This episode of Circular Passions is a mashup of four debates we held in the fall of 2021 on designing the irresistible circular society. In it you will hear from a whole range of experts and professionals about circular economy and how we can reach a circular transition.

The debates and panelists are in the following order:

No One Left Behind: How Do We Build Infrastructure for a Circular Future We Haven’t Yet Imagined?

Panelists: Tom Casey, Transport Infrastructure Ireland; Russell Saltmarsh, Metroselskabet; Simon Kjær Hansen, Center for Public Policy at Copenhagen University; Gert Didriksen von der Ahé, The Danish Road Directorate.

Moderator: Pernille Berg, BLOXHUB

How do we create an inclusive and socially responsible circular economy?

Panelists: Karoline Liedtke-Sørensen, COBE; Rebecca Clube, Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London; Frenzi Ritter, Metabolic; Siddharth Hande, Kabadiwalla Connect; Salomé Galjaard, City of Amsterdam.

Moderator: Monica Maria Moeskær, Danish Design Center

What is next for the circular economy? How digitisation and finance can accelerate the transition

Panelists: Niels Kristian Johne, Pension Denmark; Rolf Büchmann-Slorup, COO HD Lab; Jarl Engelbrecht Vindnæs, Stykka; Josien Piek, Haven Green Capital Partners.

Moderator: Kåre Stokholm Poulsgaard, GXN

Why is it taking so long to implement circular economy in architecture?

Panelists: Arthur Huang, Miniwiz; Nicholas Ransome, Lendager Group; Harpa Birgisdottir, BUILD at Aalborg University.

Moderator: Pernille Berg, BLOXHUB

We have a lot of knowledge about healthy buildings, what is a healthy building and why should we all live, work, and spend time in healthy buildings. From light, indoor air quality, temperature, acoustics to space – we know a lot.

But why do we not build healthy buildings as the most natural thing?  

Why do we build from minimum standards rather than from maximum standards? In this debate we will address the how-tos. We will share all the latest methods and tools in designing and creating healthy buildings and lead the way to maximum standards.  

Panel:

Sven Buch, Development manager, Himmerland Boligforening (Social housing)   

Johanne Mose Entwistle, Head of value documentation, AART   

Jørn Toftum, Professor, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)   

Lau Markussen Raffnsøe, Technical Director, Green Building Council Denmark   

Tine Steen Larsen, Head of Division, BUILD and Aalborg University, Division of Sustainability, Energy and Indoor Environment    

Moderated by Pernille Berg, fil.dr., Science Manager, BLOXHUB 

The debate is part of an event series of 10 on the topic: "Healthy buildings - high performance - happy hearts and minds" created in partnership with PropTech Denmark, BUILD - Department of the Built Environment, LYS Technologies, Danish Sound Cluster, CLIMAID, Realdania, VELUX & BLOXHUB

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how vulnerable cities are to extreme events and has brought the inequalities that exist in our societies into stark focus. It has demonstrated that the poorest and most vulnerable are often exposed to greater risk and find it harder to access essential services. At the same time, in many areas of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a crisis within a crisis — a public health emergency that requires frequent handwashing in conditions where access to water is not universal.

Across C40, cities are prioritising investments in basic services and using nature-based solutions to strengthen resilience and safeguard citizens. This event will focus on the short- and long-term risks that water poses to our cities, and the potential to make communities more resilient by investing in water management, nature based solutions and increasing safe guards to water hazards.

Introductions by Simon Hansen, C40 Managing Director for Climate Solutions and Networks 

Presentation by Rebecca Ilunga, C40 Water Security Network Manager on C40’s work on water management. 

Panel debate:

Marissa Aho, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Houston         

Jane Eagle, Deputy Director for Open Space Planning, Water and Biodiversity, City of Johannesburg        

Peter Trillingsgaard, Group Vice President, Corporate Communication, Public Affairs and Sustainabilty at Grundfos       

Declan Conway, Interim Deputy Director and Professorial Research Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.   

Moderator:       

Lykke Leonardsen, Head of program for Resilient and Sustainable City Solutions, City of Copenhagen

The situation: Architecture is about more than designing building envelopes to protect our belongings from the outside world. Buildings affect our lives, our health and our ability to restitute. More and more studies show that even simple building design decisions can have a significant impact on the future quality of life for a building’s occupants.

However, buildings designed in great detail for very specific functions and tasks can perhaps not offer flexibility over time, as people’s needs change. If we want to reduce the carbon footprint of our buildings in the long-term, then they must be adaptable in order to prevent early demolition, safeguarding the investment of existing and future property owners.

In this debate we will discuss if it’s possible to design and construct buildings for specific users with specific needs, whilst also making for a good long-term investment. We talk about:

Examples of the effect of good architecture and space planning Can buildings heal people; can they make us better; more efficient?

How do you evaluate good architecture and space planning?

How can you put a price tag on future adaptability?

How do you balance specific user needs, property investments and a low carbon footprint?

Panelists: 

Professor Peter Barrett, Partner, Nutbox Consultancy, Emeritus Professor, University of Salford, Hon Research Fellow, Oxford University

Dorit Simonsen, Head of Hospice Djursland

Patrick Stremler, Managing Partner, Dietrich I Untertrifaller Architects

Moderator:

Oliver Schulze, co-founder, Schulze+Grassov

Building retrofits and clean construction are key to a greener, healthier future with opportunities for everyone.

Buildings typically represent the biggest source of emissions in C40 cities. And recent C40 research shows that while a green and just recovery could create over 50 million good, sustainable jobs by 2025 in C40 cities, building retrofits and new energy efficient construction would be the most significant job-creating areas cities can invest in. The jobs would be local and they could be created almost immediately due to the scale of action and size of the building stock; and with the right planning, they could be targeted at those who need them.

To focus on the crucial role of buildings in ensuring a green and just Covid-19 recovery in the world’s greatest cities, C40 and BLOXHUB invite you to a debate where distinguished leaders from cities, business and civil society will discuss how to promote the sustainable and healthy buildings agenda.

Moderator: Simon Hansen, C40 Managing Director of Climate Solutions and Networks

Panelists:

Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney

Ingrid Reumert, VP Global External Relations & Sustainability at VELUX

Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of Buildings and Wood Workers International

Eli Grimsby, CEO of Oslobygg at the City of Oslo

UHM Eui-Sik, Director-General of the City of Seoul

City of Possibilities - How can we ensure adaptive re-use of urban space to fit the current needs of cities?

During Covid-19 we have gotten used to images of deserted cities under lockdown and news of people moving out of the city centres. Recalling memories of vibrant urban spaces this debate asks, how we can meet the current needs of cities while ensuring a city of possibilities? Just how can we ensure adaptive re-use of urban space to fit the current needs of cities? And who should be involved in the process? How can we create not only greener cities, but cities that are socially sustainable?

We are proud to present the following panelists joining us to discuss those questions:

Camilla van Deurs, City Architect for the City of Copenhagen

Indy Johar, Co Founder & Executive Director at Dark Matter Labs

Lars Pico, Dean at Build, Aalborg University

Signe Brinck, Ph.D., Activist and Artist, Roskilde Festival

Enlai Hooi, Head of Innovation, SHL

Sarah Jarsbo, human being, mother, student and frontwoman for the network Sydhavnen

The debate will be moderated by: Pernille Berg, fil.dr., Science Manager, BLOXHUB

How indoor lighting is affecting your health: a look beyond aesthetics and energy efficiency.

Just as air, food, and water – light is a natural and vital source to our health. To most people, the absorption of light is an unconscious choice in life. It’s everywhere, always. But often not in a healthy way. Today, we spend more than 90% of our time indoors.

But most indoor lighting is unhealthy and not tailored to the occupants of the space.

What are the main challenges to improve this? And how does the future of lighting look?

Join us for a vibrant panel discussion where various industry members will share different perspectives on the topic.

Short intro to the event series on Healthy Buildings, High Performance, Happy Hearts & Minds by: Anne Gade Iversen, Indoor Climate Expert and Project Lead, Realdania

The scene will be set by: Prof. Marilyne Andersen, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Panelists:

Christina Friis Blach Petersen, LYS Technologies

Peter Fangel Poulsen, Bauherr

Ellen Kathrine Hansen, Aalborg University, Copenhagen

Merete Madsen, MOE

Moderated by: Lone Feifer, VELUX

We know healthy buildings depend on good air quality.

But what is good air quality and just how advanced are we on knowledge, technology and in the business of running buildings on an everyday level?

Join us for our BLOXHUb Debates where we focus on the latest research findings, the state of the art of tech and hear what is turning the big wheels in the engine room of buildings in terms of health, wellbeing, happiness and performance.

Moderator:

Lone Feifer, Director Sustainable Buildings, VELUX Group

Panelists:

Lucile Sarran, industrial Ph.D., Saint-Gobain, BLOXhub Smart City Research Network

Donya Khan, industrial Ph.D., NCC, BLOXhub Smart City Research Network

Lara Blasberg, Industrial postdoc, Velux, BLOXhub Smart City Research Network

Jakob Stoumann, Proptech

Søren Andersen, Climaid

Morten Christiansen, COOR

The debate is part of an event series of 10 on the topic: "Healthy buildings - high performance - happy hearts and minds" created in partnership with PropTech Denmark, BUILD - Department of the Built Environment, LYS Technologies, Danish Sound Cluster, CLIMAID, Realdania, VELUX & BLOXHUB

Our indoor climate has a significant impact on our health and cognitive functions. Study after study shows that our wellbeing and performance improves dramatically with higher rates of ventilation, optimal humidity, lightning, noise control and well-designed spaces. So, what does it take to turn that knowledge into action?

Join our next debate in our series on Healthy Buildings, where we take a look into sound and acoustics in public buildings and office environments and pose the following questions:

Can acoustics be aesthetically designed?

Why are we still building schools and hospitals with no thought of acoustics?

MODERATOR: Morten Roar Berg, Ecophon

PANEL:

Anne Mette Boye, Chief City Architect, Arkitekt MAA, Ph.d. City of Aarhus

Marie Koldkjær Højlund, Sound artist and composer, Assistant Professor in Sound Studies at Aarhus University (PhD Audio Design) 

Pierre Marie, Acoustics specialist at VELFAC, former acoustic consultant for TRUST projects at Sweco

Jesper Bo Andersen, Chief Consultant in Acoustics and Noise, Rambøll

Gitte Andersen, Global Head of Workplace Management & Design at SIGNAL Group, Head of SIGNAL UK CASES

Andrew Parkin, Partner, Global Head of Acoustics, Cundall 

Maria Snerftrup, Primary school teacher   

Partners: PROPTECH Denmark, BUILD, LYS Technologies, Sound Cluster Denmark, VELUX, CLIMAID and BLOXHUB

Moving towards a green and just recovery
What does it take to deliver an equitable and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Which role can cities play in delivering a green and just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic? And what will it take to create green jobs, invest in public services and give public spaces back to people and nature?

The podcast is created by a collaboration between C40 and BLOXHUB.


Speakers:

Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles for International Affairs

Martin Marcussen, Professor of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen

Tomas Anker Christensen, Danish Climate Ambassador

Hastings Chikoko, C40 Regional Director for Africa

David Miller, C40 Director of International Diplomacy, former Mayor of Toronto, Canada, former C40 Chair and author of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis’

Moderator:
Ida Bigum Nielsen, Head of Division Business and International Relations at the City of Copenhagen