The Century of Cities

Afleveringen

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  Sumbul Siddiqui: Can a Successful City Stay Inclusive? 12.08.2026 11min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui of Cambridge, Massachusetts, as part of our special series recorded in Singapore in association with the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum and the Centre for Liveable Cities. A city once shaped by manufacturing and industrial decline, Cambridge has reinvented itself as a global centre for research and innovation. But that success has brought a new challenge: how can a city remain prosperous without becoming inaccessible to the people who call it home? Sumbul explores the next chapter for Cambridge, where housing affordability, climate adaptation, emerging technology, and economic inclusion are becoming inseparable from the city's future. She makes the case for long-term, collaborative leadership that brings universities, businesses, community organizations, and residents into the same conversation. For a city built on knowledge and innovation, the next great challenge may be making sure that opportunity remains open to everyone.
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  Raisa Treñas: How Do You Build a City for Everyone? 10.08.2026 13min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Mayor Raisa Treñas of Iloilo City as part of our special series recorded in Singapore in association with the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum and the Centre for Liveable Cities. Once a major sugar-exporting centre, Iloilo experienced economic decline and underinvestment before embarking on a remarkable revival rooted in good governance, environmental restoration, heritage, and inclusive growth. Today, the city is emerging as one of the Philippines' fastest-growing urban economies. Raisa has a different ambition for Iloilo: not to become a megacity, but to become a better city for everyone. She shares how restoring the Iloilo River, investing in health and education, strengthening climate resilience, and bringing citizens into the process are reshaping the city. She imagines a place where culture, technology, nature, and human-centred development work together, and where the city's future is shaped by its citizens.
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  Hillary Schieve: How Do You Reinvent a City's Identity? 05.08.2026 13min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Mayor Hillary Schieve of Reno as part of our special series recorded in Singapore in association with the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum and the Centre for Liveable Cities. Convening mayors and urban leaders from more than 100 cities, the Summit focused on one central challenge: how to turn ambitious urban ideas into meaningful action. For Mayor Schieve, transformation begins by rethinking what a city is known for. She shares Reno's evolution from a gaming town into a centre for innovation, entrepreneurship, arts, and outdoor living, revealing how strong leadership often means seeing potential where others see limitations. From embracing unexpected assets to fostering a culture of collaboration and calculated risk, Hillary offers a compelling reminder that the future of cities belongs to leaders willing to challenge convention, listen deeply, and create with their communities.
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  Ciprian Ciucu: What Does It Take to Lead a Modern Capital? 03.08.2026 21min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Mayor Ciprian Ciucu of Bucharest as part of our special series recorded in Singapore during the World Cities Summit 2026, in association with the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum and the Centre for Liveable Cities. Bringing together mayors from more than 100 cities under the theme Liveable and Sustainable Cities: ACT Now!, the Summit provided a global platform for city leaders to exchange ideas, share practical solutions, and strengthen collaboration on the future of urban life. Against this backdrop, Mayor Ciucu reflects on Bucharest's transformation from a centrally planned communist capital to a modern European city navigating growth, mobility, and resilience. Looking ahead, he explores the leadership needed to reduce earthquake risk, modernize ageing infrastructure, and create a more liveable city. His perspective is both practical and optimistic: great cities are shaped not only by long-term vision, but by collaboration, courageous leadership, and the ability to manage complexity.
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  Sanjay Shukla: Is Housing Really a Finance Problem? 01.07.2026 21min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Sanjay Shukla, Managing Director of the National Housing Bank of India, as part of our special miniseries in collaboration with UN-Habitat. Sanjay explores a critical question: if the need for housing is clear, why does finance remain out of reach for millions? As cities grow, he suggests that solving the housing crisis depends as much on transforming financial systems as increasing housing supply. Emerging from conversations at World Urban Forum 13, Sanjay outlines a new vision for housing finance, one designed around how people actually live and earn. From informal workers to alternative lending models, he explores how finance can expand access rather than create barriers.  As the global community prepares for the upcoming SDG 11 Review and the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda, conversations that began at World Urban Forum 13 will continue there. This episode is part of that broader dialogue on the future of cities.
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  Edgar Pieterse: Can Africa Redefine the Future of Urbanization? 28.06.2026 37min

  The Century of Cities welcomes back Edgar Pieterse, Founding Director of the African Centre for Cities and Co-Chair of the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative, as part of our special miniseries in collaboration with UN-Habitat. As Africa becomes the world's fastest urbanizing region, Edgar examines one of the defining questions of this century: can the continent transform unprecedented urban growth into lasting prosperity? Housing, infrastructure, climate resilience, and economic transformation, he suggests, cannot be treated as separate agendas. The future of African cities depends on bringing them together. From the Africa Urban Forum and the Nairobi Declaration to the global conversations at World Urban Forum 13, Edgar outlines an emerging vision for African urbanization, one that sees housing not simply as a social challenge, but as a catalyst for economic transformation, resilience, and opportunity. His outlook is ambitious yet grounded: with stronger city leadership, sustained investment, and regional collaboration, Africa has the opportunity to redefine what successful urbanization looks like in the 21st century. As the global community prepares for the upcoming SDG 11 Review and the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda, conversations that began at World Urban Forum 13 will continue there. This episode is part of that broader dialogue on the future of cities.
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  Jonathan Reckford: What Would It Take to House the World? 24.06.2026 18min

  Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International, joins The Century of Cities as part of our special miniseries in collaboration with UN-Habitat. Building on conversations emerging from World Urban Forum 13 in Baku, Jonathan reflects on a world where rapid urbanization, climate pressures, migration, and rising construction costs have combined to create a housing crisis affecting cities across every region of the world. At the heart of the conversation is a challenge to conventional thinking: solving the housing crisis is not simply about building more homes. It is about expanding access to the systems, opportunities, and pathways that make housing possible. From informal settlements and incremental housing to land rights, finance, and market access, Jonathan explores why housing solutions must be designed around the realities of how people live, build, and improve their communities. Housing, he argues, is not simply shelter. It is a foundation for opportunity, resilience, and human flourishing. As the global community prepares for the upcoming SDG 11 Review and the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda, conversations that began at World Urban Forum 13 will continue there. This episode is part of that broader dialogue on the future of cities.
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  Anaclaudia Rossbach: Why Housing Is the Defining Urban Challenge 18.06.2026 41min

  Anaclaudia Rossbach, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) at the Under-Secretary-General level and the very first guest on The Century of Cities, returns to explore why housing has become one of the defining tests of urban leadership in the 21st century. Drawing on insights from World Urban Forum 13 in Baku and the newly launched World Cities Report 2026, she reflects on a world where rapid urbanization is colliding with rising housing costs, growing informality, displacement, and homelessness—challenges affecting cities across every region of the world. At the heart of the conversation is a simple but powerful idea: housing is not just a housing issue. It shapes economic opportunity, climate resilience, public health, and social stability. With two billion more people expected to live in cities by 2050, Anaclaudia explores why housing must move from the margins of policy discussions to the centre of political action. The challenge is immense, but so is the opportunity to build safer, more resilient, and more inclusive cities for the decades ahead. As the global community prepares for the upcoming SDG 11 Review and the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on the New Urban Agenda, conversations that began at World Urban Forum 13 will continue there. This episode is part of that broader dialogue on the future of cities.
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  Meric Gertler: Why Cities and Universities Need Each Other 08.06.2026 33min

  Meric Gertler, former President of the University of Toronto and Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the School of Cities, joins The Century of Cities to reflect on the remarkable evolution of cities and the institutions that help shape them. He recalls a time when cities were widely viewed as unmanageable, financially strained, and in decline, before emerging as globally recognized engines of innovation, talent, and economic dynamism.  Meric explores the growing role of universities as civic institutions, innovation hubs, and catalysts for urban problem-solving. From climate action and entrepreneurship to talent development and global collaboration, he argues that universities are uniquely positioned to help cities navigate an increasingly complex future. His outlook is characteristically optimistic: cities remain among humanity's most resilient inventions, and their future will be shaped by the strength of the partnerships they forge across sectors, disciplines, and communities
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  Ruchita Bansal: Building Cities That Work for Everyone 01.06.2026 22min

  Ruchita Bansal, urban planner, founder of SheCity India, and host of The Human Cities Podcast, joins The Century of Cities to explore how cities are often designed around a narrow idea of who urban life is meant to serve. Reflecting on India's rapid urban transformation, she argues that much of urban planning still defaults to the able-bodied male commuter, leaving women, caregivers, migrants, and informal workers largely invisible. From safer mobility to care-based infrastructure and more inclusive public space, Ruchita makes the case for cities that respond to how people actually move, work, and live.
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  Marc Canal: How Cities Powered a Century of Plenty 25.05.2026 20min

  Marc Canal, Senior Fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute and co-author of A Century of Plenty, joins The Century of Cities to explore why cities have been among the greatest engines of human progress. From divided and economically uncertain cities to today's global hubs of talent, innovation, and culture, Marc explains how density, connectivity, and urbanization accelerated prosperity, productivity, and technological advancement on an unprecedented scale. Marc sees cities entering another major transition shaped by AI, electrification, robotics, and demographic change. He argues that the cities that thrive will not simply adopt new technologies, but will be the ones able to experiment, build, attract talent, and adapt quickly. 
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  Marta Foresti: Why Creativity Is Essential to the Future of Cities 18.05.2026 23min

  Marta Foresti, Founder and CEO of LAGO Collective and Chair of the Global Creative Economy Council, joins The Century of Cities to explore the evolving relationship between cities, creativity, migration, and growth. Reflecting on her upbringing in Milan and her work across Europe and Africa, Marta traces the shift from car-dominated, exclusionary cities toward more open and creative urban environments. But she also warns that the same forces driving investment and global visibility can push out the artists, young talent, and cultural spaces that give cities their identity. Marta sees a future where cities thrive when they remain open to movement, experimentation, and the bottom-up energy that allows people and ideas to flourish.
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  András Szörényi: How Cities Are Reshaping Global Governance 11.05.2026 24min

  The Century of Cities welcomes András Szörényi, Senior Policy Advisor at Global Cities Hub, to explore how cities are becoming increasingly influential actors in global cooperation. Drawing on his diplomatic career, András reflects on the shift from traditional city-to-city partnerships to today's networks of multi-level and multi-stakeholder collaboration. From climate adaptation and migration to health and digital governance, he explains why many global challenges now depend on local implementation and urban leadership. András highlights how city networks have evolved into powerful systems for sharing knowledge, testing solutions, and accelerating action across borders. His outlook is pragmatic and optimistic: the future of governance will rely less on competition between levels of government and more on stronger cooperation between cities, states, and international institutions. 
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  Cristina Bueti: AI, Accountability, and the Next Urban Era 04.05.2026 25min

  Cristina Bueti, Counsellor on Smart Sustainable Cities, AI-enabled Citiverse & Virtual worlds at International Telecommunication Union, joins The Century of Cities to explore a new phase of urban intelligence. She traces the shift from cities that once operated without real-time awareness to systems that can now sense, learn, and adapt. Yet even as cities solve major challenges, they remain exposed when yesterday's solutions collide with tomorrow's risks. Cristina introduces a compelling vision of cities as living systems, where artificial intelligence acts as a coordinating layer across infrastructure, services, and decision-making. The opportunity is transformative, but not inevitable. It will depend on how cities embed governance, accountability, and human-centred thinking alongside technological progress.
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  Marie Lam - Frendo: Why Infrastructure Must Become a Force for Good 28.04.2026 18min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Marie Lam - Frendo, Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Meridiam, to explore how infrastructure has shifted from simply enabling growth to shaping resilience, inclusion, and long-term prosperity. She reflects on the move from car-led, output-driven cities to a new urban era where people, technology, energy, mobility, and nature must operate as one connected system. The cities that thrive tomorrow will be the ones making smarter choices today. From clean transport and coastal defence to digital networks and circular energy, resilience is becoming central to how cities are planned, financed, and built. Marie's perspective is practical and optimistic: when public ambition and private capability move together, cities can strengthen communities, widen opportunity, and meet a far more uncertain future.
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  J. Byron Brazier: The Power of Community-Led Development 20.04.2026 24min

  J. Byron Brazier, lead developer of Woodlawn Central, joins The Century of Cities to share a powerful model for building cities with communities, not around them. Rooted in Chicago's South Side and shaped by a legacy of civil rights leadership, Byron reflects on how cities have moved from an era defined by human connection and hard-won social progress to one shaped by technology, design, and global visibility.  Through the Woodlawn 2060 plan, Byron is redefining urban regeneration by placing ownership, culture, and economic participation back in the hands of residents. From mixed-income housing and local job creation to cultural districts and vertical farming, his approach challenges traditional development models that often lead to displacement. He shares that the future of cities depends on accountability at the community level, alignment across institutions, and a commitment to regeneration that builds wealth, identity, and opportunity across generations.
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  Ami Kotecha: Migration and the Next Urban Shift 14.04.2026 22min

  Ami Kotecha, Co-Founder and Group President at Amro Partners, joins The Century of Cities to trace the evolution of cities through the lens of migration, capital, and lived experience. Reflecting on her upbringing in Mumbai and her work across European markets, she describes the shift from cities shaped by scarcity and informality to today's global urban economies, where growth has been powered by talent, mobility, and relentless expansion. Ami argues that the next phase of urban change will be defined not by growth, but by demographics. As population peaks and workforces age, cities must rethink how they sustain productivity, from designing healthier, more accessible environments to embracing migration as a long-term economic necessity. Her perspective is grounded and direct: resilience will depend on how well cities adapt to changing populations, support independence across the life cycle, and remain open to the flows of people and ideas that drive prosperity.
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  Lisette van Doorn: Rethinking Real Estate for Better Cities 06.04.2026 27min

  Lisette van Doorn, Former Chief Executive at Urban Land Institute Europe, joins The Century of Cities to explore how real estate has shifted from a local, owner-led activity to a global, highly financialized industry, and what that means for cities. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, she reflects on how global capital and new investment models have reshaped the built environment, unlocking growth while also creating distance between financial value and lived experience. Lisette argues for a rebalancing, where buildings are seen not only as assets, but as the environments that shape daily life. As cities face climate risk, economic uncertainty, and rising complexity, she emphasizes the need for long-term thinking, better alignment between stakeholders, and a more holistic approach to value. Her message is clear: stronger collaboration and a shift beyond short-term returns are essential to building more resilient, inclusive cities.
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  Sowmya Parthasarathy: Planning Cities for the Long Term 03.03.2026 29min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Sowmya Parthasarathy, an Architect and Urban Designer leading Arup's Masterplanning and Urban Design team in London, who examines how city planning has shifted from centralized, top-down systems toward more people-centred and regenerative approaches. Drawing on her experience in 1980s New Delhi and her work across the UK, US, Middle East, and India, she reflects on how rapid urbanization outpaced planning capacity, and how climate risk and housing affordability now define urban priorities. Looking to 2080, she argues that cities must move beyond net zero toward regenerative models that align human and natural systems. Drawing on her work with the UK's New Towns Task Force, she explores densification, retrofit, and the role of new towns, emphasizing that long-term success depends on integrating housing, infrastructure, placemaking, and stewardship into a single, sustained civic vision.
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  Chris Fair: Beyond the Global City 21.02.2026 31min

  The Century of Cities welcomes Chris Fair, futurist and President & CEO of Resonance, who explores how cities are moving beyond a single model of the "global city" toward more divergent forms of urban development. Drawing on decades of research and the evaluation of hundreds of cities worldwide, he reflects on how places once shaped by globalization are now differentiating through culture, governance, and lived experience. From Copenhagen's reinvention to the contrasting trajectories of São Paulo and Toronto, the discussion highlights the growing gap between performance and perception, and why it matters. Chris challenges conventional approaches to city branding, reframing it as civic identity grounded in authenticity, institutional capacity, and local aspiration. He argues that cities at different stages of growth or decline face distinct priorities, from placemaking and infrastructure to institutional alignment. As urbanization fragments across regions, the cities best positioned for the future will be those that clearly understand who they are, what they offer, and how to turn identity into long-term opportunity.