Urban Exchange: Cities on the Frontlines

This episode of the Urban Exchange podcast explores the role of digital financial innovation in building urban resilience, featuring experts Daniel Sullivan, Director of Resilience for the City of Cape Town, and Tanya Filer, Founder and CEO of StateUp.

Together, we look at the findings of StateUp's latest research, conducted in partnership with the Resilient Cities Network, on the transformative power of public financial technologies in building urban resilience. Tanya highlights some of the common challenges such as fiscal constraints, climate change, and social inequalities, and looks into the importance of digital and emerging technologies in urban resilience.

Daniel shares his and Cape Town's experience in deploying digital initiatives to advance urban resilience, including the use of digital financial technologies to build resilience outcomes. He discusses the city's parallel journeys in developing a digital strategy and a resilience program, focusing on using data insights and technology to inform city responses and support vulnerable communities.

The conversation then delves into the challenges of bridging the gap between digital and resilience teams within city governments to maximise the impact of digital transitions. Tanya and Daniel highlight the cultural barriers and the need for a cohesive strategy that combines digital insights and policy implementation. The episode also explores the potential for cities to use digital technologies to address specific resilience goals, such as using spend data to better plan and prepare for food and water shortages.

Listen in to uncover insights into the role of digital financial innovation in building urban resilience, emphasising the importance of collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and leveraging partnerships within the city ecosystem.

For more information on the work between Resilient Cities Network, StateUp and Visa, click here.

This episode of the Urban Exchange podcast takes a look back at Rotterdam's resilience journey over the past decade. Host Paul Wilson speaks with Arnoud Molenaar, Rotterdam's Chief Resilience Officer, who was one of the first city CROs to be appointed in 2014.

Molenaar discusses how Rotterdam first addressed resilience through climate adaptation efforts due to its location near water. We discover how the city developed two resilience strategies focused on issues like water management, social challenges, and pandemic preparedness, as Molenaar takes us through notable projects like the city's "water squares" and the "Resilient BoTu District 2028" initiative.

We also delve into Molenaar's vision for resilience to be fully embedded in all of Rotterdam's operations and governance by 2034, uncovering valuable insights for other cities on Rotterdam's pioneering resilience journey over the last decade as one of the early adopters of the Chief Resilience Officer model.

This episode of the Urban Exchange podcast explores solutions to the global challenge of plastic pollution, with a focus on cities' role in addressing this issue. R-Cities' Lauren Sorkin is joined by Dr. Parama Roy of Okapi Research and Advisory in Chennai, and Taylor Maddalene of the University of Georgia, to discuss the scope of plastic waste problems worldwide and their impacts on urban areas.

Taking Chennai as a case study, our expert guests outline the city's rapid growth and relationship with its extensive network of waterways, which have become threatened by waste dumping. There's discussion of the Urban Ocean programme's holistic, science-based approach to tackling plastic waste in cities like Chennai, including conducting assessments to understand waste systems and identify improvements.

Dr Roy explains how pilot projects in Chennai aim to encourage source segregation and composting through community outreach and innovative infrastructure. Conversation also turns to the challenges around enforcement of existing policies, emphasising why cities should tailor sustainable solutions to local contexts while combining grassroots initiatives with national policies.

In this episode, listeners learn about practical strategies for monitoring plastic pollution and driving change at multiple scales. Listen now for the latest actionable advice for city professionals invested in solving the global plastic crisis through collaborative, long-term solutions.

This episode of the Urban Exchange Podcast explores how risk, resilience and insurance measures come together to support the future of cities. The episode delves into innovative partnerships to strengthen climate resilience in Miami Dade County, with Galen Treuer from Miami Dade explaining how rising insurance costs due to hurricanes and flooding have impacted many residents.

Through the Resilient 305 initiative, Miami Dade is collaborating with Miami and Miami Beach to better manage regional climate risks. Peter Adams from insurance firm Howden also joins the conversation to discuss how the Global Risk and Resilience Fellowship (GRRF) aims to bridge the gap between cities and insurers facing climate change.

Discover how Miami Dade has worked with vulnerable communities to design parametric policies providing quick flood payouts, and why these policies target timing gaps where smaller flood events disproportionately impact low-income households without support networks.

Both Treuer and Adams emphasise the value of sharing local data with insurers. Treuer explains how canal water levels impact flooding in specific neighbourhoods, while Adams demonstrates how collaboration in Miami Dade creates a "safe space" for insurers to innovate based on new discoveries.

Finally, you can find out how multidisciplinary partnerships between climate, finance, engineering and other teams can boost resilience in cities, with inclusive collaboration across disciplines necessary to comprehensively address climate change through a variety of policy, engineering and insurance solutions.

Bangkok, a city of rapid growth, faces the challenges of a complex urban landscape. In this episode, we delve into Bangkok's resilience journey with Dr. Tavida Kamolvej, Deputy Governor in Bangkok, and a specialist in disaster resilience.

Join Lauren Sorkin, executive director of the Resilient Cities Network, in conversation with the Deputy Governor, as they discuss:

• The city's biggest resilience challenges and how the current leadership is approaching disaster risk reduction through the Making Cities Resilient 2030 initiative
• The crucial role of SMEs in Bangkok's economy and their unique vulnerability to shocks and stresses, discussing specific programmes and partnerships, including with the Resilient Cities Network, that are empowering these vital businesses
• Collaboration as key to success. Dr. Kamolvej explains her approach to working with diverse groups, including local communities, and the inspiring "micro capillaries" approach championed by Governor Chadchart.

This episode is packed with insights and practical examples, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in urban resilience, community engagement, and the future of Bangkok.

Listen in to discover:

• Dr. Kamolvej's vision for Bangkok's resilience and the highlights of her tenure
• The biggest challenges Bangkok faces and how they are being addressed
• Innovative programmes supporting small and medium-sized enterprises
• The importance of community engagement and the "micro capillaries" approach
• Key takeaways and lessons learned for building resilient cities.

The latest episode of the Urban Exchange delve into the transformative impact of technology on government disbursements to enhance urban resilience. Joining host Paul Wilson are Agustin Botteron, author of a new Visa report on government disbursements and former Chief Resilience Officer of Santa Fe, and Robert L. Matthews, Director of the Washington D.C. Child and Family Services Agency.

Agustin shares insights from his experience as a city practitioner, emphasising the critical role of local government support programmes in addressing urban challenges, and the barriers such as capacity and funding. The conversation then shifts to the Visa report, exploring how cities worldwide are managing digital disbursements to enhance urban resilience. Agustin underscores the multifaceted nature of the process, encompassing finding potential beneficiaries, screening, and the actual payment.

Director Matthews provides valuable insights into the Washington DC Child and Family Services Agency's shift from a paper-driven system to a digital platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. He focuses on the need for a rapid transition at that time and how it enabled more efficient support for families in need.

As the conversation unfolds, the guests highlight the increasing relevance of digital disbursements in responding to extreme weather events and conflicts. They discuss the role of organisations like Visa and the Resilient Cities Network in fostering innovation, knowledge exchange, and infrastructure development. The Grandparent Caregivers Program in Washington, DC, serves as a case study, demonstrating the positive impact of financial subsidies and digital support on families caring for children.

We wrap up by discussing the need for collaboration and trust among various stakeholders, including technology providers, payment platforms, government officials, and NGOs. The acceleration of digital transformation, prompted by the challenges of the pandemic, requires proactive measures to build resilient infrastructures and partnerships for future crises.

Mike Lake, CEO of Leading Cities and a member of the Smart Cities World Advisory Board, hosts a special episode recorded live from the 2023 Smart City Expo in Barcelona, where he is joined by Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff Resilience Officer for the City of Dalla.

Genesis provides a behind-the-scenes look at her role as Chief of Staff, detailing the essential elements that the role encompasses that don't necessarily fit elsewhere but are crucial for city operations. We hear how she manages diverse portfolios, overseeing strategic initiatives like the Resilient Dallas strategy, as well as smart city projects.

Key to Dallas' digital resilience work is digital equity, with Genesis shedding light on the city's efforts to bridge the digital divide. She shares experiences from the field, discussing digital literacy programmes and the importance of community engagement in shaping policies.

This conversation also takes a turn toward cybersecurity, touching on the ransomware attack on Dallas earlier in 2023, where Genesis emphasises the city's commitment to proactive measures, including the development of secure apps for residents.

As the episode unfolds, we delve into the broader challenges faced by cities and the need for holistic, multifunctional solutions. Genesis stresses the importance of understanding each city's unique context and challenges, urging technology providers to align their solutions with the specific needs of the communities they serve.

The episode concludes with a reflection on the continuous nature of urban challenges and the vital role of collaboration, innovation, and adaptability in building resilient cities. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation at the intersection of technology, governance, and community empowerment in this episode of "Cities on the Frontline."

Genesis currently serves as the Deputy Resilience Officer where she works closely with the executive team across the organisation to implement the Resilient Dallas Strategy. She is also the Chief of Staff to the City Manager where she manages the Council Agenda Office, Local Government Management Fellows Program, departmental budgets and works with the executive team to advance the City’s strategic priorities. Genesis has served as lead in the organisation’s interdepartmental and collaborative projects, most recently the implementation of the Council Agenda Preparation System through Granicus – Legistar, and the development and implementation of a pilot program to activate City Hall Plaza.

As President and CEO, Michael develops and establishes relationships with municipal governments, businesses and universities internationally, creating a global network of partner cities dedicated to implementing Smart City solutions that improve the quality of life in cities. Leading Cities builds bridges between academia and action, between business and government, and between urban problems and solutions.Among its signature programs are AcceliCITY- among the largest, most prestigious smart and resilient city solutions focused competitions- and AcceliGOV—a competition of cities vying for globally sourced, expert-vetted, pre-paid pilot projects.

In this episode of the Urban Exchange, host Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director of Resilient Cities Network and Co-chair of the SmartCitiesWorld Advisory Board, is joined by Kathy Oldham, Chief Resilience Officer, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Will Cavendish, Global Digital Services Leader, Arup.

The latest episode is set in the context of the new publication entitled Digital Cities, Resilient Cities: Delivering urban resilience through digital solutions, developed by Resilient Cities Network and Arup. Lauren begins by asking Will what “digital resilience” means and why cities should care about it. He explains the importance of looking at it through the two lenses of a city’s abilities to use digital systems to build resilience but also ensuring the resilience of those systems and services themselves.

As the Chief Resilience Officer for Greater Manchester since 2018, Kathy explains that one of the main challenges is that cities are now looking at a complex “system of systems” with digital technologies having brought together so many different technologies and processes which can be difficult to risk assess. She talks about the “layering” approach to digital resilience that GMCA now builds in.

Viewing digital technology as a basic human right is a recurring theme. Manchester has a number of strategies in place to address digital exclusion with its aim to help people use digital technology to live their best life. Kathy also talks about the importance of covening with stakeholders from private, public sectors and academia. For example, the Manchester Digital Blueprint is co-owned by more than 300 organisations.

Will then discusses some of the principles city leaders can adopt to build in digital resilience such as flexibility of systems and redundancy. He brings in the subject of climate resilience and how data and technology can help us be more predictive. He emphasises the need for city leaders to recognise that the threat is real, highlighting the impact urban heat has had on cities around the world in recent years.

The discussion also covers the importance of knowledge sharing between cities and how networks can facilitate this. This also means cities can achieve resilience aims in potentially shorter timelines.

Urban food systems are coming under increasing strain due to urbanisation and climate-related issues. In the latest episode of the Urban Exchange, Kate MacKenzie, Executive Director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy, joins the Resilient Cities Network’s Lauren Sorkin to discuss how food systems and plant powered food transitions are advancing urban resilience and climate adaptation in cities around the world.

In an in-depth conversation, Kate reflects on the exciting and innovative initiatives that NYC is implementing for its Plant Powered Program. Through pilot projects, campaigns, challenges and other methods, the city is inspiring its various stakeholders to commit to decarbonise its food system while simultaneously advocating for healthier food and lifestyle choices.

As part of this, Kate goes into detail on the programme’s target groups, including its school- and hospital-based initiatives, as well as the importance of community engagement to ensure citizen buy-in for success.

There’s also discussion of the kind of collaboration the city has needed to get the programme to this stage, the value its partners bring to the project, the key to ensuring longevity with such a programme, and – critically – what other cities can do to follow in New York’s footsteps.

In this episode of the Urban Exchange, host Paul Wilson, Chief Business Officer for Connected Places Catapult and Chair of the SmartCitiesWorld Advisory Board, is joined by Robert van Asten, Deputy Mayor and Alderman for Urban Development, Strategy and Europe for The Hague.

On the agenda this month is The Hague's work on water resilience, its international significance as the peace and justice capital of the world, and the city's work on advancing the urban resilience practice.

Throughout, Paul delves into the role the Deputy Mayor’s leadership has played throughout this work, finding the key takeaways he has identified along the way, and how these could represent opportunities that other cities can learn from.

It is a fascinating time to have the conversation, following the UN’s Water Conference earlier in 2023 – the first UN conference exclusively about water. Reflecting on the conference, we discover the commitments The Hague has made to the Water Action Agenda, and the key takeaways from the conference that put water front and centre.

The Deputy Mayor has been a big advocate of The Hague’s water resilience approach since taking responsibility for urban development and strategy, and here we discover the nature-based work that the city has been doing around water storage in the city. We also delve into water management as a facet of the city’s wider climate action work, and how the city is getting buy in from key allies and keeping them engaged.

Sharing these insights, conversation turns to the importance of knowledge sharing and being a part of something bigger than yourself. Here, the Deputy Mayor talks about The Hague’s role as the city of peace and justice and the impact that reputation has on the city’s administration in how it carries out its work. There’s also talk of the importance of being part of wider collaborative networks, like the Resilient Cities Network.

In the latest episode of the Urban Exchange, Paul Wilson, chair of the Advisory Board for Smart Cities World and Chief Business Officer at the Connected Places Catapult, is joined for a talk on all things urban mobility by Diego Marquez, the Planning Mobility Manager for the Metropolitan Institute of Planning and Development for the Metropolitan area of Guadalajara, and Jose Rodriguez, Head of Urban Mobility at Visa in Mexico.

This episode is part of the Future Ready Cities programme, a partnership between Visa and the Resilient Cities Network, and focuses on the city of Guadalajara, its sustainable mobility strategy, and the role that Visa and smarter, simpler payments have had in achieving it so far.

During the conversation, we discover what it’s like to live in Guadalajara, and the economic role that it plays within Mexico as the nation’s second-largest city. We also delve into the opportunities within urban mobility this presents, particularly for the State of Jalisco’s pubic transportation network – the westerly state where Guadalajara is located.

From here, we hear more about Guadalajara’s Comprehensive Plan for Sustainable Urban Mobility (abbreviated in Spanish to PIMUS) – how it started, how it has been developed, and the critical role that stakeholder management has played in its success to date.

This leads into conversation on the benefits of new and sustainable mobility, plus to benefits of mobility innovation and technology to the city, Mexico, and the wider Latin American region. The discussion of technology also extends into Guadalajara’s recent work on payment systems, including its mobility card, and how it is improving services for citizens.

We also delve into the important role of the Future Ready Cities programme in this work and Visa’s role in it, including how it can extend into other cities in Mexico and across Latin America given the success of the work in Guadalajara. This includes conversation on the nature of the working relationship and collaboration between the city, Visa and the Resilient Cities Network, and the importance of being part of a network of cities which have common goals at heart.

In this episode of the Urban Exchange, Lauren Sorkin, executive director of Resilient Cities Network, hosts Gareth Morgan, executive director of future planning and resilience for the City of Cape Town.

In an exclusive interview, Gareth reflects on the exciting frontier work he is undertaking to institutionalise and mainstream resilience across the various aspects of the city’s work, encompassing everything from the development of a 2050 strategy and multi-year capital portfolio management, to business continuity services and risk mauding how the city’s existing resilience strategy integrates with and influences it. Here, we also discover what kind of capacity planning is required in developing and delivering the strategy.

Furthermore, we learn about the approach that’s needed in order to embed resilience into all facets of a city’s work and how Gareth has made it work in Cape Town, extending into how to work with local stakeholders and communities and the potential to further the connection between city and citizen through institutionalising resilience.

Gareth Morgan is the Executive Director for Future Planning & Resilience at the City of Cape Town. His portfolio includes Organisational Effectiveness and Innovation, Organisational Performance Management, Policy and Strategy, Resilience, Communication and Corporate Portfolio, Programme and Project Management. He held senior leadership roles in the strategic responses to both the Cape Town "Day Zero" drought and the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining the City of Cape Town in 2015, he was a Member of Parliament for nine years, with a legislative focus on water and climate change. While in Parliament he served as a Whip of the National Assembly and as Parliamentary Counsellor to Leader of the Opposition. He holds a MSc in Environmental Change and Management and a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship. He is Tutu Fellow and a City Ambassador for the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance. Gareth is a Fellow of the thirteenth class of the South African Fellowship Program and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

As the risks from climate change increase, public school infrastructure in our cities and communities is under threat from natural hazards. It may not be a subject we often think about in connection to education in our cities, but it is regardless a critical issues – one that impacts our children’s present as well as their future.

On this episode of the Urban Exchange, host Francis Ghesquiere from the World Bank welcomes Fernando Ramirez Cortez, Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist at the World Bank, and Vivian Argueta Bernal, Chief Resilience Office for the Chamber of Commerce in Cali, Colombia.

Together, they take us through the importance of resilient school infrastructure in the face of disaster risk and climate change, providing a working definition of what is meant by infrastructure in this context, before demonstrating the impacts that natural disasters are already having on education, emphasising the 175 million children falling victim to natural disasters every year.

Further, we find out about the World Bank’s Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS) and how it has established a roadmap for cities to build more resilient schools. Here, we find out about the scale of the programme across 30 countries and 550,000 schools worldwide, the work the programme has done to date, and the impact that’s having on cities, infrastructure, and, most importantly, students.

Specifically, we discover how the programme has extended into Cali’s schools and how it has benefitted the community so far. Beyond that, we also hear how the roadmap has supported Cali in its strategic development to date, given that it lies within an earthquake zone, and the lessons that can be learnt outside education when it comes to infrastructure.

The Urban Exchange welcomes back Glasgow City Council leader, Susan Aitken, to talk Cop27 and climate finance.

The latest episode of the Urban Exchange Podcast sees Resilient Cities Network’s Lauren Sorkin in conversation with Glasgow City Council leader, Susan Aitken, to uncover some of the key takeaways from Cop27, how the conference compared to Cop26, and the critical role of finance in climate action.

We begin with Susan’s thoughts on how Cop27 compared in terms of its outcomes to the Glasgow-hosted Cop26 in 2021, as she explains the various ways in which the conference moved the dial on climate action in some ways, yet fell short in others. Susan also explains why every new edition of Cop now needs to represent a defining moment in climate action, such is the urgency required to combat the changing climate.

There’s also discussion of the types of systems and infrastructure that cities require as they redouble their efforts on climate action, with Susan going into detail about how Glasgow’s green deal sets out to achieve these changes. Here, she discusses the importance of having a plan in the first place to be able to better communicate intentions with citizens, and also with investors.

Following on from this, Susan goes into detail about the disruptive economic impacts of the climate crisis without adequate action and the need to investors and private sector to get on board with what cities are trying to achieve, and how they themselves will be reliant on this to become resilient themselves, as well as making their city more resilient in turn.

With this in mind, Susan explains the latest steps that the city of Glasgow has taken to achieve some of these goals, such as the appointment of a new Green Economy Manager, and shares some of the successes the city has had that others might be able to take with them on their own climate action journeys.

The latest episode of the Urban Exchange brings together the principal authors of the World Bank’s latest extensive report on urban climate to discuss the 10 key findings.

Hosted by World Bank’s Francis Ghesquiere, Head of the Secretariat for the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction & Recovery (GFDRR), the Urban Exchange welcomes World Bank economists Megha Mukim and Mark Roberts as its latest guests to discover the key insights from Thriving – Making cities green, resilient and inclusive in a changing climate – a study of the impact of climate change on more than 10,000 cities worldwide.

Listen to the episode in full to discover the surprises in the findings and the actions that can be recommended to cities off the back them.

Preview: In part two of our conversation with Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney, we discover the changing nature of city relationships with citizens, how that can shape resilience and climate action, and lead to more equitable and inclusive communities.

The part one of the latest episode of the Urban Exchange sees Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney, in conversation with Jeff Risom to understand how the nature of resilience is changing, and how Monica and the city are adapting.

The new Urban Exchange Episode takes an in-depth look at the ways the City of Sydney is approaching urban resilience, from engaging with citizens to encouraging proactivity in the community.

In the first half of a two-part episode, our guest Monica Barone explains how the city’s response to climate has been shaped by the will of the people who live, work and play in the city, with a panel for community engagement stretching back 15 years. We hear how the community’s concerns reflect those of the city and its government, what measures needed to be adopted to take action on the changing climate, and how the public’s desire to see change has shaped the Sustainable Sydney plan.

Part two of our conversation with Monica will be available on 11th of October 2022– be sure to subscribe today to ensure you don’t miss out.

Preview: The latest episode of the Urban Exchange brings together Mayor of Medellín Daniel Quintero with Leading Cities’ Mike Lake to discuss the advance of urban resilience in Colombia’s second-largest city.

The new Urban Exchange takes an in-depth look at how Medellín has been led through times of strain in the pandemic by Mayor Quintero, and how it is now emerging as a more resilient and robust city.

Mayor Quintero explains what opportunities he sees for the city to build further resilience during its recovery from Covid-19, and how resilience is a critical part of addressing climate change in cities and beyond. He details the ways in which response to the pandemic and the climate crisis, judged by the ways in which citizens and communities are looking for answers on both fronts, are so closely linked and interconnected.

Maintaining focus on climate action and environmental solutions, Mike probes further into the ways that city leaders in Medellín are seeking to make it Latin America’s first eco-city. The mayor details how becoming an eco-city is key to driving resilience forwards and how that objective can help the city to find solutions to some of its more pressing and complex societal issues. As part of those solutions, we also hear about the city’s plans to launch the Metro De La 80 by 2027, as Mayor Quintero explains how the metro will improve transport access for communities and create a more resilient and equitable city.

As the city’s youngest mayor to date, we also find out how the mayor’s experiences have been shaped by his engagement with the community – especially the younger generation – and how building communities around important issues can drive progress towards urban and climate resilience forwards at a quicker pace

Lauren Sorkin, executive director at  Resilient Cities Network, will be joined by Mayor of Wellington, Andy Foster, to focus on the overarching frame of Mayor Andy Foster’s leadership on digital resilience with highlights on Wellington’s award-winning Digital Twin initiative and working with start-ups and digital businesses. 

Episode four of the Urban Exchange podcast comes direct from Cop26 in Glasgow, as Resilient Cities Network executive director, Lauren Sorkin, hosts Mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez, to reflect on Cop26, climate adaptation and mitigation, and the Mayor’s role in futureproofing Miami through digital technology.

To begin with, Mayor Suarez gives his take on progress at Cop26 and whether he truly believes cities have a seat at the negotiating table during this most crucial of climate conferences. He also explains the trends from the conference that he believes are going to make the biggest impact on climate action plans moving forward, and the importance being held to account on climate promises by new generations.

Later, Mayor Suarez details the specific threats facing Miami in the form of extreme weather and why, personally, climate action is so pivotal to him and his citizens, as Lauren asks whether the shocking weather events in unexpected places in the last year – such as China, Germany and the Netherlands – have become the norm for Miami, and how to mitigate that.

This opens up the conversation to focus on reversing some of the change that cities have seen in recent years, and the resilience plans that Miami has invested in to adapt to, withstand and undo some of the most adverse effects the changing climate has delivered.

Following on from this, Mayor Suarez gives his take on the value of collaboration, global coalitions and networks in delivering the kind of change and resilience that cities truly need, as he explains the part that Miami plays in the number of networks that it’s a member of.

Finally, the Mayor delivers his opinion on the reasons that we can be hopeful and optimistic for the future, considering all of the above, explaining the huge role that individuals can play in changing the situation.