Welcome to the inaugural episode of Our Future Cities Podcast! A space for insightful, inquisitive, and meaningful discussions about what cities are, who they serve, and how we shape them.
This is not a podcast about shiny technologies, utopian blueprints, or universal solutions. It’s about holding space for complexity, curiosity, and contradiction. A place to give young professionals the freedom to explore real local challenges threatening their own local sustainable urban futures. A space to connect with other young changemakers across the OFC network and ask questions that don't have easy answers. A space where young emerging urban sustainability leaders can explore the political and emotional forces that drive urban change through speaking with industry professionals.
The Our Future Cities Podcast Series gives young professionals the agency, the platformed voice and the collaborative network to inquire, innovate and dream what a brighter future could look like for our cities, places and environments.
In this first episode, we talk to CEO and Co-Founder Paul Satur about everything "Our Future Cities" and engage with comprehensive insight into our journey as a small not-for profit here in Naarm, Melbourne.
🔍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode.
🧭 The origins of the podcast: What sparked the need for this space, and how it connects to the broader work of Our Future Cities.
🌆 The emotional and political weight of urbanism: From frustration and fear to hope and ambition.
🗺️ Why “designing the future” is never neutral: The politics of visibility, representation, and power in urban planning.
🛠️ Pushing back against simple solutions: Embracing contradiction, uncertainty, and difference as core to meaningful urban transformation.
🗣️ A call to listen more, speak less, and ask better questions in the pursuit of more just, inclusive futures
Our Future Cities is a space to come together. To connect, to ask questions and to challenge conventions. To explore ideas, build networks, and wonder, what a brighter future could look like for our cities and places and environments that we care about.
Our Future Cities has a mission to fast track sustainability transitions, to foster deep and diverse connections between people, places, cultures. For the enhancement of our natural environment, our culture, and community.
If this sounds like something that might be of interest to you, then stay tuned or reach out.
We'd love to hear from you!
🔗 Resources & Mentions🌐
OurFutureCities.org – The platform behind the podcast: research, advocacy, and collaboration for urban change
📚 Concepts referenced: design justice, participatory planning, place-making, counter-narratives
📢 Be Part of the Conversation
This podcast is for anyone who cares about how cities are built, governed, experienced, and reimagined--- That means you.
We want to hear your thoughts, stories, and provocations:
- What does a “future city” look or feel like to you?
- What questions should we be asking in urban spaces?
- Who do you want to hear from in this series?
💌 Email us: our.future.cities.au@gmail.com
📱 Follow us: linktr.ee/ourfuturecities_au
Instagram: @ourfuturecities_au
Facebook: Our Future Cities
TikTok: @our.future.cities.au
YouTube: @ourfuturecities9864
LinkedIn: Our Future Cities
We at OFC hope you enjoyed this episode! Stay Tuned! and Watch This Space! Many more engaging exploratory podcasts to come. This is only the beginning!!!
22 min