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Joan Clos: What Does It Really Take to Transform a City? episode artwork

Oct 4, 2026 24 min

Joan Clos: What Does It Really Take to Transform a City?

from The Century of Cities Hosted by Professor Greg Clark & Jennifer Dolynchuk

The Century of Cities welcomes Joan Clos, elected twice as Mayor of Barcelona, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, for a conversation about the forces that shape cities and the leadership required to transform them. Reflecting on Barcelona's transition from dictatorship to democracy, he explores how political consensus, public participation, and international ambition helped drive a remarkable period of urban renewal, including the transformation surrounding the 1992 Olympic Games. Drawing on his global experience with UN-Habitat and the 2016 New Urban Agenda, Dr. Clos examines the challenges facing cities today, from housing affordability and inequality to the need for renewed urban planning and regulatory systems. As cities look toward 2080, Dr. Clos brings the focus back to the foundations of urban transformation: the institutions, regulatory frameworks, and collective political will that turn ambition into lasting change.

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This episode was published on October 4, 2026.

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