As Poland's cities evolve, accessibility, intelligent infrastructure and inclusive design are becoming increasingly important. Smart City Expo Poland, taking place from 16–17 September 2026, will bring together the technologies and expertise helping cities respond. 

 

Warsaw, Poland – What makes a city truly smart? 

 

Technology, digital infrastructure and data are important, but the cities of the future will increasingly be judged by something much more fundamental: how effectively they work for the people who live in them. 

 

As populations age and urban environments become increasingly complex, accessibility and inclusivity are moving from optional considerations to essential elements of urban development. This presents new challenges for municipalities, planners and developers – but also creates opportunities for companies developing the technologies and infrastructure required to build smarter, safer and more accessible cities. 

 

These issues will be among the areas brought to life at Smart City Expo Poland, taking place from 16–17 September 2026, where representatives of local government, business and the technology sector will meet to explore solutions for the cities of tomorrow. 

 

Poland's Cities Face an Accessibility Challenge 

 

The gap between the ambition to create inclusive cities and implementation on the ground remains significant. 

 

Research highlighted by Smart City Expo Poland shows that 63% of Polish municipalities audited by the Supreme Audit Office did not consult older people and people with disabilities when planning investments in public spaces. More than half of the audited municipalities had no strategy for improving accessibility. 

 

At the same time, demographic change is making the issue increasingly urgent. By 2050, 22% of the world's urban population is expected to be aged 60 or older. 

 

Cities being designed and developed today therefore need to anticipate the requirements of the populations that will use them tomorrow. 

 

This means thinking beyond traditional approaches to accessibility. 

 

An inclusive city must consider older residents, people with disabilities, parents with young children, pregnant women, caregivers and neurodivergent people, creating public spaces that are intuitive, safe and accessible regardless of age or ability. 

 

Technology Is Changing What an Accessible City Can Be 

 

The development of smart-city technology is creating new ways to address these challenges. 

 

Assistive navigation systems can help visually or hearing-impaired residents move through public spaces. Adaptive traffic management can respond to pedestrian needs rather than relying entirely on fixed schedules. Intelligent street lighting can improve visibility and perceptions of safety, while accessible public transport infrastructure can make movement around cities easier for people with different mobility requirements. 

 

Even familiar elements of the urban landscape – benches, bus stops, pedestrian crossings and lifts – are being reimagined. 

 

The challenge is ensuring these technologies do not operate as isolated solutions. 

 

Creating an inclusive city requires municipalities, planners, technology companies, infrastructure providers and residents to consider the complete urban journey: from leaving home and travelling along a pavement to using public transport, accessing buildings and navigating public spaces. 

 

From the 15-Minute City to Safer Public Spaces 

 

Inclusive planning also connects directly with wider smart-city concepts. 

 

The 15-minute city, for example, aims to ensure that everyday requirements such as work, shopping, education and leisure can be accessed within a short distance from home. Reducing the need to travel long distances can have particular benefits for older residents, parents with children and people with limited mobility. 

 

Public spaces themselves are also becoming more adaptable. 

 

Multifunctional spaces, modular street furniture, blue-green infrastructure and clearer information systems can allow the same urban environment to meet the needs of different communities throughout the day. 

 

Safety is another essential consideration. Intelligent lighting, better visibility and responsive traffic systems can influence whether residents – particularly women and older people – feel comfortable using public spaces after dark. 

 

The smart city of the future is therefore not simply more connected. It is designed around the different ways people experience and move through their environment. 

 

See Inclusive City Solutions at Smart City Expo Poland 

 

These ideas will move from discussion to practical application at Smart City Expo Poland 2026. 

 

Exhibitors will showcase technologies addressing accessibility, mobility, intelligent infrastructure and safer public spaces. 

 

Solutions presented at the exhibition will include accessible lift technologies, assistive navigation and information systems, intelligent traffic management, smart street lighting, solar-powered urban infrastructure, smart bus stops and modern street furniture. 

 

Among the companies presenting solutions will be SCHAEFER, ELA – Standard Elevator System, Altix, Yunex, Pollight, Seedia and TEJBRANT. 

 

The technologies demonstrate the breadth of the emerging smart-city ecosystem – from systems supporting blind and visually impaired users to adaptive traffic control and connected street infrastructure. 

 

Turning Smart-City Ambitions into Reality 

 

The challenge facing cities is increasingly not whether they should become smarter and more inclusive, but how those ambitions can be translated into practical urban environments. 

 

That requires collaboration. 

 

Municipalities need access to proven technologies. Technology companies need to understand the requirements of cities and their residents. Urban planners and infrastructure specialists need opportunities to compare solutions and exchange knowledge with the organisations developing them. 

 

Smart City Expo Poland creates a meeting point for these communities. 

 

For municipalities, companies and institutions responsible for the future of urban environments, the exhibition provides an opportunity to see solutions in action, meet the organisations behind them and explore how technology can address real urban challenges. 

 

Because ultimately, a truly smart city should not only use better technology.It should work better for everyone.

 

Smart City Expo Poland takes place from 16–17 September 2026 in Poland.