Secondary Cities, Primary Opportunities – A Podcast By Urban C:lab
Secondary Cities, Primary Opportunities - A Podcast By Urban C:lab
Podcast Description
This limited 5 episode podcast series delves into the often-overlooked yet crucial role of secondary cities in global economic development.
Despite housing the majority of the world’s population and generating a significant portion of global GDP, these cities face unique challenges such as population decline, lack of investment and inadequate infrastructure. Our series aims to shed light on these issues and explore innovative solutions to help secondary cities thrive.
We spoke to a diverse range of experts from around the world, from urban development practitioners and architects to academic researchers and humanitarian aid workers. Each episode features their insights, offering a comprehensive look at the multifaceted challenges and opportunities these cities encounter. Join us as we investigate how secondary cities can navigate demographic, economic and environmental hurdles to achieve sustainable growth and improved quality of life.
This podcast series is part of Urban C:lab, Buro Happold’s space for exploring big questions and emerging challenges in the built environment. C:lab brings together people from across the practice to think differently, work across disciplines, challenge ideas and explore topics that don’t always get the attention they deserve. It’s deliberately collaborative, open-ended and focused on action as much as ideas.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers themes such as climate resilience, migration, cultural regeneration, and urban shrinkage, providing insights on topics like adaptation measures for secondary cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, the complexities of migration narratives, cultural initiatives for urban revitalization, and innovative strategies for managing population decline, with discussions rooted in real-world examples and expert insights.
This limited 5 episode podcast series delves into the often-overlooked yet crucial role of secondary cities in global economic development.
Despite housing the majority of the world’s population and generating a significant portion of global GDP, these cities face unique challenges such as population decline, lack of investment and inadequate infrastructure. Our series aims to shed light on these issues and explore innovative solutions to help secondary cities thrive.
We spoke to a diverse range of experts from around the world, from urban development practitioners and architects to academic researchers and humanitarian aid workers. Each episode features their insights, offering a comprehensive look at the multifaceted challenges and opportunities these cities encounter. Join us as we investigate how secondary cities can navigate demographic, economic and environmental hurdles to achieve sustainable growth and improved quality of life.
This podcast series is part of Urban C:lab, Buro Happold’s space for exploring big questions and emerging challenges in the built environment. C:lab brings together people from across the practice to think differently, work across disciplines, challenge ideas and explore topics that don’t always get the attention they deserve. It’s deliberately collaborative, open-ended and focused on action as much as ideas.
This episode explores how culture and the arts can spark regeneration in secondary cities. From repurposing abandoned spaces to strengthening community identity, we examine how cultural initiatives can breathe new life into urban areas. While flagship projects like Bilbao’s Guggenheim have transformed cities, we discuss the challenges of sustainability and whether such approaches truly benefit local communities.
We also dive into cultural planning – an alternative grassroots-driven approach that prioritises community involvement and long-term resilience. The conversation highlights the risks of imposing a fixed cultural identity on a city and the importance of embracing diverse, evolving urban cultures.
Through real-world examples from across Europe, we consider what makes cultural regeneration successful and explore how cities can integrate arts and culture into their development strategies in a way that is both inclusive and impactful.
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