Be All You Can

Godrej Enterprises Group

Pioneers don't just build businesses; they lead with purpose and shape the future. Welcome to 'Be All You Can', a podcast by Godrej Enterprises Group, sharing stories of changemakers from around the world. Discover how innovation, sustainability, and values fuel impact and how your journey can spark real change. Because when you lead with purpose, you can truly 'Be All You Can'.

  1. 2d ago

    Regenerative Design: The Future of Urban Planning | Douglas Voigt | Be All You Can

    What does it take to design cities that heal the planet while putting people first? In this episode of Be All You Can, Douglas Voigt, Urban Design and Planning Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), shares how his philosophy of "planet first, community first" has shaped projects from the Wild Mile, a floating wetland park on the Chicago River, to the waterfronts of Detroit and the Pearl River Delta. From navigating a jurisdictional maze on a river that needs an act of Congress to alter, to learning from a child's simple question about riding a bike through a city block, Douglas reflects on the power of participatory design, shared principles, and thinking bigger and smaller at the same time. He explains why regenerative design is not a luxury but an imperative, and why cities like Mumbai can grow and heal at once. He also offers ideas on designing for urban heat, the real role of AI in the design studio, and the capabilities tomorrow's designers need to build. Along the way, he imagines a transformational project for India: reconnecting Mumbai's hills and forests to its coastline. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on regenerative cities, community-led design, curiosity, and what it truly means to build places where people and nature can thrive. Chapters 0:00 – Highlights and introduction1:57 – The Wild Mile: building a floating forest on the Chicago River5:31 – What shaped Douglas's belief in design for community8:19 – Regenerative vs. sustainable cities11:14 – Thinking big and small: the Detroit riverfront and a child's question15:31 – The Wild Mile story: from milk-crate prototype to city plan22:31 – Navigating the jurisdictional maze of the Chicago River27:10 – How community input changed the design30:01 – Keeping stakeholders aligned over a decade37:11 – One transformational urban project for India39:36 – What transfers to Indian cities: mangroves and the "living levee"42:45 – Can a city grow and heal at the same time?45:05 – Designing cities for extreme heat49:06 – AI as a design collaborator51:48 – Skills the next generation of designers should build54:11 – What success looks like for a project56:20 – Rapid fire round58:04 – Becoming "all you can"

    Regenerative Design: The Future of Urban Planning | Douglas Voigt | Be All You Can

About

Pioneers don't just build businesses; they lead with purpose and shape the future. Welcome to 'Be All You Can', a podcast by Godrej Enterprises Group, sharing stories of changemakers from around the world. Discover how innovation, sustainability, and values fuel impact and how your journey can spark real change. Because when you lead with purpose, you can truly 'Be All You Can'.