#38 Jeral Poskey: Urban Transportation of the Future? Retrofitting Suburbia with Swyft Cities.

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Apr 3, 2025

Jeral Poskey, Founder and CEO of Swyft Cities and former Google project executive, shares his vision for transforming urban transportation. He discusses an inventive cable-based mobility solution designed to tackle the last-mile challenge in suburban settings. Skepticism turns to excitement as Poskey reveals how Swyft aims to create walkable neighborhoods amid sprawling suburbs. With projects launching globally in 2026, he explores how adaptable infrastructure and AI can revolutionize city travel and make urban transit more efficient.

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ANECDOTE

Swyft Cities' Origin

Swyft Cities originated from Project Swyft within Google's real estate division.
It aimed to improve transportation within Google's large campuses, addressing the limitations of traditional methods like shuttles.

INSIGHT

Swyft Cities' Solution

Swyft Cities utilizes a network of small, autonomous vehicles on a cable system.
These vehicles move between stations like a gondola but offer on-demand service and can switch cables at intersections.

INSIGHT

Addressing Suburban Sprawl

Traditional mass transit is costly and difficult to retrofit into existing suburban sprawl.
Swyft Cities offers a more affordable and adaptable solution for last-mile connections.

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In this episode, I talk with Jeral Poskey, former project executive at Google, and current Founder and CEO of Swyft Cities, about a radically different approach to urban transportation that’s fast, flexible, and surprisingly affordable. Spoiler: it's not autonomous or flying cars.

When I first heard about Swyft’s solution, I was skeptical. But I’m increasingly excited about the possibilities, and how it could unlock walkable districts and neighborhoods within the suburban sprawl context (so basically everywhere).

We get into how Jeral’s experience inside Google’s real estate division led to the birth of Project Swyft, why traditional mass-transit infrastructure isn’t feasible (at least on its own), and how Swyft’s solution solves for the last few miles, weaves between buildings, and adapts to cities as they grow.

If you're into urbanism, real estate, autonomous vehicles, or just want to understand what could actually make our cities function better (without waiting 20 years and wasting billions of dollars for a new train–looking at you, California), this one’s worth your time. And excitingly, Swyft has numerous projects underway around the world beginning in 2026.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Project Switch and Urban Transportation

01:48 The Origins of Swyft Cities

05:08 Innovative Transportation Solutions

10:31 Skepticism to Curiosity

14:09 The Last Mile Connection and Urban Challenges

17:34 Economic Models and Urban Growth

19:23 Modularity and Network Effects in Urban Transit

21:16 AI and Efficiency in Transportation Systems

23:40 Cost Comparisons and Infrastructure Decisions

24:15 Understanding the Station Design and Functionality

26:22 Infrastructure Flexibility and Cost Efficiency