The Century of Cities

Carlos Moreno, a scientist, urban planner, and professor internationally recognized for developing the concept of the 15-minute city, joins The Century of Cities to reflect on how urban life is being reshaped by climate urgency, digital transformation, and changing patterns of daily living. He explains why proximity-based urbanism is not about a fixed number of minutes, but about identifying essential daily needs, strengthening local access, and reconnecting people to place while preserving citywide and regional services through public transport. Carlos situates the present moment as a critical turning point for cities, where climate change, housing precarity, poverty, and social isolation increasingly intersect. He argues that proximity is not simply about distance, but about belonging, dignity, and social connection. His message is clear: the future of cities depends not only on infrastructure, but on reshaping urban lifestyles to support inclusion, connection, and collective life.

Season 2 of The Century of Cities continues with part two of our in-depth conversation with Michael Storper, one of the world's leading economic geographers. In this episode, Michael turns his focus to governance, institutions, and the hard trade-offs shaping urban futures in the United States and Europe. Drawing on comparative insights from California, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and major European regions, he examines how prosperity, inequality, and cultural path dependency collide in today's superstar cities.  Michael offers a rigorous critique of dominant housing narratives, arguing that supply-led solutions alone cannot resolve affordability in highly unequal urban economies. He contrasts American and European approaches, highlighting the role of social housing, construction innovation, and public-sector leadership in maintaining social mix and urban quality. The conversation expands to Europe's innovation dilemma, questioning whether the continent's urban system is structurally equipped to compete in a global knowledge economy while sustaining cohesion across regions. Throughout, Michael calls for greater honesty in urban policy debates, emphasizing that cities face real trade-offs that cannot be wished away. The future of cities depends not just on growth, but on institutions capable of managing complexity, inequality, and long-term transformation.

Season 2 of The Century of Cities begins with part one of a two-part conversation with Michael Storper, one of the world's leading economic geographers. Holding appointments at UCLA and the London School of Economics, Michael brings a long-term perspective to how cities evolve across distinct economic eras. He reflects on why many of today's most prosperous cities once faced deep decline, and why urban change must be understood through long cycles shaped by structural forces rather than short-term trends. In this episode, Michael introduces a clear framework for understanding today's urban landscape, distinguishing between superstar cities, second-tier metropolitan regions, and places that remain distressed. He explains why prosperity and inequality often rise together, how housing costs sit at the center of this tension, and why different types of cities require fundamentally different policy responses. He introduces the idea of the vanishing urban frontier, arguing that as cities approach peak urbanization, the challenge shifts from managing growth to sustaining opportunity, inclusion, and social mobility in a fully urban world.

The Century of Cities celebrates our 100th guest as we welcome Lord Norman Foster, one of the world's most influential architects and Founder and Executive Chairman of Foster + Partners. Drawing on six decades of practice, he traces the shift from gritty, industrial cities to cleaner, safer, and more mobile urban environments, shaped by digital technology, new forms of mobility, and changing patterns of density. While progress has been undeniable, Lord Foster warns that many cities have lost distinct identity, creativity, and affordability along the way. He makes a powerful case for rediscovering the lessons of the traditional city: compactness, mixed use, walkability, and strong public spaces. From Madrid and Vienna to London, Paris, and New York, he argues that density done well is not only more sustainable but also more joyful and socially resilient. He calls for a return to positive, big-picture planning, investing in infrastructure, embracing layered cities, and designing streets and neighbourhoods that support daily life and long-term health. His vision for the future is optimistic but clear-eyed: greener, quieter, more humane cities are possible, but only if technological innovation is matched with human-centred design and the courage to plan for generations to come.

Edward L. Glaeser, one of the world's leading urban economists and the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University, joins The Century of Cities to reflect on decades of research and his landmark work, Triumph of the City. He traces the arc from urban decline and deindustrialization to the resurgence of cities as centers of knowledge, creativity, and economic opportunity. Ed examines the most difficult challenges cities face, including housing affordability, climate risk, governance capacity, and social mobility. He offers a pragmatic framework for urban leadership, arguing that cities must generate economic value while investing deliberately in their most vulnerable residents. From making it easier to build housing at scale to strengthening public safety, upgrading institutions, and adapting new technologies, he emphasizes that cities require care, competence, and long-term commitment. Despite their vulnerabilities, he remains optimistic: cities, he argues, are humanity's greatest engines for reducing poverty, expanding opportunity, and shaping a more prosperous future.