This month, we (Beth and Tom) are podding alone, using the final episode of the year to reflect on some of the big themes we’ve discussed in 2025 as well as on the process of making Urban Radar.  We start with our monthly radar for December, dipping into three current stories each as usual. 

Following this we offer some quick-fire thoughts on a number of issues and themes that have resurfaced repeatedly throughout the year and remain prominent as it draws to a close. Finally, we consider some of the highlights of podcasting itself, before unveiling a surprise in store for Series 2…

On our monthly radar for December: 

• Care work and the city - from the UK’s current ‘carers scandal’ to Bogota’s care blocks
• Urban ‘brandalism’, ZAP games and ‘subtervising’ (confused? Head to 9:15 to find out…)
• The decline of trial by jury in the UK and what this might mean for urban justice and efforts to overcome spatial, class and linguistic bias
• America’s new National Security Strategy and how this connects to Trump’s war on urban diversity
• The Australian social media ban and its potentially different ramifications in urban vs rural areas 
• Syrian cities one year after the fall of Assad

On our rapid fire ‘radar of radars’, we consider:

• Military coups and their urban implications
• Technology and public space
• Flag urbanism and the branding of the city
• The UK-Denmark anti-migration love-in
• Solidarity, belonging and ‘urban lawfare’
• The entanglements of local infrastructure and global finance
• Urban warfare, critical minerals and strongman diplomacy

Read More

The Independent Review of Carer's Allowance Overpayments: A Welcome Step Towards Wider Reform of Welfare Benefits for Carers | the Centre for Care

Caring Cities: Towards a Public Urban Culture of Care?

Dismantling the advertising city: Subvertising and the urban commons to come

Activating the playful city: A review of ludic urbanism and introducing the ludic continuum framework

Hosts:

Tom Goodfellow is Professor of Urban Studies and International Development in the School of Geography and Planning at the University of Sheffield. His research focuses on the political economy of urban development and change in Africa, particularly the politics of urban land and transportation, conflicts around infrastructure and housing, and urban institutional change.

Beth Perry is Professor of Urban Epistemics and Director of the Urban Institute at the University of Sheffield. Her research focuses on the relationships between urban expertise, governance and justice, underpinned by a commitment to co-producing collective intelligence across multiple scales to address complex urban challenges. She has worked in cities in Africa, Europe and the UK.

If you want to know more about the research featured in this podcast, follow Sheffield Urbanism on LinkedIn, or bluesky, Instagram or visit www.sheffield.ac.uk/urban-institute

Email feedback to: UrbanRadar-group@sheffield.ac.uk

Thanks to the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Sheffield for funding this podcast and the Creative Media Suite for recording facilities.