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The podcast for urbanists fighting climate change. Hosted by Ross O'Ceallaigh, a planner and urban designer based in London, this show explores how architects, planners, policy makers and designers can make cities more sustainable, healthy and happy.
88 Episodes
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Louisa Whitmore is an architecture enthusiast, TikToker and host of the Nature of Design documentary series. In this episode we discuss her experience making the documentary, the mental health benefits of biophilic environments and case studies of great biophilic projects.Learn more about the Nature of Design documentary:The Green Channel: LinkInstagram: LinkTikTok: LinkLouisa's TikTok: LinkThanks for listening!Join the Green Urbanist Weekly newsletter: SubstackSupport the Podcast by Donation...
In conversation with Alisdair Ben Dixon (Collective Works), Anna Lisa McSweeney (White Arkitekter) and Isabel Allen (Architecture Today) about the new Regenerative Architecture Index (RAI). Launched by Architecture Today and UK Architects Declare, the Regenerative Architecture Index (RAI) sets out to benchmark practices progress in the move towards regenerative practice and projects. It recognises the need for a built environment that isn’t merely reducing its negative impacts, but has positi...
I sit down with Andrew Bullmore of VU.CITY to discuss how 3D models, digital twins and artificial intelligence tools can be used to do better, evidence-based planning and design and get more sustainable outcomes. VU.CITY website: https://www.vu.city/SiteSolve generative AI: https://www.site-solve.co.uk/This is a sponsored episode. Thanks to VU.CITY for the support. Thanks for listening!Join the Green Urbanist Weekly newsletter: SubstackSupport the Podcast by Donation Contact Ross W...
Sam Luker is an Associate Sustainability Director at AESG and led on their new report titled 'Net Zero Neighbourhoods'. In this episode we discuss: Why the neighbourhood scale is optimal for decarbonisation and finding local solutions to sustainabilityPrinciples and case studies for Net Zero NeighbourhoodsRetrofitting existing neighbourhoods for decarbonisationHow to get communities involved and realise local benefitsExamples of innovative funding mechanisms to deliver net zero neig...
Mohit and Sue Yen are architects and members of Decolonise Architecture, a solution-based group driven to tackle institutional racism and bias within architectural education and practice. In this episode we discuss: How architectural education and practice can be 'colonial' in its approach, and the problems with this.Expanding architectural education and practice to embrace other cultures and worldviews.How the architecture profession can be made more accessible to all.Learn more a...
Jeffrey Rissman is Senior Director at Energy Innovation, where he leads the company’s work on technologies and policies to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from the industry sector. He is the author of Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity (2024) and coauthor of Designing Climate Solutions: A Policy Guide for Low-Carbon Energy (2018).We discuss decarbonisation pathways for concrete and steel and what urbanists can do to drive down i...
Welcome to part 4, the final episode in the landscape mini-series. In this episode I sit down with Cannon Ivers CMLI of LDA to discuss their inspiring project The Strand, Aldwych. The Strand was for centuries a busy traffic thoroughfare in central London that has been transformed into a totally pedestrianised and multi-functional public space. Cannon tells me the story of how this came to be, what it means for the people who use this space and how it connects to a larger initiative to t...
Welcome to part 3 in this mini-series on landscape and urban nature. In this episode I spoke with James Virgo CMLI of LUC. He tells me about LUC’s work on Shoreditch Park. This is a nice case study of taking an existing park and working with the local community to improve it for biodiversity while tackling anti-social behaviour and creating a more welcoming and multi-function space for local people. More about Shoreditch Park: https://www.landuse.co.uk/news/luc-completes-the-shoreditch-...
Welcome to part 2 of this mini-series on landscape and urban nature. This episode features an interview with Michael Cowdy FLI of McGregor Coxall. We discuss two of their Landscape Award-nominated projects, a research project on BioUrbanism and the second a design code for green infrastructure for a new community Cherry Hinton North, Cambridge. More about Biourbanism: https://mcgregorcoxall.com/biourbanismThanks for listening!Join the Green Urbanist Weekly newsletter: SubstackSuppo...
Welcome to this 4-part series on the role of landscape and urban nature in creating resilient, sustainable and healthy places. Over the next 4 weeks I’ll be releasing short weekly episodes featuring interviews with landscape practitioners that highlight great case studies in landscape design and discuss the wider role of these interventions in green urbanism.The interviews were recorded at the Landscape Institute Awards 2023. Thanks to the Landscape Institute for inviting me along and organis...
Antonietta Canta is a Principal Environmental and Sustainability Engineer at Arup. In this episode we discuss their recent research report: ‘Addressing overheating risk in existing UK homes’. As dry as that title sounds, the conversation was actually very illuminating and useful. It's also useful for listeners outside the UK!We discuss:How many homes in UK are at risk of overheating now and in future climate scenarios.Why new apartments overheat more than houses and older buildings.The best s...
Jan Kattein is Director of Jan Kattein Architects, a studio that focuses on collaborative, sustainable and community-focused projects. Back in September of 2023 I joined Jan at their project in south London called the Paper Garden, which is a educational building and garden space for the charity Global Generation. Some of they key points we discuss:Radically circular building with 60% reused materialsBuilt by 3000 volunteers - teaching skills and inspiring sustainabilityFlexible design approa...
Kent Jackson is Design Partner at Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) and leads the designs of a wide range of scales and typologies across the globe. Passionate about improving the future of planetary health, Kent is also a leader of SOM’s Climate Action Group, advancing the firm’s commitment for all active work to be net zero whole-life carbon by 2040. James Woodall is Sustainability Lead at SOM and was a co-editor of the LETI Climate Emergency Design Guide – a groundbreaking publication shap...
Steve Sanham established Common Projects in 2021: a development company led by a purpose to put people and planet at the heart of its decision-making. Steve has an extensive and proven track record in the built environment, specialising in urban regeneration and in using development’s power to deliver better outcomes. Common Projects finances and delivers complex and game-changing development projects in London and the South East with a strong focus on sustainability and social outcomes.Commo...
Sean McCormack is a consultant Vet, the Chairperson of Ealing Wildlife Group, and an incredibly knowledgeable nature conservationist and educator based in west London. This episode is part 2 of our conversation where we get into more detail on: The practicalities of reintroducing beavers to an urban parkManagement of urban natureRewilding vs nature restorationThe importance of partnerships and collaborationI also got the chance to speak with Elliot Newton and Ben Stockwell of Citiz...
Sean McCormack is a consultant Vet, the Chairperson of Ealing Wildlife Group, and an incredibly knowledgeable nature conservationist and educator based in west London. In this episode we discuss his work to rewild urban London by reintroducing harvest mice, beavers and (eventually maybe) water voles while supporting native predators like falcons and owls in the city. It’s a really positive and inspiring story of how a community and a local government are working together for the good of natur...
Nate Hagens is a systems thinker and educator focused on a concept he calls The Great Simplification. He has spent the last 20 years studying the systems we live in like energy, ecology and economics. He teaches at the University of Minnesota and speaks widely on these topics, including on his youtube channel called Nate Hagens and his podcast called The Great Simplification.We discuss:The Great Simplification and what that means for citiesWhat the end of fossil fuels means for the worldThe i...
Climate change is here and now cities and communities must adapt for safety, health and quality of life. In this episode I discuss a useful model for thinking about climate adaptation in three levels: resilience, transition and transformation. I also provide some examples and ideas for bringing adaptation thinking into the work of urbanists.Relevant episodes:#68: Urban Rewilding#59: Why cities need Transformational Adaptation and what it could mean for urban ecosystems#38: Dr Morgan Phi...
This episode is a conversation with Tara and Lanre of Gbolade Design Studio, sustainable architects and urban designers based in London. Reflecting on their 5 years in practice, we discuss a range of topics and projects including:City-shaping with masterplans and design codesRetrofitting existing buildingsZero carbon and regenerative designCommunity-building and co-creating with communitiesInnovation in design, including the use of AITheir recent exhibition, ‘Breaking Ground’, and contributio...
What is urban rewilding? Can it be done in cities? Is anyone doing it? In this episode, we explore:History of the rewilding conceptCurrent best practice in rewildingHow rewilding can be applied to citiesCase studies of active and passive rewilding in urban areas around the worldCompanion Blog Post - See visuals of the stuff we talk about plus sources and bibliography. Corrections:We made a few small errors in this podcast. Around 24:00, Giulia says Sequoia tree seeds come in 'pine nuts' ...
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