
Urbanistica Podcast - Cities for People
A podcast about how we plan and design cities for people. Tune in and join listeners from 140 countries.
I am Mustafa Sherif, an Urbanist and Studio Manager based in Sweden. In this podcast, I talk to people working in urban planning and design about projects, processes, methods, handbooks, challenges, leadership, and their passions in life. It's not only about the projects but also about the people behind them.
In collaboration with AFRY (Urban Planning and Design Section in Stockholm)
Latest episodes

Aug 24, 2024 • 57min
457. Bloomberg’s Asphalt Art Initiative - David Andersson
David Andersson (Arts & Culture Team at Bloomberg Associates, Brooklyn, New York, USA)
ABOUT THE ASPHALT ART INITIATIVE: Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative responds to the growing number of cities around the world embracing art as an effective and low-cost strategy to improve street safety and create vibrant public spaces. The initiative has supported 90 projects in North America and Europe that have transformed a combined 612,000 square feet of streetscape with artwork while engaging nearly 13,000 residents and volunteers and 370 artists in the design and installation process. More info is available here.
ASPHALT ART INITIATIVE IMPACTS: Data shows that asphalt art projects can lead to clear benefits, including a dramatic reduction in traffic crashes and unsafe driving, revitalized public space, and community engagement. The 2022 Asphalt Art Safety Study found traffic safety to be demonstrably improved across a cohort of 22 asphalt art projects in the U.S. The study results showed a 50% drop in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists and a 27% increase in the rate of drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right of way.
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Aug 17, 2024 • 16min
456. A summer vacation in Playground Paradise - Mustafa Sherif
Helsingborg City in southern Sweden has transformed into a playful city. Over the past decade, the city has invested in numerous thematic playgrounds. These have encouraged school students, kindergarteners, and adults with their children to explore different parts of the city, breaking out of their usual social and neighborhood "bubbles."
What a smart investment and city development strategy Helsingborgs stad.
I spent my summer vacation in Helsingborg and visited these playgrounds with my niece and nephew. As an urbanist interested in making cities for children and all people, I asked parents, caregivers, and even some of their children what draws them to these thematic playgrounds. Here are their responses:
-Creative, colorful designs with stories to tell
-Movable benches with tables
-Clean WC-Drinking water station
-Play equipment that’s large enough for adults to join in with their children
-Accessibility via public transportation
-Bicycle parking
-Open urban design that offers good visibility of different play areas, allowing parents to keep an eye on their children
📍 Here are my favorite playgrounds with links to Google Maps. Add Helsingborg City to your list of To-Visit destinations:
🐘Jungle Playground
🏘 Medieval Playground
🦖 Dinosaurs Playground
🏰 Princess and Monsters Playground
🦈Surfing playground
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 30, 2024 • 1h 22min
455. C40 cities - Hélène Chartier
Hélène Chartier (Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group)
We are talking about:
-C40 cities
- The design guidance for green and thriving public spaces
About C40:
C40 is a global network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities that are united in action to confront the climate crisis.
Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using an inclusive, science-based and collaborative approach to cut their fair share of emissions in half by 2030, help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C, and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities.
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 30, 2024 • 1h 34min
454. The Future Design of Streets - Daniel Casas Valle
Daniel Casas Valle (Urban designer/planner, Researcher, Director, Porto)We are talking about:- The book The Future Design of Streets - How do we imagine future streets, and space more as a balanced mix of what?- How can we improve existing streets to make these spaces more valuable for people and nature? Order the book here: https://thefuturedesignofstreets.eu/ Contact Danile on daniel@urbandynamics.info
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 30, 2024 • 2h 11min
453. Hack for Earth - Ann Molin
Ann Molin (Secretary General & CEO of Hack for Earth, Author of Dream! Hack! Build! Book)
We are talking about:
-Using hackathons as a method to involve citizens in finding impactful and innovative solutions.
-The Hack for Earth Foundation Hackathon.
-'Dream, Hack, Build': A book about how you can organize hackathons in your organization
About Hack for Earth:
Hack for Earth's mission is to create real solutions to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s)s, by bringing people all over the world together in hackathons. We call it citizen-driven innovation.
Order the book here
https://hackforearth.com/book/
Read more about Hack for Earth here
https://hackforearth.com/
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 30, 2024 • 46min
452. Keynote conversations book - Gustav Magnusson
Gustav Magnusson (Urbanist, FPR/MSA, Book auther, Europe 40under40 urbanist, Malmö, greater Copenhagen, Sweden).
we are talking about his new book.
"keynote conversations," is a book not found in every bookstore. it has been described as an urban pechakucha festival in the shape of a book and features insights from 100 global urban experts.
Order the book here herehttps://keynoteconversations.myshopify.com/
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 29, 2024 • 1h 31min
451. Urban Planning and Design: Experiences from Working in the UK and Scandinavia - Angela Woda and Stefan Sjöberg
Angela Woda (Senior Urban Designer,
Kjellander Sjöberg Studio) and Stefan Sjöberg (Founding Director, Kjellander Sjöberg Architects London-Stockholm - Malmö)
We are talking about:- Urban Planning and Design projects in the UK compared to Sweden
- How do we measure the success of our city planning and design?
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 29, 2024 • 1h 23min
450.AR بالعربي Rim Alexandra Halfya's journey and Combify. PART 1
Rim Alexandra Halfya (Cofounder & COO at Combify, Commercial RE Advisor, Public Speaker, Sweden)
في هذه الحلقة نتكلم مع ريم عن نشأتها, و طفولتها, و الأسباب التي ادت الى انتقالها الى السويد. ريم تحدثنا عن شركة Combify
في عام 2017، اتخذت ريم مع شريكها التجاري لتأسيس "كومبيفاي". شغفهم بالهندسة المعمارية والأعمال والتكنولوجيا دفعهم إلى اتخاذ هذه الخطوة. رؤيتهم تهدف الى جمع جميع مشاريع البناء في العالم في منصة واحدة.
راوبط :
موقع الشركة
https://combify.com/
موقع ريم على الينكيد اين
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rim-alexandra/
موقع ريم على الأنستجرام
https://www.instagram.com/rimalexandra/
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 29, 2024 • 1h 13min
449. How to do a PhD? - Chero Eliassi
Chero Eliassi (Landscape Architect & PhD Candidate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden)
We are talking about:
-How is it to do a PhD?-What are the challenges?-What are the fun parts of doing a PhD?-What is the process of becoming a PhD candidate?
For more contact and information on Chero’s research at KTH here.
Follow the research on Instagram at:
@_researchero_
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Jun 29, 2024 • 2h 1min
448. Transformative Landscapes of the Million Program in Sweden - Chero Eliassi
Chero Eliassi (Landscape Architect & PhD Candidate at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden)
We are talking about Chero's PhD research:
-The outdoor environments built during the Swedish Million Program:
-Highlights about the Swedish Million Program
-What does Chero's research investigate?
-What methodology is he using to find answers to his questions?
-What are the findings?
For more contact and information on Chero’s research at KTH here
Follow the research on Instagram at @_researchero_
About Chero
Chero Eliassi graduated with a Master´s degree in Landscape Architecture in 2019 at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. Eliassi has worked since 2021 as a doctoral student in Jennifer Mack's research project entitled 'Parks around the Towers: Landscape as Resource in the Urban Periphery from the Record Years to the Future'. From a historical perspective, the research investigates how the outdoor environments of the Million Programme have been transformed, used, and formed after the record years (1961-1975) and how these landscapes can be viewed as a part of the Swedish cultural heritage.
With the title '“A Culture of Place” in Swedish Allotments: Gardens as Therapy and Threat in Holma, Malmö', Eliassi captures and investigates how cultivation in and adjacent to Million Programme areas have created social and therapeutic values, as well as a sense of collective belonging. The research is based on on-site studies in Malmö and other Swedish cities.
In 'Voices and Visions of Norrlidsparken', Eliassi explores the welfare neighborhood park in Norrliden: Norrlidsparken. The research begins with a microhistory of the sand in the park, what values it has registered, and what it has witnessed since the park was constructed. Further, it presents Norrlidsparken’s transformations from the early 1970s – in the form of physical, spatial, social, and material changes; planning regulations and guidelines; and political impact – until the present time.
Eliassi is also currently studying how spatial cultural practices occur in the Million Programme's outdoor environments. The research, entitled 'The transnational spatial practice of Newroz: an analysis of the practice amongst the Kurdish diaspora in Järva Field and Diyarbakır (Amed)' is a research topic that focuses on the manifestation and values of the spatial practice of Newroz in Järva field, in Stockholm, in comparison with the practice in the Kurdish-populated city of Diyarbakir, Turkey.
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Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️
All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.
Let's connect and talk further about this episode Mustafa Sherif Linkedin.
Visit Mustafasherif.com for collaborations and nominations or email me at info@mustafasherif.com
Follow Urbanistica on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook & Youtube channel.
Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)
AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.