PlanningxChange 143 : Place and Longevity - Blue Zones with Marcus Pearce

Living Better for Longer: Blue Zones, Longevity and the Places We Create Guest: Marcus Pearce What do a small Greek island, a mountain village in Sardinia, and a Californian faith-based community have in common? They are among the world's famous Blue Zones - places where people routinely live into their nineties and hundreds, not because of miracle diets or expensive health interventions, but because of the way their communities are structured and how people live their everyday lives. In this episode, Peter Jewell and Jess Noonan speak with Marcus Pearce, longevity educator, host of the 100 Not Outpodcast, and founder of wellbeing experiences to Blue Zone communities. Marcus shares his personal journey from sports journalist to one of Australia's leading voices on healthy ageing and wellbeing. The conversation explores what planners, designers and policymakers can learn from places where longevity is not the exception but the norm. In this episode we discuss: * What Blue Zones are and how they were identified * The six recognised Blue Zones, including the recent addition of Singapore * Marcus's personal transformation from sports media to longevity advocacy * Why attitudes towards ageing can significantly influence lifespan * The role of social connection, purpose and community in healthy ageing * What makes places such as Ikaria (Greece) and Sardinia (Italy) unique * The importance of walkability and natural movement in daily life * Why loneliness may be one of the greatest public health challenges of our time * The relationship between urban design, wellbeing and longevity * How modern technology and changing work patterns may be weakening social connections * Lessons planners can draw from village-scale living and human-centred environments * Whether Blue Zone principles can be applied in contemporary cities Marcus also reflects on the concept of an "ageing mentor" - someone whose approach to life and ageing inspires us to think differently about our own future. Key Takeaway The most powerful lesson from the Blue Zones may be that healthy ageing is less about individual optimisation and more about creating places where connection, movement, purpose and belonging occur naturally. In other words, the environment often shapes healthier behaviours without people consciously trying to pursue them. Guest Marcus Pearce
Host of the 100 Not Out podcast and founder of Blue Zone-inspired wellbeing experiences. Marcus has spent more than a decade interviewing centenarians, longevity experts and wellbeing leaders, helping people rethink what it means to live a long and meaningful life. Podcast Extra In Culture Corner: * Marcus reflects on David Attenborough's remarkable longevity and asks: Who is your ageing mentor? * Jess discusses The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Sarah Krasnostein and Claire Hooper. * Peter talks about rediscovering fountain pens following a recent trip to Japan. Podcast released 29 May 2026.