海角视频

This year, our Urban C:lab team embarked on a journey to explore the pivotal role of secondary cities in global economic development through a limited five-episode podcast series.

Secondary cities, often overshadowed by mega projects and capital cities, house 75% of the world鈥檚 population and generate 40% of global GDP. Despite their significance, these smaller settlements face unique challenges, including declining and aging populations, lack of investment and inadequate infrastructure.

The role of secondary cities

The secondary cities podcast series involves conversations with a diverse range of experts, from urban development practitioners and architects to academic researchers and humanitarian aid workers. Through the series, we gain a comprehensive understanding of the key issue secondary cities face – as well as the potential solutions to help them thrive.

Episode 1: Setting the scene – Antonio Rovira, an architect and urban planner, explores the definition of secondary cities, highlighting their critical role and the importance of local economic development.

Episode 2: Shrinking smart – Dr. Bozhidar Ivanov, an urban researcher, discusses strategies for managing population decline by optimising resources and infrastructure for smaller populations.

Episode 3: Cultural regeneration – Architect and urbanist, Liva Kreislere and Anastasiya Ansteeg, an academic researcher, examine how cultural initiatives can regenerate secondary cities and strengthen community identity.

Episode 4: Migration – Urban planning researcher Norma Schemschat and Sarah Leahy, a humanitarian aid worker, delve into the complexities of migration, emphasising accurate language and preserving migrants’ self-agency.

Episode 5: Climate resilience – Urban development practitioner, Vaishnavi Shankar and Kruti Munot, a cities project manager, discuss climate resilience in secondary cities, focusing on balancing rapid climate action with social equity.

The podcast series comes with a summary of our findings and insights from the experts we interviewed. For a comprehensive analysis and detailed discussions from this exploration, .

Urban C:lab extends gratitude to all partners and collaborators for their invaluable contributions to this podcast series.