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.
"What are uses of land that the market won't provide but are still worthwhile?"Are you interested in the urban aspects not supported by market, like parks and beauty? What do you think about AI evolution? How can we retrofit the urban fabric for better futures? Interview with Fin Moorhouse, advanced AI researcher at Forethought. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, AI and its progress, urban retrofit, job automation, beauty as urban externality, and many more. Fin Moorhouse is a researcher at Forethought focused on advanced AI, previously working at Longview Philanthropy and Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute. He co-hosts Hear This Idea, a podcast exploring solutions to pressing global problems. A former Roots of Progress writing fellow, he has contributed to EA initiatives, UN policy discussions, and research on space governance. He studied philosophy at Cambridge.Find out more about Finn through these links:finmoorhouse website@finmoorhouse as Fin Moorhouse on XHear this idea podcast, co-hosted by Fin MoorhouseFin Moorhouse on GoodreadsRoots of Progress websiteOrder Without Design - book by Alain Bertaud, recommended by Fin MoorhouseSoonish - book by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith, recommended by Fin MoorhouseThe Death and Life of Great American Cities - book by Jane Jacobs, recommended by Fin MoorhouseForethought websiteConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.126 - Interview with Corey Gray about beautyNo.300 - Panel conversation on urban food production with Adam Dorr, Nadun Hennayaka, and Simon BurtNo.304 - Interview with Nick Bray about AI agentsNo.314 - Interview with Andrew Vass about how repeated construction decreases costsNo.323R - Planning ahead for better neighborhood: Long run evidence from TanzaniaWhat 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 urban aspects not supported by market, like parks and beauty? What do you think about AI evolution? How can we retrofit the urban fabric for better futures? Trailer for episode 324 - interview with Fin Moorhouse, advanced AI researcher at Forethought. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, AI and its progress, urban retrofit, job automation, beauty as urban externality, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The whole interaction between the developing and developed cities and countries are really dynamic."Are you interested in the difference between cities in the developing and developed countries? What do you think about solutions for the right problems? How can we find the root causes? Interview with Mat Santamouris, Scientia Professor at the University of New South Whales. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, developed and developing countries, finding the root causes, migration, climate change, and many more. Prof. Mat Santamouris is a global leader in energy and building physics, specialising in sustainable architecture and urban heat island mitigation. He holds the Anita Lawrence Chair in High Performance Architecture at UNSW, Australia. With over 15 books and 450 scientific publications, his research advances energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart building materials. He has led international projects shaping policy and building standards worldwide. As an advisor to governments and global organisations, he influences energy policy and climate strategies. Recognised with multiple awards, his work enhances urban resilience and sustainability in response to climate change.Find out more about Mat through these links:Mat Santamouris on LinkedInMat Santamouris on Google ScholarMat Santamouris at UNSWConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.244 - Interview with Joe Glesta about urban heat island resilienceNo.246 - Interview with Boyd Cohen about the experience of living in a developing countryNo.256 - Interview with Marcus Foth about scientific solutions already existingNo.321R - Synergies and exacerbations— effects of warmer weather and climate changeWhat 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 effects of urban heat islands? Summary of the book chapter titled Synergies and exacerbations – effects of warmer weather and climate change from 2023, by Hassan Saeed Khan, Riccardo Paolini, and Matthaios Santamouris, as part of the Urban Climate Change and Heat Islands book, published by Elsevier.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Mat Santamouris in episode 322 talking about the urban heat island effect, its causes and potential solutions. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the complex interplay between urban overheating, heatwaves and weather conditions. This chapter aims to understand the synergies between these phenomena and their implications for urban communities.Find the chapter through this link.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.243R - Integrative approaches to urban resilience No.244 - Interview with Joe Glesta about urban heat islandsYou 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 difference between cities in the developing and developed countries? What do you think about solutions for the right problems? How can we find the root causes? Trailer for episode 322 - interview with Mat Santamouris, Scientia Professor at the University of New South Whales. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, developed and developing countries, finding the root causes, migration, climate change, and many more.Find out more in the episodeEpisode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"We live in an age where the expansion of possibility is actually greater than the latency of restrain."Are you interested in reinventing ourselves for better futures? What do you think about light cities? How can we create conscious urban evolution? Interview with Glenn Drew, CEO of SQUIZZ.COM, TOTECS and Connected Built. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, intelligent evolution, light cities, AI, retrofitting, and many more.Glenn Drew is the CEO of SQUIZZ.com, TOTECS, and Connected Built. A visionary leader, he fosters innovation and empowers teams to achieve strategic success. Glenn founded his first eCommerce technology company, TOTECS, in 2000 while studying Computer Science at Melbourne University. Since 2011, he has led the development of SQUIZZ.com, supporting businesses across wholesale, retail, and manufacturing. With Connected Built, he aims to integrate industry professionals and partners to streamline the built environment, transitioning smart cities to light cities, infrastructure, and next-generation digital ecosystems through seamless connectivity and collaboration.Find out more about Glenn through these links:Glenn Drew on LinkedInSQUIZZ.com websiteSQUIZZ.com on LinkedInTOTECS websiteTOTECS on LinkedIn@totecs_ as TOTECS on Xtotecsdotcom as TOTECS on InstagramTOTECS on YouTubeConnected Built websiteConnected Built on LinkedInconnectedbuiltdotcom as Connected Built on InstagramConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.228 - Interview with Dominique Hes about the city trapping in peopleNo.298 - Interview with Carina Gormley about the need for failure in governanceNo.312 - Interview with Gilbert Rochecouste about how the city is for funNo.219R - Intelligent urbanism with artificial intelligence in shaping tomorrow's smart 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 artificial intelligence advancing cities? Summary of the article titled Intelligent urbanism with artificial intelligence in shaping tomorrow's smart cities: current developments,, trends, and future directions from 2023, by Zhenjun Yan, Ling Jiang, Xiaoli Huang, Lifang Zhang, and Xinxin Zhou, published in the Journal of Cloud Computing.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Glenn Drew in episode 320 talking about artificial intelligence as a tool. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how to integrate AI into the urban fabric. This article highlights AI's potential to improve urban resilience, sustainability and overall quality of life, not without challenges.Find the article through this link.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.303 - Agentic AI No.304 - Interview with Nick Bray about agentic AIsYou 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 reinventing ourselves for better futures? What do you think about light cities? How can we create conscious urban evolution? Trailer for episode 320 - interview with Glenn Drew, CEO of SQUIZZ.COM, TOTECS and Connected Built. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, intelligent evolution, light cities, AI, retrofitting, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"One of the biggest strengths is the past of cities."Are you interested in the connection of economics and cities? What do you think about superstar cities and their agglomeration? How can we utilise cities' pasts as their strengths? Interview with Mark Lutter, Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, agglomeration in superstar cities, innovation and technology, the urban history, and many more. Mark Lutter is the Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute, a non-profit focused on building the ecosystem for charter cities, and the Founder and CEO of Braavos Cities, a charter city development firm. He earned a PhD in economics from George Mason University and has been featured in the New Yorker, Financial Times, and the Atlantic. Charter cities, innovative urban projects with superior legal systems, aim to revolutionize governance in the 21st century. Mark has worked globally on their development, engaging in fundraising, strategy, and planning to attract investment and drive economic growth.Find out more about Mark through these links:Mark Lutter on LinkedInMark Lutter website@MarkLutter as Mark Lutter on XCharter Cities Institute websiteCharter Cities Institute on LinkedIn@CCIdotCity as Charter Cities Institute on X@ccidotcity as Charter Cities Institute on InstagramCharter Cities PodcastBraavos Cities websiteConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.090 - Interview with Professor Matthew McCartney about the connection between economy and citiesNo.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about new city building and governance structureNo.317RWhat 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 charter cities? Summary of the article titled Building resilient cities: The role of charter cities in promoting resilient urban development from 2024, by Eva Klaus and the Charter Cities Institute, published on the Charter Cities Institute website.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Mark Lutter, the founder and executive director of Charter Cities Institute in episode 318 talking about charter cities and their role in urban futures. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the charter cities concept can enhance urban resilience. This article introduces charter cities as new cities with new rules and the opportunities within climate adaptation and sustainable growth.Find the article through this link.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.074R - Resilient urban planning: major principles and criteriaNo.090 - Interview with Professor Matthew McCartney about the connection between economics and 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 connection of economics and cities? What do you think about superstar cities and their agglomeration? How can we utilise cities' pasts as their strengths? Trailer for episode 318 - interview with Mark Lutter, Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, agglomeration in superstar cities, innovation and technology, the urban history, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"Urban mining is a necessity for future cities!"Are you interested in urban mining? What do you think about differentiating reuse, recycling and regeneration? How can we make our material use more efficient? Interview with Don Weatherbee, CEO of RegenX Tech. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban mining, the city as the best and worst of us, regeneration, and many more. Don Weatherbee, CEO of Regenx Tech, is a visionary in the clean tech sector, driving innovation in sustainable precious metal recovery. Under his leadership, RegenX Tech has transitioned from pilot projects to full-scale operations, including the opening of the flagship facility in Greeneville, Tennessee. Don's collaborative approach and strategic partnerships, such as with Davis Recycling, have propelled RegenX as a leader in environmentally friendly extraction of platinum and palladium. A passionate advocate for the circular economy, Don champions recycling innovation and sustainable practices in the mining industry. His work exemplifies a commitment to reducing environmental impact, advancing industry ESG standards, and shaping a greener future.Find out more about Don through these links:Don Weatherbee on LinkedInRegenX websiteRegenX on LinkedIn@regenx.tech as RegenX on InstagramConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.232 - Interview with Katie Skillington about urban miningNo.296 - Interview with Sally Capp about never to waste a good crisisNo.315R - Potential and relevance of urban mining in the context of sustainable 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 urban mining? Summary of the article titled Potential and relevance of urban mining in the context of sustainable cities from 2017, by Rachna Arora, Katharina Paterok, Abhijit Banerjee, and Manjeet Singh Saluja, published in the IIMB Management Review journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Don Weatherbee in episode 316 talking about urban mining and the differences between recycling, reuse and regeneration. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the urban mining concept for better urban futures. This article introduces urban mining, the waste streams it can utilise, and some city planning initiatives utilising this concept.Find the article through this link.Abstract: The objective of urban mining is the safeguarding of the environment and the promotion of resource conservation through reuse, recycling, and recovery of secondary resources from waste. Urban mining maximises the resource and economic value of the waste streams generated in urban spaces and will be a significant concept in the planning and designing of sustainable cities, making the process consistent with the sustainable development goals. This review article brings out comprehensive information on urban mining as a concept and its relevance to the Indian and international context as a source of secondary raw material.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.232 - Interview with Kate Skillington about urban mining No.265R - Regeneration towards suitabilityYou 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 urban mining? What do you think about differentiating reuse, recycling and regeneration? How can we make our material use more efficient? Trailer for episode 316 - interview with Don Weatherbee, CEO of RegenX Tech. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban mining, the city as the best and worst of us, regeneration, and many more.Find out more in the episodeEpisode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"I think people underestimate human ingenuity."Are you interested in nuclear energy? What do you think about Australia's leading research agency's investigation on nuclear energy? How can we restructure our understanding on financing nuclear energy? Interview with Andrew Vass, a financial market expert. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, nuclear energy, 2nd and 3rd rate consequences, financial decisions for clean energy, and many more. Andrew Vass is a financial markets expert with experience across equities, cross-asset derivatives, and private capital markets. Andrew is passionate about technology and data. He put both of those into practice by diving into the nuclear rabbit hole after hearing a former client discuss why he had launched a nuclear dedicated hedge fund. His views do not represent his current employer, and are expressed in a personal capacity.Find out more about Andrew through these links:@vass_and_ as Andrew Vass on XHinkley Point C - report by Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy on one of the nuclear projects Andrew was talking aboutUnderstanding the Costs of Integrating Energy Resources in PJM: Analyzing Full-Cycle Levelized Costs of Electricity by EPSAConnecting episodes you might be interested in: No.212 - Interview with Jonathan Reichental about abundant energy No.264 - Interview with Boyd Cohen about abundance capitalism No.313R - What is nuclear energy?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 nuclear power for clean energy? Summary of the articles titled What is nuclear energy, What about the waste, and Safety, security and safeguards from 2024, fact sheets produced by Nuclear for Australia.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Andrew Vass in episode 314 talking about the misconceptions of nuclear energy and its finances.Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see whether nuclear power can be a foundation for a clean energy future. These reports aim to dispel misconceptions about nuclear energy to address energy and climate challenges.Find the reports through this link.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.212 - Interview with Jonathan Reichental about abundant energy opportunities No.246 - Interview with Boyd Cohen about abundance capitalismYou 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 nuclear energy? What do you think about Australia's leading research agency's investigation on nuclear energy? How can we restructure our understanding on financing nuclear energy? Trailer for episode 314 - interview with Andrew Vass, a financial market expert. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, nuclear energy, 2nd and 3rd rate consequences, financial decisions for clean energy, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"I think we've become smaller, we've become less human as consumers, compared to active participants."Are you interested in regenerative placemaking? What do you think about urban participation and its consequences? How can we reimagine our place in cities to create more beautiful urban environments?Interview with Gilbert Rochecouste, Founder and Managing Director of Village Well. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, resilience and regeneration, enjoying cities, urban evolution, and many more.Gilbert Rochecouste is a globally recognised leader in placemaking, known for creating vibrant, resilient, and people-centred destinations. Over 25 years, he has worked with 1,000+ cities, towns, universities, developers, and governments to integrate commerce, culture, community, and ecology. As Founder and Managing Director of Village Well, Australia's premier placemaking consultancy, he leads a multidisciplinary team shaping socially, culturally, and commercially successful places. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, he has influenced Melbourne's liveability and global city-making. He co-founded the EPOCH Institute and has served on several boards. In 2015, he launched Australia's first Place Lab and Place School.Find out more about Gilbert through these links:Gilbert Rochecouste on LinkedInGilbert Rochecouste website@gil_placemaker as Gilbert Rochecouste on XVillage Well websiteVillage Well on LinkedInvillage.well as Village Well on InstagramEPOCH Institute websiteEPOCH Institute on LinkedInepochinstitute as EPOCH Institute on InstagramPlacemaking & Generating Aliveness through Place - Gilbert Rochecouste on The Embodied Life PodcastConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.290 - Interview with Jen Borrero about affordable housingNo.292 - Interview with Anthony Acciavatti about hallucinating on the problemsNo.300 - Panel conversation about Urban Food ProductionNo.311R - Nature Positive: Guidelines for the transition in 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 transitioning cities to be nature positive? Summary of the report titled Nature Positive: Guidelines for the transition in cities from 2024, by Javier García Olivares, Cristina Gómez Garcia-Reyes and Nicole Merlo as lead authors, published on the World Economic Forum website.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Gilbert Rochecouste in episode 312 talking about the need for nature positive approaches and financing. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the urban economic risks from biodiversity loss. This report introduces guidelines for cities to become nature positive and taking definitive and positive actions while carefully monitoring progress.Find the report through this link.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.189R - Biourbanism (book summary)No.190 - Interview with Adrian McGregor about cities being part of natureYou 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 regenerative placemaking? What do you think about urban participation and its consequences? How can we reimagine our place in cities to create more beautiful urban environments? Trailer for episode 312 - interview with Gilbert Rochecouste, Founder and Managing Director of Village Well. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, resilience and regeneration, enjoying cities, urban evolution, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"Cities can be the places that were how we do our metabolism as a spieces." Are you interested in ecological design? What do you think about bioregions in our planning? How can we avoid defuturing? Interview with Dr Stuart Cowan, Executive Director at Buckminster Fuller Institute. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, futuring and protopia, Spaceship Earth, reciprocity, experimentation, and many more. Dr. Stuart Cowan is the Executive Director of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, advancing design science for systems change. He leads initiatives like the BFI Design Lab, fostering innovation to address critical planetary challenges. With 25 years' experience in regenerative design, finance, and systems, he co-founded Autopoiesis LLC, regenerating communities, ecosystems, and organizations. Stuart was the founding convener of the Regenerative Communities Network, supporting 15 bioregions, and has served as Chief Scientist at the Smart Cities Council. Co-author of Ecological Design, he earned a PhD in Applied Mathematics from UC Berkeley, focusing on Complex Systems and Ecological Economics.Find out more about Stuart through these links:Stuart Cowan on LinkedIn Stuart Cowan websiteBuckminster Fuller Institute websiteBuckminster Fuller Institute on LinkedInBuckminster Fuller Institute on YoutubeEcological design - book by Stuart Cowan and Sim Van der RynOperating manual for a Spaceship Earth - book by Buckminster FullerChildren of a modest star - book by Jonathan S. Blake and Nils GilmanDesign for the pluriverse - book by Arturo EscobarDesigning from an abundance perspective - Stuart Cowan on the Ma Earth programConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.101R - What we owe the future? (book summary)No.186 - Interview with Tom Bosschaert about Orchid CityNo.220 - Interview with Simon Burt about the importance of bees No.309R - Ecological urban planning and designWhat 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.Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in ecological design? Summary of the article titled Ecological urban planning and design: A systematic literature review from 2019, by Angela Heymans, Jessica Breadsell, Gregory M. Morrison, Joshua J. Byrne, and Christine Eon, published in the MDPI Sustainability journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Dr Stuart Cowan in episode 310 talking about bioregions and ecological design. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how an ecologically based urban planning and design paradigm could create a more harmonious relationship. This article investigates the literature trends and presents seven underpinning main themes in the theory.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Urbanization is a defining feature of the modern age, yet the current model of urban development profoundly alters the natural environment, often reducing biodiversity and ultimately threatening human wellbeing. An ecologically based urban planning and design paradigm should consider a more harmonious relationship. Through a systematic literature review of 57 papers, this research identified relevant concepts and theories that could underpin this new paradigm. It revealed a noticeable increase in academic interest in this subject since 2013 and the development of concepts and theories that reflect a more holistic socio-ecological systems approach to urban planning and design based on a transdisciplinary integration and synthesis of research. Seven main themes underpin the academic literature: ecosystem services, socio-ecological systems, resilience, biodiversity, landscape, green infrastructure, as well as integrated and holistic approaches. Six of these can be organised into either a sustainability stream or a spatial stream, representing the foundations of a potential new ecological urban planning and design paradigm that applies sustainability-related concepts in a spatial setting. The final theme, integrated and holistic, includes concepts that reflect the fundamental characteristics of this new paradigm, which can be termed ‘urban consonance'.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.186 - Interview with Tom Bosschaert about nature in cities No.189R - Biourbanism (book summary) No.190 - Interview with Adrian McGregor about biourbanismYou 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 ecological design? What do you think about bioregions in our planning? How can we avoid defuturing? Trailer for episode 310 - interview with Dr Stuart Cowan, Executive Director at Buckminster Fuller Institute. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, futuring and protopia, Spaceship Earth, reciprocity, experimentation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"Cities are part of the extended phenotype for the kind of knowledge that is produced by human civilisation."Are you interested in how quantum physics is influencing the future of cities? What do you think about the connection between knowledge and urban evolution? How can we create better urban environments for knowledge creation? Interview with Chiara Marletto, Scientific Researcher at University of Oxford. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, the effects of scientific evolution, the best environment for knowledge creation, and many more as a special edition part of the Podcasthon 2025. Chiara Marletto is a Research Fellow at Wolfson College and the Physics Department, University of Oxford. She holds degrees from Oxford and the University of Turin. Her research focuses on the foundations of physics, spanning quantum information theory, condensed matter physics, quantum biology, and thermodynamics. Chiara has pioneered a novel approach to physics, constructor theory and has applied it to fundamental questions of control, causation and the nature of information in physics. Her work has also explored how essential features of living systems, such as self-reproduction and evolution, align with fundamental physical laws. Recently she has discovered a new method to test quantum effects in gravity, based on constructor-theoretic ideas. She is the author of The Science of Can and Can't, her first trade book.This is also a special episode to be part of Podcasthon 2025 - a globally coordinated effort for podcasts to highlight a charity of their choice. WTF4Cities is happy to participate in this 3rd edition of the Podcasthon with thousands of podcasts worldwide. The charity where you can support Chiara and her research is through Wolfson College at the University of Oxford with New Frontiers reference. Donations will be held in a dedicated fund, controlled by Chiara, and she'll be able to keep donors updated on the progress of her research and what their generosity has made possible. So if you want to help the research move ahead: Name: Wolfson College, University of Oxford Reference: New FrontiersLearn more about Chiara through these links: Chiara Marletto on LinkedIn Chiara Marletto website Chiara Marletto at Wolfson College Chiara Marletto on Wikipedia Chiara Marletto on Google Scholar Quantum New Frontiers Hub in Wolfson college The Science of Can and Can't - book by Chiara Marletto The Beginning of Infinity - book by David Deutsch The Fabric of Reality - book by David DeutschConnecting episodes you might be interested in: No.156 - Interview with Fanni Melles about urban conscious evolution No.180 - Interview with Ben Vass about knowledge creation No.272 - Interview with Frank Elavsky about philosophy No.307R - The Science of Can and Can't (book summary)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.Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in what is possible based on physics? Summary of the book titled The Science of Can and Can't – A physicist's journey through the land of counterfactuals from 2021, by Chiara Marletto, published by Penguin.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Chiara Marletto in episode 308 talking about the connection of physics and the future of cities, as part of the Podcasthon 2025 global event.Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see what possibilities are present according to physics. This book introduces constructor theory, a shift in physics from describing what does happen to what can or can't happen.Find the book through this link.Book description: A luminous guide to how the radical new science of counterfactuals can reveal the full scope of our universe. There is a vast class of properties, which science has so far neglected, that relate not only to what is true – the actual – but to what could be true: the counterfactual. This is the science of can and can't. A pioneer in the field, Chiara Marletto explores the extraordinary promise that this revolutionary approach holds for confronting existing technological challenges, from delivering next-generation processors to designing AI. But by contemplating the possible as well as the actual, Marletto goes deeper still, showing how counterfactuals can break down barriers to knowledge and form a more complete, abundant and rewarding picture of the universe itself.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.180 - Interview with Ben Vass about the opportunities with physics No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about knowledge being applied knowledgeYou 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 how quantum physics is influencing the future of cities? What do you think about the connection between knowledge and urban evolution? How can we create better urban environments for knowledge creation? Trailer for episode 308 - interview with Chiara Marletto, Scientific Researcher at University of Oxford. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, the effects of scientific evolution, the best environment for knowledge creation, and many more as a special edition part of the Podcasthon 2025. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The decarbonisation efforts really need to boil down to dollars."Are you interested in embodied carbon accounting? What do you think about choosing lower emission building materials? How can we make business sense for embodied carbon? Interview with Tom Petty, co-founder of CarbonTrace. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, making business sense of embodied carbon, the difference between infill and brownfield developments, and many more. Tom Petty is a cleantech innovator dedicated to reducing embodied carbon in residential construction—one of the most significant challenges of our time. With a Masters in Architecture and a career shift to building architectural homes, Tom brings a rare blend of design expertise, hands-on construction knowledge, and a data-driven mindset to the table. Passionate about solving complex, interconnected problems, Tom thrives on dismantling challenges to uncover innovative solutions and better approaches. His work is deeply personal, driven by a commitment to creating a sustainable future for his two children and for generations to come. Tom's journey has taken him from architecture to the “dark side” of building, and now to the forefront of cleantech startups, where he combines his practical and theoretical insights to lead transformative change in the construction industry. His mission is clear: to make a tangible difference in reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.Find out more about Tom through these links: Tom Petty on LinkedIn CarbonTrace website CarbonTrace on LinkedIn Grenville Architectural Construction website - company by Tom Petty Residential Embodied Carbon - presentation by Tom Petty (slides from MBAV) MECLA Spotlight on Designing out Carbon - blogpost with video on Tom Petty's presentation Residential Embodied Carbon: Designing low-carbon at scale - presentation by Tom Petty (slides from MECLA)Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.192 - Interview with Alison Scotland from ASBECNo.196 - Interview with Alan Pears about Scope 1-2-3 emissionsNo.280 - Interview with Hudson Worsley from MECLANo.305R - Measuring embodied carbon in the residential sector: Barriers and opportunitiesWhat 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 embodied carbon accounting? Summary of the white paper titled Measuring embodied carbon in the residential sector: Barriers and opportunities from 2024, by Tom Petty, published on the CarbonTrace website.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Tom Petty in episode 306 talking about embodied carbon and its accounting. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the opportunities for the building industry regarding embodied carbon emissions. This white paper investigates different embodied carbon measuring methods and defines one for the residential sector.Find the white paper through this link.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.196 - Interview with Alan Pears about Scope 1-2-3 emissions No.231R - A review of existing policy for reducing embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings No.280 - Interview with Hudson Worsley about embodied carbonYou 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 embodied carbon accounting? What do you think about choosing lower emission building materials? How can we make business sense for embodied carbon? Trailer for episode 306 - interview with Tom Petty, co-founder of CarbonTrace. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, making business sense of embodied carbon, the difference between infill and brownfield developments, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The plan needs to accommodate constant change, because it's constantly adapting."Are you interested in different levels of AI agents assisting human decision-making? What do you think about open architecture technological systems? How can we democratise technology? Interview with Nick Bray, VP of Global Defence and Security at VANTIQ. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, AI levels, technology, optimism, smartness, naming lazyness, and many more. Nick Bray joined VANTIQ in March 2023 from PwC's Aerospace & Defence division, following VANTIQ's recognition as the top contender among over 1,000 international tech companies in PwC's accelerator programme. Prior to joining VANTIQ, Nick served as a Non-Executive Director for a UK drone company and then moved to a prominent European technology and services provider, advising on National Security and cyber operations. His career also includes a role at a Cambridge-based digital twin company specializing in atmospheric modelling. Nick's distinguished military background includes serving in the Royal Air Force Regiment, where he commanded the RAF's 6,000-strong specialist ground combat and security forces and led the UK MOD's International Policy & Plans Division. Although he left regular service in 2017, he continues to contribute as a Reservist in the RAF's innovation organisation. Nick holds Master's Degrees in Military Strategy & Technology from King's College London and International Relations & Diplomacy from the London School of Economics. He was awarded the CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Residing on the UK's south coast, Nick enjoys walking his two family poodles, surfing, open water swimming, and running.Find out more about Nick through these links: Nick Bray on LinkedIn Vantiq website Vantiq on LinkedIn @Vantiq as Vantiq on X Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.015 - Interview with Luke Housego about architectural systemsNo.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about emerging technologiesNo.274 - Interview with Richard Gill about changeNo.303R - Agentic AIWhat 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 urban progress with artificial intelligence? Summary of the white paper titled Agentic AI: The future is now from 2025, by VANTIQ.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Nick Bray in episode 304 talking about how open architecture systems and artificial intelligence are changing our lives. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the rise of agentic AIs and their potential to revolutionise industries. This white paper introduces AI applications for healthcare, smart cities, public safety and other sectors to create better future for cities.Find the white paper through this link.Connecting episodes: No.077R - Steering into the Skid – Arbitraging human and artificial intelligences to augment the design process No.247R - Data-driven urban management: Mapping the landscape No.320 - Interview with Glenn Drew about AI being a tool instead of the aimYou can find the transcript through this link.What wast 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 long term planning for better neighbourhoods? Our summary today works with the article titled Planning ahead for better neighborhoods: Long run evidence from Tanzania from 2017, by Guy Michaels, Dzhamilya Nigmatulina, Ferdinand Rauch, Tanner Regan, Neeraj Baruah, and Amanda Dahlstrand-Rudin, published by the Institute of Labor Economics. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Fin Moorhouse in episode 324 talking about the need for long term planning and this specific research. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see long-term effects of earlier urban programs and what we can learn from them. This research proves that proactive urban planning and infrastructure development can have lasting positive effects.Find the article through this link.Abstract: What are the long run consequences of planning and providing basic infrastructure in neighborhoods, where people build their own homes? We study “Sites and Services” projects implemented in seven Tanzanian cities during the 1970s and 1980s, half of which provided infrastructure in previously unpopulated areas (de novo neighborhoods), while the other half upgraded squatter settlements. Using satellite images and surveys from the 2010s, we find that de novo neighborhoods developed better housing than adjacent residential areas (control areas) that were also initially unpopulated. Specifically, de novo neighborhood are more orderly and their buildings have larger footprint areas and are more likely to have multiple stories, as well as connections to electricity and water, basic sanitation and access to roads. And though de novo neighborhoods generally attracted better educated residents than control areas, the educational difference is too small to account for the large difference in residential quality that we find. While we have no natural counterfactual for the upgrading areas, descriptive evidence suggests that they are if anything worse than the control areas.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.109R - How much sustainability substance is in urban visions? No.265R - Regeneration towards suitabilityYou can find the transcript through this link.What wast 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 different levels of AI agents assisting human decision-making? What do you think about open architecture technological systems? How can we democratise technology? Trailer for episode 304 - interview with Nick Bray, VP of Global Defence and Security at VANTIQ. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, AI levels, technology, optimism, smartness, naming lazyness, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"I think there is a bit of community / social imperative that we should be standing up for what we want, demanding more."Are you interested in institutional accountability? What do you think about starting from taking pride in your own community? How can we take responsibility for mistakes made on the organisational level? Interview with Darren Murphy, CEO and founder of Core Integrity. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, levels of accountability, taking the first steps, the energy transition, and many more. Darren Murphy is the CEO and Founder of Core Integrity, leading a team of integrity, investigations, and risk professionals who help government, corporate, and professional sports clients protect their people, reputation, and bottom line. With over 25 years of experience as a Certified Fraud Examiner, Darren specializes in investigating fraud, bribery, corruption, and employee misconduct. He is also an expert in managing protected disclosure investigations and advising senior executives on fraud and misconduct issues. Recognized for his work in whistleblower program design, Darren helps organizations create safe "speak up" cultures. He believes that prevention is always better than the best response.Find out more about Darren through these links: Darren Murphy on LinkedIn Core Integrity website Core Integrity on LinkedIn Core Integrity on Youtube Darren Murphy on the Smart Cities Council ShowConnecting episodes you might be interested in: about how the environment shapes our behaviour about service-based governance about experiment-based governance about the need for room for failure in governance No.301RWhat wast 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 urban governance accountability? Summary of the article titled A framework for assessing the accountability of local governance arrangements for adaptation to climate change from 2019, by Heleen Mees and Peter Driessen, published in the Journal of Environmental Planning and Management.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Darren Murphy in episode 302 talking about the need to take responsibility and accountability while moving toward the future. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how accountability matters for the governance during climate change. This article develops a framework for assessing the accountability of interactive governance arrangements for local adaptation.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Accountability has hardly been studied in the governance of climate change adaptation. This paper develops a framework for assessing the accountability of interactive governance arrangements for local adaptation. This framework is based on five important accountability mechanisms: Clear responsibilities and mandates, Transparency, Political oversight, Citizen control and Checks and sanctions. For illustration purposes, the proposed framework is applied to the case of a Dutch local adaptation governance arrangement. The application shows that the five proposed mechanisms and their operationalizations offer a valid assessment of the accountability of such arrangements. It also raises some challenges, such as the tensions between accountability and flexibility, legitimacy and effectiveness; the potentially important roles of trust and of the political skills of central actor(s) in the arrangement in raising accountability, and the potential need to distinguish between arrangements for policy planning and for service delivery.Connecting episodes you might be interesting in:No.098R - Building social capital: A learning agenda for the twenty-first centuryNo.259R - Lessons from nine urban areas using data to drive local sustainable developmentYou can find the transcript through this link.What wast 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 institutional accountability? What do you think about starting from taking pride in your own community? How can we take responsibility for mistakes made on the organisational level? Trailer for episode 302 - interview with Darren Murphy, CEO and founder of Core Integrity. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, levels of accountability, taking the first steps, the energy transition, 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 urban food production? What do you think is the difference between food production and agriculture? How can we retrofit urban infrastructure to produce more food in cities? This episode is a panel discussion where we investigate urban food production aspects. The panellists, Adam Dorr, Nadun Hennayaka, and Simon Burt talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban food production and agriculture, precision fermentation, retrofitting urban infrastructure, and many more. Adam Dorr is the Director of Research at the independent think tank RethinkX. He is an environmental social scientist and technology theorist whose recent RethinkX publications have focused on the disruption of the global energy sector by new energy generation and storage technologies, as well as the implications of the energy, transportation, and food disruptions for climate change. Adam regularly presents on stage, radio, podcasts, and television. He completed his MS at the University of Michigan's School for the Environment and Sustainability and his PhD at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs. Adam talked about the transformative technologies in episode 222. Nadun Hennayaka is a seasoned engineering and technology expert with over 20 years of experience, having collaborated with global leaders such as Apple and Microsoft. He holds a bachelor's degree in information systems and business management from the University of Auckland and certifications from industry giants like Cisco and Microsoft. In 2017, he founded Gaia Project Australia to address climate change through renewable energy, ocean conservation, and advanced agricultural technology. By partnering with scientists, engineers, and global agencies, Nadun has spearheaded innovations like autonomous crop cultivation systems for Earth and space, demonstrating his commitment to sustainable solutions that advance environmental stewardship and transform the future of agriculture and technology. Nadun discussed the food ball and what can be produced in cities in episode 278. Simon Burt, an entrepreneur and co-founder, is dedicated to driving change through technology in agriculture. Passionate about environmentally friendly farming and carbon-neutral solutions, Simon excels in production management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable practices. With 20 years of experience in founding and managing companies, he values the importance of strong teams in achieving success. Committed to hands-on involvement, Simon combines his love for farming and people to lead with purpose and create a lasting impact. His dedication to innovative, sustainable agriculture reflects his mission to leave a meaningful legacy in the sector. Simon described the importance of education for food production in episode 220. Connected episodes you might be interested in: No.182 - Interview with Ted Bauillieu about urban retrofitting No.274 - Interview with Richard Gill about transformative technologies No.299R - Validating the City Region Food System approach What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in urban food production? What do you think is the difference between food production and agriculture? How can we retrofit urban infrastructure to produce more food in cities?Trailer for episode 300 - a panel discussion where we investigate urban food production aspects. The panellists, Adam Dorr, Nadun Hennayaka, and Simon Burt talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban food production and agriculture, precision fermentation, retrofitting urban infrastructure, 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 urban food production approaches? Summary of the article titled Validating the City Region Food System Approach: Enacting inclusive, transformational City Region Food Systems from 2018, by Alison Blay-Palmer, Guido Santini, Marielle Dubbeling, Henk Renting, Makiko Taguchi, and Thierry Giordano, published in the MDPI Sustainability journal.This is a great preparation to our next panel conversation in episode 300 about urban food production with Adam Dorr, Nadun Hennayaka and Simon Burt. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can improve urban food systems. This article presents the history and potential future of City Region Food Systems to allow cross-sector engagement and collaboration for better urban futures.Find the article through this link.Abstract: This paper offers a critical assessment of the value and utility of the evolving City Region Food Systems (CRFS) approach to improve our insights into flows of resources—food, waste, people, and knowledge—from rural to peri-urban to urban and back again, and the policies and process needed to enable sustainability. This paper reflects on (1) CRFS merits compared to other approaches; (2) the operational potential of applying the CRFS approach to existing projects through case analysis; (3) how to make the CRFS approach more robust and ways to further operationalize the approach; and (4) the potential for the CRFS approach to address complex challenges including integrated governance, territorial development, metabolic flows, and climate change. The paper begins with the rationale for CRFS as both a conceptual framework and an integrative operational approach, as it helps to build increasingly coherent transformational food systems. CRFS is differentiated from existing approaches to understand the context and gaps in theory and practice. We then explore the strength of CRFS through the conceptual building blocks of ‘food systems' and ‘city-regions' as appropriate, or not, to address pressing complex challenges. As both a multi-stakeholder, sustainability-building approach and process, CRFS provides a collective voice for food actors across scales and could provide coherence across jurisdictions, policies, and scales, including the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Habitat III New Urban Agenda, and the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21. CRFS responds directly to calls in the literature to provide a conceptual and practical framing for policy through wide engagement across sectors that enables the co-construction of a relevant policy frame that can be enacted through sufficiently integrated policies and programs that achieve increasingly sustainable food systems.Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.220 - Interview with Simon Burt about the need for education about food No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about urban food production opportunities No.278 - Interview with Nadun Hennayaka about vertical farmingYou can find the transcript through this link.What wast 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 urban food production? What do you think is the difference between food production and agriculture? How can we retrofit urban infrastructure to produce more food in cities?Trailer for episode 300 - a panel discussion where we investigate urban food production aspects. The panellists, Adam Dorr, Nadun Hennayaka, and Simon Burt talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban food production and agriculture, precision fermentation, retrofitting urban infrastructure, 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 urban food production? What do you think is the difference between food production and agriculture? How can we retrofit urban infrastructure to produce more food in cities?Trailer for episode 300 - a panel discussion where we investigate urban food production aspects. The panellists, Adam Dorr, Nadun Hennayaka, and Simon Burt talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban food production and agriculture, precision fermentation, retrofitting urban infrastructure, 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 system that is difficult to map, but it is evolving." Are you interested in allowing governments to fail? What do you think about systems thinking? How can we help governments be bold? Interview with Carina Gormley, senior associate at the Centre for Public Impact's Climate Change Initiative. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, sustainability, the role of governments, room for failure, and many more. Carina Gormley leads internal partnerships, culture and green initiatives at the Centre for Public Impact's Climate Change Initiative. She's at the forefront of urban innovation and climate action, and has guided over 25 cities in designing and implementing sustainable, community-driven solutions. Carina's expertise spans systems thinking, human-centered design, urbanism, UI/UX, public health, and social equity, providing a holistic approach to climate challenges. Her academic background includes a Masters of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management from Georgetown University and a BA in Architecture and Urbanism. Carina's work is dedicated to empowering local governments and their partners to create resilient, sustainable urban environments. She advocates for the use of AI in climate action and emphasizes the critical role of effective regulatory frameworks. Through her leadership, Carina fosters collaboration, innovation, and sustainable funding structures, ensuring that cities can meet climate goals and build a better future for their communities. Find out more about Carina through these links: Carina Gormley on LinkedIn @CarinaGormley as Carina Gormley on X Centre for Public Impact website Carina Gormley at the Centre for Public Impact Centre for Public Impact on LinkedIn @CPI_foundation as the Centre for Public Impact on X Bridging the Intention Gap - Carina Gormley on the Climate Confident podcast Does Regulation Really Matter? - Carina Gormley on the Reimagining Government Podcast Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.165 - Interview with Michael Healy about smart city being the R&D department No.288 - Interview with Dan Hill about cities being knots No.294 - Interview with Eric A. Brimen about governments limiting their outreach No.296 - Interview with Sally Capp about governmental roles from the government's perspective What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in hallucinating to solve urban challenges? Summary of the report titled Harnessing social imagination in the era of the climate crisis by the Centre for Public Impact, published on their website. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Carina Gormley in episode 298 talking about the need for our collective imagination to solve the climate crisis, for example. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see why our hallucination matters to solve urban crises. This project investigated how we might use social imagination to create new practices and processes. Find the report through this link. Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.057 - Interview with Amélie Uhrig about talking to climate crises No.177 - Interview with Amelia Gaskell about the younger generation's climate anxiety You can find the transcript through this link. What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in allowing governments to fail? What do you think about systems thinking? How can we help governments be bold? Trailer for episode 298 - interview with Carina Gormley, senior associate at the Centre for Public Impact's Climate Change Initiative. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, sustainability, the role of governments, room for failure, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"You can't waste a crises!" Are you interested in cities as places for experiments? What do you think about respectful disagreements? How can we create good partnerships between different stakeholders? Interview with Sally Capp, Non-Executive Director of Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne and the former Lord Mayor of Melbourne. We talk about her vision for the future of cities, the need for respectful disagreement, multifunctional spaces and places, the role of the government, and many more. Sally Capp is an accomplished leader with extensive experience across both private and public sectors. She was the first woman to be directly elected as Lord Mayor of Melbourne, where she led the city through the pandemic, gaining valuable crisis management expertise. Sally has a strong background in stakeholder engagement, ESG initiatives, and governance, having worked in senior roles at KPMG, ANZ, and as CEO of the Committee for Melbourne. She co-founded a business that was later listed on the ASX and served as Victoria's Agent-General in the UK, Europe, and Israel. A University of Melbourne graduate with degrees in Law and Commerce, she made history in 2004 as the first female board member of Collingwood FC. Passionate about philanthropy, Sally is on the board of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and supports several charities. She is backed by her husband Andrew and their sons, Will and Nic. You can find out more about Sally through these links: Sally Capp AO on LinkedIn Sally Capp AO website as Sally Capp AO on X @sallycapp as Sally Capp AO on Instagram Sally Capp AO on Wikipedia Sally Capp's farewell for City of Melbourne after 6 years Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.018 - Interview with Maria Jose Yanez about different types of urban dwelling types No.182 - Interview with Ted Baillieu about what the government can do for the building industry No.264 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about service-based government No.268 - Interview with Carina Gormley about the need for room to fail in government What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in public-private partnerships for improved urban futures? Summary of the article titled Critical success factors for public-private partnerships in urban regeneration projects from 2024 by Paula Vale de Paula, Rui Cunha Marques, and Jorge Manuel Goncalves, published in the MDPI Infrastructures journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Sally Capp in episode 296 talking about the importance of the public-private partnership endeavours for urban futures. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how can this structure enhance regenerative development. This article investigates the critical success factors for public-private partnerships for urban regeneration projects. Find the article through this link. Abstract: Public–Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements are used in different sectors in the provision of infrastructure and public services. The use of PPP agreements in urban regeneration projects, although more recent, has been gaining prominence in different contexts. However, in many cases, PPP projects have a controversial implementation, often not achieving the proposed objectives and presenting negative results. Their controversial implementation is the result of a lack of knowledge and lack of application of the best practices and Critical Success Factors (CSFs) associated with them. Based on this, the present study aims to identify and analyze the CSFs for PPP arrangements in urban regeneration projects. The study was conducted in two distinct parts. The first part consists of a literature review on the PPP CSFs in general. The second part consists of the development of a questionnaire seeking to identify the CSFs of PPP arrangements for urban regeneration projects. Based on the literature review and the questionnaire answers, the main success factors of PPP projects for urban regeneration were identified and structured in the framework with five main clusters: two related to the external environment (enabling environment and exogenous factors) and three related to the internal environment (preparation phase, procurement phase, and contract management phase). Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.165 - Interview with Michael Healy about actual projects between public and private No.203R - Too risky – The role of finance as a driver of sustainability transitions You can find the transcript through this link. What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in cities as places for experiments? What do you think about respectful disagreements? How can we create good partnerships between different stakeholders? Trailer for episode 296 - interview with Sally Capp, Non-Executive Director of Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Melbourne and the former Lord Mayor of Melbourne. We talk about her vision for the future of cities, the need for respectful disagreement, multifunctional spaces and places, the role of the government, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"You can' have a choice if you don't have opportunities." Are you interested in the 3 tasks governance should do? What do you think about service-based governments? How can we create good governance and governments? Interview with Erick Brimen, CEO of Honduras Próspera and NeWay Capital. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, choices and options, the role of government, political, and many more. So, let's start with a proper introduction. Erick Brimen is the CEO of NeWay Capital, LLC, and Honduras Próspera Inc., dedicated to fostering human flourishing through strategic investments. As a seasoned finance expert and entrepreneur, Erick has raised nearly $110 million for Honduras Próspera Inc., driving the development of the Próspera ZEDE free zone in Honduras. His goal is to tackle poverty by delivering free-market governance as a service. Beginning his career in private and investment banking, Erick has advised on over $1.2 billion in transactions at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. and AG Edwards & Sons. He later joined Ernst & Young in London, consulting on acquisitions for private equity clients, before becoming CFO of Latin American operations for Borealis Group. Erick then founded ComparaMejor.com, Colombia's leading online insurance brokerage, and established NeWay Capital, which partners with countries globally to create free zones. Originally from Venezuela, Erick now resides in the U.S. with his wife and three children. Find out more about Erick through these links: Erick A. Brimen on LinkedIn @erickbrimen as Erick A. Brimen on X Erick A. Brimen website Honduras Prospera on LinkedIn Honduras Prospera website @ProsperaGlobal as Honduras Prospera on X @prosperahn as Honduras Prospera on Instagram NeWay Capital on LinkedIn NeWay Capital website Connected episodes you might be interested in: No.274 - Interview with Richard Gill about change management No.296 - Interview with Sally Capp about goverments' role from the goverments' perspective No.298 - Interview with Carina Gormley about the need for failure in goverments What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the changing governmental roles in urban transformations? Summary of the article titled Rethinking the governance of urban infrastructural transformations: a synthesis of emerging approaches from 2022 by Jochen Monstadt, Jonas Colen Ladeia Torrens, Mansi Jain, Rachel M Macrorie, and Shaun R Smith, published in the Environmental Sustainability journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Erick A. Brimen in episode 294 talking about a new form of governance from their experiments. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how governance changes in our ever-changing world answering current and future challenges. This article synthesizes emerging approaches to the governance of transformative infrastructural change, revealing their underlying logics and potential contributions. You can find the article through this link. Abstract: Recent urban debates on the governance of sustainability transformations have witnessed an 'infrastructural turn'. Previously blacked-boxed, the role of infrastructures in sustainability transformations has been foregrounded by both growing academic scholarship and major investments in new infrastructural programs. How these changes are, and could be, governed remains somewhat opaque however, with traditional forms of knowledge and practices in need of urgent revision. To nuance public and academic debates, this paper synthesizes emerging approaches to the governance of transformative infrastructural change, revealing their underlying logics and potential contributions. These include appraisal of; alternative infrastructural pathways via ‘futuring', their enactment via experimentation processes, supported by cross-domain coordination and new assessment methods. Such approaches may open new directions toward urban sustainability but also surface tensions and contradictions inherent to the governance of infrastructures. Connecting episodes you might be interested in: No.002R - Intelligent Cities No.064R - The Network State No.280 - Interview with Hudson Worsley about nature as urban infrastructure You can find the transcript through this link. What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the 3 tasks governance should do? What do you think about service-based governments? How can we create good governance and governments? Trailer for episode 294 - interview with Erick Brimen, CEO of Honduras Próspera and NeWay Capital. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, choices and options, the role of government, political, and many more. So, let's start with a proper introduction. Find out more in the episode Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"It's less interesting how technology changes people than how people change technologies." Are you interested in urban water management? What do you think about overstressed urban infrastructure? How can we provide water as a right for everyone? Interview with Anthony Acciavatti, Diana Balmori Assistant Professor at Yale University. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban density, water cycles, infrastructure retrofit, and many more. Anthony Acciavatti is a historian, cartographer, and architect whose work explores the intersection of architecture, urbanism, and environmental history in South Asia and North America, teaching at Yale University. As a principal of Somatic Collaborative and co-founder of Manifest: A Journal of American Architecture and Urbanism, Anthony has contributed widely to publications such as The New York Times, Cabinet, and Topos. His acclaimed book, Ganges Water Machine: Designing New India's Ancient River, offers the first comprehensive atlas of the Ganges River basin in over fifty years, crafted from a decade of fieldwork and archival research. Traversing the river basin by foot, boat, and car, Anthony meticulously documented the complex hydrological systems and seasonal rhythms of this vast region. His research delves into the environmental and socio-economic challenges tied to water resources, with Groundwater Earth—his upcoming book—investigating the global impact of groundwater extraction. Anthony's work encourages rethinking our relationship with water infrastructures and the landscapes they shape. Find out more about Anthony through these links: Anthony Acciavatti on LinkedIn @anthonyacciavatti_sc as Anthony Acciaviatti on Instagram Anthony Aacciavatti at Yale University Somatic Collaborative website Manifest: A Journal of American Architecture and Urbanism website Ganges Water Machine: Designing New India's Ancient River - book by Anthony Acciavatti Connected episodes you might be interested in: No.250 - Space Cities Panel conversation No.258 - Interview with Matt Gijselman about urban water management No.281R - Future global urban water scarcity and potential solutions No.298 - Interview with Carina Gormley about climate change being an imagination crises What wast 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. Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
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