Cities Reimagined

In August 2025, Johannes sat down with Caroline Paulick-Thiel and Indy Johar deep in the Austrian Alps. During the European Forum Alpbach they discussed nothing less than the future of European (urban) civilisation. Looking for a way to make sense of the daily news, current geopolitical shifts, climate catastrophe, and general what feels like insanity around the world? Then, this is an episode you cannot afford to miss.If you like the episode, make sure to subscribe to Cities Reimagined or drop Johannes a line on LinkedIn or at [email protected] .In this episode:Why Europe, in between authoritarian superpowers, can lead the way to new societies.Why this is a post-war-like moment for Europe, demanding structural rebuilding.Why we need to rewire the metabolism of everything.How to reimagine urban economies for a secure Europe.Why we need more honesty in the scope of the current crises.How to embrace insanity and what knowledge our bodies hold.Caroline is a Berlin-based strategic designer and public policy expert, specialising in transformative innovation within the public sector. She is the Director and Co-founder of Politics for Tomorrow, an organisation dedicated to democratising systems change and fostering responsible public innovation. With a background in Design and Public Policy, she focuses on developing participatory processes and innovative frameworks to address complex public challenges.Indy is a London-based architect, social innovator, and serial entrepreneur. He is best known as the co-founder of 00 (Project00.cc) and Dark Matter Labs, organisations focused on systemic change, urban innovation, and sustainable urbanisation. Indy is also a Senior Innovation Associate with the Young Foundation and a Visiting Professor at the University of Sheffield.

If you have ever been to Bruges, or seen it in films or photos, chances are you have noticed at least one of the following: canals, swans, water, tourist boats. What often goes unnoticed is that Bruges, and the wider region of Flanders in Belgium, regularly suffers from droughts. In this episode, we meet Astrid Stroobandt from the City of Bruges and Simon Thys from the non-profit organisation Waterland, who are currently running the Blue4Green project, an Innovative Action funded by the European Urban Initiative. Astrid and Simon explain how the project aims to change the city’s relationship with water in multiple ways, and how children’s dreams can inspire change just as much as data and technological innovation. We also hear how the city is experimenting with medieval infrastructure as water buffers, and how green and blue algae are cutting summer fun short. If you would like to find out more about the project, have a look at the links below, connect with Astrid, Simon and Johannes on LinkedIn and follow Blue4Green on Portico. · European Urban Initiatives: https://www.urban-initiative.eu· Portico - Gateway to urban learning: https://portico.urban-initiative.eu· Article: From smart sensors to medieval cultural heritage: A new chapter in Bruges' water identity with Blue4Green· Article: A hot summer’s wake-up call to the City of Bruges: A blue-green algae crisis and what comes next

I have to start with an apology. To the guest of this episode, Kristijan Radojcic. After we had this conversation in a wild hotel room with tacky wallpaper in Wroclaw, Poland, the raw version of the recording was sitting unedited on my notebook for much too long.Finally, I am more than happy to share this episode with you, where Kris takes on a deep dive into his childhood in Slovenia and how a trip to Southeast Asia changed everything.If you are around urban EU programmes, you might have bumped into Kris on various occasions as he is working with URBACT, a programme that helps cities to develop an integrated set of actions for sustainable change. He and his family live in Paris.Connect with Kristijan and Johannes on LinkedIn and take a look at URBACT.In this episode:How did growing up in 1980s Ljubljana shape everyday urban life?How do music and architecture intersect in shaping cities and communities?How can encounters beyond Europe reshape ideas of sustainable urbanism?How do European cities learn from each other in practice, not theory?How do paradox economies shape our societies?Why does neighbourhood-level community matter for urban resilience?

Do you remember the first time you learned how to ride a bike? Chances are that you do, and if you kept on kicking those pedals, you might have some fond memories about the (daily) adventures with your bicycle. But… although biking ticks almost all boxes when it comes to urban sustainability, health, livability, affordability and accessibility, our cities still do not unfold the full potential of how urban biking can make our neighbourhoods better places. My guest today, Josip Rotar from the Maribor Cycling Network, is one of those who pushed for change in the city. Find out how advocacy for urban biking led Josip to take a political role and why urban biking is competing with the SUV of your neighbourhood (or your own?). Find out more about Josip and the Maribor Cycling Network here.Josip and the Maribor Cycling Network was part of the first round of Driving Urban Transition’s Urban Doers Community. We recorded this conversation just before the ACT NOW Mayor’s Conference in Vienna.

Urban rewilding is more than planting trees. It’s about reshaping cities by de-sealing land and inviting nature back in. In this episode, we head to Ghent to explore REWILD, a bold project funded by the European Urban Initiative that breaks up concrete, engages residents, and creates space for ecosystems. With Linde Vertriest and Annelies Sevenant, we talk about the barriers and challenges and touch upon the 1 Mio dollar question: what does it take to rewild a city?🔗 www.rewildthecity.eu🔗 Read more: Where the pavement ends. Can Ghent become a truly rewilded city?🔗 Rewild is an European Urban Initiative Innovative Action: https://www.urban-initiative.eu

Today we go back to the City of Mechelen, to find out how nature is making a comeback in Mechelen’s old town, why that is not only good for house sparrow, eels, and otters but for everyone living and working in the city and how residents are part of the journey for cleaner water, more biodiversity and green in the city.Healthy rivers and rich ecosystems cool our cities, filter our air, and offer places for both people and wildlife to thrive. Yet, for decades, urban waterways have been neglected, covered, or polluted, breaking the vital link between cities and nature.We have Michiel van Mele who is the City Ecologiest of Mechelen and Marteen de Jonge who is the head of the lab department of the Flanders Environmental Agency on the show. Tune in to find out more...This episode is part of the Johannes' work with the City of Mechelen's WATSUPS project, a New European Bauhaus demonstrator. WATSUPS is an Innovation Action funded by the European Urban Initiatives. More information here:European Urban InitiativeWATSUPS - Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces projectIn case you missed it: To dig in deeper into the amazing work of Mechelen's, you might want to give these past episodes a listen.Reimagining Mechelen Pt. 1 - Water as the Source of Urban Public Space with Nicole La IaconaReimagining Mechelen Pt. 2 - Nature as a Stakeholder in the Revival of the River Dijle with Mark Van der Veken

Have you ever felt how different cities feel, look, and smell at night? How everything is seems to be so different than during the day… having organised punk rock concerts and worked in a club myself during my teenage and student years, I had many touchpoints with the nighttime economy from early on. You might think now of all the clubs and bars… yes, they are part of that, but there is much more to it: workers in culture, logistics, health care, communication, and many more.In today’s episode, I FINALLY have Simone d’Antonio on the show. Simone is based in Rome, Italy, and you may have come across Simone’s name at some point. Because he’s a familiar face in urban innovation circles, both in Europe and worldwide.Currently, he is working with 10 cities on their nighttime policies and activities (find out more about the Cities After Dark URBACT Network here), and it was high time to connect online In our conversation, he convinced me that working on nighttime policies is more than hanging out in bars…Tune in to find out why the night doesn’t only belong to lovers, as Patti Smith once claimed, but to everyone.Tune in to find out:What if the night-time economy was about care, culture, and community, not just clubs and barsWhy cities at night are fighting a quiet war against the sofa and the apps on your phoneWhy the right to the city should be a 24/7 thingWhy Naples might be the northernmost city of the Global SouthHow urban nightlife differs depending on cultures, geographies and climates.

Almost every city has them - spaces and places that feel like they’re waiting. Waiting to be reawakened, reimagined, and reconnected to the people around them. Too often, though, that reawakening follows a predictable script: maximise economic return, build apartments, squeeze in shops, add a parking lot. Little thought is given to anything beyond profit.That’s exactly why I loved hearing Alenka Korenjak and Zala Velkavrh from Prostorož (a not-for-profit urban design agency from Ljubljana/Slovenia) speak about “unloved” places - because it shifts the lens. It’s not just about return on investment, but about how people relate to space, how public life can be cultivated, and how cities can become more liveable, more layered, more human.So when I spent a few weeks in Klagenfurt, it was high time to jump over the Karawanken Mountains to Ljubljana and visit the Prostorož studio in person on a Friday afternoon in May 2025.Further info:More on Prostorož: https://www.prostoroz.orgAlenka, Zala and Johannes on LinkedInCities Reimagined on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citiesreimagined/The book I mentioned in the show: Vocabularies for an Urbanising Planet: Theory Buidling through Comparison - https://birkhauser.com/en/book/9783035623031

Hi and welcome back to the first episode of season 3 of the Cities Reimagined Podcast.To kick things off, I’m joined by Donagh Horgan — a social designer, researcher, and all-round urban thinker who’s doing some pretty exciting work at the intersection of placemaking and tourism. Donagh is based between Ireland and the Netherlands, where he leads the Urban Leisure & Tourism Lab at Inholland University. He’s also a lecturer at Erasmus University Rotterdam and works with cities around the world to make them more inclusive, creative, and resilient.In this episode, we dive into the changing role of tourism in our cities. Urban tourism exploded after the 2008 financial crisis — bringing in money, but also creating real tensions: rising rents, disappearing housing, and a sense of alienation for many local communities. Together with Donagh, we explore how regenerative tourism might offer a way forward — one that puts local people, stories, and places at the centre. We talk about reimagining tourism as something that can give back rather than just take, and how we might start thinking about cities as ecosystems again, rather than playgrounds for capital.Donagh popped by my apartment while in Vienna and we had a great conversation — I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording it.

Soon after I started the Cities Reimagined podcast 18 months ago, it became a tool for learning, exchange, and inspiration through deep conversations. Now we’re heading into Season 3.Episodes for season 3 are in full production. Want to find out what’s in store? Tune in to the season trailer to hear more about the upcoming content and why deep conversations with people driving change in cities are more important than ever.In the coming weeks and months, we’ll go to Ljubljana 🇸🇮, Ghent 🇧🇪, Mechelen, Bruges, and more. We’ll cover topics such as urban tourism 🧳, the urban night-time economy 🌃, biodiversity and water quality 🐝💧, rewilding streets and schoolyards 🌱, and much more.Subscribe to the show to not miss an episode, follow us on Instagram to see more background content, reach out to me on LinkedIn or send me an email at [email protected].

Hardly any cities-related university programme gained so much attention over the last 15 years as the 4CITIES Masters in Urban Studies. For good reason. Over the two years, the students study at six universities in four different cities: Brussels, Vienna, Copenhagen and Madrid – with many many occasional visits to other cities in between. 4CITIES is located at the intersection of academia, activism, professional practice and urban exploration. I had the privilege of being part of the second cohort of 4CITIES from 2009 to 2011… and it was a life-changing experience for me. With the 4CITIES programme coming to an end in September 2025, it was a good moment in time to sit down with two people who have been part of making 4CITIES possible since the beginning: Yvonne Franz, Senior Lecturer from the University of Vienna and Stefan de Corte, administrative coordinator at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels. Whether are one of hundreds 4CITIES alumni from around the world, involved in teaching and setting up urban-related programmes at your university or just want to find out why madness plays an important role in setting up such a programme, this episode is for you. In this episode:· Why a Eurocentric perspective on urban studies is not enough· How the 4CITIES Master in Urban Studies changed the system from within· Why a comprehensive set of skill between disciplines is needed applying urban knowledge(s)· How the 4CITIES Master in Urban Studies shaped careers of former students but also of staff and teachers· How moving to (at least) four cities within 2 years teaches invaluable life lessons More information:- Follow Cities Reimagined on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citiesreimagined/- https://www.4cities.eu- Yvonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-yvonne-8449913a/- Send Johannes an email: [email protected] Photos by Daniel Dutkowski (Yvonne) and Hadrien Durei (Stefan).

Have you ever wondered how to give nature a voice in urban development? The City of Mechelen in Belgium does exactly that while reimagining the connection between water, public spaces, animals, plants and people. In these two episodes of the Cities Reimagined Podcast we zoom in to reshape your understanding of how the interests of more-than-human inhabitants can be taken up in urban transformation projects. This is part one out of two exploring the work done by the WATSUPS project. Click here for part one where we look at the background of the City of Mechelen’s ambition to reconnect to the water.In this episode:· Why a river should be understood as an actor/stakeholder in urban transformation· How empathy towards nature is essential for co-creating urban biodiversity· How to organise a citizen panel that ensures that the voices of nature are heard in urban transformation projects· How taking into account the voices of nature requires empathy, knowledge and “mildness”· How Mechelen’s Citizen Assembly developed over 120 recommendations for enhancing nature along the river DijleMore and more cities are reimagining their connection to their rivers, ponds and other water bodies. Whereas historically, cities have turned their back to the water as it was used primarily for economic purposes, in the 21st century, this perception has significantly shifted: Water in cities is a source of livability and sustainability.The City of Mechelen has been taking a groundbreaking approach to reconnect its inhabitants (humans, animals and plants) to the water. As part of the “Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces” (in short: WATSUPS - funded by the European Urban Initiative and running from 2024 to 2027) Mechelen is going to radically reshape the face of the city along the River Dijle while ensuring everyone has access to the water while making the more-than-human perspective a leading principle of the transformation. WATSUPS demonstrates how the spirit and principles of the New European Bauhaus can be translated into local, innovative actions.Listen in to the two Cities Reimagined episodes where we explore how Mechelen is giving back the river Dijle to all inhabitants: human and more-than-human.More information and materials mentioned in the podcast:· European Urban Initiative: https://www.urban-initiative.eu· Portico - The Gateway to Urban Learning: https://portico.urban-initiative.eu· WATSUPS - Article: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together: Reimagining Mechelen’s Relationship with Water, Biodiversity in Urban Public Space while Tackling Gentrification

Water as the Source of Urban Public SpaceHave you ever wondered how to give nature a voice in urban development? The City of Mechelen in Belgium does exactly that while reimagining the connection between water, public spaces, animals, plants and people. In two episodes of the Cities Reimagined Podcast we zoom in to reshape your understanding of how the interests of more-than-human inhabitants can be taken up in urban transformation projects. This is part one out of two exploring the work done by the WATSUPS project. Click here for part two (coming soon) where we talk about the voices of nature and the experiences of the citizen panel in WATSUPS.More and more cities are reimagining their connection to their rivers, ponds and other water bodies. Whereas historically, cities have turned their back to the water as it was used primarily for economic purposes, in the 21st century, this perception has significantly shifted: Water in cities is a source of livability and sustainability.The City of Mechelen has been taking a groundbreaking approach to reconnect its inhabitants (humans, animals and plants) to the water. As part of the “Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces” (in short: WATSUPS - funded by the European Urban Initiative and running from 2024 to 2027) Mechelen is going to radically reshape the face of the city along the River Dijle while ensuring everyone has access to the water while making the more-than-human perspective a leading principle of the transformation. WATSUPS demonstrates how the spirit and principles of the New European Bauhaus can be translated into local, innovative actions.Listen in to the two Cities Reimagined episodes where we explore how Mechelen is giving back the River Dijle to all inhabitants: human and more-than-human.In this episode· How the City of Mechelen is giving back the River Dijle to its inhabitants...· How public administration needs to seek compromises between interests...· Why being a civil servant is the most difficult job there is...· How including artists in co-creation/participation processes might lead to a cultural shift...· How fun and a positive energy are key to innovation...More information and materials mentioned in the podcast:· European Urban Initiative: https://www.urban-initiative.eu/· Portico - The Gateway to Urban Learning: https://portico.urban-initiative.eu· WATSUPS - Article: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together: Reimagining Mechelen’s Relationship with Water, Biodiversity in Urban Public Space while Tackling Gentrification

Here it is, the finale of the first season of the Cities Reimagined podcast and it is nothing shy of (plot) twists, secrets coming to light and what is to be expected for the way forward for the show, me personally and for Anthropocene.City: an idea I developed with today’s guest Jonas Bylund which is taking shape. Besides being a good friend and former year-long colleague, Jonas a researcher at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.Tune into this episode to hear about…🕵️ Unravelling Urban Mysteries in all corners of urban life with Anthropocene.City: From Godzilla friendships to reimagining cityscapes for all.🔧 Embrace Do It Yourself Urbanism and how a 'naive' stance leads to groundbreaking urban insights. We're talking DIY empowerment, the wisdom of action, and the art of reflection.🦖 The Journey to Urban Wisdom: What are urban transitions with a dose of love and care and what does it have to do with Godzilla or a dusty mountain bike?🐉 Preview of Season 2: As we close this season, we tease the next chapter: a blend of mysteries, inspiration, and innovative urban connections.🪕 A special Godzilla remix of the Cities Reimagined intro music.When I started developing the first concept for Cities Reimagined 10 months ago, I did not imagine the feedback I received until now. Thanks to everyone who reached out, listened to the show, gave feedback and helped me along the journey! Honestly, thank you. It is what makes this work worthwhile.For saying hello, reaching out with (cooperation) requests and anything at all, please send me an email: [email protected] .Cities Reimagined will take a break from here and is planned to return in September/October 2024. In the meantime, I will be busy working with the City of Mechelen (Belgium) on a European Urban Initiative project alongside the blue-green corridor river Dyle which will connect people, water and nature, kicking-off Anthropocene.City and my ‘regular’ job working with the Management Board of the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership.

As the importance of city foods is growing, this episode of Cities Reimagined is all about the transformative potential of healthy and delicious (urban) cuisine We are jumping back and forth between the favelas of the metropolis of Sāo Paulo, Brazil 🇧🇷  and the allotment gardens in Leeds, in the UK 🇬🇧 and will explore how cities are redefining their foodscapes for a sustainable future.Today’s guests areMarcella Arruda, an urbanist and permaculture designer and CEO of The City Needs You Institute [Instituto A Cidade Precisa de Você] from Sāo Paulo.Chiara Tornaghi. a critical human geographer and scholar-activist at Coventry University, with a focus on Political ecology, agroecology and politics of spaces from Leeds,Be prepared to hear aspects of urban food you might have not considered before:🍌 What stroganoff made of banana peals has to do with the favelas of São Paulo🔍 Why the invisible production of food in cities is a reflection of a broken relationship to the planet🥬 How agroecological inspires us to integrate aspects of sustainability, biodiversity, ecological balance and community resilience on the topic of food.🇧🇷 How Marcella’s NGO A Cicade Precisa De Você works with farmers on informal land in the favela of Brasilandia.🍲 How urban food can contribute to addressing the rising food poverty and what the difference between the UK and Brazil isMore information:Marcella’s NGO Instituto A Cidade Precisa de Você: https://www.acidadeprecisa.org/englishThe Urbanising in Place Project we talk about: http://urbanisinginplace.orgVideo on ECOCIDADES in São Paulo: https://youtu.be/_d4DvOWw5f8?si=-IuVUQx1kxM7JHmKAgroecological Urbanism: https://www.agroecologicalurbanism.orgLanded Community Kitchen: https://www.agroecologicalurbanism.org/building-blocks/landed-community-kitchenThis is the last thematic episode of season 1 of Cities Reimagined. Up next is the season finale, where the truth comes out, cliffhangers are being built for season 2 and… and… where Jonas Bylund and I will have a good time summing up what happened so far and bringing that into a 🦖 godzilla context. Stay tuned.If you like the content of Cities Reimagined, please consider subscribing to the channel, rate the show, follow us on Instagram for background stories or get connected to Johannes via LinkedIn or email ([email protected]).

This week’s guest on Cities Reimagined is Tiffany Fukuma, Managing Director of Trans Europe Halles, a network of over 160 alternative cultural centres across 40 countries which all have one in common: they reinterpret neglected and underused spaces such as factory and military buildings, commercial spaces, parking lots etc. for grassroots cultural activities.In this episode, we talk about... 🏭… how alternative cultural centres are creating new usages and identities of buildings and spaces ✨… why the trust of local administrations in the creativity of the residents will generate more exciting cities. 🪙… how city administration increasingly recognises that small-scale funding of resident-driven initiatives leads to more robust long-term transformation. 🌳… how repurposing existing buildings is essential for making cities sustainable and livable. 🗺️ … how Tiffany’s background in organising punk rock shows in squats, working in embassies and city administration in Japan, Canada and France led to managing Trans Europe Halles. Cultural centres and initiatives repurposing abandoned spaces are crucial for reimagining cities. They are dynamic spaces that foster creativity, community engagement, and social cohesion. They are experimental spaces, reinterpreting buildings and shifting the function of spaces. They develop new identities by reinterpreting the built environment and cultural heritage of cities and neighbourhoods.More info:Johannes on LinkedInCities Reimagined: www.anthropocene.city/podcastTrans Europe Halles: https://teh.net

This week, Cities Reimagined takes us to Peru and Vienna to discuss skateboarding.My guests this week, Christian Fischer and Johannes Wimmeder stayed in Cerrito de le Virgen in northern Peru for a while to work with the NGO Concrete Jungle Foundation. Cerrito de le Virgen is a neighbourhood characterized by displacement and replacement of residents due to extreme weather events and archaeological finds. In this delicate environment, the Concrete Jungle Foundation teamed up with the local community to design and build a skatepark, to plant the seed with capacity and to create a shared and safe place for everyone. Concrete Jungle Foundation is an innovative non-profit that works to empower individuals and communities worldwide through fostering and sustaining the positive values inherent to skateboarding. Christian followed the project with his camera and produced the documentary “El Cerrito” which is out now and you want to see, believe meIt was time for me to sit down with Christian and Johannes to talk kick-flips and….🛹 What skateboarding has to do with the appropriation, safety and production of urban space🪴How the work of Concrete Jungle Foundation is building capacities in local communities to improve the quality of life for everyone📚 What life skills skateboarding teach the young, and not-so-young ones.🦽How skaters (.. but also the elderly and people with special mobility needs) perceive urban space differently🌃 How local administrations increasingly take into account the perspectives of skaters in urban design…. and a lot more background stories on El Cerrito.Watch Christian’s documentary El Cerrito on Youtube.Follow and support Concrete Jungle Foundation: https://concretejunglefoundation.org // InstagramFollow Johannes’ Skateboard Club Vienna: https://skateboardclubvienna.at // InstagramFollow Cities Reimagined on Instagram or say hello to Johannes on LinkedIn or via email [email protected] .As we are wrapping up Season 1 of Cities Reimagined, we are looking into partnerships for future episodes. Please do get in touch if you are interested in being on the show and being part of the Cities Reimagined Podcast.

Hold tight: This episode of Cities Reimagined is PACKED with condensed knowledge on cities and urbanism in (post-war) Ukraine . In a 60 minute conversation with Oleksandr Anisimov, we upack:🇺🇦 … why the ignorance of NOT knowing about Ukraine(ian urbanism) has to stop🏙️ … reforming land-use rules and governance modes are essential for rebuilding Ukrainian cities🧰 … why rebuilding “social cities” after the destruction is essential for attracting people back after the war⏳ … why it feels like the Russian Federation is stealing time from Ukrainians⛔ … why the overcoming the ‘post-socialist’ label is crucial for reimagining cities🌱 … how the war and land destruction increases pressures on the land in the Western parts of Ukraine💲 … why neoliberalism and defunding local administrations creates a crises of imagination of what Ukrainian cities could beIn February 2022, what many from outside of Ukraine thought of as unthinkable happened: a large scale military attack and occupation of Ukrainian land by the Russian Federation. Now, in December 2023, an end of the war in Ukraine is not in sight. Thousands of civilian Ukrainians were killed. Entire cities put to rubble, 1.4 millions homes destroyed or damaged, infrastructures and historic monuments are destroyed each day. I had many questions on where Ukrainian cities and urbanism goes from here, Oleksandr Anisimov helped me to understand and place current events into a larger context.Get in touch with Oleksandr Anisimov on LinkedIn.Books mentioned in the episode:Anna Reid - Borderland: A Journey through the History of Ukraine - Click here for more.Timothy Snyder - The Road to Unfreedom - Click here for more.

On episode 6 of Cities Reimagined, Gerfried Ambrosch and I talked about the importance of wildlife habitats in urban areas. Besides being very active in reimagining places for amphibians, Gerfried plays and played in a ridicelous amount of punk/hardcore bands since the 1990s and he has some stories to tell. Tune into this bonus episode to find out…🎸 … how DIY punk rock ethics shapes Gerfried’s ambitions and motivations today🇧🇾 … about sneaking into Belarus in 2005 to play a show just to find yourself in the midst of local right-wing vs. left-wing wars🏫 … the role of unlearning for societal change🐸 … why the sounds of frogs and toads are the soundtrack to change the world to

I am very happy to have my good friend Gerfried Ambrosch on Cities Reimagined this week. Besides being a really cool person how plays in a ton of cool bands (you need to wait until the end of the show to hear a sample), Gerfried has an amazing track record of doing volunteer work for regenerating and improving the habitats of (sub-) urban wildlife, particularly amphibian populations with some astonishing results.Listen in to find out…🐸 Why taking non-human perspectives into account in urbanism is essential🚂 How brownfields provide natural habitats for highly specified species🦎 Why personal connections to a certain space / region help to do biodiversity projects🌆Why increasing the density of urban areas in current urbanism threatens biodiversity (hello, wicked issue!)🌿Why the connotation of activism might hinder getting stuff done (in Austria / Europe)With the prime focus on being put on the climate collapse, other crises caused by human activities are often overlooked. One of the most significant ones is the biodiversity crises. Toads, frogs and other amphibians are an indicator for local biodiversity and ecosystem health. But they are increasingly threatened by forms of urbanization which do not take natural processes and a balanced human-nature connection into account. But… there is hope on the horizont from the European policy level, down to the very local areas where Gerfried is regularly digging…While you are here you might want to check out:Gerfried on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerfried-ambrosch-9038bb219/Gerfried's book "The Poetry of Punk" out on Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/The-Poetry-of-Punk-The-Meaning-Behind-Punk-Rock-and-Hardcore-Lyrics/Ambrosch/p/book/9781138502345Gerfried's active bands:Morrow: https://morrowpunx.bandcamp.comArchivist: https://archivistmusic.bandcamp.comCities Reimagined on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citiesreimagined/If you like the show, please subscribe to the channel, leave a rating and a review and get connected on Instagram for background and making-off content.

This week, Cities Reimagined takes us to South Africa to speak to Paul Currie, Director of the urban systems unit at ICLEI Africa.In October 2023, Johannes had the chance to swing by ICLEI Africa’s offices in Cape Town for this conversation on reimagining African urbanism which turned out extremely rich and exciting.Africa is a continent of astounding diversity and rapid urbanization. With a population projected to double by 2050, Africa is at the forefront of the global urbanization trend. This remarkable growth, however, presents both tremendous opportunities and formidable challenges for the continent's cities. From the sprawling megacities like Lagos and Cairo to the picturesque coastal gem of Cape Town, African cities embody a kaleidoscope of cultures, traditions, and urban landscapes.Tune in to find out….🇪🇹…how a bus ride in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia built the basis for this conversation🗽…how living in NYC as a teenager shaped Paul’s obsession with cities🛵 …what the problems about formalising informal systems and infrastructures are and why a different vocabulary is needed🔓…why the focus on challenges and problems prevents creativity and reimagining desirable future(s)🌇…why the celebration of ‘resilience’ is problematicIf you like what you are hearing, subscribe to Cities Reimagined, leave a comment or a rating, follow us in Instagram for background stories or, even better, send an email to [email protected] .Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-currie-a198869b/Rise Africa [ICLEI]: https://riseafrica.iclei.orgSTART Initiative: https://start.org

This episode of Cities Reimagined takes us very locally. It takes us deep, deep down into a damp, smelly basement (no joke) of the city I was born in, #Klagenfurt, Austria to explore the role of local journalism for reimagining futures together with Stephan Fugger, an editor for the local RegionalMedien Austria in Carinthia, Austria.Stephan increasingly covers aspects related to soil sealing and climate change in Klagenfurt in Southern Austria so it was time to talk to him about where he sees his work's role in breaking down global trends (and complexities) to the everyday life of people.Stephan and I talked about:🎛️ Why the basement we recorded the interview in is an artefact of changing youth cultures💥 The challenge for politicians and public administrations to transparently communicate complex topics in everyday life's language🔭 Shifting interests of readers towards local effects of climate change🤬 Positive Anger🚘 Why taking pictures of politicians without cars in the background is difficult in Klagenfurt🎶 The soundtrack to change the world; and for going on gloomy walks in Klagenfurt in the foggy season (November to February).There is currently more and more media coverage on climate and biodiversity crises related to anthropogenic topics in the media. However, a lot of the reporting on, for example, climate change scenarios and how far the atmosphere will continue to warm if greenhouse gas emissions are not cut drastically are difficult for many people to grasp. It seems to be abstract and oftentimes unrelatable to the everyday life of many.Studies show that highlighting the local impacts of climate change is motivational for behaviour change and action. On the other side, when people perceive the effects of global crises as distant, as taking place somewhere else, on the other side of the planet they may feel powerless and disengaged.For that reason, news media can play an important role by shedding light on stories in a manner that emphasises local perspectives alongside the global scale.Links:Regionalmedien Kärnten: https://www.meinbezirk.at/klagenfurt/Boysclub on Bandcamp: https://boysclubrocks.bandcamp.comDer Schwarze Schwarm on Bandcamp: https://derschwarzeschwarm.bandcamp.comPhoto by Peter Schaflechner.#urbanism #urbansustainability #citiesreimagined #podcast #inspiration #changemaker #localjournalism #regenerativeaction #climateneutrality #klagenfurt #kasnudel

This episode of the Cities Reimagined podcast is all about urban future(s)… but actually also urban presents. With today’s guests, Jonas Bylund (Researcher at KTH Royal Institute of Technology) and Josefin Wangel (Senior Research Officer at Formas), both from Stockholm, we will dive into urban utopias, science fiction, safe to fail urbanism, Detroit and much more.Among other things, you will hear about:Why sports coaches might be well placed for long term urban transitions.Why the aim should be to build safe to fail instead of fail safe citiesHow cities are a collection of different past utopias.Why Jonas had the impression that there is no good future ahead (spoiler: he consumed too much Science-Fiction as a child.. or maybe too much IPCC reports more recently?).Why Josefin befriended a goat.Get to know these amazing people and their work here:Jonas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-bylund-urbanalys/Josefin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josefinwangel/Beyond Efficiency, a book Josefin (co-)edited: https://aadr.info/product/beyond-efficiency/Find a collection of Jonas’ publications here: https://urbanalys.se/text.htmlPhoto of Jonas by Anna Ek.

Whose business is it to shape cities and urban areas and who has the power and resources to reimagine cities? Jim Segers and Sofie van Bruystegem from the Brussels-based NGO CityMine(d) challenge the status quo of who has the right and power to shape urban areas since 1997.In highly co-creative processes, their aim is to engage residents, particularly in disadvantaged neighbourhoods who are too often excluded from city making. City Mine(d) is an organisation at the crossroads between architecture, urbanism activism, but also in the middle between residents, commuters, artists, investors, researchers and policy makers and therefore a medium through which all of these actors can communicate.Jim and Sofie are true boundary spanners, linking disadvantaged and underserved communities in Brussels with state-of-the-art interventions for transforming urban areas and I am very happy to have them on the Cities Reimagined Podcast.Photo @Sophie Feyder.

Reimagining Public SpacesWhat makes cities urban, you might find asking yourself from time to time. Whatever you find appropriate a definition, it most likely has something to do with urban public spaces.There is no way of not addressing issues around urban public spaces when discussing reimagining cities as they are key to healthy, cities.One of the most motivated people working in urban public spaces I met over the years is Luisa Bravo. Luisa is based in Bologna, Italy, among many other things, and is the founder and president of City Space Architecture. She is the person behind the Museo Spazio Pubblico, the museum for public space, editor in chief of the Journal of Public Space which she publishes with UN-Habitat and, not least, runs the Public Space Academy, an educational programme on, you might have guessed it, public space. In our conversation we talk about teenage memories of Italian public spaces, Jan Gehl’s studies in the 60s and 70s, why Bologna has too many tables and chairs standing around, why public space and a museum dedicated to it in the suburbs matter and much more.If you like the episode, please consider subscribing to the Cities Reimagined Podcast to not miss any shows in the future.More information on the Cities Reimagined Podcast can be found here. The Cities Reimagined Podcast is on Instagram. The Cities Reimagined Podcast is hosted, produced and edited by Johannes Riegler. Get in touch with Johannes via LinkedIn and [email protected] .

In this introduction of the Cities Reimagined Podcast (yes, you might call it a trailer..), Johannes introduces himself, why he took a year off and started a podcast, why a show on reimagining urban areas is extremely relevant today and gives you an idea of what to expect from Cities Reimagined. The full first episode will be available in early September 2023.