Category: Weekly reflection
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Building anti-fragile cities: From cracked foundations to seven-generation thinking
What if the real problem isn’t the leaking roof but the cracked foundation beneath it? This week on What is The Future for Cities? podcast we explored exactly that question through two powerful episodes. Episode 425R brought a research debate summarising the upcoming book The Energy Foundation by AJ Perkins and Fanni Melles, while Episode…
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Reclaiming our cities: What if streets belonged to people again?
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast the two episodes felt like they were speaking directly to the same big idea: how do we turn our streets back into places for people, not just cars? Episode 423R dove into the research debate on scaling Barcelona’s superblock model city-wide, while Episode 424I…
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Green growth, innovation and abundance: Major takeaways for the future of cities
This week the What is The Future for Cities? podcast explored one of the most important questions facing cities: can we grow our economies while successfully addressing climate change, or must we deliberately reduce consumption? Episode 419R presented a sharp research debate grounded in the 2025 paper by Phoenix Eskridge-Aldama, Aden Stern, Anna Vaughn and…
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Adaptive urban furniture as a pathway to resilient and antifragile cities
This week the What is The Future for Cities? podcast moved from big-picture African creative economies to the small but powerful scale of everyday street furniture. We examined how ordinary benches, shelters and bus stops can evolve into active participants in urban resilience in episode 417R and 418I. Rather than remaining passive objects, these elements…
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From grassroots art networks to pan-African visions: Creative economies as bridges and culture as living fuel for African cities
This week the What is The Future for Cities? podcast took us deep into the heart of African creative economies and the living, breathing role of arts and culture in shaping cities that actually feel alive. We didn’t just talk numbers or policy papers. We unpacked real mechanisms — how artists, intermediaries, and entrepreneurs are…
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Beyond the hype: 5 important lessons on how autonomous vehicles could reshape urban life
This week on What is The Future for Cities? podcast we explored one of the most exciting – and contentious – topics in urban planning: connected and autonomous vehicles. Tuesday’s research debate (Episode 413R) dissected a 2023 comprehensive review by Md. Mokhlesur Rahman and Jean-Claude Thill, weighing efficiency gains against real-world risks. Thursday’s interview with…
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Green vs grey and regeneration vs sustainability – five takeaways for future-proof cities
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast we examined one of the most practical and urgent questions for coastal urban areas: when the water is rising, should we keep building ever-higher concrete walls (grey infrastructure) or pivot to living, growing systems like dunes and mangroves (green infrastructure)? Episode 411R debated Haoluan…
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From GDP to regeneration – Why economic growth remains essential for thriving cities
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast we examined one of the most fundamental and debated questions in urban development: is economic growth still the most reliable path to better human wellbeing, or has it become a dangerous blindfold that hides inequality, rights deficits and environmental costs? Episode 409R debated Lant…
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The impact curve and the city advantage – Five lessons on profitable green transitions
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast we examined one of the most practical and hopeful questions in urban and business thinking: can doing good for the planet actually drive real financial success? Episode 407R debated Jasper Steinhausen’s book Making Sustainability Profitable, mapping the journey from costly compliance to genuine value…
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From global convergence to local activism – five insights on homogenisation and the power of investing locally
This week on the What is The Future for Cities? podcast we paired a data-driven research debate with an inspiring interview that felt like the perfect practical response. Episode 405R examined the 2020 paper “The global homogenisation of urban form” by Lemoine-Rodríguez, Inostroza and Zepp, which analysed 194 cities over 25 years using satellite imagery.…
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