The needs-based formula being proposed in the Clean Water Allotment Modernization Act of 2026 would distribute funds based 60% on documented infrastructure needs, 20% on state population from the most recent census and 20% on the state’s share of population at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. It would protect states during the transition by capping annual allotment increases at 200% and decreases at 25% during the first four years. “It’s time to bring the CWSRF into the 21st century,” Scott said in a news release. Kelly and Scott first introduced the bill in 2021 with then-Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Richard Burr, R-N.C. A 2016 EPA
Dive Brief: - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy proposed eliminating the Highway Trust Fund’s mass transit account, which provides funding for public transportation, in a July 22 letter outlining the administration’s priorities that was sent to six senators serving on committees with influence over the next surface transportation legislation. - Duffy also proposed cutting funding for Complete Streets activities that focus on safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, bicycle lanes and grants for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. A competitive grant program to fund solutions to traffic congestion in U.S. cities would eliminate public transit system improvements and tolling programs from eligibility. - None of the members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where the legislation was drafted, were copied on Duffy’s letter. Dive Insight: The draft House bill authorizes $87.6 billion from the mass transit account of the Highway Trust Fund over fiscal years 2027 to 2031, an increase from $69.8 billion allocated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The DOT’s proposal to do away with the mass transit account, which was established by Congress in 1982, would put more than 85% of federal public transit and passenger rail funding at risk, according to an emailed statement from the American Public Transportation Association. The administration’s key transportation goals include improving transit safety and security, supporting development of autonomous vehicles, ensuring freight railroad safety and building or expanding interstate highways, according to the letter. Duffy proposed creating a voluntary AV pilot program “with preemptive authority to avoid a patchwork of State laws,” the letter said. The DOT’s policy would give priority to motor vehicles over bike lanes. “We urge Congress to restrict competitive and formula grant funding for bicycle lanes and other bicycle infrastructure that reduce travel throughput for motor vehicles and support removal of existing bike lanes that contribute
School of Computing professor wins NSF CAREER Award for ‘smart cities’ research Assistant Professor Yingxue Zhang's urban AI models look to improve commute times, traffic safety, and more Spend just one day in New York City, and you might be transferring subway trains, hailing taxis, calling Ubers, sitting in traffic, or scrolling the streets on Google Maps for hours. Each one of these interactions constitutes a decision and data point, produced by just one person. Multiply that by a population of 8 million more, on top of tourists, and the busiest city in the U.S. generates millions upon millions of decisions and data points every single day. New artificial intelligence models that parse through that vast sea of human-generated data, however, could further expedite and smooth the decision-making process, from commute times to traffic safety. This is the crux of Assistant Professor Yingxue Zhang’s recent National Science Foundation CAREER Award, for which she won a five-year grant of $584,649. “In urban life, people make decisions every day. Taxi drivers want to pick up passengers, and if people want to go to work, they need to switch to different public transits,” said Zhang, a faculty member at the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science’s School of Computing. “They make decisions every day, every hour, every second. We want to model this kind of process to make the whole decision-making process more efficient and effective.” The CAREER Award is the NSF’s most prestigious distinction, given to early-career faculty who are poised to become the future leaders in research and education in their respective fields. Zhang’s project will be the first to use a particular type of deep learning technique, called offline reinforcement learning, to wrangle the ever-changing dynamics of urban life and spaces. “This technique has never been applied