Talking Transformation

Our first bulletin of 2021 kick-starts a forthcoming five-part series where we explore the South African New Buildings Programme. Our experts, Hlengiwe Radebe and Megan Euston-Brown from Sustainable Energy Africa (SEA) introduce us to the topic and walk us through what listeners can expect in the upcoming discussions over the next few months. We learn about the need for the series, the ambition of...

In this TTPod episode we consider the Township economy: the people, the spaces and the practices that are shaping the fortunes many of our communities in South Africa. Our conversation invites the three authors of the book Township Economy: People, Spaces and Practices: Andrew Charman, Thireshen Govender and Leif Petersen to talk about the transformative potential of the informal economy and the p...

In our first Talking Transformation Podcast of 2021, we pick up where we left off last year, with a conversation with another former colleague from the City of Johannesburg and reflections on a particular moment in time that has shaped the legal fortunes of municipalities in dealing with temporary accommodation for evictees. Our guest Zunaid Khan - Chief Director at the Department of Planning, Mon...

Last month saw the publication of a new book that looks at the challenges and conflicts that have accompanied Johannesburg’s post-democratic growth and development. The book, titled “The Agonistic City? State-society Strife in Johannesburg” questions the realities and potential of the state's agonistic practices in response to service delivery issues as diverse and complex as the water conflict in...

In this episode of the talking transformation podcast our content is taken from the 2020 Cape Town Future Energy Festival. To date, this is the only episode where I am wearing my City of Cape Town hat! The conversation is with a friend of the talking transformation podcast, PWC's and urban issues blogger Jodi Allemeier . You may remember Jodi was one of our FutureCast episode guests back in Januar...

Adding to the rich content of housing conversations – in particular Episodes 14, 22 and 27 – in today’s episode we take a closer look at the private finance models available to micro-developers; what progress has been made and what ambitions this emerging sector has. Currently making a dent in the housing market in Cape Town, Bitprop finance’s mission is to create assets and income streams for und...

Just over ten years ago, the final whistle blew on the highly anticipated FIFA 2010 World Cup held here in South Africa. Expectations were high and the question remained before that kick off: could SA deliver. Deliver it did, staging a remarkable global event which bought SA goodwill and recognition for the event and the manner in which it was held. Crime fell, footballing tourists flocked to the...

It’s been over a year since the launch of the Talking Transformation Podcast, and to celebrate the first anniversary, we’ve taken a moment to reflect on how far we have come and where we want to go! In this episode host, Pete Ahmad , is in the hot seat, where he shares some of his insights from the past 12 months. We get to know the man ordinarily behind the mic and learn about his journey as a pl...

A quiet month of September from the Talking Transformation Podcast ends with a bulletin communicating the Urban Festival 2020 event and program with festival coordinator, Rashiq Fataar .  Rashiq talks about the diverse and extensive program during the course of October. He communicates how you can get involved both real time and via the recorded material.  Find out more via the excellent...

In this Talking Transformation Podcast episode we hear from renowned architect and urban planner, Claudio Acioly Jr .: the latest in our "We've GOT to talk about housing!" - 26 Years and counting! 'Deep-Dive Series’. Four decades of practical and research experience working across the world establishes Claudio as one of the leading housing and settlement upgrading experts globally. Until recently,...

As Women’s Month draws to a close, we thought it fitting to hear from the newest voice and professional organisation in the planning collective - Women in Planning South Africa, WiPSA. In this episode, Founder, Gugu Sithole-Ngobese, sheds light on their organisational aims and objectives. We discuss the notion of gender mainstreaming and how this extends both to the spatial planning policies and t...

In July, after four months of lockdown here in South Africa - the podcast ran a survey to canvass opinion an feedback form planners across the country, across the public, private and research sectors and across the generations: planners young and old(er).  The survey ran for two weeks and sought responses and views on these topics. You can access it here.  It was inspired by the social media debat...

The Royal Town Planning Institute – RTPI - formed in 1914 – has over 100 years of history serving its members and the interests of planning and built environment community. Based in the UK and Ireland it is an organization that has international reach and a membership of greater than 25,000. The RTPI recently launched a Plan The World We Need campaign calling on the UK and Irish governments to cap...

It’s Youth Month here in South Africa and to celebrate, the Talking Transformation Podcast sits with three young planners: the winner, the runners-up and co-ordinator of the South African Cities Network’s Young Planner and Designer Competition, 2020.  All three provide refreshing, powerful, and personal takes on the challenges our cities have and the future cities they want to shape. They exp...

A new Sourcebook “Integrating Health In Urban And Territorial Planning” has recently been launched by the World Health Organisation and UN-Habitat . It could not be more appropriate and timely given the COVID-19 pandemic. It also considers a range of long-standing health challenges that impact constantly on mortality around the world. The necessity for the different planning and health authorities...

The ability to track and trace movement of citizens to assist with monitoring and evaluation of COVID-19 has been one of the main responses of governments health authorities globally. Mapping where new infections are occurring, where patients have recovered and who has received – when developed - vaccines is fundamental to an effective health response. However, that mapping implies the ability to...

Increasingly, the conventional role and design of our streets is being rethought and challenged. Longer running initiatives such as Open Streets here in Cape Town, the critical mass cycle rides in some of our cities and now the challenge of social / physical distancing in the time of a pandemic are directly and indirectly challenging and shaping new norms, standards and conventions. Today we speak...

In recent weeks, the Talking Transformation Podcast has considered the impact of COVID-19 on different cities around the world: how it has impacted on daily activities, impaired movement and forced a rethink on built environment issues such as density, commercial space and technology. In today’s episode we hear from three practitioners working in the development field and their experience so far d...

Since the advent of COVID-19 here in SA our post-apartheid housing themed episodes have taken a back seat to the conversations locally and around the world with our COVID dairies. This episode bridges directly and indirectly the built environment, housing and COVID within one in-depth discussion. Almost immediately COVID became a reality in South Africa, the recognition that our most vulnerable of...

In these troubling times, the Talking Transformation Podcast team remains committed to bringing you conversations from South Africa and beyond. We continue to speak with professionals working around the globe and ask them to share their perspectives and insights into the cities they are operating from. Heading up the University of Cape Town's Urban Real Estate Unit (URERU), Professor François Viru...

In these troubling times, the Talking Transformation Podcast team remains committed to bringing you conversations from South Africa and beyond. We continue to speak with professionals working around the globe and ask them to share their perspectives and insights into the cities they are operating from. From London, UK reflecting on his current experience working with the municipality of Freetown -...

Today we hear from the City of Cape Town’s Tim Hadingham (Investment Facilitation) who reflects on his recent month-long busman’s holiday to China and the City of Wuhan. His work in support of the Atlantis Special Enterprise Zones (SEZ) supported by the National Dept. of Trade and Industry (DTI) took him east and we learn about that initiative before hearing of his reflection on the cities of Chin...

In these troubling times, the Talking Transformation Podcast team remains committed to bringing you conversations from South Africa and beyond. We continue to speak with professionals working around the globe and ask them to share their perspective and insights into the cities they are operating from. Today from our base here in the global south we hear from three colleagues from the global north,...

In these troubling times, the Talking Transformation Podcast team remains committed to bringing you conversations from South Africa and beyond. We continue to speak with professionals working around the globe and ask them to share their perspective and insights into the cities they are operating from. Heading up the University of Cape Town's Urban Real Estate Unit (URERU), Professor François Virul...

In these troubling times, the Talking Transformation Podcast team remains committed to bringing you conversations from South Africa and beyond. In what we anticipate will become an ongoing and dynamic initiative we speak with professionals working around the globe and ask them to share their perspective and insights into the cities they are operating from. Some you will have heard from before like...