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What is The Future for Cities?
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Are you interested in the economic importance of mid-sized cities? What do you think about the European Union of Cities? How can governments leave cities evolve while only creating the atmosphere allowing that evolution? Trailer for episode 378 - interview with Remco Deelstra, Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, positive economic vibes, knowing when to act, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The city is a place to discover the world ... a global or a universal experience rooted in place."Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Jocelyn Chiew is an architect, landscape architect and expert in place planning and design. Her eponymous consultancy provides strategic design services to government, industry, education and private sectors; helping clients define, roadmap and deliver place transformation, in partnership with diverse stakeholders. Jocelyn has held high profile leadership positions, including Director City Design at City of Melbourne, Manager Campus Design and Planning at Monash University and National Councillor at the Australian Institute of Architects. She has championed design for the public good at major global forums including the International Congress of Architects, and advised significant development proposals, design competitions and university boards. As a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Jocelyn brings dual expertise to complex urban challenges, and is a committed advocate for design excellence and inclusive design.Find out more about Jocelyn through these links:Jocelyn Chiew on LinkedInJocelyn Chiew website@jocelynchiew_ as Jocelyn Chiew on InstagramConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.222 - Interview with Adam Dorr about the misconceptions and disaster reporting from IPCCNo.326 - Interview with Sarah Bridges about public transportNo.340 - Interview with Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin about the city as a learning machineNo.370 - Interview with Vít Jedlicka about new governance models with more opportunity for individual leadershipNo.375R - Positive visions for guiding urban transformations toward sustainable futuresWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Trailer for episode 376 - interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in positive urban visioning? Debate of the article titled Positive visions for guiding urban transformations toward sustainable futures from 2016, by Timon McPhearson, David M Iwaniec, and Xuemei Bai, published in the Current Opinion on Environmental Sustainability journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Jocelyn Chiew in episode 376 talking about the importance of creating visions for our urban environments to guide our actions. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how establishing desirable scenarios can effectively direct decision-making instead of fearmongering. This article promotes linking positive visioning processes with on-the-ground action through participatory and systemic approaches for true urban transformations.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Much of the discourse around urban and global futures tends to be dystopian with visions of environmental and societal collapse, and business as usual forecasts that challenge planning and policymaking for more optimistic urban futures. More recently, research and practice demonstrate the role of positives visions that allow exploration of alternative and desirable futures in developing positive plans and delivering desirable outcomes for cities. We review the role of positive visioning and associated future scenarios for transformations that can guide decision-making for plausible, desirable, and sustainable urban futures. We discuss key challenges and tensions in visioning processes and suggest paths forward for positive visioning as a key tool for resilience and sustainability planning and to guide implementation.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.109R - How much sustainability substance is in urban visions? An analysis of visioning projects in urban planningNo.370 - Interview with Vít Jedlicka about an ambitious urban future production in LiberlandYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Trailer for episode 376 - interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in resilience of all lifeforms? What do you think about an urban vision which leads accountability and hope? How can we create better storytelling focused on problem solving for better futures? Trailer for episode 376 - interview with Jocelyn Chiew, strategic and urban designer. We will talk about her vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, resilience, leadership, belonging, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"Our big challenge but big chance is to adopt and develop the [already] built structures."Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Manfred Schrenk is a distinguished consulting engineer specialising in smart cities, urban planning, mobility, and geographic information infrastructures. As founder and director of CORP since 1996, he organises the annual REAL CORP conferences, fostering international collaboration on ICT in spatial development. Manfred lectures at TU Wien and has been researching at BOKU Vienna. Previously, he served as managing director of CEIT (2008-2014) and CEIT ALANOVA (2006-2014). Fluent in German and English, he is a key figure in professional networks like IsoCaRP and IUPF, excelling in strategic planning and team coordination.Find out more about Manfred through these links:Manfred Schrenk on LinkedInas Manfred Schrenk on Xas Manfred Schrenk on InstagramCORP websiteConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.350 - Urban Energy Matrix panel conversation about the potential urban changes due to automationNo.354 - Interview with Andrew J Cary about urban mobility innovationNo.356 - Interview with Allan Savory about regenerating sealed soilNo.373R - Adaptability of buildings: A critical review on the concept evolutionWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 374 - interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in repurposing existing urban buildings and infrastructure? Debate of the article titled Adaptability of buildings: A critical review on the concept evolution from 2021, by Rand Askar, Luís Bragança, and Helena Gervásio, published in the MDPI Applied Sciences journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Manfred Schrenk in episode 374 talking about the importance of repurposing the urban context to the future. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the urban adaptability concept in a critical light. This article presents adaptability in buildings as a concept and its evolution over time, its various interpretations and the strategies and models that promote it.Find the article through this link.Abstract: Our ever-evolving built environment is continuously facing emerging needs for housing, work, health, and mobility, among others. Yet, buildings are usually designed and set up as finished permanent objects, reflecting the one constant scenario in mind of defined form, function, and performance. Since change is increasingly inevitable in our life, enlarging buildings’ adaptive capacities in response to arising variables and changing conditions over their lifecycle becomes a necessity in seeking global sustainability demands. The concept of building adaptability has been a notable subject in this respect, increasingly stimulating and proposing regenerative alternatives to today’s often obsolete buildings. This paper critically reviews the existing body of knowledge on the concept of adaptability in building research. The main focus is made on the evolution of the concept interpretations and related paradigms, and on the development of its applications and strategies in the light of promoting models and trends. Drawing on the literature as a source of evidence, the paper analyzes and classifies the content of existing studies published in scientific journals and gray literature, focusing on a timeframe from 2015 up-to-date. Moreover, the paper aims to build a constructive discussion to identify potential gaps between the actual state of the art and emerging needs, which should be addressed by further research.Connected episodes you might be interested in:No.263R - Why affordable, social and public housing must be redefined as economic infrastructureNo.264 - Interview with Robert Pradolin about affordable housingYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 374 - interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in affordable housing? What do you think about innovation in mobility? How can we create utilise the already existing city fabric for better urban futures? Trailer for episode 374 - interview with Manfred Schrenk, Director of Competence Center of Urban and Regional Planning. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, affordable housing, migration, smart cities, mobility innovation, and many more. Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The future of cities form is how we organise life."Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Arman Mirzakhani is an architect, urban designer, and researcher focused on creating innovative, livable urban environments. With expertise in urban planning, big data analytics, machine learning, GIS, and transdisciplinary research, he drives smart city and sustainable urban development through data-driven insights and emerging technologies. A strategic thinker and adept problem-solver, Arman manages complex projects and collaborates with government, academia, and international organisations. His strong communication skills and solution-oriented mindset ensure impactful outcomes in fast-paced settings. Passionate about advancing urban solutions, Arman is eager to contribute to transformative projects that enhance urban sustainability.Find out more about Arman through these links:Arman Mirzakhani on LinkedIn@Dr_AMirzakhani as Arman Mirzakhani on XArman Mirzakhani on ResearchGateArman Mirzakhani on ORCiDArman Mirzakhani on TelegramArman Mirzakhani on AcademiaConnecting episodes you might be interested in:No.271R - Experimentation or projectification of urban change? A critical appraisal and three steps forwardNo.298 - Interview with Carina Gormley about urban experimentationNo.371R - Interrogating urban experimentsWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Trailer for episode 372 - interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in investigating urban experiments? Debate of the article titled Interrogating urban experiments from 2016, by Federico Caprotti and Robert Cowley, published in the Urban Geography journal.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Arman Mirzakhani in episode 372 talking about the importance of urban experimentation. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see whether urban experimentations really live up to their names. This article presents urban experiments as a popular driving force for urban transitions, but also seven areas needing critical attention.Find the article through this link.Abstract: The notion of the “urban experiment” has become increasingly prevalent and popular as a guiding concept and trope used by both scholars and policymakers, as well as by corporate actors with a stake in the future of the city. In this paper, we critically engage with this emerging focus on “urban experiments”, and with its articulation through the associated concepts of “living labs”, “future labs”, “urban labs” and the like. A critical engagement with the notion of urban experimentation is now not only useful, but a necessity: we introduce seven specific areas that need critical attention when considering urban experiments: these are focused on normativity, crisis discourses, the definition of “experimental subjects”, boundaries and boundedness, historical precedents, “dark” experiments and non-human experimental agency.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.271R - Experimentation or projectification of urban change? A critical appraisal and three steps forwardNo.293R - Rethinking the governance of urban infrastructural transformations: a synthesis of emerging approachesYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Trailer for episode 372 - interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in the dimensions of urban futures? What do you think about urban experimentation? How can we create the future of cities as it depends upon our imagination? Trailer for episode 372 - interview with Arman Mirzakhani, architect, urban designer, and researcher. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, dimensions of cities, rethinking infrastructure, defining the future by our imagination, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
"The state should be an asset for its citizens, it shouldn't be a burden."Are you interested in how to establish a new country? What do you think about using blockchain and AI technology in government? How can we reconfigure governance as a shareholder state? Interview with Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, direct meritocracy, good and bad governance elements, establishing a new country, and many more.A visionary entrepreneur, Vít Jedlička holds degrees from the University of Economics, Prague, and the CEVRO Institute. Vít has conducted numerous interviews with prestigious media outlets like The New York Times and Fox Business Network. A sought-after speaker, he has presented at prominent conferences such as the Horasis Global Meeting, TedX, ALEC, and the St. Gallen Symposium. Vít proclaimed The Free Republic of Liberland, also known as Liberland in 2015, which is a sovereign state located between Croatia and Serbia. As the President of Liberland, Vít’s primary mission is to create a flourishing, prosperous nation for its citizens.Find out more about Vít through these links:Vít Jedlicka on LinkedIn@Vit_Jedlicka as Vít Jedlicka on X@vjedlicka as Vít Jedlicka on InstagramVít Jedlicka on WikipediaLiberland websiteLiberland on WikipediaLiberland on LinkedIn@Liberland_org as Liberland on XLiberland Youtube channelLongevity Vision and Strategy Workshop in November 2025Free Cities Conference in November 2025Liberland Christmas Party in December 2025Ark Liberland Village in 2026Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Honduras Prospera, a new city in a free economic zoneNo.318 - Interview with Mark Lutter about charter citiesNo.369R - Liberland Blockchain WhitepaperWhat was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in how to establish a new country? What do you think about using blockchain and AI technology in government? How can we reconfigure governance as a shareholder state? Trailer for episode 370 - interview with Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, direct meritocracy, good and bad governance elements, establishing a new country, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in new forms of governance? Summary of the whitepaper titled Liberland Blockchain Whitepaper, published on the Liberland website.This is a great preparation to our next interview with Vít Jedlička, the president of Liberland in episode 370 talking about their new governance structure based on blockchain. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how we can utilise the upcoming technologies, like blockchain to improve our governance systems. This whitepaper presents how Liberland operates its government entirely on a public blockchain which aims to ensure transparency and accountability, balancing decentralisation with necessary permissioned access for citizens.Find the white paper through this link.Abstract: Liberland is a country founded in 2015 on a terra nullius between Croatia and Serbia, with its founders being enthusiasts of blockchain and liberty. The goal of the Liberland Blockchain is to provide all e-government services to its citizens via a Substrate-based blockchain system, with governance as its first use case. The Liberland Blockchain is designed as a layer 1 public blockchain, governed by the holders of its native tokens, the Liberland Dollar (LLD) and Liberland Merit (LLM). The system also supports Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) representing land and other assets and implements a decentralised identity solution. In the future, it will support an online judiciary system, enabling non-smart but self-executing contracts on the blockchain with the judiciary as an oracle. The judiciary will also enable features like account recovery and recourse against fraud and theft.Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.022R - Crypto citiesNo.180 - Interview with Ben Vass about new technologies, like blockchain, influencing the future of citiesYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
Are you interested in how to establish a new country? What do you think about using blockchain and AI technology in government? How can we reconfigure governance as a shareholder state? Trailer for episode 370 - interview with Vít Jedlička, President of Liberland. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, direct meritocracy, good and bad governance elements, establishing a new country, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay




