Green Urbanist - Sustainable Placemaking, Planning and Urban Design

In this episode I explore Sustainable Placemaking: an 8-step process for creating places that people love and maximise sustainability opportunities. So many masterplans create soulless and unsustainable places. In this episode I explain how getting the planning and design process right can unlock opportunities for placemaking, biodiversity, circular economy and decarbonisation.- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

This is episode 2 of 6 in the podcast series on urban rewilding.My guest is Sophie Thompson, a landscape architect and Director at LDA Design.In this episode we discuss:How wild nature can be brought into city streets and public spacesThe importance of working closely with local communitiesExamples of LDA’s transformations of highly urban spaces into places for people and nature.How to manage the complexities and constraints of working in cities.More about LDA Design and the projects we discuss: LDA WebsiteGreening London's West EndAlfred Place GardensPrinces CircusCambridge Lawn to Meadow projectConnect with Sophie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-thompson-51b4748/Further listening:Listen to all the urban rewilding episodes.Listen to my previous episode with LDA on their Strand Aldwych project: #81: Reimagining Roads as Public Space, with LDACover image of Princes Circus, London by LDA Design. Photo by Studio Maple, used with permission from LDA Design. - - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

My guest is Duygu Kutluay, a campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels. We discuss:Why local community projects need to be part of Europe’s energy transition away from fossil fuels.Beyond Fossil Fuels' new interactive map of community-based energy projects that you can access on their website. Six case studies of local energy projects from across Europe.More about Beyond Fossil Fuels: https://beyondfossilfuels.org/Local Energy Solutions Map: https://beyondfossilfuels.org/local-energy-solutions-map/- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

In this episode I explore the different roles that built environment professionals can play in leveraging systems change for sustainability. This is based on interviewing 122 guests on this podcast and exploring systems change research.The 5 types of change-makers are:Champion and CoordinatorResearcher and StorytellerTopic ExpertInnovatorSystems Influencer- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

This episode is part of a 6-part series on Urban Rewilding. My guest is Sean McCormack, Chair of Ealing Wildlife Group. Sean led the reintroduction of harvest mice and beavers into urban parks in London, UK. In this episode we discuss: What is 'Urban rewilding' and why we should do it.What made these projects successful.Getting support from the community.What needs to change to make rewilding in cities mainstream.Previous episodes with Sean:#72: Sean McCormack - Rewilding Urban London (Part 1)#73: Sean McCormack - Rewilding Urban London (Part 2)More about the Ealing Beaver Project here: https://theealingbeaverproject.comMore about Sean and Ealing Wildlife Group:https://ealingwildlifegroup.com/- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

This episode is a conversation with Jonathan Rosenbloom, Associate Dean at Albany Law School who has researched and written about sacrifice zones. He is also the Executive Director for the Sustainable Development Code.We discuss:Whether neighbourhoods that have been destroyed by natural disasters should be rebuilt or designated as no-build 'Sacrifice Zones'.How US planning departments can use the Sustainable Development Code to ensure new development is low carbon and climate adapted.Note: This episode was recorded before the LA wildfires in January 2025.Links:Contact Jonathan: jrose@albanylaw.eduSustainable Development Code: https://sustainablecitycode.org/Article on Sacrifice Zones: https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/the-case-for-returning-disaster-prone-areas-back-to-nature- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

This is a recording of a live streamed podcast episode to celebrate episode 100 of the podcast. I was joined by three guests, who you might recognise from past episodes:Laura Baron, Head of Sustainability, PurcelScott McAulay, Regenerative Design and Infrastructures Specialist, ArchitypeConrad Richardson, Sustainable Mobility ExpertWe discussed how we as built environment professionals can drive sustainable change through the work that we do. We also touch on some of the amazing work that all the guests are doing. You can watch the episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUS9ukxvtmI&t=2142s- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

My guest on this episode is Valentina Petrone, a circular economy expert based in New South Wales, Australia.In this episode, Valentina gives career advice for those who want to transition from traditional built environment careers into sustainability. We also discuss three of her projects:New South Wales Circular Design GuidelinesBradfield City Centre MasterplanCircular Office FitoutConnect with Valentina on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valentina-petrone/- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

This episode is a conversation with Morgan Lewis, Co-Founder and CEO at Material Index.In the UK, 60% of all waste comes from the construction industry and only 2% of building components in the UK are reused. In this episode, Morgan explains how Material Index are trying to tackle this by working with building owners, contractors and project teams to make material reuse happen at scale.Learn more about Material Index: https://www.material-index.co.uk/- - - Subscribe to the Green Urbanist Newsletter Work Together Get in touch Urban Wilding Hub GatherMap - Interactive crowdsource mapping tool The Green Urbanist podcast is created by Ross O'Ceallaigh.

Discover fascinating insights about climate adaptation for urban nature reserves. The discussion highlights how climate change affects local tree and vegetation species, emphasizing the need for innovative management strategies. Learn about the impact of climate shifts on urban settings, including unique challenges faced by cities worldwide. Dive into the importance of diverse tree canopies for biodiversity and explore proactive approaches to enhance the resilience of urban greenery in the face of changing environmental conditions.