
391R_Urban heat, its effects, and solutions for it - co-authored by Sebastian Pfautsch (research summary)
05-1-2026 | 15 Min.
Are you interested in solutions for the urban heat island effect? Our summary today works with 5 articles and reports, titled Spatiotemporal variation of intra-urban heat and heatwaves across Greater Sydney, Australia, Mapping summer microclimates, Despicable urban places, Climate-smart playgrounds, and the Next generation cool-green car park concept for urban heat resilience co-authored by Sebastian Pfautsch, the next interviewee in episode 392, talking about his research and urban experiments to solve some of the challenges caused by urban heat. Since we are investigating the future of cities, I thought it would be interesting to see how urban heat can be combatted with specific solutions. These resources advocate for integrating heat-responsive design solutions, such as permeable surfaces and natural shading, to create resilient and thermally safe public infrastructure in a warming climate.Find the articles and reports - co-authored by Sebastian Pfautsch - through these links:Spatiotemporal variation of intra-urban heat and heatwaves across Greater Sydney, AustraliaMapping summer microclimates across the City of Sydney, Australia Guide to climate-smart playgrounds - Research findings and application Despicable urban places: Hot car parks Next generation cool-green car park concept for urban heat resilience Connecting episodes you might be interested in:No.257R - Formal Model for Green Urbanism in Smart CitiesNo.258 - Interview with Matt Gijselman about blue and green infrastructureNo.321R - Synergies and exacerbations— effects of warmer weather and climate changeYou can find the transcript through this link.What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Moving towards solutions instead of fearmongering - Sebastian Pfautsch (392I trailer 2)
04-1-2026 | 1 Min.
Are you interested in improving urban asset management? What do you think about the urban heat island effect? How can we empower people to work towards a better future instead of cowering with fear in the corner? Trailer for episode 392 - interview with Sebastian Pfautsch, Professor of Urban Management and Planning at Western Sydney University and President of Australasian Green Infrastructure Network. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, climate change, urban heat island effect, practical solutions, urban change, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Getting beyond net-zero to solve climate change - Sebastian Pfautsch (392I trailer 1)
03-1-2026 | 1 Min.
Are you interested in improving urban asset management? What do you think about the urban heat island effect? How can we empower people to work towards a better future instead of cowering with fear in the corner? Trailer for episode 392 - interview with Sebastian Pfautsch, Professor of Urban Management and Planning at Western Sydney University and President of Australasian Green Infrastructure Network. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, climate change, urban heat island effect, practical solutions, urban change, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

390I_Robin Hanson, American economist and author
31-12-2025 | 53 Min.
"Natural selectin is innovation ... that is when new things are invented in biology. The difference with humans is we have culture which makes us able to make innovations much faster."Are you interested in new forms of government? What do you think about betting markets – can they help our governance? How can we ensure the continuation of our cherished values? Interview with Robin Hanson, American economist and author. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, cultural evolution, adaptability, innovation, and many more. Robin Hanson (born August 28, 1959) is an American economist and author known for his pioneering work on prediction markets and unconventional futuristic concepts. He currently serves as an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and was a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University. He holds a PhD in social science from Caltech, as well as degrees in physics and the conceptual foundations of science. Robin is widely recognized for inventing the Logarithmic Market Scoring Rule used in prediction markets and for proposing "futarchy," a governance system determined by betting markets. He also originated the "Great Filter" hypothesis to explain the lack of observable extraterrestrial civilizations. His major publications include The Age of Em (2016), which models a future economy of brain emulations, and The Elephant in the Brain (2018), which explores hidden human motives. Additionally, Robin is a vocal advocate for cryonics.Find out more about Robin through these links:Robin Hanson on LinkedInRobin Hanson website@robinhanson as Robin Hanson on X@RobinHanson as Robin Hanson on YoutubeOvercoming Bias - Robin Hanson's blogThe Age of EM - book by Robin HansonThe Elephant in the Brain - book by Robin Hanson and Kevin SimlerRobin Hanson on WikipediaRobin Hanson on Google ScholarRobin Hanson at TEDConnected episodes you might be interested in:No.274 - Interview with Richard Gill about disruptive technologiesNo.294 - Interview with Erick A. Brimen about Prospera HondurasNo.380 - Interview with Adam Miller about DAOs as new governance typeNo.388 - Interview with Maurice Berger and Raquel Medrano Clemente about cultural evolutionNo.389R - Shall we vote on values, but bet on beliefs? What was the most interesting part for you? What questions did arise for you? Let me know on Twitter @WTF4Cities or on the wtf4cities.com website where the shownotes are also available.I hope this was an interesting episode for you and thanks for tuning in.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

Futarchy - governance based on decision markets - Robin Hanson (390I trailer 3)
30-12-2025 | 2 Min.
Are you interested in new forms of government? What do you think about betting markets – can they help our governance? How can we ensure the continuation of our cherished values? Trailer for episode 390 - interview with Robin Hanson, American economist and author. We will talk about his vision for the future of cities, cultural evolution, adaptability, innovation, and many more.Find out more in the episode.Episode generated with Descript assistance (affiliate link).Music by Lesfm from Pixabay



What is The Future for Cities?