Podcasts about Urbanism

In this episode, Bruce Appleyard returns with an update on the release of his innovative rewrite and expansion of his father, Don Appleyard's book, Livable Streets, as Livable Streets 2.0. We also talk about the legacy of his father's work and how two tragic car crashes influenced his career path. We conclude with reflections on positive trends for safer, more livable streets around the globe and the new projects he's excited about, especially one with Dan Burden with Blue Zones.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this latest Reflections, Stephanie Fortunato asks what arts and culture can learn from sport about participation, belonging, and civic life – and how to widen the circle of participation. TRANSCRIPTTHE BEAUTIFUL GAME... BY GREG SCARPELLA

BONUS MONDAYS: Dr. Edwin Barnhart, director of the Maya Exploration Center, has over twenty years of experience in Central and South America as an archaeologist, an explorer and an instructor. He has appeared in over a dozen documentaries and given presentations all over the world.His involvement in Maya studies began in 1990 as an archaeological intern in the ruins of Copan, Honduras. In January of 1996 he was invited to return to Copan and help the University of Pennsylvania excavate the early acropolis and the tomb of the city's lineage founder. From 1992-1995 he had been studying art, iconography and epigraphy (hieroglyphic translation) under the late Dr. Linda Schele at the University of Texas at Austin. During that same time he worked across the state of Texas as a contract archaeologist.In 1994 he began working as a surveyor and a UT field school instructor in the jungles of Northwestern Belize. After finding numerous small villages, Dr. Barnhart discovered the ancient city of Ma'ax Na (Monkey House), a major center of the Classic Maya Period. He mapped over 600 structures at Ma'ax Na between 1995 and 1997 before moving his research focus to Chiapas, Mexico. Also while in Belize, Dr. Barnhart worked with the Belize Post Classic Project mapping the island of Caye Coco and excavating a series of burials on an island in Laguna de On. Dr. Barnhart received his Masters degree in May of 1996 and began teaching Anthropology classes at Southwest Texas State University the following September. He taught Archaeology and Anthropology classes at SWTS until 1998 when he was invited by the Mexican government to direct the Palenque Mapping Project. The Palenque Mapping Project was a three-year effort to survey and map the unknown sections of Palenque's ruins. Over 1100 new structures were documented, bringing the site total to almost 1500. The resultant map has been celebrated as one of the most detailed and accurate ever made of a Maya ruin. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001 with his dissertation entitled The Palenque Mapping Project: Settlement Patterns and Urbanism in An Ancient Maya City.Upon graduation, Dr. Barnhart and his colleagues established Maya Exploration Center through which to continue and share their research. As of 2020, he has led over 200 ancient sciences travel courses in 15 different countries. Also through MEC, he is the author of an annual wall calendar and an iPhone app which explains the ancient Maya calendar.In 2012, he produced a 24-lecture video series for the Teaching Company's Great Courses entitled “Lost Worlds of South America”. His second Great Course entitled “Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed” was released in March of 2015. Then in 2018 his third Great Course was released, entitled “Ancient Civilizations of North America”. His most recent production with Great Courses is a 6-episode travel series called “Exploring the Mayan World”.Over the last two decades, he has appeared multiple times on the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, Discovery Channel 3D, Canada's Religion Television, Japanese NHK Public Television, and an award-winning documentary entitled “2012: The Beginning”. Dr. Barnhart is a Fellow of the Explorer's Club and leads travel courses for college professors on ancient astronomy, mathematics and sacred geometry. In 2020 he started his podcast – ArchaeoEd, which focuses on ancient cultures of the Americas.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.Take your spiritual journey to the next level with Next Level Soul TV — our dedicated streaming home for conscious storytelling and soulful transformation.Experience exclusive programs, original series, movies, tv shows, workshops, audiobooks, meditations, and a growing library of inspiring content created to elevate, heal, and awaken. Begin your membership or explore our free titles here: https://www.nextlevelsoul.tv

Infrastructural Urbanism in Contemporary China: Volunteering, Infrastructures and Civic Imaginations (Leiden University Press, 2026) examines how Chinese citizens negotiate their everyday experiences with urban spaces, improved city infrastructure, and an increasingly tight surveillance regime through volunteering. This book asks how citizens connect to city spaces where facilities for transit, culture, and leisure have been substantially upgraded. Drawing on extensive research, Ka-ming Wu investigates how citizens conduct volunteer activities that not only promote party-state campaigns and engage with new urban spaces and services, but also experiment with political, social, and cultural rights, including advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and promoting unofficial interpretations of national history. The book argues that volunteering has become an urban practice through which citizens navigate existing hierarchies of urban and rural status, gender, age, and ability, while contesting top-down, mega-event-driven urbanization. It situates Chinese everyday urbanism within the context of China's hosting of multiple international events, its expanding public and digital infrastructures, heightened party-state control, and burgeoning digital activism. The book contributes to the infrastructural turn in urban anthropology and the field of China studies, offering a new understanding of urban rights and public access in contemporary China. NOTE: The book Ka-ming Wu mentioned in the interview is Stephen Graham's Cities under Siege: The New Military Urbanism (Verso, 2010). Wu Ka-ming is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Anthropology and the Centre for China Studies. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, her work is interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of cultural studies, anthropology, China studies, and environmental humanities. She is the author of Reinventing Chinese Tradition: The Cultural Politics of Late Socialism (UIP 2015) and the co-author of Living with Waste (CUP 2017). Yadong Li is an anthropologist-in-training. He is a PhD candidate of Socio-cultural Anthropology at Tulane University. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Infrastructural Urbanism in Contemporary China: Volunteering, Infrastructures and Civic Imaginations (Leiden University Press, 2026) examines how Chinese citizens negotiate their everyday experiences with urban spaces, improved city infrastructure, and an increasingly tight surveillance regime through volunteering. This book asks how citizens connect to city spaces where facilities for transit, culture, and leisure have been substantially upgraded. Drawing on extensive research, Ka-ming Wu investigates how citizens conduct volunteer activities that not only promote party-state campaigns and engage with new urban spaces and services, but also experiment with political, social, and cultural rights, including advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and promoting unofficial interpretations of national history. The book argues that volunteering has become an urban practice through which citizens navigate existing hierarchies of urban and rural status, gender, age, and ability, while contesting top-down, mega-event-driven urbanization. It situates Chinese everyday urbanism within the context of China's hosting of multiple international events, its expanding public and digital infrastructures, heightened party-state control, and burgeoning digital activism. The book contributes to the infrastructural turn in urban anthropology and the field of China studies, offering a new understanding of urban rights and public access in contemporary China. NOTE: The book Ka-ming Wu mentioned in the interview is Stephen Graham's Cities under Siege: The New Military Urbanism (Verso, 2010). Wu Ka-ming is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Anthropology and the Centre for China Studies. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, her work is interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of cultural studies, anthropology, China studies, and environmental humanities. She is the author of Reinventing Chinese Tradition: The Cultural Politics of Late Socialism (UIP 2015) and the co-author of Living with Waste (CUP 2017). Yadong Li is an anthropologist-in-training. He is a PhD candidate of Socio-cultural Anthropology at Tulane University. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

Infrastructural Urbanism in Contemporary China: Volunteering, Infrastructures and Civic Imaginations (Leiden University Press, 2026) examines how Chinese citizens negotiate their everyday experiences with urban spaces, improved city infrastructure, and an increasingly tight surveillance regime through volunteering. This book asks how citizens connect to city spaces where facilities for transit, culture, and leisure have been substantially upgraded. Drawing on extensive research, Ka-ming Wu investigates how citizens conduct volunteer activities that not only promote party-state campaigns and engage with new urban spaces and services, but also experiment with political, social, and cultural rights, including advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and promoting unofficial interpretations of national history. The book argues that volunteering has become an urban practice through which citizens navigate existing hierarchies of urban and rural status, gender, age, and ability, while contesting top-down, mega-event-driven urbanization. It situates Chinese everyday urbanism within the context of China's hosting of multiple international events, its expanding public and digital infrastructures, heightened party-state control, and burgeoning digital activism. The book contributes to the infrastructural turn in urban anthropology and the field of China studies, offering a new understanding of urban rights and public access in contemporary China. NOTE: The book Ka-ming Wu mentioned in the interview is Stephen Graham's Cities under Siege: The New Military Urbanism (Verso, 2010). Wu Ka-ming is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Anthropology and the Centre for China Studies. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, her work is interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of cultural studies, anthropology, China studies, and environmental humanities. She is the author of Reinventing Chinese Tradition: The Cultural Politics of Late Socialism (UIP 2015) and the co-author of Living with Waste (CUP 2017). Yadong Li is an anthropologist-in-training. He is a PhD candidate of Socio-cultural Anthropology at Tulane University. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Infrastructural Urbanism in Contemporary China: Volunteering, Infrastructures and Civic Imaginations (Leiden University Press, 2026) examines how Chinese citizens negotiate their everyday experiences with urban spaces, improved city infrastructure, and an increasingly tight surveillance regime through volunteering. This book asks how citizens connect to city spaces where facilities for transit, culture, and leisure have been substantially upgraded. Drawing on extensive research, Ka-ming Wu investigates how citizens conduct volunteer activities that not only promote party-state campaigns and engage with new urban spaces and services, but also experiment with political, social, and cultural rights, including advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and promoting unofficial interpretations of national history. The book argues that volunteering has become an urban practice through which citizens navigate existing hierarchies of urban and rural status, gender, age, and ability, while contesting top-down, mega-event-driven urbanization. It situates Chinese everyday urbanism within the context of China's hosting of multiple international events, its expanding public and digital infrastructures, heightened party-state control, and burgeoning digital activism. The book contributes to the infrastructural turn in urban anthropology and the field of China studies, offering a new understanding of urban rights and public access in contemporary China. NOTE: The book Ka-ming Wu mentioned in the interview is Stephen Graham's Cities under Siege: The New Military Urbanism (Verso, 2010). Wu Ka-ming is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Anthropology and the Centre for China Studies. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, her work is interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of cultural studies, anthropology, China studies, and environmental humanities. She is the author of Reinventing Chinese Tradition: The Cultural Politics of Late Socialism (UIP 2015) and the co-author of Living with Waste (CUP 2017). Yadong Li is an anthropologist-in-training. He is a PhD candidate of Socio-cultural Anthropology at Tulane University. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

Infrastructural Urbanism in Contemporary China: Volunteering, Infrastructures and Civic Imaginations (Leiden University Press, 2026) examines how Chinese citizens negotiate their everyday experiences with urban spaces, improved city infrastructure, and an increasingly tight surveillance regime through volunteering. This book asks how citizens connect to city spaces where facilities for transit, culture, and leisure have been substantially upgraded. Drawing on extensive research, Ka-ming Wu investigates how citizens conduct volunteer activities that not only promote party-state campaigns and engage with new urban spaces and services, but also experiment with political, social, and cultural rights, including advocating for the rights of people with disabilities and promoting unofficial interpretations of national history. The book argues that volunteering has become an urban practice through which citizens navigate existing hierarchies of urban and rural status, gender, age, and ability, while contesting top-down, mega-event-driven urbanization. It situates Chinese everyday urbanism within the context of China's hosting of multiple international events, its expanding public and digital infrastructures, heightened party-state control, and burgeoning digital activism. The book contributes to the infrastructural turn in urban anthropology and the field of China studies, offering a new understanding of urban rights and public access in contemporary China. NOTE: The book Ka-ming Wu mentioned in the interview is Stephen Graham's Cities under Siege: The New Military Urbanism (Verso, 2010). Wu Ka-ming is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, with courtesy appointments in the Department of Anthropology and the Centre for China Studies. Trained as a cultural anthropologist, her work is interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of cultural studies, anthropology, China studies, and environmental humanities. She is the author of Reinventing Chinese Tradition: The Cultural Politics of Late Socialism (UIP 2015) and the co-author of Living with Waste (CUP 2017). Yadong Li is an anthropologist-in-training. He is a PhD candidate of Socio-cultural Anthropology at Tulane University. More details about his scholarship and research interests can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I connect with Edinburgh-based musician and everyday bike rider Daniel Abrahams for a conversation about his safer streets advocacy music videos, including his latest, Amsterdam, which asks a simple question: Why Can't We Just Do It Like Amsterdam? Indeed, even Amsterdam wasn't the Amsterdam we know now.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Climate change will lead to climate migration. There has been a renewed interest in adaptation strategies. Mitigation efforts seek to limit the amount of greenhouse gases in the environment to slow climate change. But adaptation recognizes that the climate has changed and we as a society and as a planet must adapt to these rising temperatures and the changing ecosystem. We will explore some of the challenges for adaptation. We Interview Jesse M.Keenan author of the book North: Future of Post Climate America. He surveys places which are vulnerable to climate change effects and what are the state and regional implication of migration North in America. [ dur: 26mins. ] Jesse M. Keenan is Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment. His research advances the interdisciplinary fields of sustainable real estate and infrastructure finance and development. He is the author of the book North: Future of Post Climate America. How is climate change affecting place, where we live, who can move off the coasts, and who is immobile despite living in climate-threatened zones? And what does it mean for the well-being, the economy, politics and for the regions themselves? [ dur: 32mins. ] Jesse M. Keenan is Favrot II Associate Professor of Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Planning at the School of Architecture and the Built Environment. His research advances the interdisciplinary fields of sustainable real estate and infrastructure finance and development. He is the author of the book North: Future of Post Climate America. Matt Hauer is Charles B. Nam Associate Professor, Department of Sociology – Center for Demography and Population Health at Florida State University. He is the co-author of Sea-level rise and human migration. This program was originally recorded in Nov. 2025. This program is produced by Doug Becker, Ankine Aghassian, Maria Armoudian, Sudd Dongre and Anna Lapin. Environment, Financial, Climate Change, Ecosystems, Governance / Law, United States, Urbanism 

Their downtown was dying, then they did this. In this episode, I am honored to connect with Dabney Sanders, the outgoing Project Manager responsible for helping pull together this fantastic four-mile Downtown Greenway in Greensboro, North Carolina.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Kristina Newman-Scott, VP of Arts at Knight Foundation, about engaging artists as civic partners, building durable cultural ecosystems, and what people increasingly seek from the cities they call home.External references: Knight Foundation – ArtsKristina Newman-Scott: The Arts Are Not a Luxury: They're a Blueprint for Thriving CitiesCreative Cities InitiativeSpringboard for the ArtsThe Together ProjectNew World Symphony – WALLCAST ConcertsAmericans for the Arts – Arts & Economic Prosperity 6New England Foundation for the Arts: Creative EconomyReal Art WaysAbout our guest:Kristina Newman-Scott, Kristina Newman-Scott is VP of Arts at Knight Foundation, where she leads work at the intersection of arts, civic life, and community development. An artist and cultural leader born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, she previously served as President of BRIC, inaugural Executive Director of The Greene Space at New York Public Radio, and Director of Culture for the State of Connecticut. Her career spans visual arts, media, government, cultural institutions, and philanthropy. + 

We're on vacation this week but we're flashing back to episode 422 of Talking Headways from a couple of years ago featuring one of our favorites, Jennifer Kent. We'll be back in a few weeks but I hope folks enjoy this one. This week we're joined by  Dr. Jennifer Kent, Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism at the University of Sydney, to talk about her work on family transportation, the messiness of travel for parents, and loneliness and the built environment. +++ Many thanks to Bob Nanna for our intro/outro music. Get the show ad free on Patreon! Find out about our newsletter and archive on YouTube! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site!  And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

This is a conversation with Bike Streets founder Avi Stopper about how our cities can start building Bike Networks Now, not 30 years from now, using a Network First strategy.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this episode, I finally connect with Fionnuala "Finn" Quinn, founder of TrafficGardens.com, for an in-depth discussion about the history and future of traffic gardens as a strategy to help create safer, more inviting communities for all ages and abilities. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this latest Reflections, Stephanie Fortunato reflects on visits to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento and the Studio Museum in Harlem, exploring how museums can root themselves in place, build living relationships with artists and communities, and practise relevance rather than simply declare it. TRANSCRIPT

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode, I reconnect with Eileen McGinnis, Founder & Executive Director of the Parents' Climate Community, for an in-depth discussion about what prompted her to start this organization, as well as Austin's Kidical Mass, Bike Bus, and all things sustainable active mobility as caregiving.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the 1990s, technologists have promoted a vision of the “cloud” as a shapeless and intangible entity. Grounding the Cloud: Urbanism in the Shadow of Data (University of Minnesota Press, 2026) by Dr. Ali Fard peers through this hazy façade to reveal the earthly material foundations of global computing and data extraction. Tracing the historical and technological development of the cloud computing paradigm, Dr. Fard exposes an ever-evolving project in which ideologies, economic models, and marketing images collude to shape our shared urban environments. Demonstrating how technology's spatial footprint now stretches to nearly every corner of the globe, Grounding the Cloud analyzes the often-hidden infrastructures that facilitate platform capitalism—from the mines extracting rare earth minerals in remote regions to the vast global network of fiber-optic cables at the bottom of the oceans to the nondescript data centers that sit on the peripheries of major urban areas. Meanwhile, with compelling examples of smart-city initiatives and corporate campuses, Dr. Fard shows how the future of urbanism is deeply intertwined with the growing economies of data extraction. Breaking down the myth of a clean and efficient tech urbanism, this book makes visible the complex material geographies and geopolitics that undergird today's most powerful and omnipresent corporations. A timely critique of the growing agency of tech platforms in determining the future of urban space, Grounding the Cloud offers an essential framework for understanding the shifting relationship between technology and urbanization. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

In this episode, I reconnect with my good friend, the former Executive Director of the Adventure Cycling Association, Missoula, Montana-based, Jim Sayer. We catch up on land use and parking reform progress being made in the State, in general, and in the city in particular. We also address some street design changes in the works, before shifting our attention to all things bike touring and adventures by bike. We also nerd out a bit on Edinburgh, Scotland. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Nathan Knize is a librarian who lives car-free in Chicago. He is the co-host of Silent Generation, a cultural analysis podcast that surveys the cultural consequences of car-oriented development in the mid-20th century. It explores what was lost between the Silent Generation and Generation Z. The topics that they discuss include aesthetics, fashion, history, and urbanism.

Adrian Ellis speaks with Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, about stewarding a 14-block cultural district, balancing the roles of presenter, property owner, and neighbourhood curator, and opening Arts Landing as a new civic space for Pittsburgh.TRANSCRIPTExternal references:Pittsburgh Cultural TrustPittsburgh Cultural DistrictArts Landing: The new outdoor civic space developed by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Arts Landing facilities page: Visitor information for Arts LandingDollar Bank Three Rivers Arts FestivalThe Art Newspaper article on Arts LandingField Operations: The landscape architecture firm behind Arts LandingLACNA FoundationPerforming Arts Venues AllianceAbout our guest:Kendra Whitlock Ingram is President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. She previously served as President and CEO of the Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee and has held senior leadership roles at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, Omaha Performing Arts, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. +

In this episode, we reconnect with Victor Dover, co-author of Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns, Second Edition, for a deep dive into precisely why streets matter so much in shaping our daily lives, for better and for worse, and how, by learning from the world's best streets, we can transform our dysfunctional and dangerous cityscapes into more livable environmentsHelpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

LIVESTREAM RECORDING:  Beth Osborne, President & CEO of Smart Growth America, joined me for an in-depth discussion about the newly released Dangerous by Design 2026 Report.

In her second Reflections of Season 6, Hilary Knight explores how digital twins are moving from engineering and urban planning into museums, galleries, and heritage sites – supporting everything from access and conservation to research and climate resilience.Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/6a32f8f6a929e500c8bc523b/1781725430731/3bells_Transcript_S6Ed6.pdf  External references: Smithsonian Digitization Program OfficeSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History Virtual ToursSt. Peter's Basilica digital twinUNESCO Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural ObjectsCharles H. Wright Museum digital twin case studyAndrew Tallon and Notre-DameCyArk

In this episode, Clarence Eckerson, Jr., shares some behind-the-scenes insights into the making of his new documentary profiling the amazing 34th Avenue Open Streets installation, now viewed as a permanent linear park, formally named Paseo Park by the city. This version was recorded live and then edited.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this episode, I connect with Professor Sara FL Kirk, with Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for an in-depth discussion about her research centered on environments that promote healthy, active living, what prompted her to become a safer streets activist, hint: it's the story as we heard from Tom Flood with the Urban Truth Collective, and some of her favorite initiatives she's been involved with there in Halifax.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this special roundtable episode marking the tenth edition of AEA Consulting's Cultural Infrastructure Index, Stephanie Fortunato speaks with four members of the research team – Natalia Vartapetova, Luna BuGhanem, Jess Nickelman, and Laura Gildenstern – about what ten years of data can tell us about how cultural infrastructure is changing.Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/6a20a43d7cfcfb7761ba87e9/1780524093056/3bells_Transcript_S6E6.pdf External Links:Cultural Infrastructure Index dashboard2025 Cultural Infrastructure Index: The 10th edition of AEA Consulting's annual report on major cultural capital projects worldwide.Doris Duke Theatre, Jacob's PillowSpartanburg County Public Library Planetarium Learning CenterDepot Boijmans Van BeuningenEco-Museum and Orla Piratininga Park

New York City is on the cutting edge of many amazing "Streets Are For People" initiatives, and Open Plans is increasingly front and center in this movement with campaigns such as School Streets, Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs), Public Space Management, Intersection Daylighting, and many more. In this episode, I connect with Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans, to discuss the projects they are working on and their universal applicability to car-centric cities worldwide.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this episode, Alicia Pederson, founder of Courtyard Urbanist, takes us on a fascinating journey from ancient Rome to today's urban development roadblocks. She explains how courtyard-based architecture can address housing shortages, social isolation, and environmental concerns—all while creating vibrant, affordable neighborhoods for middle-class families.Read more about Alicia's work and vision here: https://courtyardurbanist.com/p/welcome-to-courtyard-urbanist

In this episode, I connect with Ashton Rohmer, a doctoral candidate in Peace and Conflict Resolution studies, who is examining Car Supremacy and our societal acceptance of vehicular violence through her research on the ideology of car supremacy and on reimagining streets as sites of care and community. She challenges us to imagine more peaceful streets for everyone.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this latest Reflections, Adrian Ellis draws on a recent panel at the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit to outline six tests for cultural districts today – and what happens when background issues become foreground pressures.Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/6a0e42a62c1a2f6d1e711660/1779319462679/3bells_Transcript_S6Ed5.pdf External references:Hong Kong International Cultural Summit 2026West Kowloon Cultural DistrictLe Quartier des SpectaclesGuggenheim Abu DhabiRoyal Arts ComplexAbout our contributor:Adrian Ellis is the founder of AEA Consulting (1990) and the Global Cultural Districts Network (2013). He has worked in senior management and as a board member in both museums and the performing arts and as a strategy consultant to leading clients in the cultural, public, and business sectors around the world. + 

In this episode, I connect with Professor Michael Pollack for a deep dive into his fabulous new book Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America's Most Overlooked Resource. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this episode, I welcome back my good friend and colleague, Chris Bruntlett, International Relations Manager with the Dutch Cycling Embassy, for a follow-up discussion about the resurgence of everyday cycling culture and cycling infrastructure as an official policy in a variety of cities across China.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Stephanie Fortunato, speaks with Danielle Brazell, Executive Director of the California Arts Council, about the state's cultural districts programme, California's first creative economy strategy, and why public investment in culture should be measured not only in economic impact, but also in imagination, innovation, and inspiration.Transcript: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffdc6706aed0b20d49b81e9/t/69fa2314583a216d3c7a1807/1778000660301/3bells_Transcript_S6E5.pdf   External links: California Arts CouncilCalifornia Arts Council's cultural districts programCalifornia's Creative Economy Strategic PlanArts for LAHighways Performance SpaceAbout our guest:Danielle Brazell, is Executive Director of the California Arts Council. An artist, teaching artist, presenter, and arts administrator, she has held leadership roles across advocacy, local government, and the cultural sector, including at Arts for LA and the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. She now leads the state agency supporting arts and culture across California, including the California Cultural Districts programme and the state's new creative economy strategy. + 

Public exhaustion with top-down decisions about our built environment spurred American progressivists to work successfully over the past several decades to democratize development processes. Community voices can now be heard, but has the pendulum swung too far in the other direction? With many cities facing housing crises and urban infrastructure decay, solutions can be slow-going. In this talk, architect Vishaan Chakrabarti, found of PAU (Practice of Architecture and Urbanism) joins Brown University public affairs fellow Marc Dunkelman for a discussion about removing unnecessary roadblocks and speeding up progress. CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria, who is the 2025 and 2026 guest curator of the Aspen Ideas Festival, moderates the  conversation.

Jane's Walk NYC is a festival organized by the Municipal Art Society to honor the work of Jane Jacobs, whose humanist angle on urbanism helped energize New York City. This year's festival starts May 1 and continues through Sunday, May 3. The Municipal Art Society of New York's director of development Sarah Celentano, and Genevieve Wagner the organization's senior manager of programs, preview the festival.  Photo by Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images

In this episode, we dive into the details of the Navahine Settlement with the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, with Luca Cuniberti, Hawaii Youth Transportation Council member, and Doorae Shin, Navahine Settlement Coordinator with Our Children's Trust.The settlement agreement, which the court has approved, recognizes children's constitutional rights to a life-sustaining climate and mobilizes HDOT to plan and implement transformative changes of Hawaiʻi's transportation system to achieve zero emissions in all ground transportation, and interisland sea and air transportation, by 2045. The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement for the next 21 years until its terms have been achieved.Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is the world's first youth-led constitutional climate case addressing climate pollution from the transportation sector. Thirteen youth from across the Hawaiian Islands brought the case in June 2022, asserting their rights to a safe and healthy climate and asking the Hawaiʻi state government to take necessary actions to meet the climate emergency and enable Hawaiʻi's paradigm shift to a climate-safe, zero emissions transportation system. Many of the Navahine plaintiffs are Native Hawaiian youth who are already experiencing climate change harms like sea level rise, drought, floods, and fires, which have threatened their lives and their ability to practice cultural traditions such as kalo farming, fishing, and gathering. (from the Earthjustice article referenced below)Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this episode, I connect with Sam Johnson from the World Bank for a discussion about the connection between active mobility for all ages and abilities and livable communities, as well as, overall quality of life measures. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this new episode of Reflections from The Three Bells, Adrian Ellis marks the 10th edition of AEA Consulting's Cultural Infrastructure Index by asking what slowbalisation, geopolitical volatility, and changing public expectations mean for the future of cultural infrastructure.External references: AEA Consulting's 2025 Cultural Infrastructure Index (10th edition)AEA Consulting's Cultural Infrastructure Index dashboardIMF on slowbalisationAbout our contributor:Adrian Ellis is the founder of AEA Consulting (1990) and the Global Cultural Districts Network (2013). He has worked in senior management and as a board member in both museums and the performing arts and as a strategy consultant to leading clients in the cultural, public, and business sectors around the world. + 

How streets are transformed into safer, more inviting places is messy and difficult. This fascinating new documentary dives deep into the details of just such a transformation in New York City, and the results are beautiful and inspiring, yet frustrating on so many levels. You'll ask: "Why does it have to be so hard?" and then you'll see the very human responses to the prospect of change and how the advocates for safer streets navigate the minefield of barriers to progress.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

In this episode, I reconnect with Tim Gill and meet Alice Ferguson for a discussion about a recent report they collaborated on titled “Streets for Play, Streets for Freedom,” which calls for a radical, child-centered approach to decision-making around streets and transport planning.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Ahead of the opening of V&A East on 18 April 2026, Adrian Ellis speaks with its Director, Gus Casely-Hayford, about involving young people in shaping the institution, widening access, and creating the kinds of transformative opportunities that can change futures.External references:V&A East: https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/V&A East Storehouse: https://www.vam.ac.uk/east/storehouse/visitYoung V&A: https://www.vam.ac.uk/young/The Music Is Black: A British Story: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/the-music-is-black-a-british-storyOrder an Object: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/order-an-objectGus Casely-Hayford is Director of V&A East. A curator and cultural historian, he joined the V&A in March 2020. He writes, lectures, and broadcasts widely on culture, and was previously Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. +

Los Angeles doesn't do subtle, and neither does Carmen Zella. For over two decades, she's been yanking art out of the gallery and into the city, mixing it with technology and letting it spill onto LA's streets.Carmen leads NOW Art, an agency that fuses art, architecture, technology, and community—sometimes all at once. She also co-founded NXT Art Foundation, the nonprofit arm of NOW Art, with a mission to shake up public spaces and reimagine how we experience the city together. The goal: break art out of the museum and let it breathe in LA's neighborhoods.She's collaborated with artists like Refik Anadol and Nancy Baker Cahill, launched citywide experiments like Luminex and Attune, and found ways to connect artists, neighbors, and city officials who might never have crossed paths. If you've ever paused on a sidewalk in LA, caught off guard by a burst of color or light, chances are Carmen had a hand in it.In our conversation, Carmen talks about what's shifting in LA's art scene, what makes public art both a thrill and a grind, and why cities need to stop micromanaging artists.

How Jane Jacob's urbanism dreams came to life on the most beloved kids' TV block. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.