The Good City

Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities
  • 5.0 (3)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

Do you feel more alive when you’re in a city? Cities are vibrant centers of creativity, innovation, diversity, and opportunity. But they are also where some of humanity’s most “wicked” and entrenched problems are experienced. Our collective future is urban: The Good City explores actions we can take across scales, from the individual to the collective, to create the cities we all want and need. The Good City is hosted by the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities at Cornell University. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-MqvJvsI7XmVlyss1nuQnyif1fJw89wMORl3MV0105U/edit?usp=sharing

Episodes

  1. Informal Settlements: Part 1

    05/22/2025

    Informal Settlements: Part 1

    Over half of Nairobi’s population lives in informal settlements — dense, urban communities that exist outside of the formal design of the city and are often underserved by infrastructure and services.  In this episode, the first of a two-part series, residents of Mathare 4B share what daily life looks like in one of Nairobi’s most densely populated informal settlements. Researchers and urban experts from ⁠Slum Dwellers International - Kenya⁠ and ⁠Cornell University⁠ help further illustrate the history, challenges, and resilience shaping these neighborhoods. ⁠TRANSCRIPT & SHOW NOTES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jJ9YLEPkQYPvfkEtsWYeOv4XJk_p0FJmrJpwLywFrYg/edit?usp=sharing Featured Organizations and Guests: Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities - https://centerforcities.aap.cornell.edu/ Muungano wa Wanavijiji - https://www.muungano.net/ Slum Dwellers International- Kenya - https://sdinet.org/affiliate/kenya/ Dr. Elmond Bandauko - https://aap.cornell.edu/people/elmond-bandauko

    26 min
  2. Introduction

    05/12/2025

    Introduction

    Do you feel more alive when you’re in a city? Cities are vibrant centers of creativity, innovation, diversity, and opportunity. But they are also where some of humanity’s most “wicked” and entrenched problems are experienced. Our collective future is urban: The Good City explores actions we can take across scales, from the individual to the collective, to create the cities we all want and need. The Good City is hosted by the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities at Cornell University.

    1 min
  3. Birds

    04/03/2025

    Birds

    Each year, as many as one billion birds die in the United States alone after colliding with glass — many drawn off course by the artificial glow of cities. From Chicago to New York to Houston, brightly-lit skylines disorient migratory birds, pulling them into urban landscapes where reflective windows often turn into fatal obstacles. Bird experts Andrew Farnsworth and Julia Wang from the ⁠Cornell Lab of Ornithology⁠ and the ⁠Lights Out Program⁠ — a national initiative to reduce light pollution and urban bird mortality — explore how cities are tackling this crisis, showcasing the policies and interventions making a difference. ⁠TRANSCRIPT & SHOW NOTES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jNM792_WgMlO77qhiq3sijW7jDxl-QI6eh_vkGATGXw/edit?usp=sharing Featured Organizations and Guests: Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities - https://centerforcities.aap.cornell.edu/ Cornell Lab of Ornithology - https://www.birds.cornell.edu/ Andrew Farnsworth - https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/staff/andrew-farnsworth/ Julia Wang - https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/staff/julia-wang/ Lights Out - https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/

    20 min
  4. Deconstruction

    03/17/2025

    Deconstruction

    Cities are built from thousands of tons of steel, concrete, glass, and wood. We tend to think of buildings as permanent fixtures of the urban landscape — but they don’t last forever. When buildings reach their end of their use, they’re often demolished, dismantled, or left to decay. But what happens to all that material? Where does it go, and could it be used again? In Ithaca, New York, a major redevelopment project is bringing these questions to the forefront. As older structures make way for new construction, ⁠Cornell Architecture Professor Felix Heisel⁠ and ⁠Finger Lakes Reuse⁠ Deconstruction Coordinator Andrew Boghossian explore the growing movement of deconstruction and discuss how cities like Ithaca can rethink their approach to buildings at the end of their lifespan. ⁠TRANSCRIPT & SHOW NOTES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nXsi2FVqqfCzMR-RmrH60BKHVWYI72--ue6lxQkvWpo/edit?usp=sharing Featured Organizations and Guests: Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities - https://centerforcities.aap.cornell.edu/ Professor Felix Heisel - https://aap.cornell.edu/people/felix-heisel The Circular Construction Lab - https://labs.aap.cornell.edu/ccl Finger Lakes Reuse - https://ithacareuse.org/

    24 min
  5. Traffic

    03/10/2025

    Traffic

    Traffic congestion is more than just a daily frustration — it shapes economies, impacts public health, and defines the way cities function. As urban centers continue to grow, policymakers are grappling with how to manage ever-increasing gridlock. In this episode, we examine the challenges of urban traffic and explore congestion pricing as a potential solution. ⁠Associate Professor Nicholas Klein⁠ of Cornell’s City and Regional Planning Department discusses the economic and behavioral factors behind congestion, while ⁠Anshul Mishra⁠, a senior urban planner in Chennai, India provides insight into how one of India’s largest cities is addressing its mobility crisis. ⁠TRANSCRIPT & SHOW NOTES: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MSKa8Wqwze0LwPf1w1cEbAFPGdG272xp8dhOmJvJMKI/edit?usp=sharing Featured Organizations and Guests: Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities - https://centerforcities.aap.cornell.edu/ Professor Nick Klein - https://aap.cornell.edu/people/nicholas-j-klein Anshul Mishra - https://in.linkedin.com/in/anshul-mishra-a3270822 The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority - https://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/index.html Chennai Master Plan - https://www.cmdachennai.gov.in/smp_main.html ⁠

    25 min
  • 5 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Do you feel more alive when you’re in a city? Cities are vibrant centers of creativity, innovation, diversity, and opportunity. But they are also where some of humanity’s most “wicked” and entrenched problems are experienced. Our collective future is urban: The Good City explores actions we can take across scales, from the individual to the collective, to create the cities we all want and need. The Good City is hosted by the Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities at Cornell University. Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-MqvJvsI7XmVlyss1nuQnyif1fJw89wMORl3MV0105U/edit?usp=sharing

Information

  • Creator
    Cornell Mui Ho Center for Cities
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    5
  • Show Website
    The Good City