
Global Insights from The Future Design of Streets
From Streets Ahead by Streets Ahead Podcast
August 8, 2025 · 1h 15m · Season 2 · Episode 32
About this episode
Adam explores the future of urban streets through conversations with global thought-leaders at a conference in Portugal.
In this episode, Adam takes you to Guimarães, Portugal, where he attended The Future Design of Streets conference, and came away seeing our streets in a whole new way. Streets aren't only about transport, of course. Importantly, they're about climate, equity, social life, and how we experience a city day-to-day. To explore this expanded view, we’ve put together four conversations with global thought-leaders shaping the future of our streets: Maria Vassilakou : The former Green Vice Mayor of Vienna, who led a decade of transformation in public space, mobility, and citizen participation. Under her leadership, Vienna became a model for affordable, accessible public transport. Demetrio Scopelliti : Architect and Director of Urban Planning and Public Space at Milan’s AMAT agency, working on the front lines of environmental and spatial transformation in one of Europe’s major cities. Agustina Martire : Architect, Reader at Queen’s University Belfast, specialised in the study of everyday streets, their fabric, histories and experiences, through the StreetSpace project. She is especially interested in the way people experience the built environment and how design can enable a more…
People in this episode
Host: Adam
Guests: Maria Vassilakou, Demetrio Scopelliti, Agustina Martire, David Sim
Topics covered
- urban design
- public space
- climate
- social equity
- city experience
Keywords
- urban planning
- transportation
- inclusive design
- public transport
- city life
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Future Design of Streets
Books & works: Soft City: Building Density for Everyday Life
Places: Guimarães, Portugal, Vienna, Milan
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