The Urbanist Arup at 80: Design for what’s next
May 12, 2026
Jerome Frost, Arup CEO, reflects on 80 years of shaping cities. Thomas Heatherwick, award-winning designer, champions humane, street-level richness. Raj Patel, Arup’s chief innovation officer, urges multi-generational, tech-aware urban thinking. Anna König Jerlmyr, former Stockholm mayor, focuses on resilient, coordinated city governance. They explore adaptive systems, smarter use of assets, and humanising the first floors of buildings.
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Cities Are Living Systems Not Single Projects
- Cities are living systems shaped over decades, not single projects.
- Anna König Jerlmyr used Stockholm's leaks and trees examples to show small interventions and system thinking build long-term resilience.
Use Procurement To Signal City Direction
- Coordinate across departments and stakeholders to scale smart solutions.
- Anna explained Stockholm used procurement and cross-discipline leadership to drive electrification and sensor-driven water fixes.
Measure Short Wins Towards Long Goals
- Plan for the long term but act in short political cycles.
- Anna advised using measurable KPIs and visible, transparent data so citizens see progress within four-year mandates.