Enrique Peñalosa: Building Cities for Equality and Happiness
The Century of Cities welcomes Enrique Peñalosa, globally recognized urban visionary and two-time mayor of Bogotá. Known for transforming Colombia's capital through public transit, parks, libraries, and bike infrastructure, Enrique shares his belief that cities are among our most powerful tools for equality and happiness. He reflects on how thoughtful design can bridge social divides, not only through taxation or policy, but by creating public spaces where people meet as equals. Enrique calls on future urban leaders to build cities that nurture dignity, interaction, and joy, especially as rapidly growing regions like Africa and India continue to urbanize. His vision is of cities that are inclusive, democratic, and fertile grounds for human potential, places where everyone, regardless of income, can thrive.
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27:23
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27:23
Helle Søholt: Rethinking Architecture as a Catalyst for Change
In this episode of The Century of Cities, we welcome Helle Søholt, founding partner and CEO of Gehl. Helle explores how cities can evolve from designed objects into living systems that foster connection, equity, and resilience. She shares how her people-first approach champions urban environments shaped by culture, community, and care. Reflecting on the architect's evolving role as a facilitator of social and environmental change, Helle offers a compelling vision for a new urbanism that is circular, inclusive, and deeply human.
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29:36
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29:36
Maria Vassilakou: Leading the Livable City Revolution
Maria Vassilakou, internationally recognized urban transformation expert and former Vice Mayor of Vienna, joins The Century of Cities. Drawing on her decade of leadership in Vienna, Maria explores how cities can balance livability, affordability, and sustainability while safeguarding democracy itself. From reimagining housing as a human right to redefining livability through a child's eyes, Maria shares an inspiring vision of cities designed for every generation. She reflects on the crossroads we now face, between inclusive, decarbonized, and democratic urban futures or divided "bubble cities" defined by inequality and disconnection. Through stories of community innovation, social housing, and small-scale empowerment, Maria reminds us that transformation begins with leadership, and sometimes, with just 40 people moving together in the same direction.
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34:02
Francesca Froy: Rebuilding Urban Complexity
Francesca Froy, Lecturer in Sustainable Urban Development at the University of Oxford and Fellow of Kellogg College, joins us on The Century of Cities. Francesca explores how cities evolve as living, complex systems, shaped by design, policy, and the countless small, interconnected decisions made every day. She argues that to build sustainable cities of the future, we must learn from the past: valuing walkability, connectivity, and human interaction over technological quick fixes. Rather than controlling cities from the top down, she calls for policymakers to observe, steward, and harness the natural complexity already at work, allowing cities to evolve intelligently on their own terms.
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27:07
Henrietta Moore & Arthur Kay: The True Cost of Cars
The Century of Cities welcomes Henrietta Moore, Founder and Director of the Institute for Global Prosperity, and Arthur Kay, Senior Advisor at Innovo Group and board member at Transport for London. Together, they unpack their new book Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars, a powerful exploration of how our dependence on cars shapes our health, cities, and future. From the exponential rise in global car ownership since 1980 to the ripple effects on climate, inequality, and urban design, Henrietta and Arthur reveal how car culture has quietly become one of the most expensive and destructive addictions of our time. They share examples from Los Angeles to Lagos, Dallas to Delhi, showing how communities are reclaiming streets, re-imagining mobility, and redefining freedom in urban life. As we look toward 2080, they challenge us to imagine cities built not around vehicles, but around people, where prosperity is measured not by how fast we drive, but by how freely we move.
Welcome to The Century of Cities, a captivating journey fueled by curiosity into humanity's most profound transformation: urban evolution. By 2100, 10 billion people will live in over 10,000 cities. What shape will that world take? This 100-episode series explores the forces driving this shift through illuminating interviews and compelling stories, revealing how cities can lead us toward a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient world.
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