The Urbanist

Acoustics and music can help shape the way people interact with their cities. But how aware are we of the sounds that surround us and are there places that are more musical than others? We discover how the music industry and city planning can be brought together and explore acoustic ecology and making music with the sounds of the city. Plus we bring you the first part of our series on the battle for public space in New York.

We report from CityLab, a two-and-a-half-day summit that gathered the world’s top mayors and urban leaders for a series of chats on how to to make our cities a better place. We explore the vision for London’s transport infrastructure, discover how Rio de Janeiro is gearing up its digital strategy ahead of the Olympics and find out how to create a smart city through data. Plus: we talk millennials in Washington and sit down for a very honest chat with the mayor of Athens.

Be it gentrification, increasing housing prices or fighting for equality, cities are often the epicentre for protests and calls for change. This week we explore the issues shaping our cities, from anti-gentrification movements in Jaffa to a group going topless in New York for equality. Plus: we reflect on Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution one year on.

Taxis are a comfortable and fast way in which to travel but how do they affect public transport? From Cairo’s intense traffic to the taxi rank here in London, we assess the role cabs play in our cities and ask whether they provide a service no one else can. Plus: we take a ride in an Uber to discuss the pros and cons of ride-sharing apps and head to New Delhi to meet the company putting women behind the wheel.

If you want to build a city, where do you start? From the importance of a well-designed waterfront to a clear balance of architectural aesthetics, we take a look at some of the crucial elements you should consider before you begin to sketch and plan. Plus: how to maximise a city’s potential through a strong digital strategy.

We continue our coverage of this year’s Build conference in Bilbao. We discover how policy makers and civic thinkers are shaping our cities, explore Pittsburgh as a poster-city for resilience, see how cities learn from one another and ask what’s the best way to empower local leaders through technology. Plus: race and the power of the local community in Cleveland and how Atlanta wants its citizens to take charge.

The Bilbao Urban Innovation and Leadership Dialogues (Build) gathers civic leaders and philanthropists who are rethinking how our cities should be run. In the first part of our coverage of Build, we explore how Stuttgart has been dealing with an unprecedented number of refugees, see how The Skillman Foundation is using education as a vehicle for inclusion and meet the city councillor with a very personal story when it comes to acceptance...

The original concept of the town square has evolved quite significantly through the years, so what lessons can we draw from its journey? Whether they’re the centre stage for political protests or the ideal place for your morning stroll, squares play an essential role in expanding the public realm.

Where do cities take their inspiration from? In this episode of ‘The Urbanist’ we explore how our cities rely on each another to draw lessons and move forward, from New York and London tackling similar problems to how a bike-sharing scheme proved to be contagious. Plus: every continent claims to have its own Venice – but is that actually a good thing?

We discover how fashion is weaved into the fabric of our cities, from the way New Delhi promotes ethics within the industry to how Paris is benefitting from its fashion capital status. Listen in as we head to Vancouver, home to the world’s only Eco Fashion Week. We also find out if you can identify a city by what people wear.