"I think the most interesting things happen in the places we don't expect them and the places where it is a bit uncomfortable."
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?
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.
Remco Deelstra has been fascinated by cities since childhood, especially the interplay between the physical city (ville) and the lived city (cité). He creates urban environments where living, working, mobility and amenities form inclusive, liveable places. As Strategic Housing Advisor for the Municipality of Leeuwarden, Remco shapes housing futures in a medium-sized European city, tackling accessibility, affordability and social cohesion. His expertise spans strategic urban policy, area development and neighbourhood renewal, linking housing to well-being and spatial goals. An urban thinker, he views cities as systems, connecting social, spatial and economic dynamics across disciplines. He finds innovation in the unfamiliar and draws energy from national and international networks. Since 2008, Remco has published on city-making, inclusive urbanism and housing markets, and gives guest lectures on urban development and governance.
Find out more about Remco through these links:
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
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 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
Are you interested in the economic potential of mid-sized cities?
Debate of the article titled Developing intermediate cities from 2021, by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose and Jamie Griffiths, published in the Regional Science Policy & Practice journal.
This is a great preparation to our next interview with Remco Deelstra in episode 378 talking about the economic potential and importance of mid-sized cities.
Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how these mid-sized cities could be part of the future of cities form an economic point of view. This article argues that the intermediate cities possess significant, often untapped economic dynamism and development potential.
Find the article through this link.
Abstract: Intermediate cities have experienced economic dynamism in recent years, but, with the focus firmly on large metropoles and sprawling megacities, the development potential of intermediate cities has stayed out of the limelight. This paper upholds the relevance and potential of intermediate cities, arguing that they can play as important a role – if not a more important one – than the large metropoles that, until now, have been the focus of attention. Intermediate cities hold considerable advantages, in particular for poverty reduction and as more efficient ecosystems to live and work. Untapping the potential of intermediate cities requires, however, more territorially balanced, place‐sensitive strategies.
Connected episodes you might be interested in:
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
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
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:
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
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 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:
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
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:
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
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 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:
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
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:
Connecting episodes you might be interested in:
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 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:
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
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