10 Podcasts to Navigate Today’s Urban Complexity
Cities concentrate power and possibility. They host lively and cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, as well as quieter and more residential streets. Yet without the people who inhabit them, they are nothing more than adjectives. Urban life is shaped by how cities are planned and governed, as well as how they are imagined and contested through the voices of those who move through them.
As we navigate these spaces, questions, thoughts and new ideas take shape. Building the cities of the future is a collective endeavour: it depends on sharing knowledge, having conversations, and listening to diverse voices.
This curated selection of podcasts takes a close listen to cities. Put on your headphones and hit play!
«The Urbanist»
Monocle
'The Urbanist' is Monocle’s guide to building better cities. The podcast explores urban innovation, forward-thinking infrastructure, mobility, and compact living through a global lens. Each episode brings together planners, architects, and city leaders, offering practical insights and inspiration for more liveable urban futures.
«The Century of Cities»
Greg Clark and Jennifer Dolynchuk
Though we have been living in cities for almost 10,000 years, this process has accelerated over the last 50 years. In 'The Century of Cities', Greg Clark and Jennifer Dolynchuk explore the re-urbanisation of developed nations and the urban growth in developing countries, which they argue defines the period from 1980 to 2080. Across the series, they interview 100 leading climate experts, urban historians, city planners, and tech innovators to unpack the forces shaping today’s and tomorrow’s cities.
Bonus point: Citiestobe Co-Founder and Anteverti CEO, Cristina Garrido, is featured in an episode titled 'Rethinking Smart Cities: from Buzzword to Better Living'.
«Architecture is Political»
Melissa Daniel
'Architecture is Political' examines the built environment through the lenses of power, politics, and social impact. Featuring primarily Black and Brown voices, the podcast addresses race, equity, representation, and power in architecture, highlighting how design decisions shape and affect marginalised communities.
«CiudadHub»
Oscar Chamat and Andrés Carpanzano
Produced in Spanish from Barcelona and Ottawa, 'CiudadHub' explores contemporary urban challenges through the perspectives of city management, planning, and innovation. Featuring expert voices from academia, public institutions, and city leaders from around the world, the podcast tackles issues ranging from urbanism and mobility to climate change, migration and gentrification.
«About Buildings + Cities»
Luke Jones and George Gingell
'About Buildings + Cities' is a wide-ranging podcast on architecture, buildings, and cities. Hosted by Luke Jones and George Gingell, the episodes move from the distant past to the present and into imagined futures, all connected to technology, film, fiction and drawing.
«Spacing Radio»
Spacing
Produced by the team behind 'Spacing' magazine, the podcast uncovers the joys, obstacles, and politics of urban life in Canada. Spacing Radio focuses on Toronto and urbanism across the country, offering a critical yet accessible take on the subject, unpacking local issues while situating them within broader national and global debates.
«Urban Planning is Not Boring»
Natalie Ikharta and Samantha Ellman
Climate change mitigation or equitable solutions to the housing crisis — do they sound boring? Not according to Natalie Ikharta and Samantha Ellman, hosts of the 'Urban Planning is Not Boring' podcast. Both alumni of the Master of Urban Planning program at the University of Southern California, their aim is to break down complex urban planning concepts into accessible and engaging conversations for everyone.
«Urbanistica Podcast»
Mustafa Sherif
Mustafa Sherif — urbanist, storyteller, and placemaker based in Sweden — hosts this podcast, where he shines a light on the people working behind architecture, placemaking, and urban planning projects around the world. Through in-depth conversations spanning topics from smart cities to decolonising urban planning, invited guests share their processes, methods, handbooks, challenges, leadership experiences, and passions. A practical and human-centred exploration of cities built for people.
«Cities Reimagined»
Johannes Riegler
Reimagining unloved spaces, urban tourism, or cities at night — 'Cities Reimagined' brings deep conversations about a wide range of topics, grounded in real stories that illuminate the complex processes transforming cities today. Facts meet stories, and policy meets the personal.
«Città by Future4Cities»
Will Media
'Città by Future4Cities' is Will Media’s Italian-language podcast exploring the transformations taking place in cities. Using development, space, and time as its guiding axes, the series follows how urban environments evolve alongside the people who inhabit them. Through conversations rooted in lived experience, the podcast offers a grounded and human-centred perspective on urban transformation. ●
