Top 5 Podcasts for Urbanists
By TH!NK by IBI
Date
August 9, 2017
As summer begins to wind down, we’ve collected 5 of our favourite podcasts on the future of cities to engage your inner urbanist. Stretch your summer fun into the fall and beyond with tales of beautiful buildings, urban interventions, and the many ways to tackle the challenges of city living.
Monocle 24: The Urbanist
“With an influential audience of city mayors, urban planners and architects, this is Monocle’s guide to making better cities, be it new technology, state-of-the-art subways or compact apartments.”
Spanning urban areas across the globe, Monocle 24 explores how to change cities for the better. Pay special attention to the “Tall Stories” shorts, in which they feature quick stories about unique buildings.
Listen here.
Slate: Placemakers
“All communities face certain challenges. But some people see challenges as opportunities. On Placemakers, we bring you stories about the spaces we inhabit and the people who shape them. Join us as we criss-cross the country, introducing you to real people in real communities – people who make a difference in how we travel, work, and live. You’ll never look at your community the same way again.”
This podcast travels across American communities and tells stories of neighbourhoods and their challenges. While the podcast hasn’t been updated since 2016, there are 20 unique stories to listen to, such as “Self-Gentrifying in the Bronx” and “Placetaking: Squatting for House and Home”.
Listen here.
Invisible City
“A podcast about city design with Jennifer Keesmaat. Invisible City seeks to reveal the city that lurks beneath the surface of our everyday life.”
Hosted by the City of Toronto’s Chief City Planner, this is the most Canadian-focused podcast on this list. Jennifer primarily conducts her podcast through interviews with urbanist changemakers, such as Brent Toderian or Sharon Avery. We recommend Ep. 009: 5 Kids 1 Condo about a father who is raising his 5 children in a 1000 square foot condo in Vancouver as a good place to start!
Listen here.
Design and Architecture
“Design and architecture shape our world. On DnA: Design and Architecture, host Frances Anderton talks to designers, users, and critics about the latest in fashion, architecture, and more, in Los Angeles, and beyond.”
Hosted on KCRW in Los Angeles, this podcast is primarily focused on Southern California, but their broad conversations are sure to fascinate a global audience. Host Frances Anderton ties information and story together for strong narratives on architecture, housing, transit, and more.
Listen here.
The Curbed Appeal
“A podcast for people who live places”
The Curbed Appeal takes on cities from the small to large scale, looking at everything from room design to the transportation infrastructure network of the United States. There’s currently two 10-episode seasons to catch up on!
Listen here.
