Category: Weekly reflection
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Building cities for our grandkids: Beyond digital twins and algorithms
This week on What is the Future for Cities? podcast we released two episodes that tackled one of the most important tensions in urban planning today: how do we harness powerful digital tools like digital twins and AI without losing sight of what makes cities truly alive? From a research debate on the maturity of…
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Learning to grow greener futures: Five lessons from forest management and urban forestry
This week on the What is the Future for Cities? podcast we explored how both natural forests and urban tree canopies can adapt to rapid climate change. Episode 447R presented a lively debate based on a major 2019 study of 125 tree species in the eastern United States, while episode 448I featured an in-depth conversation…
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What if every time we built something, the world got better? 5 lessons on regenerating our cities
This week on the What is the Future for Cities? podcast we explored two complementary perspectives on urban transformation. In episode 445R, a research debate unpacked the 2024 paper by Yang Zhang, Chang Liu, and Caixia Hou on the driving mechanisms of green regeneration in old industrial areas, using evolutionary game theory focused on public…
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From over-optimized designs to evolutionary urbanism
What makes a city truly resilient – beautiful, highly optimized designs, or robust, low-maintenance systems that actually work when maintenance is imperfect? This week on What is the Future for Cities? podcast we explored exactly that tension. Tuesday’s Research episode (443R) debated a 2025 paper on enhancing resilient sustainable cities through public perspectives, using the…
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Water circularity, green-blue cities, and smarter planning
This week on What is the Future for Cities? podcast we confronted one of the most pressing resources for urban survival: water. Tuesday’s Research episode (441R) used a lively debate format to unpack a 2024 comprehensive review on water reuse. Thursday brought an inspiring and practical conversation with Darren Flynn (episode 442I) – chartered civil…
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Mobility revolution takeaways: From AV debates to visionary planning and citizen action
This week on What is the Future for Cities? we took a close look at autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their potential impact on urban life. Tuesday’s Research episode (439R) featured a thoughtful debate unpacking a 2025 academic paper on how AVs interact with classic urban transport problems. Thursday (episode 440I) brought an in-depth conversation with…
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Why cities must become regenerative: From doing less harm to actively healing
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast, we explored a powerful shift in how we think about architecture and cities – moving beyond merely sustainable design (doing less harm) to truly regenerative approaches that actively restore ecosystem services and reconnect humans with nature. Through a research debate on the 2019 “Biodiver-Cities”…
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Governance, adaptability and the future of rapidly growing African cities
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast, we examined one of the defining features of rapid urbanisation in Africa: the governance of informal settlements. Through a research debate on a 2025 scoping review (Episode 435R) and a conversation with spatial practitioner Carina Tenewaa Kanbi (Episode 436I), we explored the practical challenges,…
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Outdated rules, housing capacity and the changing role of city planners
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast, we explored one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing cities today: the relationship between housing supply, regulation, and affordability. Through a research debate (episode 433R) on how land-use rules affect housing costs and a wide-ranging conversation (episode 434I) with Keith Cooke from…
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From the floating island project to heterarchy: Why creating new cities is hard
This week on the What is The Future of Cities? podcast we explored one of the most ambitious ideas in contemporary urbanism: the possibility of creating entirely new types of cities and governance systems. Through a research debate (episode 431R) on the Floating Island project in French Polynesia and a detailed conversation (episode 432I) with…
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