CATEGORY

Skill

CityChanger Hanah Lahe: Healing Political Divides to Unite Citizens in Climate Action

In ageing societies like Europe, young people have little of the political power needed to influence decisions that impact their lives. As a group for whom sustainability is a prominent concern, futureproofing cities relies...

Urban Design Lessons We Must Learn from Communities in the Global South

Implementing spatial changes that benefit citizens isn’t a straightforward process. In many cities, there’s not a process for it at all! Or is there? The case of Muscat, in Oman, shows us that it...

The First Rule Is: Don’t Talk About Climate Change

How to communicate about climate in a way that drives real and sustainable change The problem: The doom and gloom language we constantly hear around human-caused climate change makes people feel helpless. Without hope there...

CityChanger Katharina Schätz: How Positive Energy & Fighting Fear Enable Change-Making

In the world of sustainability, there’s an assumption that we all want the same change. Even for those of us who share this mindset, behaviours often don’t match, which can stall positive transitions. Katharina...

A Conundrum of Common Courtesy: How Can Decency Deliver Better Cities?

In 2015, a London cyclist clashed with a pedestrian, knocking her unconscious and leaving her with scars and broken teeth. It sent the media into a frenzy. Front and centre of the story was the...

Young Leader Fruzsina Nagy: How To Create Change Like A Sustainability Consultant

A new breed of professionals is using their hotly sought after skills to bring about social and environmental impact. Impact-oriented values are fast becoming the deciding factor in career choices, over more traditional drivers...

Young Leaders Academy: Applying Transformational Knowledge as a Catalyst for Change

Sharing knowledge is integral to scaling and speeding up the sustainability transformation. But are we doing it effectively? There’s a new generation of change-makers on the scene intent on improving the way knowhow is...

CityChanger Safaa Charafi: Creating Fair & Sustainable Cities with Intersectionality

Cities aren’t inclusive. It’s evident in how they’re laid out, the policies that govern us, and the mindsets of inhabitants. There’s a way to change this. Mainstreaming gender and intersectionality results in more inclusive,...

Climate What? Choose Your Words Carefully

In the realm of climate change and sustainability, how much do the words we use matter? A lot. As any linguist will tell you, language shapes our relationship with the world around us. Recently, a colleague...

CityChanger Chris Kaiser: Putting the Elephant into Entrepreneurship

What links an elephant habitat and sustainable cities? Today we’re challenging the way we look at urban sustainability by standing at the vantage point of outwards looking in – from the forest to the...

Making Sense of Systemic Change

Systemic change is like a birthday present: everyone wants it, but no one is quite sure what’s inside. Or so the saying goes. The concept feels just beyond comprehension. What does it look like to change everything,...

Maptionnaire: A Smart Lesson in Democratising Engagement the Fun Way

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...

CityChanger Miriam Staley: Presenting Masterclass

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...

CityChanger Fabian Dattner: Lessons for Equitable Leadership

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...

CityChanger Luca Ballarini: Empowering People Through City Imaging

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...

CityChanger Lan Marie Berg: How to Deal with Public Scrutiny

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...

How to Engage Socially Deprived Neighbourhoods

Stakeholder engagement can be challenging at any time but initiating open, constructive dialogue with socially deprived neighbourhoods has its own set of obstacles. Urban Designer Mikaela Åberg has a decade of experience in creating...

Collaboration: How to Work Together to Change Your City

Plenty of professionals and residents in your city are hungry for change, just like you. It makes sense to combine forces. Together you can achieve more, faster. But it takes a specific skill set...