Resilient Futures Podcast

Future Cities
  • 4.8 (24)
  • LIFE SCIENCES
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Resilient Futures is a monthly podcast on all things resilience! The show examines this topic by discussing ongoing research, highlighting current efforts, and sharing stories of resilience in diverse contexts across the world! By exploring a wide variety of perspectives, the show digs deep into understanding the many dimensions of resilience. New episodes will be released at the start of every month. If you have questions about things we've discussed or have suggestions for future episodes, please e-mail us at futurecitiespodcast@gmail.com or send us a message on Twitter @RFuturesPod. (This podcast was previously named Future Cities.)

  1. DEC 1

    Insuring The Future: The Role of Insurance in Disaster Risk Reduction

    Disasters are affecting more people and property than ever before. Since 1980, the U.S. has experienced 400+ weather-related "billion dollar" disasters, $3 trillion in economic impacts, and thousands of lives and livelihoods. In the effort to build our disaster resilience as a society, what's the role of insurance? In this episode, our hosts are joined by Carolyn Kousky, Insurance for Good, and Marc Ragin, University of Georgia Terry College of Business. This month's guests discuss a question at the heart of disaster insurance: what's the best way to incentivize risk reduction for both insurance companies and customers? If you're curious about how disaster insurance works, options for making insurance better suited for new risks, or why premiums are getting so darn high, this is the episode for you. Marc's Haiku: High insurance rates We need collective action Take your vitamins Carolyn's Haiku, written by Matsuo Bashō (translated from Japanese): As they begin to rise again Chrysanthemums faintly smell after the flooding rain Learn more about UGA and Duke's CIRCAD partnership: https://circad.org/ Carolyn's book: https://islandpress.org/books/understanding-disaster-insurance#desc Carolyn's nonprofit, Insurance for Good: https://www.insuranceforgood.org/

    50 min

  2. NOV 3

    Street Smarts and Survival Smarts: How NYC's Urban Preppers are Planning for the Future

    What did you do during the COVID-19 social distancing era? Some of us learned to make sourdough, some of us perfected a viral whipped coffee, plenty of us did a whole lot of nothing- but this NYC subculture was busy taking notes. Anna Bounds, a Professor of Sociology at Queens College, has felt called to teach, write, and tell stories for a long time. She's particularly passionate about urban policies that make cities better, stronger and more vibrant. As a sociologist–but also as a New Yorker–she began attending meetings of NYC's "prepper" community: a group of people dedicated to preparing for disasters the government may not be equipped to help with, whether it's a pandemic, terrorist attack or natural disaster. Anna clarifies: they aren't preparing for the end of the world- just whatever kind of day tomorrow might be. She's spent years (including before the pandemic) researching these groups while also learning countless skills for emergency preparation and response. "All sorts of interesting people [were] coming together to figure out how to help each other in crisis- and it paid off." So forget viral food trends! This episode pairs best with assembling your emergency kit (and yes, Anna has suggestions for it). Anna's Haiku* ("A Love Letter to the City"): Smoke clings to the sky Hands meet through sirens and headlines Love that doesn't flinch (*With special thanks to Anna's 7th grade teacher) Links: Anna's book, Urban Preppers and the Pandemic in New York City: Class, Resilience, and Sheltering in Place: https://www.annamariabounds.org/urban-preppers Anna's first book, Bracing for the Apocalypse: An Ethnographic Study of New York City's Urban Prepper Subculture: https://www.annamariabounds.org/book/apocalypse

    39 min

  3. OCT 1

    Going With the Flow: Adapting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for the Long Haul

    California relies on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as a hub for water, biodiversity, agriculture, recreation, and more. How can we make sure that management actions are working as intended?  Returning guest Stephen Elser is a Senior Environmental Scientist with the Delta Stewardship Council, which works to advance California's coequal goals: a more reliable water supply and a resilient Delta ecosystem. Broadly, Stephen's team is tasked with supporting the use of adaptive management to enhance conservation and sustainable use of the Delta. Adaptive management is a flexible approach to managing natural resources that allows for continuous learning, resulting in management decisions based on what was learned rather than simply implementing without regard for scientific feedback or monitoring. Management actions can be viewed as hypotheses to be tested, with the goal of continuous improvement while reducing uncertainty.  Stephen explains the process of adaptive management, and why it's so important in complex ecosystems like the Delta. Stephen's Haiku: Uncertain futures But we know a lot, let's act Learning as we go   -Read more about the Delta Stewardship Council at their website. -Follow this link to learn more about the Council's adaptive management work, and to find resources on developing adaptive management plans. -The 2025 Adaptive Management Forum will be held on October 14-15! Follow this link to learn more about this free event and to register to attend either in-person or online.

    34 min

  4. SEP 2

    Behind the City Scenes: Why You Should Get to Know Your Local Infrastructure

    Have you ever asked your garbage truck where it's going? Sybil Derrible is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago, focusing on urban engineering- studying large systems of power and movement inspired by the tiny island he calls his hometown. Living in a tight community (and with parents that owned a hardware store), Sybil grew up knowing where his water and energy came from- and now, he wants you to learn about yours too. In this episode, Sybil joins us to discuss his new book, aptly titled The Infrastructure Book. He chose to write this book because he felt that his work needed to be communicated to the public. He feels that people need to understand how their infrastructure works: not just roads and bridges, but the energy systems, water distribution, telecommunications, waste disposal and more that happen behind the scenes. Sybil's Haiku: It breathes not, but lives It makes it all possible Infrastructure rocks! Links: Check out The Infrastructure Book here: https://csun.uic.edu/the-infrastructure-book/ Learn more about Sybil's work: https://sybilderrible.com/

    45 min

  5. AUG 4

    A More Resilient Georgia: Introducing the Statewide Resilience Assessment!

    This month, we’re proud to introduce an in-house effort at the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems: the Georgia Statewide Resilience Assessment. Commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts and conducted by the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems at UGA, this report brings together insight from across the sectors, stakeholders and systems of Georgia. The outcome: a review of our hazards and challenges, as well as some opportunities, exemplary projects, and recommendations for creating a more resilient Georgia. The research process for this report involved holding in-person and virtual discussions across the state to gain a wide array of perspectives. In this episode, we bring you a few of the people who were present at some of those meetings to discuss the project and state resilience planning as a whole. Featuring: Kristiane Huber, Officer, US Conservation, The Pew Charitable Trusts Lynn Abdouni, Associate Research Scientist, Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems Summer Modelfino, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer, Maryland Office of Resilience Alan Robertson, AWR Strategic Consulting, Tybee Island, Georgia And yes, Alan brought a haiku! Recover, adapt Always planning for a more Resilient future Links: Read the report here: https://iris.uga.edu/resilience-planning-for-the-state-of-georgia/ Watch the webinar on state resilience planning here: https://iris.uga.edu/resilience-planning-for-the-state-of-georgia/ Learn more about the Maryland Office of Resilience: https://resilientmaryland.com/ Learn more about resilience efforts in Tybee Island: https://resilienttybee.com/

    54 min

  6. JUL 1

    American Disasters: How Classical Calamities Inform Emergency Response Today

    Cynthia Kierner, historian, self-declared "non-21st century person," and Mets fan, is deeply interested in the role of disturbances across American history- hurricanes, earthquakes, and disease, oh my. In her book, Inventing Disaster: The Culture of Calamity from the Jamestown Colony to the Johnstown Flood, she reviews the history of natural disasters and how we respond to them across time and space in the United States. Hosts Alysha and Todd join their guest in asking colossal questions on cataclysms: How do governments simultaneously prepare for risks at local, regional and national levels? What role do community outsiders play in disaster prevention and recovery? Can the government make you wear a seatbelt? From Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic of 1793 to the worldwide shutdown of COVID-19, disturbances shape communities in a major way. In this episode, we review the life cycle of natural disasters and how they impact communities today... and tomorrow. Cynthia's Haiku (An Ode to Jersey City): Superstorm Sandy Rollercoaster in the sea Inspiring disaster Links: Inventing Disaster: The Culture of Calamity from the Jamestown Colony to the Johnstown Flood: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469652528/inventing-disaster/ Rethinking American Disasters (NEW): https://lsupress.org/9780807179932/rethinking-american-disasters/ Bio: https://historyarthistory.gmu.edu/people/ckierner

    39 min

  7. JUN 2

    Why Do We Need Parks? Welcoming Back Joeri Morpurgo

    We know that green spaces are good for you. They provide benefits to air quality, biodiversity, and even your mental health... but why? Returning guest Joeri Morpurgo, a postdoctoral fellow at Universiteit Leiden in the Netherlands, set out with his team to answer this question. They found an important distinction: not all green spaces are created equal. The team also investigated the various benefits of green space, and found natural variables to attribute them to: lower air temperatures were directly related to tree heights, soil quality promotes water storage, and so on. Every green space has unique characteristics that give it unique, nuanced benefits. In this episode, Joeri joins hosts Alysha and Todd to talk about why distinction between outdoor spaces is so important. Joeri's Haiku: Lush green fill the streets Yet life and function diverge Features shape what they give Links: Joeri's Bio: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/staffmembers/joeri-morpurgo#tab-1 Joeri's Publications: https://scholar.google.nl/citations?user=PHxx0pIAAAAJ&hl=nl  Pre-print of Joeri's newest pub: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5841194/v1

    32 min

  8. MAY 1

    The Nation's Heartbeat: Engineering, History, and the Mississippi River

    The Mississippi River Basin covers over a million square miles across the southeast and midwest US. Despite growing up far away in the northeast US, Boyce Upholt thinks about the nation's largest waterway more than most: he's the author of "The Great River: The Making and Unmaking of the Mississippi." The book began nearly eight years earlier with a paddling trip, a sunken steamboat, and love-at-first-sight for the iconic southern river. Upholt speaks to our hosts Alysha and Todd about his intertwining passions for history and nature, and why this work centers on "the Great River." The book covers how humans have thought about, related to, and altered the region over centuries, and how the river changes to meet us in new ways. "We know it's out there, this sort of heart beating in the middle of America, but most Americans don't know what it looks like." Boyce's Haiku (The Edgelands Wander Haiku): Shopping cart half-sunk Into the crust-dried batture mud Nothing lasts too long Links: Check out the book: https://www.boyceupholt.com/ Southlands Magazine, a new project by Boyce Upholt, is launching later this year: https://www.boyceupholt.com/southlands

    42 min
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About

Resilient Futures is a monthly podcast on all things resilience! The show examines this topic by discussing ongoing research, highlighting current efforts, and sharing stories of resilience in diverse contexts across the world! By exploring a wide variety of perspectives, the show digs deep into understanding the many dimensions of resilience. New episodes will be released at the start of every month. If you have questions about things we've discussed or have suggestions for future episodes, please e-mail us at futurecitiespodcast@gmail.com or send us a message on Twitter @RFuturesPod. (This podcast was previously named Future Cities.)

Information

  • Creator
    Future Cities
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Resilient Futures Podcast
  • Show Website
    Resilient Futures Podcast

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