The built environment is a reflection of political decisions. The officials you elect shape the environment around you. So, what happens if people don’t participate in the voting process?

In this episode, we delve into the critical intersection of civic action and urban development with our insightful guest, Dafe Oputu. We’ll explore the urban landscapes of Accra, Ghana; Cotonou, Benin; and Lagos, Nigeria, examining how trust and accountability in municipal governance shape these cities.

We’ll discuss different cities' strategies to encourage public participation and civic action, and why voting is crucial for building better cities. Together we also unpack Africa's obsession with megacities, like Akon City and Eko Atlantic (and how to avoid creating ghost cities).

Guest: Dafe Oputu

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes, references and guest details. 

To access social media, newsletter, and additional projects visit: https://linktr.ee/urbanlimitrophe

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

Music by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

What makes a city truly smart? Or just? The answer lies with the people.

In this episode, we explore the human-centric side of Smart Cities with our guest Titus Kaloki from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Kenya office. Through their Just Cities Project, Titus is on a mission to make cities both smart and just, leveraging technology to put people at the center of urban planning.

Titus and his team have been leveraging an innovative software called Urban Collective Design Environment (U_CODE) to achieve an 85% participation rate in their Just Cities Project in Nakuru City, Kenya. This process brings together local government, urban planners, and citizens to co-design the future of the city using 3D modelling software.

Join us as we delve into how this approach results in community-informed plans that conform to urban guidelines and zoning while saving time, money, and reducing frustration for all parties involved.

Guest: Titus Kaloki

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

• Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes, references, and guest details. 
• To access social media, newsletter, and additional projects visit: https://linktr.ee/urbanlimitrophe
• Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

• Music by Imany Lambropoulos
• Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

What if the true architects of our cities are not the government officials or urban planners, but the communities who live in them? In this episode, we dive deep into a provocative question: When governments fail to provide essential services like water and electricity, and communities step up to fill the gaps, who define the future of urban development?

We journey to Brazil to unravel the story of the 2001 City Statute, a groundbreaking piece of legislation aimed at making cities more equitable. This innovative law, born from decades of activism and aimed at redistributing urban resources, has struggled with implementation challenges. My special guest, Mayara Almeida de Paula, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto and an expert in urban planning, will share her insights on how race, gender, and urban policies impact the lives of Black women in Brazil and how these factors either support or restrict their right to the city.

Guest: Mayara Almeida de Paula

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 

Instagram & Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dKQV9

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

Music and editing by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

In this episode, we're headed to Tangier, Morocco. My co-host Naziha Nasrin and I speak with Amine Houari of Think Tanger, a non-profit cultural agency shaping Tangier's development through art, research, and collaboration. Together, we discuss crucial topics such as creative insurgency, planning in suburban contexts in Toronto (Scarborough) and Tangier (Bir Chifa), multicultural approaches to community development, and insights for other cultural planning organizations. Additionally, we offer advice for Western cities planning for diverse cultural contexts.

Key insights from the episode include:

• Planning in multicultural cities and suburbs 
• The importance of people-centred practices to urban/suburban development
• Think Tanger's StudioCity program and how it promotes dialogue, arts, city-building, and neighbourhood pride in Tangier
• The foundational elements of Think Tanger's approach to fostering a more inclusive and engaged community
• Exploring the colonial history of Tangier and its impact on the city's culture and built environment
• How Think Tanger uses publications like their magazine MAKAN and their store KIOSK alongside residency programs to support the decolonization of arts and culture in the city
• Crafting inclusive approaches that resonate with the unique cultural and historical context of a city
• Strengthening cultural programming and development through strategic collaborations and financial support
• Inclusive approaches to cultural planning

Guest: Amine Houari of Think Tanger

Co-Hosts: Naziha Nasrin of plazaPOPS

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 

Instagram & Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dKQV9

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

Music and editing by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

Join me, along with my co-hosts Joycelyn and Erin, as we dive into an insightful conversation with Lanrick Bennett Jr., Toronto's Bicycle Mayor, and the Executive Director of Charlie's FreeWheels. We explore his tenure as a bike mayor and the expansive network of BYCS-appointed mayors, stretching from India to Uganda and beyond.

In this episode, we discuss crucial topics such as Vision Zero and efforts to reduce vehicular-related fatalities in Toronto. We delve into designing inclusive cycling infrastructure and offer advice for those looking to cycle in the city and who want to get involved in making their streets safer for all.

Key insights from the episode include:

• Understanding the significance of inclusive cycling infrastructure
• Exploring how Shaw St has evolved into Toronto's cycling haven
• The importance of political will in creating safer streets
• Ways to actively contribute to advocating for safer streets in your community
• Insights from international transit advocates on Toronto's cycling infrastructure
• What it takes to ensure safer streets for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers alike
• The global network of Bicycle Mayors and their impact on urban development
• And much more

Guest: Lanrick Bennett Jr., Bicycle Mayor of Toronto & Executive Director of Charlie’s FreeWheels

Co-Hosts: Joycelyn Guan and Erin

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

• Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 
• Instagram & Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 
• Subscribe to the newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dKQV9
• Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

• Music by Imany Lambropoulos
• Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

This episode marks the first video episode of the podcast! Here's a sneak peek of my conversation with Destinie Adélakun, an emerging multi-disciplinary artist, who masterfully weaves her Nigerian-Indian heritage into her breathtaking solo exhibition, "Journey of Adé." Destinie also shares the excitement of exhibiting at Toronto's renowned Nuit Blanche, her work bridging mental wellness and public art as part of the Scarborough-based Behind the Art Collective, and the crucial role that public art plays in shaping the identity of our cities. 

This is just a snippet of our conversation. To watch our full discussion head on over to the new Urban Limitrophe YouTube channel to see all of the art pieces that Destinie refers to in the episode.

Guest: Destinie Adélakun, Behind the Art Collective

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities, the Department of Geography and Planning, and GlowReel

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 

Subscribe to the newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dKQV9

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Join me in this captivating episode of the podcast as I have an insightful conversation with Heba Elhanafy, an urban researcher from the Charter Cities Institute (CCI) Zambia. Together, we explore the fascinating world of charter city development and dive deep into the Planning Guidelines Report titled "Guided Organic Growth: An urban planning framework for charter cities." 

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• What are charter cities and why promoting good governance is at the heart of making them work
• The benefits of taking an incremental approach to infrastructure development for more affordability and efficiency 
• The importance of adapting urban policies and plans to the evolving needs of citizens
• And much more!

Guest: Heba Elhanafy, Charter Cities Institute (CCI) Zambia

• Website: www.chartercitiesinstitute.org
• Twitter: @hebaelhanafi
• Instagram: @hebaelhanafy
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heba-elhanafy-918691a0

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 

Instagram & Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

Music and editing by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

In this episode, I chat with Angela Oduor Lungati, the CEO of Ushahidi. Ushahdi is a mobile platform dubbed “Africa’s Gift to Silicon Valley” by the New York Times. Born out of a crisis, the open-source software enables virtually anyone with a cellphone or internet connection to efficiently crowd-source information, map it and share it with those the most in need and guide those who can provide aid. Ushahidi is a powerful planning and decision-making tool for communities and cities in the midst of an emergency and has been used by groups worldwide to track everything from COVID-19 recovery to police brutality and everything in between. 

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• how Ushahidi has been leveraged by communities and governments worldwide, 
• how to keep communities at the center of innovation, 
• and much more!

Guest: Angela Oduor Lungati, CEO of Ushahidi

• Website: www.ushahidi.com
• Twitter: @AngieNicoleOD | @Ushahidi
• Instagram: @Ushahidi
• Donate: give.ushahidi.com

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 

Instagram & Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 

Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

Music and editing by Imany Lambropoulos

Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos

En novembre 2021, j'ai eu le plaisir de parler avec M. Patrick Mudekereza le Directeur Exécutif du Centre d'Art Waza. Le Centre d'Art Waza, situé à Lubumbashi, en République démocratique du Congo une ville désignée en 2015 par l'UNESCO, comme étant la Ville créative d'artisanat et des arts populaires. Ainsi, pendant notre discussion nous parlons par rapport de la créativité des Lushois, du rôle de l'art public dans la ville, les projets divers dirigés par le Centre et ce qui fait de Lubumbashi une Ville Créative.

Dans cet épisode, vous découvrirez:

• pourquoi l’art public est si important pour les villes et les communautés qui les accueillent,
• l'histoire de la ville de Lubumbashi d'un perspective artistique,
• qu’est-ce qui fait de Lubumbashi une ville aussi créative,
• et bien plus encore!

Invité: Patrick Mudekereza

• Website: www.centredartwaza.org
• Twitter: @centredartwaza
• Instagram: @centredartwaza

Remerciements:

Cet épisode est co-parrainé par l'Université de Toronto School of Cities et le Département de Geographie et de l'Aménagement 

Urban Limitrophe:

Veuillez visitez www.urbanlimitrophe.com pour toutes les notes et références de l’émission et les détails sur les invités.

• Instagram: @urbanlimitrophepodcast 
• Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 
• Contact: hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Assistance: 

• Monteur et producteur de musique: Imany Lambropoulos
• Animatrice de podcast et graphiste: Alexandra Lambropoulos

In this episode, my co-host Sami Ferwati and I chat with Salma Elbasty from CLUSTER (Cairo Lab for Urban Studies, Training and Environmental Research). CLUSTER undertakes a number of research, architecture, and arts-based urban initiatives with a special focus on analyzing urban informality and highlighting its role in our cities. During our discussion, we explore the impact of two of CLUSTER's major projects—the CAUL (Critical Arab Urban Lexicon) and their Creativity in Action toolkit—and how through their diverse programming they work with artists, artisans, academics, businesses, communities, and everyone else in between to bring their projects to life.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• urban informality and its role in creative cities,
• the process CLUSTER follows to undertake their various creative, community-based activities,
• the Critical Arab Urban Lexicon (CAUL) and the importance of translating urban terms into different languages, 
• ALFABRIKA, CLUSTER's maker space and community hub,
• and much more!

Guest: Salma Elbasty, CLUSTER

• Website: www.clustercairo.org
• Twitter: @clustercairo
• Instagram: @clustercairo

Co-Host: Sami Ferwati

Acknowledgements:

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

About Urban Limitrophe:

• Please visit www.urbanlimitrophe.com for all episode show notes and references and guest details. 
• Instagram & Twitter: @urbanlimitrophe 
• Please address any related communication to hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com 

Credits: 

• Music by Imany Lambropoulos
• Podcast concept, development, and design by Alexandra Lambropoulos