The CityChangers Podcast

May 08 2024 2
The CityChangers Podcast artwork

The CityChangers Podcast: Inspiring Liveable, Equitable, Sustainable Cities “The CityChangers Podcast” explores innovative ideas, showcases success stories (and, importantly, the failures), and delves into the strategies that contribute to positive urban transformations. Each episode features a new thought leader, expert, or visionary who shares their experiences and expertise in making cities better places to live, work, and thrive.

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#9 Honest Mistakes

May 08 2024 15 mins  
Why do we fear failure? Sustainability is an iterative process. There are no shortcuts. But in a world focussed on success, we often hide from our mistakes. Recognising this, Gerald Babel-Sutter set out to unite urban change-makers in an environment where they could confidently share their pitfalls, problems, and brick walls. The idea caught on. What started out as a workshop for a

#8 Citizens, Assemble!

Apr 11 2024 15 mins  
Elected officials make decisions that affect millions of people, but beyond voting every few years, what say do citizens really have? Maybe democracy needs a tune-up. A citizens’ assembly – a sort of lottery promising better representation – can bring diverse voices to the table. Copenhagen has already given it a go, and the change in perspectives it brought about have been�

#7 How to Move a City

Mar 27 2024 15 mins  
Moving an entire city? It’s not science fiction. Faced with an existential crisis, the city of Kiruna, in Sweden, is being relocated approximately three kilometres away from where it was founded – brick by brick. The whole process raises some interesting questions: how exactly do you undertake such a massive task? What do you bring with you from the old city? What do you build

#6 The Tada Manifesto

Mar 13 2024 13 mins  
How can we ensure that a ‘smart city’ is also a fair, diverse and ethical one? We talk to Douwe Schmidt from the city of Amsterdam about the thorny issues cities face when implementing technological solutions, and why we can’t leave ethical decision-making to the computers. Featuring: Douwe Schmidt

#5 The Unlikely Urban Planners

Feb 28 2024 14 mins  
What would a city designed entirely by children look like? And what could it tell us about the cities we live in now – the good things and the bad? Academic Christina Ergler's research into pre-school aged children and the urban environment has some surprising insights for the experts (and the adults) who make the big decisions about our cities, as well as some instructive lesson

#4 Orange Sky

Feb 15 2024 14 mins  
Turning big ideas into reality is what CityChangers do. But what happens when, against the odds, you finally achieve your goal? What next? Nicholas Marchesi, of charity Orange Sky, launched the world’s first mobile laundry, helping Brisbane's homeless community to wash and dry their clothes. Then he discovered this served a very different purpose... In this episode, Nic explains

#3 The Tiny Town Hall

Feb 01 2024 13 mins  
With declining rates of civic engagement across cities around the world, Kiel, in Germany, is taking a unique approach to improving participation – by putting it on wheels! The Tiny Townhall is a world-first project that brings city government out of the stuffy buildings we’re used to and back to the citizens. And, in a time when bigger is often better, this small solution is h

#2 The Slow Lane

Jan 17 2024 13 mins  
Change-makers can’t afford to sacrifice inclusion, participation, and sustainability for the sake of doing half a job at speed. So tune in and learn why creating better cities is a marathon, not a sprint.

#1 Rotterdam Rooftops

Jan 17 2024 780 mins  
This episode focuses on how cities like Rotterdam are looking skywards for solutions to housing shortages, climate change and more.