RETROFITTING SUBURBS, TRANSFORMING CITIES

At the crossroads where downtown meets midtown, Union Square combines a dynamic mix of city energy, creative culture, and community life at the heart of New York. Union Square Partnership is central to its current success. In this episode, Tim talks with Executive Director Julie Stein, and Tali Cantor, Director of Planning at Union Square Partnership NYC about the key projects, programs and collaborations driving the area's renewal. Joining the discussion is New York-Based Deputy Chairman Vincent Chang. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are few bigger roles in the urbanist universe than planning the future of Greater London. Jules Pipe has that role, as deputy-mayor in Mayor Sadiq Khan's administration. Jules talks with Tim Williams and London-based Grimshaw Partner Declan McCafferty at a critical moment having just issued the new draft London Plan for consultation. How do you plan for a global city, or indeed any significant city? Listen in!This is a useful and engaging conversation in which Mr Pipe talks also about transforming Hackney when he was leader of this major London council and about the role councils played in delivering a community legacy from the 2012 Olympics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A specific focus of Jess Miller's work has been to transform what she calls the City’s “lazy spaces” into places of collaboration and gathering by introducing reforms to turn unused property into affordable housing and retail, and new spaces for the creative industries, by night or day. A former TEDxSydney curator and board member, Jess reminds us, in whatever city in the world this podcast is being listened to, in that exuberant and inclusive articulacy that she is known for, how important to city-shaping elected community leaders can be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellen's work has centered on what happens when aging infrastructure, from shopping malls to office parks, no longer serves the communities around them. As co-author of Retrofitting Suburbia, she helped define a movement and a moment. The book documented how underperforming, car-dominated spaces could be reimagined into walkable, resilient, and socially connected environments. Over time, her research expanded into a growing database of more than 2,500 retrofit projects. These case studies explored how design can address public health, climate resilience, economic development, and equity, all through the lens of reuse rather than expansion. Her work, now seen as central to strategies for the sustainable reinvention of our cities, has made her one of the most influential international urbanists  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global cities compete for investment. A key part of that competition involves bidding for and winning strategically important business events and conferences which attract market leaders and top talent in their specialist fields to spend time and money in your city. Beyond the immediate financial and employment benefits for local providers of hospitality and a wide range of services and sectors, the reputational gains for cities can also be significant. Long term, strategic investment can flow from such events and if the offer inside the event is reinforced by that outside it, attendees can often decide that this city is where they want personally to be and their enterprise to flourish. Success in business events tells us about the performance of the city itself and how it is seen by global markets. This is why we wanted to speak with someone promoting Australia's global city to the world, Amanda Lampe of BE Sydney. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Urbanist Richard Florida called Seth Kaplan’s book "essential and engaging ". Tim Williams talks about the book with Seth and also his latest initiative. Flourishing Neighborhoods. We learn what makes places ‘fragile’ and what practical steps local community leaders and social entrepreneurs have taken to fix, repair and restore them to health. Find out about some really powerful exemplars and people across the States and beyond who have succeeded in turning their communities around. Of interest and inspiration to anyone seeking to achieve urban transformation, anywhere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Coates is a recognised leader in infrastructure policy and digital transformation. In his role, Mark, with over three decades of experience in construction and global project delivery, collaborates with governments, policymakers, and industry leaders globally to champion the adoption of cutting-edge digital solutions, driving efficiency and innovation in infrastructure development. In this episode Mark talks about the work of IPA and the influential Transforming Infrastructure Performance (TIP) Summits he oversees, which bring together leaders in business and government across the globe to tackle shared challenges through innovation, sustainability, resilience, and inclusivity in infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The housing crisis is an international one, though it can take different forms in different countries. What is shared is the need to protect and promote the interests of renters, tenants and others who may be vulnerable in our various housing systems. Two people doing great work in their own neck of the woods that is also, we believe, of international significance are the two leaders brought together for the first time for this Grimshaw Cities podcast: Richard Blakeway, England's Housing Ombudsman and Trina Jones, Rental Commissioner for New South Wales. It's an engaging but important global dialogue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People acquire houses but they live in and come from neighbourhoods. In this timely conversation Andrew talks with Grimshaw's Head of Cities, Tim, about the state of British neighbourhoods and the interventions his Commission, chaired by the well-respected former minister Hillary Armstrong, recommends renewing them. Although the Commission has been focussed on neighbourhoods in the UK, the interventions it recommends are relevant well beyond the UK.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone talks about the housing crisis.Few talk about the systems producing it.In this special edition of the Grimshaw Podcast, Tim Williams sits down with economist Cameron Murray, author of The Great Housing Hijack, to unpack the political, economic, and urban forces reshaping housing in Australia and beyond.Not just a conversation about property.A conversation about how cities work, who they serve, and what happens when housing becomes detached from civic purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.