Public participation matters. It brings democracy and diverse perspectives to city design. But it can be difficult to get right. Smart technology hands us new opportunities for engagement. Today we learn about one of...
Being heard makes us feel valued and identifies priorities for change, but municipalities struggle to do it well. CityChanger and creative Sophie Mirpourian tells us how her idea to use a portable townhall -...
Spend less and save the environment: these are the benefits of repairing durable household electrical appliances over buying cheap replacements every few years. The fact we even can give products a second lease of...
CityChangers have the know-how, stress-tested projects, and innovative policy ideas worth shouting about, but it takes more than being an expert to influence our peers. Captivating presentations take practice – and it’s a different...
As in business, real success in sustainable city transformations largely hinges on sound and equitable leadership. This requires elevating more women to positions of influence. Social entrepreneur Fabian Dattner is a die-hard advocate and...
When Luca Ballarini came up with the idea of ‘city imaging’, he didn’t yet know the impact it could have. Within less than a decade, the concept has become a powerful tool that anyone...
When Lan Marie Berg was thrust into the public eye as Oslo’s vice mayor, the constant scrutiny became an unexpected challenge. Her climate budget and car-free zones transformed the city, but the backlash ranged...
Technology and greenery will be more synergetic in cities of the future. Leading the charge for melding nature and the artificial is Professor Carlo Ratti, who is pushing the frontiers of innovation in urban...
Renowned Danish architect Jan Gehl changed our understanding of what urban space should be. Shunning the traditional school of planning in favour of liveable cities, he pioneered the movement of designing places for people....
Tragedy can break us, or it can spark a fire of determination, resilience, and growth. This statement is as true for the Colombian city of Medellín as it is for the person who made...
Specialising in new community-based urban culture, placemaking, street art, and co-creation, Jaakko Blomberg believes in the power of people; in their power to change cities. And his formula? “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than...
Why are we obsessed with success and fearful of failure? Often, it’s the unexpected trials and tribulations that provide the most valuable learning opportunities. Lior Steinberg is a rarity: with so many irons in...
If you think that only big cities can substantially contribute to sustainability efforts, you couldn’t be further from the truth. A network of small- and medium-sized European cities shows you exactly what can be...
How can you make authentic citizen participation work? Warren Logan, Policy Director of Mobility and Interagency Relations in the city of Oakland, has made a name for himself by not just superficially asking for...
In this thought-provoking TED talk, Karl-Filip Coenegrachts gives an overview of what creative bureaucracy means and why we can't continue to use 19th-century bureaucracy to solve 21st-century challenges anymore.
This talk was held at the...
"Poverty only changes affordability not aspirations". In this thought-provoking and incredibly intelligent talk, Smruti Jukur Johari breaks down the myth about people living in slums and informal communities. She underlines the crucial necessity to...
Ready to hit the keys and share your story? Believe us, we’re just as excited as you are! Here’s a little guide on how to structure your knowledge and the story you’re telling, to...
With CityChangers.org, we want to provide you with a home base for everything you need to drive change in your city. We’re not charging you to read our articles, we’re not limiting the number...