Technopolis

Can tech help cities nudge us to live better lives, without things getting weird? In this episode, we look at how technology is making the popular behavioral science tool known as a "nudge" more prevalent in cities, from tackling sign-ups for food stamps to reducing congestion downtown. Molly and Jim talk with Emily Bailard, the CEO of InClass Today, a startup that uses nudges to help school districts reduce student absenteeism; and Anthony Barrows, managing director of Ideas42, a nonprofit that helps cities use these behavioral science tools to improve social outcomes.

For more information on this episode, visit citylab.com/podcasts/technopolis.

And email us your feedback to [email protected].

When a new tech innovation comes to town, we can't always know what its impacts will be before it floods the market. And yet, increasingly, some city governments and residents are having a particularly strong reaction to certain kinds of tech startups: Shut. It. Down. Is that the right reaction? Why exactly is that our impulse? And does it even matter what kind of tech we're talking about? On this episode, we look at what happens when a new tech idea creeps into one of the most fundamental parts of society: Housing. We examine the case of tech start-up Rentberry, a rental bidding platform, in Seattle.  Molly talks with Desiree Fields, an expert on the relationship between digital platforms and housing at the University of Sheffield; and Molly and Jim both chat with Nick Carr, acclaimed author of many books on the unexpected ways tech is messing with our lives.

Will every building in your city one day be powered by a battery? Are batteries the key to our cities' energy future? In this episode, Molly and Jim look at how energy storage could change everything about how we turn on the lights and get around town. And they'll explore how renewable energy might keep our cities running even when the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow. They talk with John Zahurancik of Fluence Energy and Rushad Nanavatty of Rocky Mountain Institute. They also make an inspiring phone call to Dan Neil, auto columnist for the Wall Street Journal.

For more information on this episode, visit citylab.com/podcasts/technopolis. And email us your feedback to [email protected].

Should startups ask permission from cities before they drop their tech on city streets? Or are they right to just show up and seek forgiveness later? Molly and Jim wrestle with the legacy of Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb—and the real-time dramas playing out in cities today with dockless scooters and bikes. Jim shares a conversation with Bradley Tusk (an early policy advisor to Uber) and Seleta Reynolds (head of the LA Department of Transportation); and Molly and Jim both talk with Nina Hernandez, a reporter at the Austin Chronicle, about her city's infamous showdown between ride-hailing and regulation. 

For more information on this episode, visit citylab.com/podcasts/technopolis. And email us your feedback to [email protected].

What does our future really look like when autonomous vehicles take over the roads? Molly and Jim take us on a tour of the less-considered effects: vomit, sex, and criminalized pedestrians. But also: Will self-driving cars carry our groceries before they carry us? They talk with Nan Ransohoff, the head of product at AV startup Nuro, and Jeff Tumlin, a transportation consultant focused on sustainability.

For more information on this episode, visit citylab.com/podcasts/technopolis. And email us your feedback to [email protected].

Why are investors pouring so much cash into urban startups? On this first episode of Technopolis, hosts Molly Turner and Jim Kapsis follow the money behind the explosion in urban tech. When did investors decide to get so involved in our sidewalks? Jim and Molly speak with Jason Calacanis, early Uber investor, start-up founder, and author of Angel: How to Invest in Start-Ups. They also talk with Warren Logan, Senior Transportation Planner at the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, about how cities cope with all the disruption in the epicenter of venture-backed tech.

For more information on this episode, visit citylab.com/podcasts/technopolis. And email us your feedback to [email protected].

Technology is reshaping our cities—often without permission and sometimes without a clue. Hosted by urban innovation expert Molly Turner and startup advisor Jim Kapsis, the new podcast from CityLab will ask the questions nobody is asking about what needs to change for tech to help solve more problems than it creates.