What is The Future for Cities‪?‬ Fanni Melles

"What must accompany our technological progress and advancement is also advancements in our wisdom."

Are you interested in a research and evidence-based brighter future vision? What do you think about technological disruptions? How can we harness the current extraordinary moment in human history?

Interview Adam Dorr, the Director of Research at RethinkX. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, disruptive versus transformative technologies, progress in human wisdom, optimism, and many more.

Adam Dorr is the Director of Research at the independent think tank RethinkX. He is an environmental social scientist and technology theorist whose recent RethinkX publications have focused on the disruption of the global energy sector by new energy generation and storage technologies, as well as the implications of the energy, transportation, and food disruptions for climate change. Adam regularly presents on stage, radio, podcasts, and television. He completed his MS at the University of Michigan's School for the Environment and Sustainability and his PhD at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Find out more about Adam through this link:


Adam Dorr on LinkedIn;
@adam_dorr as Adam Dorr on X;
RethinkX website;
RethinkX on LinkedIn;
@rethink_x as RethinkX on X;
RethinkX on YouTube;
Brighter - book of Adam Dorr;
Brighter playlist on YouTube;
Adam Dorr on Google Scholar;

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:


No.120 - Interview with Matt Ferrell about sci-fi induced space enthusiasm;
No.178R - Brighter (book summary);
No.221R - Rethinking humanity (research summary);

What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠ are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

Are you interested in rethinking the future?

Summary of the article titled Rethinking the future: The path to freedom from 2020 by James Arbib and Tony Seba, published on the RethinkX website.

This is a great preparation to our next interview with Adam Dorr in episode 222 talking about rethinking the future in a brighter way.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see whether a new organising system could help avoid societal collapse in the future. This article investigates changes, choices, challenges and opportunities for a new system with extraordinary potentials to emerge.

As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:


Our society faces a critical choice between clinging to outdated systems and risking collapse, or embracing new systems that adapt to modern challenges and technologies, potentially eradicating poverty and improving global quality of life.
Historically, societies often resist change until it's too late, leading to collapse, thus embracing change and avoiding the inertia of old systems is crucial for avoiding a dystopian future where power is concentrated in the hands of a few.
For the first time in history, we have the chance to proactively create a new organizing system before our current one fails which involves rethinking our current systems, encouraging flexible and adaptable new approaches, and managing a potentially tumultuous transition to ensure a fair and prosperous future.

You can find the article through this link.

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:


No.101R - What we owe the future (book summary)
No.178R - Brighter (book summary)

You can find the transcript through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

Are you interested in a research and evidence-based brighter future vision? What do you think about technological disruptions? How can we harness the current extraordinary moment in human history?

Trailer for episode 222 - interview Adam Dorr, the Director of Research at RethinkX. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, disruptive versus transformative technologies, progress in human wisdom, optimism, and many more.

Find out more in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠episode⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠

"It's not just what will happen, it's what needs to happen."

Are you interested in bees and their contribution to cities? What do you think about integrating First Nations’ knowledge into our urban management? How can we learn from bees about the environment?

Interview with Simon Burt, the co-founder of LB Agtech – the Location Based Agricultural Technology company. We talk about his vision for the future of cities, bees, urban food production, education about bees, and many more.

Simon Burt is an entrepreneur and co-founder focused on making a difference through applied solutions. He is a keen customer advocate and committed to making a significant impact by utilising technology in the agriculture sector. Simon is committed to environmentally friendly farming practices and developing carbon-neutral solutions into the future. Simon is hands-on through all business processes and specialises in production management, stakeholder engagement and sustainable farming practices. With 20 years of experience in starting and running companies, he knows that you are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. With a passion for farming and people, it's with great pleasure Simon is actively involved and dedicated to being a leader and leaving a legacy.

Find out more about Simon through these links:


Simon Burt on LinkedIn;
LB Agtech website;
LB Agtech on LinkedIn;

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:


No.159 - Interview with Michael Browne about Aboriginal values in the urban context
No.171 - Interview with Nicole Garofano about circular economy;
No.219R

What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠@WTF4Cities⁠ or on the ⁠wtf4cities.com⁠ website where the ⁠shownotes⁠ are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠Lesfm ⁠from ⁠Pixabay⁠

Are you interested in why bees matter for cities?

Summary of the article titled Why bees are critical for achieving sustainable development? from 2021 by Vidushi Patel, Natasha Pauli, Eloise Biggs, Liz Barbour, and Bryan Boruff, published in Ambio – A Journal of Environment and Society.

This is a great preparation to our next interview with Simon Burt in episode 220 talking about bees and their connection to cities.

Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how bees contribute to sustainable development. This article investigates the threats of bee population reductions and the broader importance of bees to sustainable development beyond their role in promoting food security and biodiversity.

As the most important things, I would like to highlight 3 aspects:


Bees play a crucial role in pollination, directly impacting food security, biodiversity, and sustainable agriculture by supporting the pollination of a wide array of crops and wild plants.
The decline in bee populations due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change poses a significant threat to their ecological benefits, highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these vital pollinators.
Bees contribute to achieving 15 of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underscoring their broad importance beyond pollination to include economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable development.

You can find the article through this link.

Abstract: Reductions in global bee populations are threatening the pollination benefits to both the planet and people. Whilst the contribution of bee pollination in promoting sustainable development goals through food security and biodiversity is widely acknowledged, a range of other benefits provided by bees has yet to be fully recognised. We explore the contributions of bees towards achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our insights suggest that bees potentially contribute towards 15 of the 17 SDGs and a minimum of 30 SDG targets. We identify common themes in which bees play an essential role, and suggest that improved understanding of bee contributions to sustainable development is crucial for ensuring viable bee systems.

Connecting episodes you might be interested in:


No.101R - What we owe the future (book summary);
No.178R - Brighter: Optimism, progress and the future of environmentalism (book summary);

You can find the transcript through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

What wast the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@WTF4Cities⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wtf4cities.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ website where the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠shownotes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠are also available.

I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.

Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lesfm ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠

Trailer for episode 220 - interview with Simon Burt, the co-founder of LB Agtech – the Location Based Agricultural Technology company. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, bees, urban food production, education about bees, and many more.

Find out more in the ⁠episode⁠.

Music by ⁠Lesfm ⁠from ⁠Pixabay⁠