The DNA of Cities Podcast

Special Investigation: The DNA of Amazonian Cities

We explore the traits and characteristics of cities in the Amazon: the world's largest rainforest.

Episode 27:
Dyfed Aubrey

Dyfed leads UN-Habitat's office for the EU, working with communities in fragile urban settings.

Episode 24: Leader Keynote - Sir Leese

Richard is widely commended for his long-term leadership of Manchester City Council from '96 to '21.

Episode 21: The DNA of Manchester - Part III

We explore leadership, civic pride, misconceptions and how Manchester's DNA will shape its future.

Episode 18: Rosemary Wakeman

Rosemary is a renowned expert on global urban history, we ask what The DNA of Cities mean to her.

Episode 15: The DNA of Mexico City - Part I

We explore what it is that makes Mexico City one of world's most beguiling and enthralling cities.

Episode 12: Gonzalo Brujó

Gonzalo Brujó, CEO of Interbrand, reflects on the role of cities and places in brand development.

Episode 9: The DNA of Sydney - Part II

We explore Sydney's identity at various scales, from its neighbourhoods to its place in the world.

Episode 6: The DNA of São Paulo - Part II

We explore the rich and irreducibly plural social and cultural fabrics of São Paulo's population.

Episode 2: The DNA of Kyiv - Part II

We discover what it means to be a Kyivan and how Kyivans are dreaming about their city's future.

Episode 29: Professor Tim Stonor

Tim is the Managing Director of Space Syntax and joins us to explore the syntax of cities.

Episode 26:
Chris Choa

Chris joins us as a Keynote guest to tell us about his work on the concept of sociality in cities.

Episode 23: Leader Keynote - Mayor Burnham

The Mayor of Greater Manchester explores how the DNA of the city region guides his responsibilities.

Episode 20: The DNA of Manchester - Part II

We discover the story behind The Original Modern City – 'Brand Manchester' – and it's impact.

Episode 17: The DNA of Mexico City - Part III

We discover where the unique character of Mexico City is expressed and how it can be experienced.

Episode 14: Philip Sheldrake

We speak to Philip about spirituality and cities, we ask how is spirituality shaped by urbanisation?

Episode 11: Dr Wangui Kimari

The wonderful Dr Wangui Kimari tells us about The DNA of Nairobi and urban anthropological toolkits.

Episode 8: The DNA of Sydney - Part I

We begin exploring the conditions that have shaped lives in this region for over 40,000 years.

Episode 5: The DNA of São Paulo - Part I

A brilliant group of experts help us decode The DNA of São Paulo from inside-out and outside-in.

Episode 1: The DNA of Kyiv - Part I

We explore the long history of the Ukrainian capital with tremendous local experts.

Episode 28: City Destinations Alliance

Barbara, Flavie and Jurgen from CityDNA tell us how European destinations are using their DNA.

Episode 25: Dr Sadhana Manthapuri

Sadhana recently completed her PhD on the topic of Urban DNA. She joins us as a Keynote guest.

Episode 22: Leader Keynote - Cllr Bev Craig

Bev Craig is the Leader of Manchester City Council. She joins us as our first Leader Keynote.

Episode 19: The DNA of Manchester - Part I

We ask local experts, why did this place become the world’s first industrial city? Why Manchester?

Episode 16: The DNA of Mexico City - Part II

We trace the layers of Mexico City and the unique convergence of its past, present and future.

Episode 13: Anna Campbell-Jones

Anna Campbell-Jones explains how a sense of place shapes the way she approaches interior design.

Episode 10: The DNA of Sydney - Part III

We explore expressions of civic identity in relation to Sydney's original and imprinted DNA.

Episode 7: Dr Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani

Our second Keynote guest is Gabrielle Bendiner-Viani, author of The Cities We Need (2024).

Episode 3 & 4: Ben Wilson

We were honoured to meet Ben Wilson, historian and acclaimed author of Metropolis and Urban Jungle.

Trailer:
Welcome to Season 2

Join us from Thursday 30th January for Season 2 of our global voyage of discovery.