
Podcast
What is The Future for Cities?
By Fanni Melles
578
2
WTF for Cities? is a platform to introduce and connect people who are actively and consciously working on the future of cities and to introduce research about the future of cities.
WTF for Cities? is a platform to introduce and connect people who are actively and consciously working on the future of cities and to introduce research about the future of cities.
403R Integrating behavioral science into urban planning: a framework for human-centered spatial design
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested how behavioural science influences urban design?
Debate of the article titled Integrating behavioral science into urban planning: a framework for human-centered spatial design from 2025, by Mohamed M.E. Khogali, Eman Ahmed Mohamed Ali, and Abbas Ramdani, published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal.
This is a great preparation to our next interview with Jeff Siegler in episode 404 talking about the need to include behavioural science into urban planning.
Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see the connection between behavioural science and urban planning. This article shows that cities informed by behavioural insights foster social cohesion, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.
Find the article through this link.
Abstract: This paper examines the intrinsic relationship between urban planning and behavioral concepts, addressing a significant knowledge gap in how spatial arrangements influence human behavior and well-being. Through a systematic literature review and analytical framework, we investigate the interdependence between urban spatial design and human behavioral patterns across seven key planning domains: urban form, built environment, infrastructure services, urban landscapes, public spaces, urban housing fabric, and urban design. Our findings reveal that physical environments significantly shape human psychological, cognitive, and behavioral responses, while human activities simultaneously influence urban structures. The research identifies critical behavioral determinants that impact urban environments and demonstrates how behavioral science can reduce uncertainty in design processes. By integrating insights from environmental psychology and behavioral theory, this study offers a conceptual model to guide urban planners toward more behaviorally responsive design approaches. We conclude that well-planned cities support economically prosperous, socially cohesive, and environmentally sustainable communities, while poorly planned environments can exacerbate social unrest and hinder development. The study recommends institutionalizing participatory design methodologies, prioritizing pedestrian-oriented layouts, equitably distributing green spaces, adopting context-sensitive planning approaches, and implementing rigorous post-implementation behavioral assessments to develop truly human-centered urban environments.
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
No.255R - Participation, co-creation, and public space
No.365R - The Civic Brand
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
17:14
Are we just the product of our environments? Jeff Siegler (404I trailer 2)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in the health of individuals and communities? What do you think about the effect of the environment on us? How can we encourage human behaviour change for better urban futures?
Trailer for episode 404 - interview with Jeff Siegler, founder of Revitalize, or Die and author of Your City is Sick book. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, individual and community health, how the environment affects us, feelings and technical details, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:23
What keeps us happy in and attached to place? Jeff Siegler (404I trailer 1)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in the health of individuals and communities? What do you think about the effect of the environment on us? How can we encourage human behaviour change for better urban futures?
Trailer for episode 404 - interview with Jeff Siegler, founder of Revitalize, or Die and author of Your City is Sick book. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, individual and community health, how the environment affects us, feelings and technical details, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:25
402I Ben Gilliland, the chairman and founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
"Time only exist in the present, there is no such thing as the future. So you need to prepare now."
Are you interested in the will to face current challenges? What do you think about being the modern Paul Revere to increase public dialogue? How can we accept and encourage change which happens anyway?
Interview with Ben Gilliland, the chairman and founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, public dialogue, alchemy, technology, future proofing, collaboration, and many more.
Ben Gilliland is the chairman and founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence, where he spearheaded the spin-out of an advanced AI platform from The Paulele Housing Association (TPHA), a Hawaii-based nonprofit he co-founded with his late wife, Holly. With over 55 years in design, technology, structured finance, and venture capital - including patents in fibre optics and innovative construction remediation - Ben leads a holistic solution to extreme weather risks. The platform delivers precise AI-driven property risk assessments, engineered remediation plans, vetted contractors, DIY options, and tailored financing - empowering homeowners, developers, engineers, insurers, and policymakers to reduce disaster costs proactively. As Ben says: the risks are real - but so are the solutions, so let's fix it, instead of forgetting it!
Find out more about Ben through these links:
Ben Gilliland on LinkedIn
FutureProof website
FutureProof on LinkedIn
@FutureProof_PI as FutureProof on X
futureproofpropertyintel as FutureProof on Instagram
FutureProof on Netcapital
Connecting episodes you might be interested:
No.280 - Interview with Hudson Worsley about environmental services
No.282 - Interview with Keygan Huckleberry about disaster resilience
No.401R - Adaptation infrastructure and its effects on property values in the face of climate risk
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
51:06
How to get individuals interested in the challenges - Ben Gilliland (402I trailer 3)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in the will to face current challenges? What do you think about being the modern Paul Revere to increase public dialogue? How can we accept and encourage change which happens anyway?
Trailer for episode 402 - interview with Ben Gilliland, the chairman and founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, public dialogue, alchemy, technology, future proofing, collaboration, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:29
401R Adaptation infrastructure and its effects on property values in the face of climate risk
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how preparing your house to resilience can increase its value?
Debate of the article titled Adaptation infrastructure and its effects on property values in the face of climate risk from 2022, by David L. Kelly and Renato Molina, published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and resource Economists.
This is a great preparation to our next interview with Ben Gilliland in episode 402 talking about the opportunities in adapting our houses to climate change.
Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how investments in climate adaptation infrastructure influence real estate prices. This article shows that homebuyers and sellers need to recognise that preparing infrastructure not only increases its value, decreases its premium in insurance, but also successfully alleviate potential environmental threats.
Find the article through this link.
Abstract: We evaluate the effect of climate adaptation infrastructure investments on property transaction prices, using data on over 400,000 property transactions and 162 infrastructure projects in Miami-Dade County, an area that is highly vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise due to climate change. Exploiting the timing and siting of different adaptation projects in Miami-Dade, we are able to identify significant gains in property values after completion of adaptation infrastructure projects. These gains are concentrated in areas close to the project and for projects that are visually identifiable. Our results suggest an aggregate mean benefit, net of adaptation cost, of about $0.68 million per project and almost $300 million in aggregate net benefits for all projects in our sample. Most projects generated positive net benefits, indicating that the vast majority of adaptation efforts are being placed in areas passing a benefit-cost test.
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
No.281R - Misfortunes never come singly. A holistic approach to urban resilience and sustainability challenges
No.282 - Interview with Keygan Huckleberry about disaster resilience
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
16:04
Alchemy and its connection to change - Ben Gilliland (402I trailer 2)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in the will to face current challenges? What do you think about being the modern Paul Revere to increase public dialogue? How can we accept and encourage change which happens anyway?
Trailer for episode 402 - interview with Ben Gilliland, the chairman and founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, public dialogue, alchemy, technology, future proofing, collaboration, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:01
Why denial is not a plan for the future - Ben Gilliland (402I trailer 1)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in the will to face current challenges? What do you think about being the modern Paul Revere to increase public dialogue? How can we accept and encourage change which happens anyway?
Trailer for episode 402 - interview with Ben Gilliland, the chairman and founder of Future Proof Property Intelligence. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, public dialogue, alchemy, technology, future proofing, collaboration, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
01:50
400P Climate change vs cities with Hudson Worsley, Matt Gijselman, and Allan Savory
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how to address climate change’s effects in cities? What do you think is the root cause of current problems? How can we implement a simple understanding in our seemingly complex systems?
This episode is a panel discussion about climate change vs cities. The panellists, Hudson Worsley, Matt Gijselman and Allan Savory talk about their vision for the future of cities, agriculture, the root causes, urban management, and many more.
Hudson Worsley is the co-founder and director of Presync, a certified B Corp sustainability consultancy, and Chair of MECLA, the Materials & Embodied Carbon Leaders' Alliance. He helps organisations transition to a zero-carbon economy and adapt to climate change. Hudson identifies opportunities for energy efficiency, on-site renewables, and renewable power purchase agreements. With Presync's integrated approach and many years of experience, the small, nimble team draws on deep expertise in energy, innovation, property development, emissions reduction, and climate change.
Hudson talked about environmental services in episode 280.
Matt Gijselman, with over 20 years of experience in public policy and advocacy, is the Director of Infrastructure Policy Advancement for APAC at Bentley Systems. He leads policy initiatives supporting digital transformation in infrastructure, working with stakeholders from government, industry, academia, and media. Matt is a strategic leader with strong communication and project management skills, deeply understanding the APAC policy and regulatory environment. He is dedicated to advancing infrastructure and bringing diverse perspectives to Bentley Systems.
Matt talked about blue and green infrastructure in episode 258.
Allan Savory, born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1935 and educated at the University of Natal, started his career as a research biologist and game ranger in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). His diverse path included roles as soldier, farmer, rancher, international ecological consultant, and Member of Parliament. Opposing Ian Smith's regime led to his exile to the U.S. in 1979. In 2009, he co-founded the Savory Institute to promote Holistic Management worldwide - outlined in his book Holistic Management: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment (2016). He received Australia's 2003 Banksia International Award for global environmental impact. His 2013 TED talk on desertification has millions of views.
Allan talked about holistic management in episode 356.
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
No.257R - Formal Model for Green Urbanism in Smart Cities
No.279R - How ecosystems services drive urban growth: Integrating nature-based solutions
No.355R - The foundations of holistic management
No.399R - 30 Years of Adaptation under the Convention and the Paris Agreement
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
57:28
Agriculture as the foundation of every city - Allan Savory (400P trailer 3)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how to address climate change’s effects in cities? What do you think is the root cause of current problems? How can we implement a simple understanding in our seemingly complex systems?
Trailer for episode 400 - a panel discussion about climate change vs cities. The panellists, Hudson Worsley, Matt Gijselman and Allan Savory talk about their vision for the future of cities, agriculture, the root causes, urban management, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
01:43
399R 30 years of adaptation under the Convention and the Paris Agreement
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how global efforts changed to address climate change in the last 30 years?
Debate of the UN report titled 30 years of adaptation under the Convention and the Paris Agreement from 2024, by the United Nations Climate Change Adaptation Committee.
This is a great preparation to our next panel conversation with Hudson Worsley, Matt Gijselman and Allan Savory in episode 400 talking about the change and potential additional road needed to be covered by public discourse.
Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how the conversations have changed regarding climate change. This report serves as a roadmap to assess collective progress through initiatives.
Find the report through this link.
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
No.013R - Managing climate change in Australia - A global, long-term view
No.275R - Trends in research and development for CO2 capture and sequestration
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
18:13
Conversations progressing about climate change - Matt Gijselman (400P trailer 2)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how to address climate change’s effects in cities? What do you think is the root cause of current problems? How can we implement a simple understanding in our seemingly complex systems?
Trailer for episode 400 - a panel discussion about climate change vs cities. The panellists, Hudson Worsley, Matt Gijselman and Allan Savory talk about their vision for the future of cities, agriculture, the root causes, urban management, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:11
The assumption of a stable climate is gone for planning cities - Hudson Worsley (400P trailer 1)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how to address climate change’s effects in cities? What do you think is the root cause of current problems? How can we implement a simple understanding in our seemingly complex systems? Trailer for episode 400 - a panel discussion about climate change vs cities. The panellists, Hudson Worsley, Matt Gijselman and Allan Savory talk about their vision for the future of cities, agriculture, the root causes, urban management, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:14
398I Bradford Cross, CEO of Alpha City and Managing Partner at Pronomos Capital and Two Lions
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
"There is a way to do small-scale experiments-"
Are you interested in governance experiments? What do you think about decentralisation efforts? How can we utilise blockchain and crypto to create better governance systems?
Interview Bradford Cross, CEO of Alpha City and Managing Partner at Pronomos Capital and Two Lions. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, difference between governance and governments, government and governance experiments, and many more.
Bradford Cross is founder and CEO of Alpha City, a federation of frontier cities in Africa built from first principles to unleash local ambition and global talent. He runs Two Lions, his family office and startup lab, and co-manages Pronomos Capital, backing new jurisdictions and governance models. A two-decade AI veteran, he started CEAI in Central Europe in 2002 and co-founded DCVC, a deep-tech VC managing billions. His earlier ventures span clinical trials, anti-money-laundering, newsfeed AI, flight prediction, cyber insurance and real-estate lending. Dad, gym junkie, sharp dresser, jungle-to-nightclub explorer - and still outlasting his iPhone battery.
Find out more about Bradford through these links:
Bradford Cross on LinkedIn
Bradford Cross on Substack
@bradfordcross as Bradford Cross on X
@bradfordmode as Bradford Cross on Instagram
AlphaCity on LinkedIn
@alphacityinc as AlphaCity on X
@alphacityinc as AlphaCity on Instagram
Pronomos Capital website
Pronomos Capital on LinkedIn
@PronomosVC as Pronomos Capital on X
@pronomosvc as Pronomos Capital on Instagram
Two Lions on LinkedIn
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
No.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Prospera Honduras
No.380 - Interview with Adam Miller about voting when you want
No.397R - Urbanisation and entrepreneurship in development: Like a horse and carriage?
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
01:00:58
Authority (a.k.a. government) vs execution (a.k.a. governance) Bradford Cross (398I trailer 3)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in governance experiments? What do you think about decentralisation efforts? How can we utilise blockchain and crypto to create better governance systems?
Trailer for episode 398 - interview Bradford Cross, CEO of Alpha City and Managing Partner at Pronomos Capital and Two Lions. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, difference between governance and governments, government and governance experiments, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:15
397R Urbanisation and entrepreneurship in development: Like a horse and carriage?
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in how urban evolution and entrepreneurial capitalism is connected?
Our debate today works with the book chapter titled Urbanisation and entrepreneurship in development: Like a horse and carriage? from 2018, by Wim Naudé, part of the Smart Futures, Challenges of Urbanisation, and Social Sustainability book, published by Spinger Nature.
This is a great preparation to our next interview with Bradford Cross in episode 398 talking about the importance and opportunities of entrepreneurial capitalism.
Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how entrepreneurial capitalism is connected to the future of cities. This chapter explores the interdependent relationship between urbanisation and entrepreneurship, suggesting that they act as primary drivers for economic development.
Find the article through this link.
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
No.347R - The economy forward framework: How midsized cities can achieve inclusive growth in the knowledge economy
No.380 - Interview with Adam Miller about urban economics
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
14:52
Entrepreneurial capitalism for better future of cities - Bradford Cross (398I trailer 2)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in governance experiments? What do you think about decentralisation efforts? How can we utilise blockchain and crypto to create better governance systems?
Trailer for episode 398 - interview Bradford Cross, CEO of Alpha City and Managing Partner at Pronomos Capital and Two Lions. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, difference between governance and governments, government and governance experiments, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:03
Why and how urban governance experiments can help futures of cities? Bradford Cross (398I trailer 1)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in governance experiments? What do you think about decentralisation efforts? How can we utilise blockchain and crypto to create better governance systems?
Trailer for episode 398 - interview Bradford Cross, CEO of Alpha City and Managing Partner at Pronomos Capital and Two Lions. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, decentralised governance, difference between governance and governments, government and governance experiments, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
01:41
396I Lior Steinberg, urban planner and co-founder of Humankind
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
"To build more complex models we need all those professions that have something to do with cities and collaborative."
Are you interested in cities without cars? What do you think about redefining transport as moving AND staying? How can we improve our public spaces?
Interview with Lior Steinberg, urban planner and co-founder of Humankind. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, active transportation, car-free cities, public spaces, good urban examples, and many more.
Lior Steinberg is an urban planner and co-founder of Humankind, a multidisciplinary collective accelerating the transition towards urban happiness for all. He helps cities to look beyond functionality and to plan urban spaces that make people smile. All the projects Lior participates in have one thing in common: they create people-oriented cities. Being a Jane Jacobs’ enthusiast and a fan of great public spaces, he is keen on making cities better with an emphasis on local, innovative interventions and on including residents in urban planning.
Learn more about Lior through these links:
Lior Steinberg on LinkedIn
Lior Steinberg website
Humankind website
Humankind on LinkedIn
@humankindcity as Humankind on Instagram
Lior Steinberg at Urban Futures
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
No.340 - Interview with Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin about the city as a learning machine for kids
No.368 - Interview with Josh Rands about urban transport modelling
No.395R - Car free cities: Pathway to healthy urban living
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
36:13
Getting rid of the car for the better future of cities - Lior Steinberg (396I trailer 3)
Episode in
What is The Future for Cities?
Are you interested in cities without cars? What do you think about redefining transport as moving AND staying? How can we improve our public spaces?
Trailer for episode 396 - interview with Lior Steinberg, urban planner and co-founder of Humankind. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, active transportation, car-free cities, public spaces, good urban examples, and many more.
Find out more in the episode.
Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).
Music by Lesfm from Pixabay
02:07
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