A collection of interviews with 12 thought leaders.
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Miriam Maina is a Postdoctoral Researcher University of the Witwatersrand. She has a particular focus on the role of policy in shaping urban futures in Africa. We discuss organic growth vs proactive town planning, Africa’s predicted megacities and how we can prepare for them, the role of new technologies in better urban planning and collaboration, and much more.
Play NowDmitry Pozhidaev is Global Advisor at UN Capital Development Fund, he’s based in Uganda. We discuss 15 new cities that are planned for Uganda, insights into the book: ‘Reflections on African Cities in Transition’ and his chapter called ‘Urbanization and the Quality of Growth in Uganda: The Challenge of Structural Transformation and Sustainable and Inclusive Development’, emerging disruptors for Ugandan cities and much more.
Play NowAamena Desai is a senior urban designer in Arup's Cities team in Johannesburg. We chat about key African projects Arup is involved in, how Covid-19 is impacting projects and clients, lessons from African cities from international projects, technologies that will move cities forward, rapid urbanisation, her worst Covid-19 nightmare, African cities' biggest challenge, positive outlooks and her vision for future cities.
Play NowThabo Mofokeng is President of the Information Technology Association of South Africa (ITA) and a Non-Executive Director at MICT SETA. We explore the role of the ITA, opportunities and challenges for IT and ICT business, the future of technology and jobs, interacting with a computing environment, collaboration and his view of cities in 2040 and colonising Mars.
Play NowJonathan Wilson is the Urban Data Project Manager at the South African Cities Network (SACN). We discuss the SACN Smart Cities paper series, the importance of open data for cities; siloed operations, and how to solve challenges to urban data management, Common Data Framework for Cities, open data projects in South Africa, cities in 2040, and the decline of urbanisation.
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