Better Cities By Design

In this episode, we head to Bratislava, Slovakia, to explore how a city can be reimagined through the eyes of its youngest residents. As cities worldwide grapple with safety, inclusivity, and accessibility, Bratislava is setting an inspiring example by prioritizing child-friendly urban design. Host Davion Ford speaks with Simon Battisti, Creative Director at the Start with Children Summit, to uncover how child-focused planning can transform urban spaces into healthier, safer, and more inviting environments for everyone. From school streets that protect children from traffic to innovative approaches in public engagement, Bratislava is paving the way for cities to rethink their priorities. Tune in to learn how the Slovak capital is not only creating opportunities for play and independence but also inspiring cities worldwide to embrace urban design that fosters well-being for all generations.

What does it take to reenergize a city’s legacy and prepare it for a greener, more sustainable future? In this episode, we visit St. Thomas, Ontario, a Canadian city that’s turning its transportation heritage into a launch pad for innovation. At the heart of this transformation is Yarmouth Yards, a 1,500-acre industrial park anchored by PowerCo’s electric vehicle battery gigafactory. Join the Mayor of St. Thomas, Joe Preston, Arcadis Canada’s Country Director, Scott Arbuckle, and our special correspondent Grayden Laing as they discuss the vision, collaboration, and bold steps driving this transformational project—from economic growth and sustainable infrastructure to brownfield redevelopment.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, host Davion Ford is joined by a panel of experts to explore the transformative potential of hydrogen technology in creating sustainable cities. Artiom Loginov from Cummins Inc., Brett Ryan from Hydrogen UK, and Paul Aspinall from Arcadis discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrating hydrogen into urban infrastructure. They delve into hydrogen's critical role in achieving net-zero emissions, the importance of public-private collaboration, and the need for safety measures. The conversation also highlights the scalability of hydrogen, strategies for its widespread adoption, and the vision of a future where hydrogen is seamlessly integrated into urban energy systems. Tune in to discover how hydrogen could power a greener, more sustainable future for cities around the world.

In this special episode of Better Cities by Design, we have convened a panel of experts to discuss a topic that’s important for all cities: road safety. We’re exploring this persistent challenge in the context of the United States, where traffic accidents are the number one cause of death for people under the age of 55, despite the significant technological advances we’ve seen over the past two decades. To find out what more can be done to make the roads in and around US cities safer, we speak with Laura Chace, President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Brian Cronin, Director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office at the Federal Highway Administration, part of the US Department of Transportation, and Ramin Massoumi, Global Solutions Director – Mobility and Connected Highways at Arcadis.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, explore the story of Vancouver's climate disaster that, for many, flew under the radar. Join host Davion Ford as he engages in a captivating conversation with Bryan Crosby, Director of Infrastructure Resilience at the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Learn about the impact of the 2021 atmospheric river event on British Columbia's transportation network and explore the imperative for a multi-dimensional approach to resilience, guided by data insights and systems-thinking. Bryan sheds light on the challenges and opportunities in fortifying infrastructure and building climate resilience across Vancouver and beyond. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the innovative strategies shaping the future of urban infrastructure in British Columbia.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, we’re in Victoria, Canada, for a chat with Harsh Rathod, co-founder and CEO of Niricson, a company that is revolutionizing how bridges, dams, and other critical infrastructure are inspected for safety. Niricson uses digital technology in the form of software and drones as well as leveraging artificial intelligence to make infrastructure safety inspections much more reliable and efficient, significantly reducing the risk of human error. In this episode, we learn about how, back in 1896, people living in Victoria witnessed first-hand the tragic consequences of insufficient safety inspections, when the Point Ellice Bridge collapsed. And we hear how a much more recent bridge collapse in his home country of India, spurred Harsh on to found Niricson and lead a digital revolution for condition assessment and risk management, all with the aim of making infrastructure safer.

Join us in Amsterdam, for a conversation about an important aspect of the city’s phenomenal transportation system: train stations. Davion sits down with Daan Klaase, Manager of Research and Station Development, and John Riepen, Manager of Amsterdam Central Station, both from NS Stations. Daan and John reveal some of the secrets behind Amsterdam's iconic transportation hubs. We explore the role of NS Stations in ensuring well-maintained and passenger-friendly train stations and discover the delicate balance the organization must strike between historical preservation and modernization. And reflecting Amsterdam's status as a bastion for cycling, we learn about how NS Stations seamlessly integrates bicycles into the city's fabric. Listen in to find out more.

We're back in New York. This week we speak with Maggie Hopkins, Vice President Civil Engineering & Environmental Planning at AKRF, a leading company specializing in environmental planning, and engineering services for climate resilience and coastal adaptation. AKRF has been working in conjunction with Arcadis on New York’s East Side Coastal Resiliency project, which is a leading climate adaptation effort started after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the city back in 2012. Maggie shares some of the unique challenges related to integrating a modern protection system into an urban landscape that is centuries old. Join host Davion and Maggie to hear how our two companies are working to keep New Yorkers safe in the face of the climate crisis, while also helping to ensure the Big Apple stays livable for future generations.

In our first episode of 2024, our guest is Anselmo Collins, Senior Assistant General Manager – Water System, at the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP). We speak with Anselmo about LADWP’s efforts to ensure safe and reliable water service to more than 4 million residents, in the face of climate change, a burgeoning population, and the ever-present threat of earthquakes. Join host Davion and Anselmo for this insightful discussion about water resilience in the City of Angels.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, Katherine Drayson, Senior Environment Manager at Transport for London (TfL), is our guest. We speak with Katherine about the vital role TfL plays in managing much of London’s sprawling public transportation system and how climate change is impacting all of this.London has the world’s oldest underground rail system, and this is only one part of TfL’s portfolio, which also includes the Docklands Light Railway and the London Overground, along with buses and other modes of transit. But with the negative impacts of climate change on the rise, TfL has a dual role in helping London achieve the ambitious targets set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. First, TfL is working to make its operations more resilient against the warmer, wetter winters, and hotter, drier summers London is experiencing. Second, TfL is also focused on ensuring that Londoners have safe, reliable, convenient, and comfortable transit options that will help more and more residents choose public transportation over the use of a personal vehicle, thus reducing emissions in the city.Join Host Davion Ford and Katherine as they discuss the role that cities and transportation play in contributing to and potentially solving the climate crisis. Katherine also talks about both the history of public transportation in London, as well as what the future may hold.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, Doug Gordon, safe streets advocate, and co-host and producer of “The War on Cars” podcast is our guest. We speak with Doug about his crusade to rid New York, and other cities, of cars.With a population of over 8.8 million residents, New York is the most populous city of the United States, and a melting pot of cultures from around the globe. Unlike many cities in the US, most New Yorkers do not own a car. Across the 5 boroughs 55% of households do not own a car and a mere 22% of people commute to work in a car. Still, it’s estimated that there are around 620 car accidents in the city every day. And a 2021 Harvard and University of North Carolina study found that around 1400 New York residents die prematurely each year from pollution caused by trucks, cars, and buses.Join Host Davion Ford and Doug, as they discuss what New York could be like without cars. Doug shares why he has taken up this battle and how the COVID-19 pandemic taught many people that life in the Big Apple could be so much better with fewer cars. Doug raises serious questions about whether the car is really so beneficial for humanity, and he paints a picture of what city life could be if we eliminate cars from our streets. Listen in to find out why our guest has declared war on cars.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, Co-founder and Architect Tim Vermeend and Chief Marketing Officer Jasmijn Rijcken, from the Urban Woods, are our guests. Together we discuss how they have designed and will construct the tallest residential building in the Netherlands without a concrete core, in the city of Delft. At the intersection of urbanization and climate change, there sits a major challenge: how can we keep constructing buildings for people to live in cities, when doing so generates massive carbon emissions that are fueling climate change? Globally, constructing and operating buildings is responsible for nearly 40% of energy-related carbon emissions. In the Dutch city of Delft, an innovative company may have found the solution: the Urban Woods. Tim has designed the Urban Woods with a wooden core, instead of concrete, which is almost universally used. The production of concrete is devastatingly carbon-intensive, so swapping out concrete for a wooden core will make the construction of the Urban Woods not just carbon-neutral, but carbon negative, because the wood used will have absorbed carbon as it grew in the forest.Chief Marketing Officer Jasmijn Rijcken also joins the conversation and shares how the Urban Woods will be much more than merely a highly sustainable apartment complex; the building is designed to create a sense of community amongst residents. People who live in the Urban Woods will also have an app which will allow them to do things like upgrade their apartments in various ways, rent workspace in the building for the day, or even rent out a spare room to host visitors.Join Host Davion Ford, Tim and Jasmijn, as they chat about the Urban Woods.

In this episode of Better Cities by Design, Nick Cleary, CEO of CLARA Energy, is our guest. We talk with Nick about the poor air quality in Sydney, Australia and how his organization is working to help address this by scaling up the production of green hydrogen. One major sources of air pollution is vehicle exhaust, in particular from the thousands of heavy haulage, diesel trucks that travel between Sydney and Melbourne. CLARA Energy’s mission is to use new and existing technologies to create green resources at scale. They are focused on green hydrogen as a replacement fuel source that can eliminate those truck emissions and help improve air quality for people living in and around Sydney. Join Host, Davion Ford and Nick, as they discuss some of the criticisms lodged against hydrogen, as well as Nick’s views on Australia’s journey towards net zero. Better Cities by Design is brought to you by Arcadis, the world’s leading company delivering sustainable design, engineering, and consultancy solutions for natural and built assets. Tune in to episode three!