The CityChangers Podcast

Elected officials make decisions that affect millions of people, but beyond voting every few years, what say do citizens really have? Maybe democracy needs a tune-up. Citizens’ Assemblies – a sort of lottery promising better representation – bring diverse voices to the table. Copenhagen, Denmark, has already given it a go. People...

How do you go about relocating an entire city? The community of Swedish city Kiruna has grown up around the biggest local employer - a mine. But as the pit threatens the town above it, there seems little choice but moving the city elsewhere. It raises a number of questions: what...

How can we ensure that a ‘smart city’ is also a fair, diverse and ethical one? We talk to Douwe Schmidt from the city of Amsterdam about the thorny issues cities face when implementing technological solutions, and why we can’t leave ethical decision-making to the computers. Ta-da! Featuring: Douwe Schmidt, Project Manager...

What would a city designed entirely by children look like? And what could it tell us about the cities we live in now – the good things and the bad? Academic Christina Ergler’s research into pre-school aged children and the urban environment has some surprising insights for the so-called experts...

Turning big ideas into reality is what CityChangers do. But what happens when, against the odds, you finally achieve your goal? What next? Nicholas Marchesi, of charity Orange Sky, launched the world’s first mobile laundry, helping Brisbane's homeless community to wash and dry their clothes. Then he discovered this served a...

One city in Germany takes a unique approach to civic participation. With declining rates of local democratic engagement around the world, Keil has teamed up with local creatives to try something radical: take their town hall to the people - on wheels! The Tiny Town Hall (Tiny Rathaus in German) is...

What links pedestrian crossings in Chicago, USA, with the Sydney Opera House in Australia? Sascha Haselmayer's surprising story provides an unexpected answer to this unusual question, and it's led to positive change in more than 130 cities around the world. It may sound counter-intuitive, but in this edition of the CityChangers...

Facing their fair share of challenges on the ground (from housing shortages to climate change) cities like Rotterdam are looking skywards for solutions – to the rooftops. There’s plenty of opportunity but also headwinds on the horizon. For one thing: where most roofs are owned by private citizens, how...