InterCities is a six-part podcast series from Open City. In it, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In this episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by Brian Hioe, a Taiwanese-American writer and academic based in Taipei, known for co-founding New Bloom Magazine and for his work exploring Taiwan’s youth movements, politics, and culture. His 2025 debut novel, Taipei at Daybreak, blends activism and fiction to explore the emotional motivations and alienation behind the Sunflower Movement from a ground‑level perspective. We use the novel to talk about Taipei’s shifting identity, the colonial ghosts the city is haunted by and how the architectural and urban spaces of Taipei shape the city's social and political movements. 

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.

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