Episode 15: The Future of Cities Writ Large

In our last three-person episode, we explored the future of work in the post-pandemic, climate age, about office space and commuting patterns. These changes are happening in real time, before our very eyes.

The same can be said about the future of cities writ large, not just office buildings and commutes, but cities as a whole: housing, transportation, retail space, parks, institutions. All seem to be in a state of flux, at best, crisis at worse.

Are we in a transitory part of the cycle or the beginning of a bigger transition, an evolutionary leap in urbanism and patterns of human settlement? And what does that mean for cities of different sizes and cultures, coastal, heartland, red, blue, and so on. Where do politics fit in? And what about the so-called “Urban Doom Loop?” Is it hype or reality?

In this episode, we talk about these things, about the cities we think will thrive going forward and those that might struggle, the sink or swim of our urban future.