Category: Weekly reflection
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Why the future of cities might depend on governance innovation – not just new buildings
This week the What is The Future for Cities? podcast examined one of the most ambitious and contested governance experiments underway anywhere: Honduras’ ZEDE (Zonas de Empleo y Desarrollo Económico) framework. Episode 385R presented a structured debate on the 2021 paper analysing the ZEDE law’s journey from concept to legal reality, by Jeffrey Mason, Carl…
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What floating cities teach us about affordability, citizenship and protecting the coast
For the past week the What is the future for cities? podcast has lived entirely on water. Episode 383R brought a global data-driven debate about where floating urban development is needed most urgently based on the Potential of floating urban development for coastal cities article, from Barbara Dal Bo Zanon, Bart Roeffen, Karina Czapiewska, and…
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Mixed-income, human-scale, self-financing: the formula we forgot
This week the What is The Future for Cities? podcast returned to one of the most successful urban regeneration projects in North America: Toronto’s St. Lawrence neighbourhood. Episode 381R replayed the still-raging academic debate on DeLeo & Gordon’s case study on Directions for new urban neighbourhoods: Learning from St. Lawrence – was its longevity due…
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Blockchain governance: revolutionary tool or risky experiment for cities?
This week on the What is the future for cities? podcast, we released two episodes that push the boundaries of how cities might be governed tomorrow. Episode 379R presented a sharp debate on Aiman Erbad‘s 2025 book chapter about Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) adoption for smart-city governance, weighing radical participation against serious risks of exclusion…
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Unpacking mid-sized dynamics and city management
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast, we released two episodes that highlight the overlooked power of mid-sized cities in driving balanced progress. Episode 377R featured a debate summarising Andrés Rodríguez-Pose and Jamie Griffiths’s 2021 paper on Developing intermediate cities, arguing for their efficiency in poverty reduction and national growth. Then,…
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Reflections on visionary planning and human-centred urban futures
This week on the What is the future for cities? podcast, we released two episodes that spark a dialogue between theory and practice. Episode 375R featured a debate summarising Timon McPhearson, David M Iwaniec, and Xuemei Bai‘s 2016 paper on Positive visions for guiding urban transformations toward sustainable futures. It weighed the power of inspirational…
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Unpacking adaptability and human-centred city planning
This week on the What is the future for cities? podcast, we released two episodes that fit together like pieces of an evolving urban puzzle. Episode 373R featured a debate summarising Rand Askar, Luís Bragança, and Helena Gervásio‘s 2021 paper on the Adaptability of buildings: A critical review on the concept evolution. It traced how…
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What Liberland teaches us about merit-based states
This week’s episodes on the What is the future for cities? podcast offered a fascinating look at Liberland, a micronation that’s pushing the boundaries of how we might organise societies in the digital age. Episode 369 summarised the Liberland Blockchain Whitepaper, breaking down how this tiny entity between Croatia and Serbia runs its entire government…
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Unpacking AI’s role in the future of urban planning
This week’s episodes of the What is the future for cities? podcast have given us much to consider about artificial intelligence in city planning. Episode 367 presented a debate on the 2025 paper by Haishan Xia and colleagues, titled “The fundamental issues and development trends of AI-driven transformations in urban transit and urban space“. This…
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Why cities need a shared identity: Key insights from this week’s podcast
This week on the What is the future for cities? podcast, we looked into the world of place branding and its role in shaping urban environments. Tuesday’s episode 365 offered a summary of Ryan Short‘s book, The Civic Brand: The power and responsibility of place, presented as a debate between two perspectives on whether a…
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