Urbanistica Podcast - Cities for People

Bicycle Mayor of Amsterdam and former Placemaking University of Amsterdam student Romee Nicolai and Drs. Katusha Sol, teacher and education developer University of Amsterdam, explore how universities can cultivate a new generation of placemakers. Together, they discuss the evolution of placemaking education at the University of Amsterdam, the challenges of embedding it for the long term, and the e...

Why should urban planners prioritize health? In this episode, we explore the value of integrating health into urban planning, beyond sustainability alone. We discuss how communities can shape healthier cities, examine real-world examples of cities leading the way, and unpack the challenges they face. Finally, we look ahead to the biggest opportunities for creating healthier urban futures over the...

We unpack the idea of cultural placemaking and how it differs from traditional urban development. We explore why artists and cultural organizations should play a bigger role in shaping cities, how participation can turn audiences into co-creators, and whether temporary events can spark lasting change. We close with a key takeaway for every placemaker—a single idea, tool, or provocation to carry fo...

This episode explores cross-cultural placemaking through emotional storytelling games, based on interviews and walks with elderly women in the Netherlands, Italy, China, and Ethiopia. We trace life choices from youth to old age, opening conversations on care, independence, and belonging. Developed by Spring Onion Atelier with international collaborators, it offers fresh ways to weave emotion, memo...

Anna Stolyarova, Founder of Stichting Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA). we explore how street art and storytelling can amplify the voices of communities often unheard in urban spaces. We discuss how co-creating murals fosters inclusion and belonging, the challenges artists and communities face when using art for social change, and the powerful role of storytelling in strengthening community iden...

María Tula García Méndez, architect and urban planner. We dive into the power of drawing as a way to reconnect with the hidden layers of our cities. Together with Maria, we trace forgotten waterways through stories and on-site chalk drawings, exploring how creative, place-based actions can deepen our emotional connection to place and highlight the relationship between urban design and natural cycl...

Luca Torri   CEO, STU Reggiane - Reggiane Parco Innovazione The Parco Innovazione was the main venue for Placemaking Week Europe. In this episode, we hear the story of this place. The Reggiane Innovation Park represents a territorial hub for industrial research and technological transfer, able to stimulate and facilitate collaboration between companies, research laboratories, creatives, and invest...

We spotlight Qatar Museums’ Urban Lab and its innovative approach to reimagining Souq al Haraj in Doha. In this episode, we discuss the Urban Furniture Lab project and explore how collaborative design interventions can transform public spaces, turning traditional markets into dynamic civic laboratories for creativity and community engagement. Guests: Reem Al-Muraikhi, Architect  LinkedIn: https://...

Digital Placemaking with Marginalized Communities, focusing on indigenous and marginalized groups from across four regions share how placemaking becomes a form of resistance and empowerment. From Palestinian activists using digital storytelling, to Indian practitioners mapping ancestral lands, this global dialogue shows how technology and placemaking together can amplify erased voices and reconnec...

Mahdi Haghi shares insights from ten years of placemaking in Tehran, exploring how public space interventions address urban decay, build community resilience, and foster civic engagement within a top-down municipal system. He highlights key projects, methods, and inclusive strategies involving Afghan migrants, tenants, women, and children, while reflecting on lessons learned and the future of plac...

This episode explores how placeshapers can take a more active role in climate resilience and adaptation, moving from “why” to “how” in driving tangible change. We discuss intergenerational learning and leadership transition within placemaking movements, and the role of independent facilitators in building trust, connecting stakeholders, and co-designing better places. Lisa Taylor, Director, Cohere...

We explore how the city of Trenčín, Slovakia is reimagining its public spaces ahead of Trenčín 2026 – European Capital of Culture . The conversation highlights the City Reimagined project, which transforms everyday urban spaces into lively, people-centered places through both small placemaking interventions and large-scale infrastructure and strategic initiatives. As part of the Cities in Placemak...

كيف يمكن للتراث، والسينما، والمجتمع أن يعيدوا تخيّل مستقبل مراكز المدن؟ في هذه الحلقة، نستضيف المهندس عمر زهران لنتتبع رحلته من مهندس معماري شاب إلى صانع مكان عالمي، ونكتشف المكوّنات السرّية لإحياء وسط المدن. نتحدث عن القاهرة كذاكرة حية ، والسينما كأرشيف عمراني، ودور الشباب والمجتمع في صناعة المكان للتواصل مع عمر على LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarzahran27/ Instagram https://www.instagra...

Roland Krebs, Director of Superwien urbanism, Vienna Austria. Connect with Roland https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandkrebs/ https://www.instagram.com/superwien.architektur.urbanism/ www.superwien.com ___ In collaboration with Placemaking Week Europe 2025 in Reggio Emilia. Read more: ⁠⁠⁠https://placemaking-europe.eu/pwe/reggio-emilia-2025/⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠__⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤...

Evan Snow, Co-Founder / Managing Partner of Zero Empty Spaces. Zero Empty Spaces is a company that revitalizes underutilized commercial real estate by converting vacant retail, restaurant, bar, and office spaces into creative, community-oriented hubs. They offer specialized models for artists, culinary ventures, retail brands, and mixology, combining lease-management, activation, and community pro...

Abdul Wasae Syed, Building & Architectural Engineer | Founder & Strategic Designer @ EcoSpectrals & Kognitions | Urbanist @ IMM Design Lab, Politecnico di Milano LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-wasae-syed Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kognitions/ In collaboration with Placemaking Week Europe 2025 in Reggio Emilia. Read more: ⁠⁠https://placemaking-europe.eu/pwe/reggio-emili...

Marcos Gold, Director of Policy and Place, UK. In this episode, we explore why businesses—not governments—may hold the keys to building sustainable cities. From the agility of Business Improvement Districts to the difference between real action and greenwashing, we unpack how private actors can drive change faster than traditional planning. We also tackle the social challenges of urban improvement...

Arch. PhD Alice Lunardon Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-lunardon-69622b63/ New Publications: Lunardon, A.; Vladimirova, D.; Boucsein, B. How railway stations can transform urban mobility and the public realm: The stakeholders’ perspective, Journal of Urban Mobility, Volume 3, 2023   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667091723000031 New Projects: RAIL4CITIES - Railwa...

Stephanie Hápp, Street dancer, Intern at Placemaking Europe Her Master’s thesis on placemaking through street dance, you can read more about it here https://placemaking-europe.eu/2025/why-street-dance-matters-for-placemaking/?mc_cid=db36917526&mc_eid=c77ca179d5 Get in touch with Stephanie on LinkedIn here https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-t-happ-27bb67378/ ___ In collaboration with Placema...

In this episode, we sit down with Alina Kolar of HouseEurope! and Jesper Eis, Director of OBEL. OBEL is a foundation that recognises and rewards architecture's potential to act as a tangible agent of change. This year, the OBEL Award went to HouseEurope!, a citizen-led initiative advocating for a radical shift in Europe's housing culture, calling for renovation over demolition to fight spe...

Läs mer om programmet 3-5 okt 2025 och Open House Arkitektur festival här https://www.openhousestockholm.com/ Om festivalen Open House Stockholm syftar till att involvera allmänheten i stadens utveckling och stimulera intresset för arkitektur och samhällsbyggande. Open House Stockholm är en del av det globala nätverket Open House Worldwide samt har ett treårigt samarbetsprojekt med Open House Euro...

I detta avsnitt möter vi Rebecca Rubin , som rör sig mellan forskning, undervisning och praktiskt arbete med fokus på hur arkitektur kan bidra till jämlikhet i vardagen. Vi pratar om hennes erfarenheter från London som Mayor’s Design Advocate, hennes roll som hållbarhetschef på Hemvist och den kommande masterkursen på KTH. Samtalet kretsar kring arkitektens roll i en tid av växande sociala klyftor...

Gil Penalosa , urbanist and founder of Cities 4 Everyone , known for his belief that “cities should work equally well for an 8-year-old and an 80-year-old.” Gil shares lessons from working in 350+ cities worldwide , his transformative work as Bogotá’s Parks Commissioner creating hundreds of parks and scaling up the Ciclovía , and his run for Mayor of Toronto . He explains what makes public spaces...

Rikard Espling, initiativtagare/grundare Open HouseStockholm, och Joanna Messmer, projektchef Open House Stockholm TIllsammans driver de FADEN Projektledning AB.I det här avsnittet möter vi arrangörerna bakom Open House Stockholm – festivalen som i tio år har öppnat dörrar till stadens mest spännande byggnader. Vi pratar om idén som startade allt, de största milstolparna och utmaningarna på vägen,...

I speak with Alan Browne — CEO and co-founder of Soarvo — a company using AI and geospatial analytics to help national infrastructure providers like Highways UK detect risks and prevent failures across roads, energy systems, and urban networks. Alan discusses how predictive technologies can create more resilient, equitable, and sustainable cities. He offers an insider’s perspective on bringing inn...