Urbanistica Podcast - Cities for People

Why does international collaboration matter in urban and community development? Isn’t local knowledge enough? In this episode, Emma Shepherdson — social sustainability specialist, Chair of Arkitekter utan gränser , part of ShiftSweden , and process leader at White Arkitekter — shares how cross-border learning builds trust, strengthens democracy, and sparks innovation in city-making. Emma takes us...

Stockholm transforms into a glowing gallery during Nobel Week Lights . Our guests Lara Szabo Greisman , co-founder of the festival, and Elise Cervin , Outreach & Production for Tensta, share how art, science, and community meet through light. We explore the stories behind the installations, how the festival brings Nobel ideas to life in public space, and what it means to create connections fro...

Daniel Markström, Regionchef Projektutveckling Tillsammans utforskar vi varför Stockholms centralstationen och området runt omkring behöver utvecklas, och hur visionen ser ut för framtidens pulserande knutpunkt mitt i landet. Daniel berättar om hur processen har sett ut hittills, vilka aktörer som driver arbetet framåt och hur den internationella arkitekttävlingen landade i det vinnande förslaget...

Micheline Hou , Sales Manager at Yuan High-Tech in Taiwan, introduces the next generation of AI-powered smart-city surveillance solutions. She explains how Yuan integrates cameras, edge-computing devices, NVIDIA Jetson technology, cloud platforms, and pre-trained AI models into a single end-to-end system. From real-time alerts and vision-language models to robotic patrol dogs and disaster-predicti...

Milan, Daniel, Päivi and Mustafa, four leading placemakers from across Europe, share their reflections after attending Smart City Expo in Barcelona . The discussion moves from digital twins and civic participation to the challenge of scaling up placemaking while keeping it inclusive, slow, and meaningful. This episode highlights the tension and potential between the “smart” and the “place,” showin...

Jiří Tencar , Phd, founder and CEO of ECOTEN Urban Comfort , explains how urban microclimate simulation can help cities design cooler, healthier, and more resilient neighborhoods. From understanding thermal comfort to rethinking building geometry, greenery, and materials, Jiří shares real project insights on how data, climate science, and design come together. He also reflects on how planners and...

Jakob Saalfrank, CEO of Grasshopper Air Mobility, shares how his team is building a new generation of heavy-payload cargo drones designed for seamless indoor-to-indoor logistics. With a background in startups, supply chain, and digital logistics, Jakob explains how Grasshopper’s fully automated, zero-emission drone system can fly long distances, drive the final kilometer, and transform aerial acce...

David Williams, Director, Global Public Safety and Justice, Leader in Microsoft's worldwide government team. Microsoft Copilot Studio: Complete tasks and execute processes with agents for individuals, teams, or functions. Read more https://www.microsoft.com/en/microsoft-copilot/microsoft-copilot-studio?market=af In collaboration with SMART CITY EXPO in Barcelona. Read more ⁠https://www.smartcityex...

Tatjana Joksimović , arkitekt SAR/MSA och enhetschef på Länsstyrelsen i Stockholm, delar sina erfarenheter från över 30 år inom stadsbyggnad i både Sverige och Serbien. Vi går igenom Länsstyrelsens uppdrag, dess plats i samhällsbyggandets hierarki och hur myndigheten samverkar med kommuner och regioner. Tatjana berättar om sitt team inom bostäder och fysisk planering, den främjande rollen, regleri...

Lyllian Abrahamsson, Publisher of INNOVATE™ Stockholm , shares what inspired her to write the book and unpacks what truly makes Stockholm’s innovation ecosystem so unique — from collaboration and creativity to sustainability and inclusion. She talks about the three key factors that drive innovation, how she selected the inspiring companies, entrepreneurs, and changemakers featured in the book, and...

We’re joined by architect Natalie Battah , winner of the 1st prize in the “Museum of Emotions” competition. Natalie shares her journey from graduating at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm to working on retail and villa projects in Mallorca, and now contributing to multi-family housing in Sweden. We dive into how she views architecture as a means to shape behaviour and influence...

Service Designern Beate Undén från AFRY Experience Studios gästar podden för att prata om spekulativ design – ett sätt att utforska framtiden genom kreativitet och fantasi. Hon berättar om projektet Värningsverket , som undersöker hur hållbar matproduktion kan se ut i Malmö år 2050, och delar sina tankar om passion, kreativitet och modet att tänka bortom det självklara. Läs mer om projektet https:...

I dagens avsnitt pratar vi återbruk i byggsektorn tillsammans med byggekonom Dennis Bognar på AFRY. Vad kostar egentligen en återbrukad dörr, och varför är svaret mer komplext än man tror? Vi reder ut myterna om att allt kan återbrukas, att det är gratis och att det alltid ger stora besparingar. Dennis delar erfarenheter från riktiga projekt, hur branschen kan räkna hem både klimat- och ekonomi­ny...

Johannes Riegler, Host of Cities Reimagined Podcast, Robin Cox, Host of Good Place Podcast, Mustafa Sherif, Host of Urbanistica Podcast. We turn the microphone on ourselves to explore the craft behind podcasting about place, people, and projects. What makes a story stick —and what skills should placemakers develop to tell stories that move hearts and minds? Together, we’ll create a “recipe” for po...

Giulio Buciuni, Trinity College Dublin, Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Innovator; Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Giulio explores how local economies can thrive in a globalized world. As Associate Professor and Associate Director of the M. Sc. in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, he has guided the next generation of innovators while shaping the study of entrepreneurial ecosyste...

Ronke Oluwadare: Social, organizational, and communication psychologist and psychotherapist. Ronke represents the crucial intersection of mental health, cultural identity, and place-based healing. Her dual expertise as a clinician specializing in minority stress and racial trauma, combined with her groundbreaking cultural work building bridges between Italy and Africa, offers profound insights int...

Luciana Renner, Architect, radio host, and music selector. She combines her work in placemaking with sound projects that explore the relationship between city, memory, and music, such as Ciudades Sonoras on Radio Nopal and Daydream on Radio Escondido. She has performed at venues in Mexico City like Drama and Parker & Lenox. Instagram: @lucyrenner Daydream x Radio Escondido:  https://www.youtub...

Ivana Šatrak, mag.paed/PM & co-founder of NGO 'KORAK'. While cities often take the spotlight in placemaking, Ivana brings us a fresh perspective — from a small Croatian village called Kolarec, where she’s “cooking” a sequence of rural placemaking projects. In this heartfelt conversation, Ivana shares how Kolarec — once nearly destroyed by fire in 1938 and rebuilt through collective eff...

Architect and PhD researcher Mariya Badeva joins Mustafa Sherif live from Placemaking Week Europe in Reggio Emilia, Italy. She shares insights from her research on placemaking , urban regeneration , and how cities like Plovdiv, Bulgaria can evolve through community participation and cultural heritage. A thoughtful look at how local action shapes global urban change. Linkedin:  linkedin.com/in/mari...

Gregorio Lucena Scarpella (Director of Global Cultural Districts Network) . The Global Cultural Districts Network (GCDN) is committed to improving the quality of urban life through the contribution of the arts, culture, and the creative industries. GCDN members represent policymakers, planners, and executives from widely diverse international contexts, all working at the intersection of culture an...

Sabina Mihailescu (Co-founder & GM, DearNeighbour and IntreVecini)At DearNeighbour (RO name: IntreVecini), they focus on placemaking and community-driven initiatives, creating spaces and opportunities where neighbors can collaborate and shape the future of their cities together. Up until now, they have created over 100 communities in 32 cities in Romania, helping 15,000 neighbours create over...

Our host Mustafa Sherif kicks off Urbanistica Podcast’s special collaboration with Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona. He speaks with Ugo Valenti , the event’s Director, about the evolution of the smart city concept, from tech-driven beginnings to a human-centered movement. We are giving 25% discount codes . Please email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@...

We meet Emilia Pardi (PUSH) , Sven Kohlschmidt (urbanista / Simeri Laboratorio Urbano) , and Elena Giunta (SHIFT) to explore how placemaking can strengthen small towns and interconnected settlements, the “distributed city” model typical of the Reggio Emilia region . This conversation dives into the opportunities and challenges of rural placemaking , highlighting communities facing demographic decl...

We meet Giorgia Floro and Lorenza Salati to talk about “Pensare con i Piedi – Playful Placemaking” , a project funded by the Bosch Alumni Network. Inspired by Osvaldo Soriano’s work and rooted in the radical placemaking legacy of Gibellina (Sicily), they reflect on how fun and playfulness can become powerful tools for reimagining public spaces. They share insights from their recent workshop at the...

Hans Karssenberg (Partner / Board Member, Stipo) and Donica Buisman (founder/ director, RAUM) discuss lessons from RAUM’s work in Utrecht and research by STIPO revealing how even inclusive practices can unintentionally exclude. Through real-life examples and reflection on unconscious bias, they explore practical tools for creating public spaces shaped by all communities. ___ In collaboration with...