Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast What is The Future for Cities?
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 468I_Shawn Meyers, Middle East Masterplanning Director | 30 sept. 2026 | 00:43:09 | |
“We’ve been optimizing what’s familiar rather than asking what’s possible.” Are you interested in the Middle East as a testing ground for urban solutions? What do you think about mistaking innovation for progress? How can we improve our from-design-to-implementation ratio? Interview with Shawn Meyers, Middle East Masterplanning Director. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban progress, desert architecture, urban participation and civic ownership, the expectations of upcoming generations, and many more. Shawn Meyers is an Urban Designer with a global perspective, shaped by experience across New York City, London, and Dubai. At DLR Group, he leads the masterplanning studio, focusing on urban residential projects and intensification strategies. His dual training enables him to explore innovative relationships between urban morphology and building typologies, evolving global best practices for the Middle East. Passionate about redefining 21st-century cities, Shawn believes urban design is fundamentally about designing the relationship between you and me. Find out more about Shawn through these links:
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| The next generation expects more for the future - Shawn Meyers (468I trailer 3) | 29 sept. 2026 | 00:01:44 | |
Are you interested in the Middle East as a testing ground for urban solutions? What do you think about mistaking innovation for progress? How can we improve our from-design-to-implementation ratio? Trailer for episode 468 - interview with Shawn Meyers, Middle East Masterplanning Director. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban progress, desert architecture, urban participation and civic ownership, the expectations of upcoming generations, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 467R_A systematic review of passive cooling strategies integrating traditional wisdom and modern innovations for sustainable development in arid urban environments (research debate) | 28 sept. 2026 | 00:17:48 | |
Are you interested in what we can learn from the Middle East regarding urban cooling? Our debate today works with the article titled A systematic review of passive cooling strategies integrating traditional wisdom and modern innovations for sustainable development in arid urban environments from 2026, by Shiva Manshour and Steffen Lehmann, published in the Discover Cities journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Shawn Meyers in episode 468 talking about the Middle East as a testing ground to find climate-resilient solutions. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can utilise passive cooling strategies to enhance urban thermal comfort. This article provides a practical roadmap for architects and policymakers to reduce energy dependency and mitigate rising temperature through climate-adaptive urban planning. Find the article through this link. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link) Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Moving from design to implementation - Shawn Meyers (468I trailer 2) | 27 sept. 2026 | 00:01:46 | |
Are you interested in the Middle East as a testing ground for urban solutions? What do you think about mistaking innovation for progress? How can we improve our from-design-to-implementation ratio? Trailer for episode 468 - interview with Shawn Meyers, Middle East Masterplanning Director. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban progress, desert architecture, urban participation and civic ownership, the expectations of upcoming generations, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| What is possible if you are willing to change approaches? Shawn Meyers (468I trailer 1) | 26 sept. 2026 | 00:01:44 | |
Are you interested in the Middle East as a testing ground for urban solutions? What do you think about mistaking innovation for progress? How can we improve our from-design-to-implementation ratio? Trailer for episode 468 - interview with Shawn Meyers, Middle East Masterplanning Director. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, urban progress, desert architecture, urban participation and civic ownership, the expectations of upcoming generations, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 466I_Dr Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and Founding Director at Urban Freight Lab | 23 sept. 2026 | 00:55:50 | |
"I’ve really been trying to make the case that last mile delivery is a public good that the government should be investing in. You can only exist in a city because of this transport system. It’s bringing you the food you need to eat. You would die without it." Are you interested in urban freight as the movement of gods across scales? What do you think about the trust needed for expert vision creation? How can we accommodate for more people through infrastructure efficiency? Interview with Dr Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and Founding Director at Urban Freight Lab. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban freight, vision creation, the role of engineers, travel as a choice, and many more. Dr. Anne Goodchild is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and an internationally recognized expert in freight logistics and sustainable supply chains. She is the founder of the Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics online Master’s degree program and the Urban Freight Lab (UFL), a pioneering public-private-academic partnership that established the concept of the “Final 50 Feet” of delivery. Anne has published more than 100 academic papers and earned multiple prestigious awards for her contributions to research, education, and industry integration. Find out more about Anne through these links:
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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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Cities providing opportunities for sustainability - Anne Goodchild (466I trailer 3) | 22 sept. 2026 | 00:01:54 | |
Are you interested in urban freight as the movement of gods across scales? What do you think about the trust needed for expert vision creation? How can we accommodate for more people through infrastructure efficiency? Trailer for episode 466 - interview with Dr Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and Founding Director at Urban Freight Lab. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban freight, vision creation, the role of engineers, travel as a choice, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 465R_The state of sustainable urban last-mile freight planning in the United States (research) | 21 sept. 2026 | 00:11:43 | |
Are you interested in last-mile freight planning? Debate of the article titled The state of sustainable urban last-mile freight planning in the United States from 2024, by Thomas Maxner, Giacomo Dalla Chiara, and Anne Goodchild, published in the Journal of American Planning Association. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Anne Goodchild in episode 466 talking about urban freight and last-mile delivery opportunities and challenges. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can improve urban freight despite the vague urban guidelines. This article argues for better data collection and private-sector collaboration to effectively decarbonise the urban delivery sector. Find the article through this link. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link) Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Urban freight designed to leave space for people - Anne Goodchild (466I trailer 2) | 20 sept. 2026 | 00:01:40 | |
Are you interested in urban freight as the movement of gods across scales? What do you think about the trust needed for expert vision creation? How can we accommodate for more people through infrastructure efficiency? Trailer for episode 466 - interview with Dr Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and Founding Director at Urban Freight Lab. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban freight, vision creation, the role of engineers, travel as a choice, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| The importance of leaders setting the urban vision - Anne Goodchild (466I trailer 1) | 19 sept. 2026 | 00:02:11 | |
Are you interested in urban freight as the movement of gods across scales? What do you think about the trust needed for expert vision creation? How can we accommodate for more people through infrastructure efficiency? Trailer for episode 466 - interview with Dr Anne Goodchild, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington and Founding Director at Urban Freight Lab. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban freight, vision creation, the role of engineers, travel as a choice, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 464I_Laura Reupke, CEO of BABLE | 16 sept. 2026 | 00:46:35 | |
"We do have solutions already today. We do see already what works today. We do know what is causing the problem. We do have it all." Are you interested in liveable cities designed for everyone? What do you think about having conversations about the future of cities with strangers? How can we design the future of our cities with everyone in mind? Interview with Laura Reupke, CEO of BABLE. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, the superblock model, 15-minute cities, bottom-up initiatives, and many more. Laura Reupke is CEO of BABLE, leading a mission-driven company that empowers cities worldwide to thrive in the digital era while tackling urgent sustainability challenges. With experience from McKinsey strategy consulting and ioki’s sustainable mobility solutions across Europe, she champions smarter, greener, and more human-centered urban futures. A Superblock creator in her own neighbourhood, Laura focuses on scaling innovation, building partnerships, and enabling transformative change. Find out more about Laura through these links:
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Why do we still need to be optimistic? Laura Reupke (464I trailer 3) | 15 sept. 2026 | 00:01:33 | |
Are you interested in liveable cities designed for everyone? What do you think about having conversations about the future of cities with strangers? How can we design the future of our cities with everyone in mind? Trailer for episode 464 - interview with Laura Reupke, CEO of BABLE. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, the superblock model, 15-minute cities, bottom-up initiatives, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 463R_Environmental and health effects of the Barcelona superblocks | 14 sept. 2026 | 00:11:36 | |
Are you interested in the superblock model’s effects of health and the environment? Our debate today works with the article titled Environmental and health effects of the Barcelona superblocks from 2025, by Katherine Perez, Laia Palencia, Maria Jose Lopez, Brenda Biaani Leon‑Gomez, Anna Puig‑Ribera, Anna Gomez‑Gutierrez, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Gloria Carrasco‑Turigas, and Carme Borrell, published in the BMC Public Health journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Laura Reupke in episode 464 talking about the opportunities within the Superblock model. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the Barcelona superblock model actually impacts urban life. This article suggests that this urban design could be a vital strategy for mitigating climate change impacts and improving public health. Find the article through this link. Abstract: The superblocks model of Barcelona (Spain) seeks to reorganize the city based on reversing the distribution of public space between vehicles and people by prioritizing citizens, thus improving their environmental conditions and quality of life. The objective of this paper was to describe the effects on environmental, health and quality of life of the first three superblocks implemented, discuss the lessons learned, and provide recommendations for the future. The evaluation included different approaches depending on the superblock analyzed: A pre-post-intervention health survey, environmental measures of air quality, the Microscale Audit of Urban Landscapes for Pedestrians (MAPS), an observational study on target areas of physical activity (SOPARC), ethnographic guerrilla studies, and focus groups. Residents and workers in all three of the evaluated superblocks reported a perceived improvement in well-being, tranquillity and quality of sleep, some reduction in noise and pollution and an increase in social interaction. The built environment of the superblocks clearly influenced walkability, and the lower car traffic volume improved air quality measures. In one of the superblocks, the same intervention calmed traffic in one of the areas but not in another. Although on a small scale, this evaluation of the environmental, and health effects of the superblocks provides support for expanding the model to other areas of the city. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link) Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| We do have solutions today for the urban challenges - Laura Reupke (464I trailer 2) | 13 sept. 2026 | 00:01:44 | |
Are you interested in liveable cities designed for everyone? What do you think about having conversations about the future of cities with strangers? How can we design the future of our cities with everyone in mind? Trailer for episode 464 - interview with Laura Reupke, CEO of BABLE. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, the superblock model, 15-minute cities, bottom-up initiatives, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| What healthy liveability means - Laura Reupke (464I trailer 1) | 12 sept. 2026 | 00:02:08 | |
Are you interested in liveable cities designed for everyone? What do you think about having conversations about the future of cities with strangers? How can we design the future of our cities with everyone in mind? Trailer for episode 464 - interview with Laura Reupke, CEO of BABLE. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, the superblock model, 15-minute cities, bottom-up initiatives, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 462B_Reflections with Ben Vass and Fanni Melles | 09 sept. 2026 | 00:38:50 | |
"The future is here, just not evenly distributed." Are you interested in urban conscious evolution and a hopeful future? What do you think about the saying: the future is here just not evenly distributed? How can we move towards better urban futures? Special reflective episode with Ben Vass, senior research engineer and yours truly, Fanni Melles, future of cities researcher, discussing what the last five years of the podcast and the world have taught us. We will talk about energy abundance, not evenly distributed but already present futures, antifragility and residuality theory, human progress and hope, and many more. Ben Vass is a senior research engineer, graph shaman and data magician who wants to build a Dyson swarm, explore the stars and understand consciousness. Standing between two worlds, he sees everything as a network of networks. He works on upgrading the world’s financial infrastructure for transparency and verifiability. And his voice might be familiar because he voiced the podcast intro. Ben is also my partner in crime in every sense. My name is Fanni Melles, PhD and I am an architect, future of cities researcher and creator of the What is The Future for Cities? podcast. Hungarian-born and Melbourne-based, my PhD argued that generic solutions fail because every city is unique. I see cities as emergent properties of their people and want to help people shape places more consciously, creating urban conscious evolution. And with Ben, we are expecting 2 new urban agents, thus, this seemed a good time to stop and reflect on the last five years of the podcast and look into the future before a major paradigm shift in our thinking. Check out the Building Better Cities book which synthesises the last five years of the podcast, written by Fanni Melles. Find out more about Ben through these links:
Find out more about Fanni through these links:
Find out more about the podcast through these links:
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Human progress is something to be proud of - Ben Vass and Fanni Melles (462B trailer 3) | 08 sept. 2026 | 00:02:05 | |
Are you interested in urban conscious evolution and a hopeful future? What do you think about the saying: the future is here just not evenly distributed? How can we move towards better urban futures? Trailer for special reflective episode (462B) with Ben Vass, senior research engineer and yours truly, Fanni Melles, future of cities researcher, discussing what the last five years of the podcast and the world have taught us. We will talk about energy abundance, not evenly distributed but already present futures, antifragility and residuality theory, human progress and hope, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 461B_Building Better Cities (book summary) | 07 sept. 2026 | 00:10:25 | |
Are you interested in how to build better cities based on 5 years of conversations? Summary of the book titled Building Better Cities from 2026, by yours truly, Fanni Melles. This is a great summary of what we have learned during the first five years of the What is The Future for Cities? Podcast. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can create better outcomes for us and upcoming generations. This book describes the dangerous memes to be aware of and the foundational pieces which we discussed on the podcast with multiple guests. Find the book through this link. Book description: A city is not something that happens to us. It is the emergent result of the choices, interactions, and relationships of the people who live within it. Which means we are not its victims – we are its architects, if we choose to be conscious of it. In this grounded synthesis of five years of conversations, Fanni Melles examines the dangerous ideas quietly shaping our urban futures and offers a clearer, more hopeful alternative. Drawing on research and real-world practice, she shows how we can move beyond limiting narratives and instead strengthen the conditions for cities that are more adaptable, humane, and regenerative. The future of our cities is still ours to decide. This book shows us how to participate more consciously in shaping it. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link) Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Energy abundance through human ingenuity - Ben Vass and Fanni Melles (462B trailer 2) | 06 sept. 2026 | 00:02:07 | |
Are you interested in urban conscious evolution and a hopeful future? What do you think about the saying: the future is here just not evenly distributed? How can we move towards better urban futures? Trailer for special reflective episode (462B) with Ben Vass, senior research engineer and yours truly, Fanni Melles, future of cities researcher, discussing what the last five years of the podcast and the world have taught us. We will talk about energy abundance, not evenly distributed but already present futures, antifragility and residuality theory, human progress and hope, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| The future is here just not evenly distributed - Ben Vass and Fanni Melles (462B trailer 1) | 05 sept. 2026 | 00:01:48 | |
Are you interested in urban conscious evolution and a hopeful future? What do you think about the saying: the future is here just not evenly distributed? How can we move towards better urban futures? Trailer for special reflective episode (462B) with Ben Vass, senior research engineer and yours truly, Fanni Melles, future of cities researcher, discussing what the last five years of the podcast and the world have taught us. We will talk about energy abundance, not evenly distributed but already present futures, antifragility and residuality theory, human progress and hope, and many more. Find out more in the episode. If you would like to support the podcast, check out the Building Better Cities book or our Patreon! Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 460I_Karl R Rábago, the Principal of Rábago Energy LLC | 02 sept. 2026 | 01:04:23 | |
“When we rightsize and right site our energy like nature does, not wasting it, using what’s really necessary, we can actually enjoy the benefits of ubiquitous low-cost energy availability.” Are you interested in distributed energy systems? What do you think about energy as one of the crucial layers for urban anatomy? How can we leverage economies of energy for better urban futures? Interview with Karl R Rábago, the Principal of Rábago Energy LLC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, distributed energy systems, sustainability history, cheap vs low cost, energy and cost savings, economies of energy, and many more. Karl R. Rábago is Principal of Rábago Energy LLC, based in Denver. With over 35 years of experience in clean energy, utility regulation, and sustainability, he has served as Texas PUC Commissioner, DOE Deputy Assistant Secretary, Vice President at Austin Energy, and attorney. A recognized innovator and expert in performance-based regulation and distributed energy resources, he has worked with RMI, EDF, and other NGOs, and chairs the Board of the Center for Resource Solutions and has provided more than 190 expert witness testimonies. Find out more about Karl through these links:
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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 | |||
| What are distributed energy systems? Karl R. Rábago (460I trailer 3) | 01 sept. 2026 | 00:02:17 | |
Are you interested in distributed energy systems? What do you think about energy as one of the crucial layers for urban anatomy? How can we leverage economies of energy for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 460 - interview with Karl R Rábago, the Principal of Rábago Energy LLC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, distributed energy systems, sustainability history, cheap vs low cost, energy and cost savings, economies of energy, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 459R_National Standard Practice Manual: For benefit-cost analysis of distributed energy resources | 31 août 2026 | 00:18:53 | |
Are you interested in how distributed energy systems can work in practice? Our debate today works with the report titled National Standard Practice Manual: For benefit-cost analysis of distributed energy resources from 2020, by Tim Woolf, Courtney Lane, Melissa Whited, Chris Neme, Mike Alter, Steve Fine, Karl Rábago, Steven R. Schiller, Kate Strickland and Brenda Chew, published on the National Association of State Energy Officials website. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Karl R. Rábago in episode 460 talking about the opportunities within the distribute energy system model. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how local energy investments value against traditional utility alternatives. This report provides a comprehensive framework for conducting benefit-cost analyses of diverse distributed energy resources. Find the report through this link. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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 | |||
| Societal benefits of distributed energy systems - Karl R. Rábago (460I trailer 2) | 30 août 2026 | 00:02:13 | |
Are you interested in distributed energy systems? What do you think about energy as one of the crucial layers for urban anatomy? How can we leverage economies of energy for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 460 - interview with Karl R Rábago, the Principal of Rábago Energy LLC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, distributed energy systems, sustainability history, cheap vs low cost, energy and cost savings, economies of energy, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Why aiming for singularity in distributed energy systems is crucial? Karl R. Rábago (460I trailer 1) | 29 août 2026 | 00:02:17 | |
Are you interested in distributed energy systems? What do you think about energy as one of the crucial layers for urban anatomy? How can we leverage economies of energy for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 460 - interview with Karl R Rábago, the Principal of Rábago Energy LLC. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, distributed energy systems, sustainability history, cheap vs low cost, energy and cost savings, economies of energy, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 458I_Ruthbea Yesner, Group Vice President at IDC | 26 août 2026 | 00:31:52 | |
“Cities are simultaneously the fastest-growing, most economically important areas in the world, and also the most strained and fiscally strained layer of government in the world. And so the future of cities is really resolving some of that tension.” Are you interested in technology helping us making better decisions? What do you think about innovation as a relative term? How can we have discussions about the urban tension points? Interview with Ruthbea Yesner, Group Vice President at IDC. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, technology and innovation, urban tension points, the individual’s role, airspace urban layer, and many more. Ruthbea Yesner is Group Vice President at IDC, leading the global Government, Education, Health and Life Sciences teams. She drives research and strategy on technology innovation, governance, partnerships, and digital transformation to help public and nonprofit organisations deliver efficient, responsible, and resilient community services. With experience in Silicon Valley startups, state social services, and as an author and expert speaker, her work centres on balancing technology with community needs worldwide. Find out more about Ruthbea through these links:
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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 | |||
| Digital twins and simulations enhancing urban understanding - Ruthbea Yesner (458I trailer 3) | 25 août 2026 | 00:02:07 | |
Are you interested in technology helping us making better decisions? What do you think about innovation as a relative term? How can we have discussions about the urban tension points? Trailer for episode 458 - interview with Ruthbea Yesner, Group Vice President at IDC. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, technology and innovation, urban tension points, the individual’s role, airspace urban layer, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 457R_What have urban digital twins contributed to urban planning and decision-making? From a systematic literature review toward a socio-technical research and development agenda | 24 août 2026 | 00:17:13 | |
Are you interested in the evolution of urban digital twins? Debate of the article titled What have urban digital twins contributed to urban planning and decision-making? From a systematic literature review toward a socio-technical research and development agenda from 2025, by Shervin Azadi, Dena Kasraian, Pirouz Nourian, and Pieter van Wesemael, published in the MDPI Smart Cities journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Ruthbea Yesner in episode 458 talking about the opportunities with new technologies, such as digital twins for better urban futures. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how digital twins have been helping urban decision-making. This article advocates for urban digital twins that are interdisciplinarily integrated, consensually contextualised and procedurally operationalised. Find the article through this link. Abstract: Urban digital twins (UDTs) were first discussed in 2018. Seven years later, we ask: What has been their contribution to urban planning and decision making so far? Here, we systematically review 88 peer-reviewed articles to map and compare UDTs’ ambitions with their realized contributions. Our results indicate that despite the vast technical developments, socio-technical challenges have remained largely unaddressed, causing many of UDTs’ ambitions to remain unrealized. We identify three categories in these socio-technical challenges: interdisciplinary integration (II), consensual contextualization (CC), and procedural operationalization (PO). Accordingly, we consolidate a socio-technical research and development agenda to realize the ambitions of UDTs for urban planning and decision making: Augmented Urban Planning (AUP). Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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 | |||
| Sustainability and resilience paying for themselves - Ruthbea Yesner (458I trailer 2) | 23 août 2026 | 00:02:03 | |
Are you interested in technology helping us making better decisions? What do you think about innovation as a relative term? How can we have discussions about the urban tension points? Trailer for episode 458 - interview with Ruthbea Yesner, Group Vice President at IDC. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, technology and innovation, urban tension points, the individual’s role, airspace urban layer, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Innovation as a relative term - Ruthbea Yesner (458I trailer 1) | 22 août 2026 | 00:01:46 | |
Are you interested in technology helping us making better decisions? What do you think about innovation as a relative term? How can we have discussions about the urban tension points? Trailer for episode 458 - interview with Ruthbea Yesner, Group Vice President at IDC. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, technology and innovation, urban tension points, the individual’s role, airspace urban layer, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 456I_Caroline Howell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canopy | 19 août 2026 | 00:55:09 | |
“I believe humans can be keystone species once again… What does it look like when human presence on a land regenerates that land and brings more life to it?” Are you interested in regenerative development? What do you think about healthy living as being more locally connected? How can we become keystone species for regeneration? Interview with Caroline Howell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canopy. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, regeneration, sovereignty, technology vs nature, healthy living, humans as keystone species, and many more. Caroline Howell is a visionary real estate developer based in Panama, leading Canopy - a development platform that harnesses traditional markets to regenerate land, restore biodiversity, and deliver regenerative living rooted in clean food, water, air, and nature connection. With a background in finance, private equity, and outdoor tech, she proves regeneration is a scalable, investable model for thriving communities and ecosystems. She is passionate about beach life and hiking with her dog Cosmo. Find out more about Caroline through these links:
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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 | |||
| Humans as keystone species for regeneration - Caroline Howell (456I trailer 3) | 18 août 2026 | 00:02:27 | |
Are you interested in regenerative development? What do you think about healthy living as being more locally connected? How can we become keystone species for regeneration? Trailer for episode 456 - interview with Caroline Howell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canopy. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, regeneration, sovereignty, technology vs nature, healthy living, humans as keystone species, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 455R_Understanding biodiversity-ecosystem service relationships in urban areas: A comprehensive literature review | 17 août 2026 | 00:13:44 | |
Are you interested in the relationship between urban biodiversity and ecosystem services? Debate of the article titled Understanding biodiversity-ecosystem service relationships in urban areas: A comprehensive literature review from 2017, by Nina Schwarz, Marco Moretti, Miguel N. Bugalho, Zoe G. Davies, Dagmar Haase, Jochen Hack, Angela Hof, Yolanda Meleroj, Tristan J. Pett, and Sonja Knapp, published in the Ecosystem Services journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Caroline Howell in episode 456 talking about the need for structural changes for meaningful impact on handling nature in communities. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can improve our approach to nature beyond mere green washing. This article calls for more action to help urban designers navigate the trade-offs between promoting nature and ensuring reliable service delivery for residents. Find the article through this link. Abstract: Positive relationships between biodiversity and urban ecosystem services (UES) are widely implied within both the scientific and policy literatures, along with the tacit suggestion that enhancing urban green infrastructure will automatically improve both biodiversity and UES. However, it is unclear how much published empirical evidence exists to support these assumptions. We conducted a review of studies published between 1990 and May 2017 that examined urban biodiversity ecosystem service (BES) relationships. In total, we reviewed 317 publications and found biodiversity and UES metrics mentioned 944 times. Only 228 (24%) of the 944 mentions were empirically tested. Among these, 119 (52%) demonstrated a positive BES relationship. Our review showed that taxonomic metrics were used most often as proxies for biodiversity, with very little attention given to functional biodiversity metrics. Similarly, the role of particular species, including non-natives, and specific functional traits are understudied. Finally, we found a paucity of empirical evidence underpinning urban BES relationships. As urban planners increasingly incorporate UES delivery consideration to their decision-making, researchers need to address these substantial knowledge gaps to allow potential trade-offs and synergies between biodiversity conservation and the promotion of UES to be adequately accounted for. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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 | |||
| Difference between sustainability and resilience - Caroline Howell (456I trailer 2) | 16 août 2026 | 00:01:53 | |
Are you interested in regenerative development? What do you think about healthy living as being more locally connected? How can we become keystone species for regeneration? Trailer for episode 456 - interview with Caroline Howell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canopy. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, regeneration, sovereignty, technology vs nature, healthy living, humans as keystone species, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| How do we organise ourselves to relate positively to the land? Caroline Howell (456I trailer 1) | 15 août 2026 | 00:02:05 | |
Are you interested in regenerative development? What do you think about healthy living as being more locally connected? How can we become keystone species for regeneration? Trailer for episode 456 - interview with Caroline Howell, CEO and Co-Founder of Canopy. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, regeneration, sovereignty, technology vs nature, healthy living, humans as keystone species, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 454I_Kamogelo Thumankwe, founder and CEO of Tsarona | 12 août 2026 | 00:41:08 | |
“A city can have a perfect transit, the perfect architecture, housing and energy - and still be one supply shock from empty shelves.” Are you interested in making our food chain more resilient? What do you think about our food foot prints? How can we improve the circularity of our food systems? Interview with Kamogelo Thumankwe, founder and CEO of Tsarona. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban food prints, circularity of food systems, diversity of crops for resilience, and many more. Kamogelo Thumankwe is the founder and CEO of Tsarona, a pioneering company building climate-resilient food systems by reviving the ancient African Bambara groundnut. Connecting over 5,000 smallholder farmers across 11 African countries to European markets, Tsarona delivers sustainable, traceable, clean-label ingredients with superior performance to soy. Award-winning and driven by heritage and innovation, Kamogelo champions African indigenous crops, supply chain transparency, and equitable trade between Africa and Europe. Find out more about Kamogelo through these links:
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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 | |||
| Cities producing food - Kamogelo Thumankwe (454I trailer 3) | 11 août 2026 | 00:02:20 | |
Are you interested in making our food chain more resilient? What do you think about our food foot prints? How can we improve the circularity of our food systems? Trailer for episode 454 - interview with Kamogelo Thumankwe, founder and CEO of Tsarona. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban food prints, circularity of food systems, diversity of crops for resilience, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 453R_Does crop diversification lead to climate-related resilience? Improving the theory through insights on practice | 10 août 2026 | 00:14:34 | |
Are you interested in making our food chain more resilient? Our debate today works with the article titled Does crop diversification lead to climate-related resilience? Improving the theory through insights on practice from 2022, by Ronnie Vernooy, published in the Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Kamogelo Thumankwe in episode 454 talking about resilience in urban food supply chains. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the impact of crop diversification on agricultural stability and its potential to build climate resilience. This article argues that while integrating diverse crops is vital for climate adaptation, it must be supported by stronger social institutions and policies to facilitate a global food transition. Find the article through this link. Abstract: In recent years, CGIAR researchers have investigated the effectiveness of using agrobiodiversity, and more particularly crop and crop varietal diversity, as an adaptive practice to mitigate climate-change impacts on agriculture and to contribute to rural household and community resilience. The hypothesis informing this research is that the sustained practice of crop diversification leads to ecological redundancy, which allows farmer households and their communities to produce multiple positive livelihood benefits. The validity of this hypothesis is investigated by means of an extensive literature review (covering 2015–2020). Findings reveal ample evidence of positive outcomes, including increased yields and household incomes, improved nutrition and food security, new marketing opportunities, reduced poverty, and strengthened adaptive and innovative capacity. However, the evidence is far less convincing about the last part of the hypothetical impact pathway, i.e. the link between positive livelihood benefits and (increased) resilience. This shortcoming is addressed through the elaboration of a more clearly articulated theory of change for crop diversification and a refined methodology to support farmers in making appropriate diversification decisions. At the same time, the critical review opens a window on an important, novel perspective, which is to look at the role that crop diversification could play in a wider societal transition toward a more sustainable future. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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 | |||
| What food circularity can mean in practice? Kamogelo Thumankwe (454I trailer 2) | 09 août 2026 | 00:02:15 | |
Are you interested in making our food chain more resilient? What do you think about our food foot prints? How can we improve the circularity of our food systems? Trailer for episode 454 - interview with Kamogelo Thumankwe, founder and CEO of Tsarona. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban food prints, circularity of food systems, diversity of crops for resilience, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| What does urban food footprint mean? Kamogelo Thumankwe (454I trailer 1) | 08 août 2026 | 00:01:44 | |
Are you interested in making our food chain more resilient? What do you think about our food foot prints? How can we improve the circularity of our food systems? Trailer for episode 454 - interview with Kamogelo Thumankwe, founder and CEO of Tsarona. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, urban food prints, circularity of food systems, diversity of crops for resilience, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 452I_Ron van Duin, applied research professor of Port & City Logistics at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology | 05 août 2026 | 00:47:14 | |
"We never can abandon freight as long we have demand for products and services… We are the blood vessels for a healthy society, and that, that's very important.” Are you interested in how logistics influences urban planning? What do you think about pilots of collaborative logistics? How can we rethink logistics in regards to resilience? Interview with Ron van Duin, applied research professor of Port & City Logistics at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology, Faculty Technology, Policy and Management. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, freight and transportation, drones, autonomous vehicles, rethinking logistics for resilience, and many more. Ron van Duin is an applied research professor of Port & City Logistics at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology, Faculty Technology, Policy and Management. With a background in Econometrics and a PhD in Technology, Policy and Management. He has over 30 years’ experience in city logistics, sustainable urban freight transport, intermodal transportation, and simulation. His research focuses on sustainability, efficiency, and the impacts of new technologies in freight and logistics. Find out more about Ron through these links:
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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 | |||
| Let's rethink logistics in terms of urban resilience - Ron van Duin (452I trailer 3) | 04 août 2026 | 00:02:12 | |
Are you interested in how logistics influences urban planning? What do you think about pilots of collaborative logistics? How can we rethink logistics in regards to resilience? Trailer for episode 452 - interview with Ron van Duin, applied research professor of Port & City Logistics at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology, Faculty Technology, Policy and Management. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, freight and transportation, drones, autonomous vehicles, rethinking logistics for resilience, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 451R_Defining the interface between city logistics and urban design: A systematic literature review | 03 août 2026 | 00:14:38 | |
Are you interested in how urban logistics and urban design are connected? Debate of the article titled Defining the interface between city logistics and urban design: a systematic literature review from 2026, by Jiayu Joslyn Sun, Lóránt Tavasszy, and Ron van Duin, published in the Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives journal. This is a great preparation to our next interview with Ron van Duin in episode 452 talking about the connection between urban freight and planning. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how freight activities increasingly impact the functional and aesthetic quality of metropolitan environments. This article suggests that while functional and morphological aspects are well-studied, the social, perceptual, and visual impacts of logistics remain significantly overlooked. Find the article through this link. Abstract: Logistics services have become crucial in shaping urban spaces and influencing urban dynamics. However, despite growing scholarly and policy attention in recent years, their implications for urban design remain unevenly addressed and insufficiently integrated across themes and methods. Addressing the challenges of urban freight transport does not rely solely on transportation perspectives but instead requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This study conducts a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol to examine city logistics through an urban design lens, guided by a framework of six urban design dimensions. The main objectives are to introduce an urban design perspective into the urban freight transport discourse, identify existing research gaps, and propose a framework for future studies. A total of 83 publications were reviewed. A descriptive bibliometric analysis shows that scholarly attention to this topic has significantly increased in the past two years. An inductive thematic analysis reveals four thematic clusters: (1) problematisation, (2) analysis of traffic conflicts, (3) curbside design and management, and (4) freight facility integration. By synthesising these thematic patterns, the study proposes research opportunities within each urban design dimension to guide future investigation. The paper contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive understanding of freight transport from an urban design perspective, conceptualising urban design as distinct from other urban research fields, and outlining cross-disciplinary pathways that can bridge city logistics and urban design. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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| Zero emission zones in urban areas - Ron van Duin (452I trailer 2) | 02 août 2026 | 00:02:16 | |
Are you interested in how logistics influences urban planning? What do you think about pilots of collaborative logistics? How can we rethink logistics in regards to resilience? Trailer for episode 452 - interview with Ron van Duin, applied research professor of Port & City Logistics at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology, Faculty Technology, Policy and Management. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, freight and transportation, drones, autonomous vehicles, rethinking logistics for resilience, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Urban freight as organising our daily needs - Ron van Duin (452I trailer 1) | 01 août 2026 | 00:02:37 | |
Are you interested in how logistics influences urban planning? What do you think about pilots of collaborative logistics? How can we rethink logistics in regards to resilience? Trailer for episode 452 - interview with Ron van Duin, applied research professor of Port & City Logistics at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and assistant professor at Delft University of Technology, Faculty Technology, Policy and Management. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, freight and transportation, drones, autonomous vehicles, rethinking logistics for resilience, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 450P_The future of urban governance - Panel conversation with Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte, and Balamurugan Soundararaj | 29 juil. 2026 | 01:02:38 | |
Are you interested in the future of urban governance? What do you think is the role of AI in urban governance? How can we utilise the localised feedback loops for the better future of cities? This episode is a panel discussion about the future of urban governance. The panellists, Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte, and Balamurugan Soundararaj talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban governance, localised solutions, AI, transparency, and many more. Micah Gaudet is a Deputy City Manager who helps local governments understand and apply AI in practical, operational ways grounded in the realities of municipal leadership. He focuses on how AI reshapes workflows, decision-making, service delivery, and organizational capacity across public safety, budgeting, HR, permitting, community development, and emergency response. Micah speaks, writes, and trains governments to adopt AI responsibly while preserving context, culture, and people-first public service. Find out more about Micah through these links:
Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte is a passionate architect and urban researcher dedicated to creating just, responsible, and open cities through collaborative and community-based strategies. Her work critically examines the design, use, and impacts of (geo)technologies and data-driven approaches in diverse urban contexts. She contributed to the Dialogical Spaces Podcast as part of the "Dialogical Spaces for a Diverse University" project. Find out more about Ana through these links:
Balamurugan Soundararaj is a Senior Lecturer at the City Futures Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, and CTO of MapAI, where he leverages Generative AI for GIS and spatial analysis. His expertise combines Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and visualisation to advance urban planning and quantitative human geography. His research focuses on integrating innovative technologies into urban studies, delivering data-driven insights and solutions for complex spatial problems to support smarter decision-making in cities. Find out more about Bala through these links:
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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 | |||
| From the age of ideas to age of building - Balamurugan Soundararaj (450P trailer 3) | 28 juil. 2026 | 00:01:55 | |
Are you interested in the future of urban governance? What do you think is the role of AI in urban governance? How can we utilise the localised feedback loops for the better future of cities? Trailer with Balamurugan Soundararaj for episode 450 - panel discussion about the future of urban governance. The panellists, Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte, and Balamurugan Soundararaj talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban governance, localised solutions, AI, transparency, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| 449R_Cities aren’t rocket engines: The maturity of digital twins in human-centred urban planning | 27 juil. 2026 | 00:15:27 | |
Are you interested in how to utilise digital twins in human-centred urban planning? Debate of the article titled Cities aren’t rocket engines: The maturity of digital twins in human-centred urban planning from 2025, by Lucas van der Meer, Lukas Esterle, Mario Cools, and Martin Loidl, published in the International Journal of Digital Earth. This is a great preparation to our next panel conversation with Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Durante and Balamurugan Soundararaj in episode 450 talking about the challenges of data and digital twin use in urban governance. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the urban mechanism of data and urban vitalism of human experiences can be connected. This article advocates for a human-centred approach where digital tools serve as a lens to explore possibilities rather than an objective truth to dictate outcomes. Find the article through this link. Abstract: In this article we provide a critical perspective on the role of urban digital twins in human-centred urban planning. We discuss the underlying philosophical views of these two concepts and argue that urban digital twins can only have real value if we facilitate a dialogue between those views. This means that we should move beyond purely technological approaches focused on automated optimization and control. Rather than as an objective source of truth, urban digital twins should be treated as a lens through which we can explore urban issues, while acknowledging the assumptions and oversights of computational models. We propose a revised conceptual structure of a mature urban digital twin, in which active human involvement is an asset rather than a limitation, and define seven additional characteristics of maturity besides being technologically advanced: adaptive, constructive, diverse, honest, humble, responsible, and transparent. Ultimately, we call for a shift from ‘data-driven’ to ‘data-informed’ urban planning, arguing that the true value of digital technologies lies not in replacing human agency, but in supporting it. Connected episodes you might be interested in:
You 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 | |||
| How to use data to create a pluralistic way? Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte (450P trailer 2) | 26 juil. 2026 | 00:02:07 | |
Are you interested in the future of urban governance? What do you think is the role of AI in urban governance? How can we utilise the localised feedback loops for the better future of cities? Trailer with Micah Gaudet for episode 450 - panel discussion about the future of urban governance. The panellists, Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte, and Balamurugan Soundararaj talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban governance, localised solutions, AI, transparency, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||
| Building for the upcoming native AI generations - Micah Gaudet (450P trailer 1) | 25 juil. 2026 | 00:01:58 | |
Are you interested in the future of urban governance? What do you think is the role of AI in urban governance? How can we utilise the localised feedback loops for the better future of cities? Trailer with Micah Gaudet for episode 450 - panel discussion about the future of urban governance. The panellists, Micah Gaudet, Ana Maria Bustamante Duarte, and Balamurugan Soundararaj talk about their vision for the future of cities, urban governance, localised solutions, AI, transparency, and many more. Find out more in the episode. Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link). Music by Lesfm from Pixabay | |||