The Century of Cities

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of The Century of Cities, Rohit T. Aggarwala, Commissioner of NYC Environmental Protection and former Chief Climate Officer, reflects on a century of urban change through the lens of New York's environmental, infrastructural, and governance evolution. He traces the city's trajectory from the fiscal and environmental crises of the late twentieth century to its present condition, marked by cleaner air and water, renewed waterfronts, and the pressures that accompany urban demand. He argues that climate change will eclipse affordability and growth as the defining urban challenge. He outlines a pragmatic understanding of resilience, one that prioritizes protection of life, housing, and core systems over the pursuit of uninterrupted normalcy. From stormwater and coastal defences to mobility and water management, the discussion emphasizes the need for long-term investment, institutional flexibility, and political leadership capable of navigating disruption. The future of cities, he suggests, will depend on the capacity to make difficult choices early, at scale, and with a clear understanding of risk.

Mairi Spowage, Director at Fraser of Allander Institute, joins The Century of Cities to reflect on how Scotland's cities have evolved through industrial decline, sectoral booms, and structural economic change. She traces the divergent trajectories of places like Glasgow and Aberdeen, explaining how shifts toward service and knowledge-based economies have brought new opportunities alongside persistent challenges around housing, productivity, and uneven growth. Mairi highlights the importance of aligning skills, housing, and infrastructure with local economic realities, and cautions against one-size-fits-all national policy. From post-pandemic city centres to demographic change, her perspective is pragmatic and grounded: cities thrive when local institutions are empowered to plan long-term, collaborate effectively, and connect people to opportunity.

The Century of Cities welcomes Tim Williams, Cities Lead at Grimshaw and a leading voice in global urban strategy, to explore how cities move through cycles of growth, decline, and reinvention. Drawing on his upbringing in the South Wales Valleys and years advising governments in the UK and Australia, Tim reflects on the shift from industrial cities built on extraction to contemporary urban economies shaped by knowledge, lifestyle, and connectivity. He emphasizes that urban change is rarely linear and that periods of transition often involve loss, uncertainty, and uneven outcomes. Tim offers a sharp critique of the global housing crisis, arguing that it cannot be solved by supply alone. He explains how the over-financialization of housing and a disconnect between public expectations and private-sector business models have created a systemic impasse. Rather than blaming developers, Tim calls for a broader mix of housing delivery models, including a renewed role for non-market housing and stronger public-sector capacity. Looking ahead, he warns that many cities may soon face a new reality, managing stagnation or decline and urges more honest international dialogue about how cities adapt when growth is no longer guaranteed.

Alice Charles, Director, Cities, Planning & Design at Arup, joins The Century of Cities from Dublin to reflect on how Irish cities, and cities globally, have evolved. Grounded in a career spanning regeneration, infrastructure, and global urban systems, Alice traces Ireland's shift from economic stagnation and brain drain to foreign direct investment, car-led growth, and today's housing and governance challenges. Alice argues for more empowered, outward-looking cities, with stronger local leadership, long-term investment, and deeper city-to-city collaboration, particularly with Asia and Africa. Drawing on global networks like C40 and the Resilient Cities Network, she highlights climate action, health, accessibility, and infrastructure finance as defining priorities for the urban century ahead.

The Century of Cities welcomes Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, who reflects on how UK cities have evolved, and why uneven progress still defines the urban landscape. He traces the shift from industrial decline and urban decay to a renewed belief in cities as drivers of economic growth, powered by the knowledge economy and higher education. Andrew emphasizes that this revival was not inevitable, but the result of long-term structural change and deliberate policy choices. He argues that deeper devolution, especially greater control over transport, planning, and funding, is essential if cities are to unlock productivity and inclusion. While elected mayors and combined authorities have moved the agenda forward, he warns that without real fiscal autonomy, many UK cities will continue to lag behind their European peers. His message is clear: empowered cities, strong public transport, and well-managed density are central to national renewal.

Carlos Moreno, a scientist, urban planner, and professor internationally recognized for developing the concept of the 15-minute city, joins The Century of Cities to reflect on how urban life is being reshaped by climate urgency, digital transformation, and changing patterns of daily living. He explains why proximity-based urbanism is not about a fixed number of minutes, but about identifying essential daily needs, strengthening local access, and reconnecting people to place while preserving citywide and regional services through public transport. Carlos situates the present moment as a critical turning point for cities, where climate change, housing precarity, poverty, and social isolation increasingly intersect. He argues that proximity is not simply about distance, but about belonging, dignity, and social connection. His message is clear: the future of cities depends not only on infrastructure, but on reshaping urban lifestyles to support inclusion, connection, and collective life.

Season 2 of The Century of Cities continues with part two of our in-depth conversation with Michael Storper, one of the world's leading economic geographers. In this episode, Michael turns his focus to governance, institutions, and the hard trade-offs shaping urban futures in the United States and Europe. Drawing on comparative insights from California, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and major European regions, he examines how prosperity, inequality, and cultural path dependency collide in today's superstar cities. Michael offers a rigorous critique of dominant housing narratives, arguing that supply-led solutions alone cannot resolve affordability in highly unequal urban economies. He contrasts American and European approaches, highlighting the role of social housing, construction innovation, and public-sector leadership in maintaining social mix and urban quality. The conversation expands to Europe's innovation dilemma, questioning whether the continent's urban system is structurally equipped to compete in a global knowledge economy while sustaining cohesion across regions. Throughout, Michael calls for greater honesty in urban policy debates, emphasizing that cities face real trade-offs that cannot be wished away. The future of cities depends not just on growth, but on institutions capable of managing complexity, inequality, and long-term transformation.

Season 2 of The Century of Cities begins with part one of a two-part conversation with Michael Storper, one of the world's leading economic geographers. Holding appointments at UCLA and the London School of Economics, Michael brings a long-term perspective to how cities evolve across distinct economic eras. He reflects on why many of today's most prosperous cities once faced deep decline, and why urban change must be understood through long cycles shaped by structural forces rather than short-term trends. In this episode, Michael introduces a clear framework for understanding today's urban landscape, distinguishing between superstar cities, second-tier metropolitan regions, and places that remain distressed. He explains why prosperity and inequality often rise together, how housing costs sit at the center of this tension, and why different types of cities require fundamentally different policy responses. He introduces the idea of the vanishing urban frontier, arguing that as cities approach peak urbanization, the challenge shifts from managing growth to sustaining opportunity, inclusion, and social mobility in a fully urban world.

The Century of Cities celebrates our 100th guest as we welcome Lord Norman Foster, one of the world's most influential architects and Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners. Drawing on six decades of practice, he traces the shift from gritty, industrial cities to cleaner, safer, and more mobile urban environments, shaped by digital technology, new forms of mobility, and changing patterns of density. While progress has been undeniable, Lord Foster warns that many cities have lost distinct identity, creativity, and affordability along the way. He makes a powerful case for rediscovering the lessons of the traditional city: compactness, mixed use, walkability, and strong public spaces. From Madrid and Vienna to London, Paris, and New York, he argues that density done well is not only more sustainable but also more joyful and socially resilient. He calls for a return to positive, big-picture planning, investing in infrastructure, embracing layered cities, and designing streets and neighbourhoods that support daily life and long-term health. His vision for the future is optimistic but clear-eyed: greener, quieter, more humane cities are possible, but only if technological innovation is matched with human-centred design and the courage to plan for generations to come.

Edward L. Glaeser, one of the world's leading urban economists and the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University, joins The Century of Cities to reflect on decades of research and his landmark work, Triumph of the City. He traces the arc from urban decline and deindustrialization to the resurgence of cities as centers of knowledge, creativity, and economic opportunity. Ed examines the most difficult challenges cities face, including housing affordability, climate risk, governance capacity, and social mobility. He offers a pragmatic framework for urban leadership, arguing that cities must generate economic value while investing deliberately in their most vulnerable residents. From making it easier to build housing at scale to strengthening public safety, upgrading institutions, and adapting new technologies, he emphasizes that cities require care, competence, and long-term commitment. Despite their vulnerabilities, he remains optimistic: cities, he argues, are humanity's greatest engines for reducing poverty, expanding opportunity, and shaping a more prosperous future.

The Century of Cities welcomes Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Professor of Economic Geography and Regional Planning, to examine deep spatial inequalities shaping politics, prosperity, and trust in institutions across the world. Drawing on decades of research, Andrés explains how economic growth has become increasingly concentrated in a small number of cities and regions, while many places have been systematically left behind, creating what he describes as the "geography of discontent." He explores how neglecting these regions has fueled political polarization, social fragmentation, and rising distrust in democratic systems. Andrés challenges the assumption that growth alone will solve spatial inequality. He argues for place-sensitive policies that recognize the unique assets, constraints, and identities of different regions rather than one-size-fits-all solutions. From rethinking innovation policy to rebuilding local capacity and dignity, Andrés makes a compelling case that the future of cities, regions, and democracy itself depends on addressing territorial inequality head-on, and doing so with long-term commitment rather than short-term fixes.