PodParks

What if a bench was more than just a bench? In this episode of Podparks , host Maria Burnett sits down with Daniela Bertino, international development lead for Agoramakers, for a lively, unfiltered conversation about public space, beauty, and belonging. From benches turned skateparks to lighting that shapes how we feel in a city, Daniela shares stories and reflections from a career spent helping c...

This week, we celebrate World Parks Week with a very special narrative-style episode! 🌍🎧 Join us on a global journey exploring how parks shape healthier, more resilient, and more connected cities. You'll hear reflections from inspiring voices around the world, including: 🌳 Carl McClean on parks as instruments of global equity 🌳 Dorothea Sulzbacher on the essential link between parks and mental...

Season 3 of PodParks continues with a powerful narrative-style episode exploring our complex relationship with nature—and how nature-based solutions can help cities meet today’s biggest challenges. New host Maria Burnett , a parks strategist from Aotearoa New Zealand, brings us stories and reflections from three inspiring voices who are reshaping the way we think about urban nature: 🌿 Cecil Konij...

Welcome to a brand-new third season of PodParks! In this episode, we introduce our new host, Maria Burnett, and explore the exciting themes that will shape Season 3. From climate adaptation and inclusivity to Indigenous perspectives and youth engagement, this season promises fresh insights and meaningful conversations about the future of urban parks. We also take a moment to reflect on the journey...

Exciting news! PodParks returns for its third season with a brand-new host, Maria Barnett , an open spaces planner from Aotearoa, New Zealand . As World Urban Parks celebrates its 10th anniversary , this season explores nature play, climate resilience, indigenous perspectives, and emerging park technologies , featuring global experts. New episodes launch this April—subscribe now and be the first t...

Welcome to PodParks, the podcast from World Urban Parks for park enthusiasts and nature lovers! In this exclusive sneak peek of Season 3, meet our new host, Maria Barnett, joining us all the way from Aotearoa, New Zealand, where she works as an open spaces planner. This season, we’re celebrating World Urban Parks' 10th anniversary — a decade of connecting people with nature around the globe. Get r...

This week on Podparks, we are recording live from Adelaide Australia, where we’re currently holding our Global Parks Congress in collaboration with Parks and Leisure Australia and Green Adelaide. We’ve had a great conference week with insightful conversations, technical tours and many reflections about the past, present and future of our communities and cities.

Can urban jungles transform to become sustainable, green and equitable cities? This week on Podparks, we explore transformative citymaking with Jorge Perez Jaramillo, Advisor to the government of Antioquia, from Medellin, Colombia. Medellin has been an example for urban metamorphosis, developing solutions for the city’s growing urban populations that integrate mobility, environmental protection an...

This week on Podparks, we are exploring the growing niche of park awards and certifications, what they even mean, how they work, and what their implications are for parks pursuing them around the world. Park standards and certifications allow parks to maintain a certain level of quality and ensure that different aspects of park experiences are taken into account in strategic investments and manage...

We have another podparks episode! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/ How can we learn from other park professionals while we push to create greener, more habitable cities? This week on Podparks, we’re discussing collaborative park making, and park professionalizations and certificates with Mayu Ferrufino,&n...

Welcome back to podparks! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/ Have you ever thought about coastal environments as parks? When we think about public green, our mind sometimes goes directly towards a traditional, green park or urban forest, but beaches and wetlands and other forms of waterways are just as impo...

Welcome back to another Podparks episode! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/ How can we transform cities to become more human, more compassionate? In today’s episode of Podparks, we’re joining a conversation on urban transformation through culture, by revisiting a keynote speech from the World Urban Park Co...

Welcome back to podparks! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/ Do you know data science can help us create equitable parks systems? On today’s episode of Podparks, we get to discuss this intersection with Mindy Watts, Principal at Interface Studio, a planning and urban design firm based in Philadelphia that w...

Welcome back! How would our cities change if we replaced most of our roads with parks? This week on Podparks, we are advocating for green networks, which are webs of parks and corridors and walkways that allow people to navigate the city through green public spaces. Green networks center non-motorized transport and human mobility to create alternative pedestrian routes that connect neighborhoods,...

Another Wednesday, another Podparks episode! How can public and private actors work together to create more equitable parks and green spaces? This week on podparks, we are discussing collaborations and equitable park building with Martin Andrade, Executive Director of Corporación Ciudades, a Chilean organization working hand in hand with key actors to create territorial wellbeing. If you want to r...

What is up with mental health walks? This week on Podparks, we’re uncovering the intricate relationships between parks and mental health, and learning how we can advocate for spaces that promote our wellbeing. We are joined by health professionals from around the world that are on a quest to create better environments for our physical and mental health. Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, yo...

We are back for another episode of Podparks! What happens when parks are transformed into community empowerers? This week on Podparks, we discuss this and more of parks’ crucial social role as reviewed in Trust for Public Land’s new groundbreaking report “The Common Ground Framework”. We are joined by Cary Simmons, Director of Community Strategies at Trust for Public Land as well as Daniel Valdez,...

This week on Podparks, we are joined by Maria Zachariades and Luis Romahn to talk about Parkitecture, World Urban Park’s international park design contest. Maria and Luis share how the contest was created, with the goal to bring innovation and creativity to emerging cities across the world. As Maria explains, Parkitecture is bringing a community-center approach to design, working with citizens and...

Welcome back to podparks! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/ .  This week on Podparks, we are analyzing the magic of trees, and why they have become so crucial in our lives.  And as recent research suggests, trees are intricately connected to each other and to other organisms through mycorrhizal n...

This week on Podparks, we are joined by Marian Stuiver, social scientist and head of the Green Cities Program at Wageningen University. Marian shares her long trajectory in urban resilience, reflecting on the work that led her to publish her book titled The Symbiotic City, Voices of nature in urban transformations. The relationship between nature and humans is complex and intrinsically linked. Sym...

Podparks is back for a second season! This week on Podparks,  we’re building the case for urban rewilding, a process where cities around the world are reimagining themselves as active ecosystems with native wildlife in mind.  Jonathan Cha, Senior Planning Advisor of Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal Canada, recounts the participatory process that transformed the park from an entertainment ve...

**** We want your opinion! Tell us what you loved about season 1 of Podparks, where we can improve, and what you want to hear more of! Fill out the quick form at https://bit.ly/podparks   Welcome back to podparks! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/podparks/ ¡We are wrapping season 1! This week, we are...

**** We want your opinion! Tell us what you loved about season 1 of Podparks, where we can improve, and what you want to hear more of! Fill out the quick form at https://bit.ly/podparks   Hello once again! This week on Podparks, we explore the quest to create resilient parks and resilient cities with the help from park managers, designers and climate experts from around the world. Climate cha...

Welcome back to podparks! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/podparks/ **** We want your opinion! Tell us what you loved about season 1 of Podparks, where we can improve, and what you want to hear more of! Fill out the quick form at https://bit.ly/podparks   This week on Podparks, Alice is joined by Jul...

Welcome back to podparks! Here's a sneak peek to the episode notes, you can access the complete notes and resources at https://worldurbanparks.org/blog/ .  We’ve always known parks are good for us, but up until the past few decades, we haven’t known why. This week on Podparks, we hear from public health researchers from around the world to discuss the effects of parks on our health. The guest...