WTF for Cities? is a platform to introduce and connect people who are actively and consciously working on the future of cities and to introduce research about the future of cities.
Are you interested in new forms of government? What do you think about betting markets – can they help our governance? How can we ensure the continuation of our cherished values? Trailer for episode 390 - interview with Robin Hanson, American economist and author. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, cultural evolution, adaptability, innovation, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in new forms of government? What do you think about betting markets – can they help our governance? How can we ensure the continuation of our cherished values? Trailer for episode 390 - interview with Robin Hanson, American economist and author. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, cultural evolution, adaptability, innovation, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in liveability as choices? What do you think about cultural evolution? How can we create a community of changemakers? Interview with Maurice Berger and Raquel Medrano Clemente, co-founders of Liveable Cities Collective. We will talk about their vision for the future of cities, liveability, cultural evolution, human connection, and many more. Maurice Berger is the co-founder of Liveable Cities Collective. Combining scientific training with lifelong business experience, he has spent two decades working globally with governments and planners to collect and analyse transport data that makes streets safer and more efficient. He believes data only matters when it tells a meaningful story, and that real change happens where evidence and community meet. An avid cyclist and traveller, Maurice champions sustainable transport and community building through cycling groups and charity rides. His commitment to connection also drives his men's group, creating space for honest conversation, courage and shared leadership.Raquel Medrano Clemente is the co-founder of Liveable Cities Collective. She brings a rich and varied professional background, having worked across banking, mining, education, construction, and hospitality. Her passion for communities has been a constant, reflected in her work founding educational programs and leading non-profit organisations. With a decade of experience in business coaching and consulting, Raquel is committed to leadership empowerment and sparking meaningful conversations. Her multicultural background and experience living in multiple countries give her a global perspective on building more connected communities and championing multiculturalism and belonging. Passionate about music, culture, and art, she now advocates for creative approaches to shaping communities and places. Through Liveable Cities Collective, she co-leads a social enterprise that connects changemakers around the world for collaboration and shared impact.Find out more about Maurice and Raquel through these links:Maurice Berger on LinkedInRaquel Medrano Clemente on LinkedInLiveable Cities Collective websiteLiveable Cities Collective on LinkedInLiveable Cities Collective on FacebookConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.228 - Interview with Dominique Hes about regenerative design thinkingNo.312 - Interview with Gilbert Rochecouste about regenerative place makingWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in liveability as choices? What do you think about cultural evolution? How can we create a community of changemakers? Trailer for episode 388 - interview with Maurice Berger and Raquel Medrano Clemente, co-founders of Liveable Cities Collective. We will talk about their vision for the future of cities, liveability, cultural evolution, human connection, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Today would be a research episode, but since it is 2025 Christmas time, I want to just wish you all relaxing holidays with or without celebrating Christmas, Merry Christmas if you do celebrate it, and a very Happy New Year! We will have many interesting topics to discover and further discuss in 2026. I am already preparing those episodes and I am very excited about what will come! First, this episode will be followed by a panel conversation in episode 388 with a collective working on creating a network of people who want to create better future for cities – a very hopeful and motivating conversation! Then in 2026 we will have guests from all over the world and many areas like government, policy, fiction and exploration, infrastructure, urban planning and design, and many more!!! If you need some food for thought while you are awaiting the next episode, check out episode 360 with Barry O'Reilly, where we discuss the opportunities to create antifragile systems. I hope you are well and also full with plans for the new year, see you then and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in liveability as choices? What do you think about cultural evolution? How can we create a community of changemakers? Trailer for episode 388 - interview with Maurice Berger and Raquel Medrano Clemente, co-founders of Liveable Cities Collective. We will talk about their vision for the future of cities, liveability, cultural evolution, human connection, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in liveability as choices? What do you think about cultural evolution? How can we create a community of changemakers? Trailer for episode 388 - interview with Maurice Berger and Raquel Medrano Clemente, co-founders of Liveable Cities Collective. We will talk about their vision for the future of cities, liveability, cultural evolution, human connection, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in liveability as choices? What do you think about cultural evolution? How can we create a community of changemakers? Trailer for episode 388 - interview with Maurice Berger and Raquel Medrano Clemente, co-founders of Liveable Cities Collective. We will talk about their vision for the future of cities, liveability, cultural evolution, human connection, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"My take on the future of cities that it's not the physical part that needs innovation ... what we hasn't figured out in the governance part."Are you interested in service-based governance? What do you think about governance innovation? How can we create more autonomous cities? Interview with Niklas Anzinger, Founder & CEO of Infinita City, General Partner of Infinita VC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, difference between governance and government, autonomous cities, people voting with their feet, and many more. Niklas Anzinger is the Founder & CEO of Infinita City and General Partner at Infinita VC. Based in Próspera, Honduras, he is building a network of hubs for longevity biotech acceleration. Infinita hosts startup competitions (e.g. BioHub), events (e.g. the upcoming Infinite Games 2026) and works with policymakers on enabling legislation like Montana's recent SB 535 right-to-try law.Find out more about Niklas through these links:Niklas Anzinger on LinkedIn@NiklasAnzinger as Niklas Anzinger on X@niklasanzinger as Niklas Anzinger on InstagramInfinita City websiteInfinita City on LinkedIn@infinitacity as Infinita City on X@infinita.city as Infinita City on InstagramInfinita City on YoutubeInfinite Games 2026 websiteStranded Technologies Podcast on LinkedinConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.030 - Interview with Ville Sirviö about Estonia's e-governanceNo.090 - Interview with Matthew McCartney about the connection between cities and economicsNo.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Prospera HondurasNo.395R - The Honduran ZEDE law, from ideation to actionWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in service-based governance? What do you think about governance innovation? How can we create more autonomous cities? Trailer for episode 386 - interview with Niklas Anzinger, Founder & CEO of Infinita City, General Partner of Infinita VC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, difference between governance and government, autonomous cities, people voting with their feet, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in new forms of governance? Debate of the article titled The Honduran ZEDE Law, from ideation to action from 2021, by Jeffrey Mason, Carl Peterson, and Daniela Ivette Cano, published in the Journal of Special Jurisdictions.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Niklas Anzinger in episode 386 talking about the opportunities in the Prospera Honduras governance experiment. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how new forms of governance in special economic zones could work. This article presents the legal framework for the Honduran special economic zone, highlighting and contrasting economic and governance models within this innovative legal framework.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Honduras has struggled to attract the investment needed to spur sustained economic growth in recent decades, and as a result remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. To attract greater foreign investment, the Honduran government passed a groundbreaking special economic zone (SEZ) law in 2012 creating Zonas de Empleo y Desarrollo Económico (Zones for Employment and Economic Development) or ZEDEs. Among the most innovative special jurisdictions in the world, ZEDEs grant sweeping legal and regulatory autonomy to allow for improved governance and economic competitiveness, in order to attract greater investment in Honduras. In this paper, we detail the political and legislative history of the ZEDE law, offer a textual analysis of the ZEDE statute, discuss the principal objections to the ZEDE law and responses to those objections, and provide case studies of the first two ZEDEs.Connecting episodes:No.293R - Rethinking the governance of urban infrastructural transformations: a synthesis of emerging approachesNo.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Prospera HondurasYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in service-based governance? What do you think about governance innovation? How can we create more autonomous cities? Trailer for episode 386 - interview with Niklas Anzinger, Founder & CEO of Infinita City, General Partner of Infinita VC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, difference between governance and government, autonomous cities, people voting with their feet, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in service-based governance? What do you think about governance innovation? How can we create more autonomous cities? Trailer for episode 386 - interview with Niklas Anzinger, Founder & CEO of Infinita City, General Partner of Infinita VC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, difference between governance and government, autonomous cities, people voting with their feet, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The water [and floating cities] are an opportunity to break through the past lock-ins [traditional infrastructure]."Are you interested in floating cities? What do you think about the symbiosis between floating and coastal cities? How can we enhance affordability with floating cities? Interview with Rutger de Graaf, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Blue21 Group. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, floating cities, affordability, permitting, industry opportunities in floating cities, and many more.Rutger de Graaf envisions cities rising with the water, turning climate threats into opportunities for resilient, regenerative floating communities. With 20 years of experience, he leads Blue21 for project delivery, Blue Revolution Foundation for global awareness, and Floating Future for applied research - including the world's largest program on floating solutions with 44 partners and €5.3M funding. He designs and delivers iconic projects like floating pavilions in Rotterdam and housing in Delft, while advising Dutch governments and international clients. Bridging ecology, policy, technology, and business, Rutger ensures solutions are technically robust, socially resilient, and environmentally regenerative.Learn more about Rutger de Graaf through these links:Rutger de Graaf on LinkedIn@degraaf_e as Rutger de Graaf on XRutger de Graaf on Google ScholarBlue21 websiteBlue21 on LinkedIn@Blue21Float as Blue21 on XConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.190 - Interview with Adrian McGregor about cities being part of natureNo.214 - Interview with Anders Sandberg about consecutive disastersNo.314 - Interview with Andrew Vass about nuclear powerNo.383R - Potential floating urban development for coastal citiesWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in floating cities? What do you think about the symbiosis between floating and coastal cities? How can we enhance affordability with floating cities?Trailer for episode 384 - interview with Rutger de Graaf, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Blue21 Group. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, floating cities, affordability, permitting, industry opportunities in floating cities, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in floating cities and communities? Debate of the article titled Potential of floating urban development for coastal cities: Analysis of flood risk and population growth from 2019, by B. Dal Bo Zanon, B. Roeffen, K. M. Czapiewska & R. E. de Graaf-van Dinther, published in the WCFS2019 Proceedings of the World Conference on Floating Solutions.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Rutger de Graaf in episode 384 talking about floating cities and communities. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how floating cities can enhance opportunities for coastal cities. This article proposes a multi-criteria analysis to identify best locations for floating cities and implementation strategies.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Population growth and urbanization mainly take place in vulnerable coastal areas. This article presents a global overview of these areas with both rapid population growth and high flood risk, in order to identify coastal areas that could benefit most from floating urban development. The analysis focuses on port cities, since they are coastal cities that have both availability of locations and the required expertise (e.g. maritime industry and services) to enable floating developments. After identifying the most promising locations, an implementation strategy is discussed, which favours areas where floating projects are already present to start testing medium and large-scale concepts. Next, a large scale floating maritime spatial project is presented, which integrates urban and ecosystem development with food and energy production in the North Sea. This plan provides a spatial concept for floating urban expansion in front of the coast of the Netherlands.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.023R - Smart cities and disaster resilienceNo.282 - Interview with Keygan Huckleberry about disaster resilience planningYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in floating cities? What do you think about the symbiosis between floating and coastal cities? How can we enhance affordability with floating cities?Trailer for episode 384 - interview with Rutger de Graaf, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Blue21 Group. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, floating cities, affordability, permitting, industry opportunities in floating cities, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in floating cities? What do you think about the symbiosis between floating and coastal cities? How can we enhance affordability with floating cities?Trailer for episode 384 - interview with Rutger de Graaf, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Blue21 Group. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, floating cities, affordability, permitting, industry opportunities in floating cities, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"At its best, cities offer the opportunity to be your best authentic self."Are you interested in thriving historical neighbourhoods to learn from? What do you think about looking into other people's homes through the window? How can we learn and apply what works for communities? Interview with Carolyn Whitzman, Adjunct Professor and Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto School of Cities. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, feminism, curiosity, learning from historical evidence, and many more. Dr Carolyn Whitzman is a leading housing and social policy researcher. She advised UBC's Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project, creating open-data best practices for analysing housing need, repurposing public land for non-market housing, and property acquisition - tools that shaped federal policy. Now a senior researcher at University of Toronto's School of Cities, she examines land policy, financing, and construction to scale affordable housing. Author of six books, including Home truths: Fixing Canada's housing crisis (2024) and Clara at the door with a revolver (2023), plus 80+ chapters, articles, and reports on the right to the city. She advises governments, UN Habitat, UN Women, and organisations, and comments frequently in the media.Find out more about Carolyn through these links:Carolyn Whitzman on LinkedInCarolyn Whitzman at the University of Toronto School of CitiesHome Truths: Fixing Canada's Housing Crisis - book by Carolyn WhitzmanClara at the Door with a Revolver - book by Carolyn WhitzmanConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.340 - Interview with Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin about the city as a learning machine for kidsNo.381R - Directions for new urban neighbourhoods: Learning from St. LawrenceWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in thriving historical neighbourhoods to learn from? What do you think about looking into other people's homes through the window? How can we learn and apply what works for communities? Trailer for episode 382 - interview with Carolyn Whitzman, Adjunct Professor and Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto School of Cities. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, feminism, curiosity, learning from historical evidence, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in creating mixed-housing communities?Debate of the article titled Directions for new urban neighbourhoods: Learning from St. Lawrence, by Joseph DeLeo and David L.A. Gordon, published Canadian Institute of Planners and Association of Canadian University Planning Programs Case Study Series.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Carolyn Whitzman in episode 382 talking about the opportunities in mixed housing and communities in St Lawrence. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see an example of mixed-housing communities and its context. This article presents the key elements of the neighbourhood, establishing its future success, such as finances, political context, and design principles.Find the article through this link.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.096 - Interview with Chris Maher about mixing and matching housingNo.245R - Urban Resilience: Bridging the Gap Where Cities and Towns Embrace AbundanceNo.302 - Interview with Darren Murphy about moving away from homogenous modelsYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in thriving historical neighbourhoods to learn from? What do you think about looking into other people's homes through the window? How can we learn and apply what works for communities? Trailer for episode 382 - interview with Carolyn Whitzman, Adjunct Professor and Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto School of Cities. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, feminism, curiosity, learning from historical evidence, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in thriving historical neighbourhoods to learn from? What do you think about looking into other people's homes through the window? How can we learn and apply what works for communities? Trailer for episode 382 - interview with Carolyn Whitzman, Adjunct Professor and Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto School of Cities. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, feminism, curiosity, learning from historical evidence, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The biggest opportunity [in cities] is to give back more control over more things to smaller groups of people."Are you interested in decentralised autonomous organisations? What do you think about technologies which enhance governance transparency? How can we involve more people in governance? Interview with Adam Miller, founder of MIDAO. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, transparency and accountability, information environments, and many more. Adam Miller is a forward-thinking leader in decentralized governance and emerging technologies. As founder of MIDAO, he enables Web3 and AI projects including Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to incorporate in the Marshall Islands - the only jurisdiction that explicitly recognises their unique structure while providing limited liability to members. Formerly, he offered expert consulting on tech stack selection, launch, and operations for DAOs of all scales. Previously, he researched emerging technologies at Capital Group and co-led the EDGE-TREx IT rotation program. An active investor, start-up founder, and non-profit board member, Adam is dedicated to driving positive global change.Find out more about Adam through these links:Adam Miller on LinkedIn@0xThriller as Adam Miller on XAdam Miller's presentation at The Network State ConferenceMIDAO websiteMIDAO on LinkedIn@MIDAODS as MIDAO on XConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about technology as applied knowledgeNo.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Prospera Honduras No.370 - Interview with Vít Jedlicka about LiberlandNo.379R - Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) Adoption for Smart City GovernanceWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in decentralised autonomous organisations? What do you think about technologies which enhance governance transparency? How can we involve more people in governance? Trailer for episode 380 - interview with Adam Miller, founder of MIDAO. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, transparency and accountability, information environments, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in decentralised autonomous organisations, also known as DAOs? Debate of the book chapter titled Decentralized Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) adoption for smart city governance from 2025, by Aiman Erbad, published in the Blockchain and Applications, 6th International Congress book.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Adam Miller in episode 370 talking about DAOs and their connection to the future of cities. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how a new decentralised governance model can influence the future of cities. This chapter investigates how DAOs could address challenges in citizen participation and distributed decision-making in rapidly urbanising centres.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Cities are the foundation upon which civilization is built, but their large population concentrations present significant challenges in terms of economic, environmental, and social resilience. One promising approach to address these challenges is the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) based on the smart city concept. To effectively implement smart city initiatives, it is essential to foster active participation from both public and private actors in the rapid urbanization process. This study focuses on the governance of smart cities, specifically addressing issues of participation and distributed decision-making using the lessons of Web 3.0 online communities. Our goal is to understand the potential challenges and opportunities of adopting blockchain-based decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) for smart city governance. A DAO is a form of organization represented by rules encoded as computer programs called smart contracts that are transparent, controlled by the organization members and not influenced by a central authority. We employ a qualitative research methodology using an inductive approach to explore DAO adoption with experts. Our study identified five critical areas that impact DAO adoption in smart city governance: power configuration, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, threat management, and organizational context.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.022R - Crypto citiesNo.369R - Liberland Blockchain WhitepaperNo.370 - Interview with Vít Jedlicka about Liberland's blockchain systemYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in decentralised autonomous organisations? What do you think about technologies which enhance governance transparency? How can we involve more people in governance? Trailer for episode 380 - interview with Adam Miller, founder of MIDAO. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, transparency and accountability, information environments, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in decentralised autonomous organisations? What do you think about technologies which enhance governance transparency? How can we involve more people in governance? Trailer for episode 380 - interview with Adam Miller, founder of MIDAO. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, transparency and accountability, information environments, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"I think the most interesting things happen in the places we don't expect them and the places where it is a bit uncomfortable."Are you interested in the economic importance of mid-sized cities? What do you think about the European Union of Cities? How can governments leave cities evolve while only creating the atmosphere allowing that evolution? Interview with Remco Deelstra, Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, positive economic vibes, knowing when to act, and many more. Remco Deelstra has been fascinated by cities since childhood, especially the interplay between the physical city (ville) and the lived city (cité). He creates urban environments where living, working, mobility and amenities form inclusive, liveable places. As Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden, Remco shapes housing futures in a medium-sized European city, tackling accessibility, affordability and social cohesion. His expertise spans strategic urban policy, area development and neighbourhood renewal, linking housing to well-being and spatial goals. An urban thinker, he views cities as systems, connecting social, spatial and economic dynamics across disciplines. He finds innovation in the unfamiliar and draws energy from national and international networks. Since 2008, Remco has published on city-making, inclusive urbanism and housing markets, and gives guest lectures on urban development and governance.Find out more about Remco through these links:Remco Deelstra on LinkedInRemco Deelstra on SubstackConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.003 - Interview with Frans-Anton Vermast about Amsterdam Smart CityNo.090 - Interview with Matthew McCartney about the connection between cities and economicsNo.348 - Interview with Nick Lalla about US based mid-sized citiesNo.377R - Developing intermediate citiesWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the economic importance of mid-sized cities? What do you think about the European Union of Cities? How can governments leave cities evolve while only creating the atmosphere allowing that evolution? Trailer for episode 378 - interview with Remco Deelstra, Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, positive economic vibes, knowing when to act, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the economic potential of mid-sized cities? Debate of the article titled Developing intermediate cities from 2021, by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose and Jamie Griffiths, published in the Regional Science Policy & Practice journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Remco Deelstra in episode 378 talking about the economic potential and importance of mid-sized cities. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how these mid-sized cities could be part of the future of cities form an economic point of view. This article argues that the intermediate cities possess significant, often untapped economic dynamism and development potential.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Intermediate cities have experienced economic dynamism in recent years, but, with the focus firmly on large metropoles and sprawling megacities, the development potential of intermediate cities has stayed out of the limelight. This paper upholds the relevance and potential of intermediate cities, arguing that they can play as important a role – if not a more important one – than the large metropoles that, until now, have been the focus of attention. Intermediate cities hold considerable advantages, in particular for poverty reduction and as more efficient ecosystems to live and work. Untapping the potential of intermediate cities requires, however, more territorially balanced, place‐sensitive strategies.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.347R - The economy forward framework: How midsized cities can achieve inclusive growth in the knowledge economyNo.348 - Interview with Nick Lalla about US based mid-sized citiesYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the economic importance of mid-sized cities? What do you think about the European Union of Cities? How can governments leave cities evolve while only creating the atmosphere allowing that evolution? Trailer for episode 378 - interview with Remco Deelstra, Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, positive economic vibes, knowing when to act, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the economic importance of mid-sized cities? What do you think about the European Union of Cities? How can governments leave cities evolve while only creating the atmosphere allowing that evolution? Trailer for episode 378 - interview with Remco Deelstra, Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, positive economic vibes, knowing when to act, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The city is a place to discover the world ... a global or a universal experience rooted in place."Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Jocelyn Chiew is an architect, landscape architect and expert in place planning and design. Her eponymous consultancy provides strategic design services to government, industry, education and private sectors; helping clients define, roadmap and deliver place transformation, in partnership with diverse stakeholders. Jocelyn has held high profile leadership positions, including Director City Design at City of Melbourne, Manager Campus Design and Planning at Monash University and National Councillor at the Australian Institute of Architects. She has championed design for the public good at major global forums including the International Congress of Architects, and advised significant development proposals, design competitions and university boards. As a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Jocelyn brings dual expertise to complex urban challenges, and is a committed advocate for design excellence and inclusive design.Find out more about Jocelyn through these links:Jocelyn Chiew on LinkedInJocelyn Chiew website@jocelynchiew_ as Jocelyn Chiew on InstagramConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about the misconceptions and disaster reporting from IPCCNo.326 - Interview with Sarah Bridges about public transportNo.340 - Interview with Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin about the city as a learning machineNo.370 - Interview with Vít Jedlicka about new governance models with more opportunity for individual leadershipNo.375R - Positive visions for guiding urban transformations toward sustainable futuresWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Trailer for episode 376 - interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in positive urban visioning? Debate of the article titled Positive visions for guiding urban transformations toward sustainable futures from 2016, by Timon McPhearson, David M Iwaniec, and Xuemei Bai, published in the Current Opinion on Environmental Sustainability journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Jocelyn Chiew in episode 376 talking about the importance of creating visions for our urban environments to guide our actions. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how establishing desirable scenarios can effectively direct decision-making instead of fearmongering. This article promotes linking positive visioning processes with on-the-ground action through participatory and systemic approaches for true urban transformations.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Much of the discourse around urban and global futures tends to be dystopian with visions of environmental and societal collapse, and business as usual forecasts that challenge planning and policymaking for more optimistic urban futures. More recently, research and practice demonstrate the role of positives visions that allow exploration of alternative and desirable futures in developing positive plans and delivering desirable outcomes for cities. We review the role of positive visioning and associated future scenarios for transformations that can guide decision-making for plausible, desirable, and sustainable urban futures. We discuss key challenges and tensions in visioning processes and suggest paths forward for positive visioning as a key tool for resilience and sustainability planning and to guide implementation.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.109R - How much sustainability substance is in urban visions? An analysis of visioning projects in urban planningNo.370 - Interview with Vít Jedlicka about an ambitious urban future production in LiberlandYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Trailer for episode 376 - interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Trailer for episode 376 - interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"Our big challenge but big chance is to adopt and develop the [already] built structures."Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Manfred Schrenk is a distinguished consulting engineer specialising in smart cities, urban planning, mobility, and geographic information infrastructures. As founder and director of CORP since 1996, he organises the annual REAL CORP conferences, fostering international collaboration on ICT in spatial development. Manfred lectures at TU Wien and has been researching at BOKU Vienna. Previously, he served as managing director of CEIT (2008-2014) and CEIT ALANOVA (2006-2014). Fluent in German and English, he is a key figure in professional networks like IsoCaRP and IUPF, excelling in strategic planning and team coordination.Find out more about Manfred through these links:Manfred Schrenk on LinkedInas Manfred Schrenk on Xas Manfred Schrenk on InstagramCORP websiteConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.350 - Urban Energy Matrix panel conversation about the potential urban changes due to automationNo.354 - Interview with Andrew J Cary about urban mobility innovationNo.356 - Interview with Allan Savory about regenerating sealed soilNo.373R - Adaptability of buildings: A critical review on the concept evolutionWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 374 - interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in repurposing existing urban buildings and infrastructure? Debate of the article titled Adaptability of buildings: A critical review on the concept evolution from 2021, by Rand Askar, Luís Bragança, and Helena Gervásio, published in the MDPI Applied Sciences journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Manfred Schrenk in episode 374 talking about the importance of repurposing the urban context to the future. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the urban adaptability concept in a critical light. This article presents adaptability in buildings as a concept and its evolution over time, its various interpretations and the strategies and models that promote it.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Our ever-evolving built environment is continuously facing emerging needs for housing, work, health, and mobility, among others. Yet, buildings are usually designed and set up as finished permanent objects, reflecting the one constant scenario in mind of defined form, function, and performance. Since change is increasingly inevitable in our life, enlarging buildings' adaptive capacities in response to arising variables and changing conditions over their lifecycle becomes a necessity in seeking global sustainability demands. The concept of building adaptability has been a notable subject in this respect, increasingly stimulating and proposing regenerative alternatives to today's often obsolete buildings. This paper critically reviews the existing body of knowledge on the concept of adaptability in building research. The main focus is made on the evolution of the concept interpretations and related paradigms, and on the development of its applications and strategies in the light of promoting models and trends. Drawing on the literature as a source of evidence, the paper analyzes and classifies the content of existing studies published in scientific journals and gray literature, focusing on a timeframe from 2015 up-to-date. Moreover, the paper aims to build a constructive discussion to identify potential gaps between the actual state of the art and emerging needs, which should be addressed by further research.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.263R - Why affordable, social and public housing must be redefined as economic infrastructureNo.264 - Interview with Robert Pradolin about affordable housingYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 374 - interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 374 - interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The future of cities form is how we organise life."Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Arman Mirzakhani is an architect, urban designer, and researcher focused on creating innovative, livable urban environments. With expertise in urban planning, big data analytics, machine learning, GIS, and transdisciplinary research, he drives smart city and sustainable urban development through data-driven insights and emerging technologies. A strategic thinker and adept problem-solver, Arman manages complex projects and collaborates with government, academia, and international organisations. His strong communication skills and solution-oriented mindset ensure impactful outcomes in fast-paced settings. Passionate about advancing urban solutions, Arman is eager to contribute to transformative projects that enhance urban sustainability.Find out more about Arman through these links:Arman Mirzakhani on LinkedIn@Dr_AMirzakhani as Arman Mirzakhani on XArman Mirzakhani on ResearchGateArman Mirzakhani on ORCiDArman Mirzakhani on TelegramArman Mirzakhani on AcademiaConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.271R - Experimentation or projectification of urban change? A critical appraisal and three steps forwardNo.298 - Interview with Carina Gormley about urban experimentationNo.371R - Interrogating urban experimentsWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Trailer for episode 372 - interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in investigating urban experiments? Debate of the article titled Interrogating urban experiments from 2016, by Federico Caprotti and Robert Cowley, published in the Urban Geography journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Arman Mirzakhani in episode 372 talking about the importance of urban experimentation. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see whether urban experimentations really live up to their names. This article presents urban experiments as a popular driving force for urban transitions, but also seven areas needing critical attention.Find the article through this link.Abstract: The notion of the “urban experiment” has become increasingly prevalent and popular as a guiding concept and trope used by both scholars and policymakers, as well as by corporate actors with a stake in the future of the city. In this paper, we critically engage with this emerging focus on “urban experiments”, and with its articulation through the associated concepts of “living labs”, “future labs”, “urban labs” and the like. A critical engagement with the notion of urban experimentation is now not only useful, but a necessity: we introduce seven specific areas that need critical attention when considering urban experiments: these are focused on normativity, crisis discourses, the definition of “experimental subjects”, boundaries and boundedness, historical precedents, “dark” experiments and non-human experimental agency.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.271R - Experimentation or projectification of urban change? A critical appraisal and three steps forwardNo.293R - Rethinking the governance of urban infrastructural transformations: a synthesis of emerging approachesYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Trailer for episode 372 - interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Trailer for episode 372 - interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The state should be an asset for its citizens, it shouldn't be a burden."Are you interested in how to establish a new country? What do you think about using blockchain and AI technology in government? How can we reconfigure governance as a shareholder state? Interview with Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, direct meritocracy, good and bad governance elements, establishing a new country, and many more.A visionary entrepreneur, Vít Jedlička holds degrees from the University of Economics, Prague, and the CEVRO Institute. Vít has conducted numerous interviews with prestigious media outlets like The New York Times and Fox Business Network. A sought-after speaker, he has presented at prominent conferences such as the Horasis Global Meeting, TedX, ALEC, and the St. Gallen Symposium. Vít proclaimed The Free Republic of Liberland, also known as Liberland in 2015, which is a sovereign state located between Croatia and Serbia. As the President of Liberland, Vít's primary mission is to create a flourishing, prosperous nation for its citizens.Find out more about Vít through these links:Vít Jedlicka on LinkedIn@Vit_Jedlicka as Vít Jedlicka on X@vjedlicka as Vít Jedlicka on InstagramVít Jedlicka on WikipediaLiberland websiteLiberland on WikipediaLiberland on LinkedIn@Liberland_org as Liberland on XLiberland Youtube channelLongevity Vision and Strategy Workshop in November 2025Free Cities Conference in November 2025Liberland Christmas Party in December 2025Ark Liberland Village in 2026Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Honduras Prospera, a new city in a free economic zoneNo.318 - Interview with Mark Lutter about charter citiesNo.369R - Liberland Blockchain WhitepaperWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in how to establish a new country? What do you think about using blockchain and AI technology in government? How can we reconfigure governance as a shareholder state? Trailer for episode 370 - interview with Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, direct meritocracy, good and bad governance elements, establishing a new country, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in new forms of governance? Summary of the whitepaper titled Liberland Blockchain Whitepaper, published on the Liberland website.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Vít Jedlička, the president of Liberland in episode 370 talking about their new governance structure based on blockchain. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can utilise the upcoming technologies, like blockchain to improve our governance systems. This whitepaper presents how Liberland operates its government entirely on a public blockchain which aims to ensure transparency and accountability, balancing decentralisation with necessary permissioned access for citizens.Find the white paper through this link.Abstract: Liberland is a country founded in 2015 on a terra nullius between Croatia and Serbia, with its founders being enthusiasts of blockchain and liberty. The goal of the Liberland Blockchain is to provide all e-government services to its citizens via a Substrate-based blockchain system, with governance as its first use case. The Liberland Blockchain is designed as a layer 1 public blockchain, governed by the holders of its native tokens, the Liberland Dollar (LLD) and Liberland Merit (LLM). The system also supports Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) representing land and other assets and implements a decentralised identity solution. In the future, it will support an online judiciary system, enabling non-smart but self-executing contracts on the blockchain with the judiciary as an oracle. The judiciary will also enable features like account recovery and recourse against fraud and theft.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.022R - Crypto citiesNo.180 - Interview with Ben Vass about new technologies, like blockchain, influencing the future of citiesYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
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