What is Atom & Byte?

The physical and digital future of our cities

I’ve always loved cities. And technology. And writing! So with Substack being all the rage lately, what better time to combine all these interests and start writing about how technology will impact the future of cities. Thus, Atom & Byte was formed.

You might remember the first attempt at Smart Cities, and how that, um, didn’t go so well. Fair enough. One of the most important concepts in product development is to focus on the problem and not the solution; that’s what went wrong. Everyone was obsessed with the tech—sensors, cameras, big data! We lost track of what problems we were trying to solve with all the gadgets, which resulted in technology being deployed for its own sake. Never a recipe for success. Fall In Love With The Problem, Not The Solution, as Uri Levine wisely says.

Now that we’ve had some time to reflect on that experience, here we are in 2025. Hopefully we’ve learned that technology is a tool, a means to solving problems, not an end in itself. Also, cities are a complex system of policy, design, culture, space, people, and yes, technology. Systems thinking tells us we must consider all of these things together. Every decision impacts everything. Trade-offs are everywhere.

There are many brilliant people writing about cities these days. Journalists, urban planners, civil engineers, technology executives, and self-made YouTube stars. My goal with Atom & Byte is to add a unique voice to the mix. I’ve spent many years experiencing many cities first-hand, and my work has been to figure out how to apply technology to improve the way cities work. All of that is to say, I know a thing or two about cities, and I’m excited to share my thoughts with you.

Great news! I have a huge backlog of ideas to write about. While my focus has been on transportation, or Intelligent Transportation Solutions, to be specific, I’m going to take a broader approach here, and write about all aspects of cities, technology, and the future. Exciting, right?

Thanks for joining me on this new, exciting journey! I’m really excited to have an outlet where I can write about all the thoughts, opinions, and views percolating through my brain about cities.

Here goes.