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- [00:12]
Christina Raspi
We try and find locations where the store can be a ripple in the pond. It can make a difference in a community, whether it is revitalizing an area that maybe had been passed over or had seen some downturn, or is an area that wasn't getting the foot traffic that maybe it was before. It can make a huge impact across the entire community.
- [00:33]
Andrew Tuck
How can a technology brand help transform an urban community? This is the Urbanist Monocle's programme all
- [00:40]
Carlotta Rebelo
about the cities we live in.
- [00:41]
Andrew Tuck
I'm your host Andrew Tuck.
- [00:43]
Carlotta Rebelo
This week we speak with the vice
- [00:45]
Andrew Tuck
president of Places at Apple to find out how the brand's entire real estate portfolio, from retail to office to research and even housing, can help shape a city. We also explore a transformed Medellin to see how safer streets are resulting in a much busier urban environment for residents. That's all ahead right here on the Urbanist. With me, Andrew Tuck. Apple is one of the world's largest and most recognisable technology brands, and their retail locations can be found dotting the streets of cities from Melbourne to Milan. But the brand's real estate portfolio goes far beyond its stores, encompassing offices, innovation centers and even affordable housing. So what impact do these places have on their built environments? Well, we were lucky enough to be recently joined by Christina Raspi, the vice president of Places at Apple. She caught up with One Call's Carlotta Rebelo. And Carlotta began by asking Cristina what exactly her role as VP of Places at Apple entails.
- [01:53]
Christina Raspi
Well, I say I have the coolest job in real estate development because I do manage all of Apple's places. So when you think of Apple, most people do think of our retail stores because they're such amazing stores. Workplaces are as well. But we have very critical research and development facilities, data centers, distribution centers, a lot of specialty spaces like TV studios, content capture spaces, radio stations. So we have about 50 million square feet that we look after.
- [02:22]
David Stevens
I'm really curious about how the design language gets translated from products into places. And I know that this idea of human centric design and putting people first, how does that design conversation happen?
- [02:37]
Christina Raspi
At Apple, we've always had an intense focus on the human experience. You can see that yourself when you're engaging with your iPhone or your watch or any of our products. They all start with how people are going to experience and use our products. And our spaces are very much the same. Our spaces are designed to not only enable this great work, but inspire our employees to do their life's best work in service to our customers. And so we really focus on truly understanding our employees, our team members, and what it takes for them to be innovative, what it takes to enable the deep collaboration that's required in all of the work. And that really starts with empathy. We have a deep empathy for our team members and we always try and put ourselves in their shoes. What do they need to be most successful? And it really varies depending on the team. Some team members like to sit in open plan and have the energy of ideas bouncing around all of the time. Other team members need more visual and audio privacy, but want collaboration spaces that feel like lounges so they can ideate together and then go back to their quiet space and work. And so we always stay very focused on what is going to work for the specific group that we're in service to on that particular day or that particular moment and really try and deliver that human focused designed to inspire them.
- [04:09]
David Stevens
We know as well Apple's social impact in a city. And another aspect of that is the commitment to renewable energy, to sustainability and resilience. How does that translate in the real estate portfolio?
- [04:22]
Christina Raspi
Our real estate strategy is completely linked to the commitment we've made through Apple 2030, which is to be carbon neutral across our entire footprint. We have been running all of our facilities around the world on renewable energy since 2018, and our commitment for 2030 takes that a step farther with ensuring that our entire supply chain is also carbon neutral, as well as all of the energy our customers use when they charge our devices. So our stores and all of our places are the embodiment of our values, such as sustainability in the built environment. So we think about that in every step of the design process, from local sourcing of materials to using mass timber and other materials that reduce our carbon impact. We are always seeking out ways to integrate natural ventilation into our design, reduce water usage. When it comes to data centers, it is something that isn't a separate concept in our design. Our global energy and sustainability team actually sits within the Places team, so it is integrated in every decision we make.
- [05:37]
David Stevens
We've been discussing the retail side, the offices, even the research and development part of the portfolio. But one thing that most listeners might not be aware is that there's also an element that includes affordable housing and it speaks to these values of giving back to the community. Can you tell me a bit more about that?
- [05:53]
Christina Raspi
Yes. I love the work that Apple allows us to do, enables us to do that supports many of our core values, whether it's privacy, sustainability, accessibility, or in this instance, affordable housing. These are some of the projects that not only have a huge impact on the communities in which we live and work, but also on our own employee satisfaction, because being able to give back through our work is really rewarding for all of us. In California, we have a $2.5 billion affordable housing commitment. We've already actually deployed almost 2 billion of that. I believe it's about 1.8 billion at this point. And those funds have been used to develop thousand and thousands and thousands of units of affordable housing for people that are very low income, low income, and moderate income. We've also deployed some of those funds to help our society's most vulnerable citizens, people that are currently experiencing homeless or at risk of homelessness. And the funds have been used in partnership with a number of nonprofits to actually help people avoid losing their homes or to regain home status if they've been homeless for many years. And so it's a really, really rewarding program that is run by the real estate team. We call it like our side gig from our regular job, but it's a very rewarding program.
- [07:21]
David Stevens
Christina, I want to ask you about this role that design can have in facilitating collaboration and innovation and how that plays out at Apple.
- [07:30]
Christina Raspi
This is a really important goal for us in our design. And I like to quote Tim on this one because he often says that one of the things that sets Apple apart from other companies is that our people do believe that one plus one equals three. I know that your idea can make my idea better, and my idea can make your idea better. And together we can create something that's greater than either of us could have on our own. That idea is actually instilled into how we think about the spaces we create. We've always wanted to create this culture of dynamic connection within Apple, one that's built on adaptability and flexibility. So we're constantly looking at how we can break down silos. So if you ever come to Apple park or Battersea, two of our great workspaces, you'll see that there are very little walls that are dividing our spaces. Because we really believe that if people can come together, people collide, ideas collide in our space. Those interactions lead to amazing discoveries and amazing innovations. And so that is a core feature of our design. We have to design spaces that drive collaboration, that drive innovation, that create moments for people to engage with each other in unexpected and different ways. We have conference rooms in all of our spaces because everybody needs a conference room every now and again. But we have a lot of other spaces where people can come together and collaborate, whether it's our Outdoor spaces where people do walking one on ones or outdoor meetings or lounge spaces where people can sit on couches and just ideate with a screen in front of them or a whiteboard. We're always looking for ways in our design to really contribute to that cultural nature norm at Apple of collaborating and innovating all the time.
- [09:22]
David Stevens
Has the way the workplace dynamic changed post Pandemic affected that collaboration in the way people work at Apple? Have you seen some shifts there too?
- [09:31]
Christina Raspi
I think the way we work is still very driven by that culture that has been in place for decades at Apple. But we've learned a lot through the pandemic and through seeing how people persevered in being separate, understanding how people collaborate. So we actually moved more towards casual collaboration and away from formal collaboration post Pandemic. We had some lounge spaces and more casual spaces before that, but when we realized everyone was doing great work from their couch and their kitchen table and backyard, we kind of recreated those spaces within our own spaces so that people could be in whatever environment most inspired the type of work they were trying to do in the moment. And I think that was an evolution that we really benefited through the pandemic.
- [10:25]
David Stevens
Christina, just finally, do you love your job?
- [10:28]
Christina Raspi
I love my job. Like I said at the beginning, I have the best job in real estate. Every day is different. I am surrounded by some of the smartest people in the industry and my own team, but also working for a company like Apple where we're endeavoring to produce the best products and services in the world. And we're surrounded by these amazing, dedicated folks that every day inspire us to give them the space that will inspire and enable their work.
- [10:58]
David Stevens
Christina, pleasure to have you here on Monocle Radio on the Urbanist. Thank you for joining us.
- [11:02]
Christina Raspi
Thank you.
- [11:08]
Andrew Tuck
Next to Columbia, to a once notorious city that has now earned a global reputation for its urban design. Some of the poorest neighborhoods in Medellin, Colombia's second city, are today more accessible and vibrant than ever. And places once infamous for their drug trafficking history are now considered safe. Modern Medellin now finds itself a coveted tourist destination. But visitors have brought a new set of challenges to the South American metropolis. And even locals who depend on foreign dollars are feeling that pressure. Ariel Fournier, reporter and producer for cbc, visited the transforming city and sent us this dispatch.
- [11:50]
Ariel Fournier
The party never seems to stop on this Medellin street. It's in the zone known as Comuna trese or comuna 13. Here, outdoor escalators carry pedestrians up a steep and narrow hill. Right at the top is the apartment where John Ramirez lives with his family. Ramirez grew up in this neighborhood, but it's radically transformed from that time. John says it was dangerous, but as a kid that was just regular life. He sometimes saw people dead in the street. But he also says, you learned how to move around in that space. This seemed normal to him because for years drug gangs fought and his territory. As John Ramirez explains, since the area is close to the forested mountains, it served as a passageway for moving drugs to other countries. That's no longer what people notice when they come here. Graffiti murals and dancers fill the area. Now the street John lives on has people selling trinkets and T shirts with Pablo Escobar's face. For the record, Escobar didn't have any major connections to this area. But the latest tourism boom started shortly after the premiere of the Show Narcos in 2015, which adds to Medellin's and the former narco traffic area's mystique. So how did people from all over the world come to feel so comfortable here? John Ramirez recalls. It didn't happen overnight, He says at first, military operations cracked down on the crime. Then other non profit organizations came in to support local programs. After that came new urban infrastructure. The outdoor escalators here are one of several innovations that have transformed this neighborhood. Originally, these were designed to improve street access on a long, winding climb that's too tight for cars. Other initiatives included libraries, public sports facilities, and famously cable cars that connected vast neighborhoods with steep hills and narrow streets. All that has added to the sense that it's safe, even desirable, to come here. Tourists started to take notice. Lisette, John's wife, says when she moved in with John 11 years ago, the area was still pretty quiet.
- [14:26]
Lisette Ramirez
When I arrived the first time 11 years ago, the place was really quiet, so very comfortable. Sometimes there were some few groups with some visitors coming. But mostly the first groups were groups from some universities. Peaceful or so very quiet because mostly they were coming before investigation. Okay, it was possible to see the groups were getting bigger and more people were coming every day. Also in that moment, in 2017 is when we started started with the tours. Originally we had the first big groups in the comuna, but we were the only company with big groups in the comuna in that moment.
- [15:04]
Ariel Fournier
The influx of international visitors gave them a new career as tour guides. But the noise and crowds are becoming a problem for the them as people who not only work here, but also live in the neighborhood.
- [15:24]
Lisette Ramirez
It's not too private. It's like now there are so Many viewpoints from different locations. If you go to our balcony, the viewpoint from that side, they can see you. And now there are so many drums and the drones can see everything inside your home, everything in your balcony. It's not like before when you wanted to stay out in Pijama. No, no. Because everybody can stay around. You are not too comfortable about that, right?
- [15:53]
Ariel Fournier
Many residents have commented on the perils that come with this growth. Some locals have reported a lack of resources to handle the garbage and numbers. And sometimes emergency vehicles can't get through crowded streets. Lisette has also noticed they sometimes can't get through places on their motorcycle. Those headaches are not just in Comuna 13. Many neighborhoods are now inundated with tourists, like central Medellin's El Poblado area. Like Comuna 13, many businesses there revolve around international visitors. But in this area, many of the establishments cater to wealthier clients. John Jairo Vergara Gomez works at a vegan restaurant in the trendy Manila neighborhood, a pocket of El Poblado. He says most of their customers come from other countries, whether they're from Europe, North America or South America. Short term visitors and foreign freelancers alike seem to love it here. In 2022, Colombia introduced a special visa for digital nomads. Even before that, couple Peter and Nikki Monies first came as tourists from from the US they now have an apartment near the El Poblado neighborhood.
- [17:11]
Peter Monies
Well, we definitely thought that Colombia was a good investment opportunity. That's what led us to the apartment purchase and generally just the way of life in Medellin. And the weather obviously is perfect.
- [17:24]
Ariel Fournier
They've since become full time travelers and come back to Colombia regularly. While they encourage other foreigners to visit, they've also seen a dark side to the growth in tourism, according to Nikki.
- [17:35]
Nikki Monies
I mean, I love to see that other people are discovering it for themselves, but some of the tourism that we tend to see, especially in Parquelleras or in certain parts of the city, are the sex tours, which we're not really a big fan of. There's a lot of druggings and prostitution and a lot more bachelor parties using this as a destination to kind of do whatever they want while they're here.
- [18:02]
Ariel Fournier
The city of Medellin also took notice of a concerning rise in sex tourism. In response, in 2024, the mayor banned prostitution specifically in this neighborhood. For the most part, though, criticisms of this tourist area have focused on the rising cost of housing. Something John Ramirez says is starting to become a problem all over the. He says El Poblado is not the only area where prices are going up. While he argues that concerns about gentrification are Overblown, in Comuna 13, he's seen some properties selling for 10 times as much as they did a decade ago. In Comuna 13, the urban renewal and the tourists that come with it have been a mixed blessing. Lisette Ramirez says people like her mother in law, who have lived in the area for decades are glad to have safety now. She just wants to be able to enjoy it.
- [18:58]
Lisette Ramirez
My mother in law said I was used to live with the conflict for many years. Finally, when everything is quiet, when everything is safe now, we need to live with this. She said, no more. Enough. Just maybe. Yes, it's much better. Music and no bullets, no people shooting. But she said, I am tired. Finally, I want to live in a place where I can feel it's safe and quiet.
- [19:26]
Ariel Fournier
That could be a challenge. Tourism is expected to continue to grow in Medellin. According to the city's tourism Board, the number of international arrivals to the city grew by 17% last year. Officials and experts project further growth. There are efforts to make that influx more sustainable, particularly for Comuna 13. Some tour companies have declared they'll no longer bring people to this neighborhood, just because of how disruptive the influx has been on people's lives. John and Lisette Ramirez are still operating their tour company, hoping to show people the authentic side of their own community. But they are considering moving out of their apartment here. They no longer want to live at the top of those famous escalators. Just this morning they went looking at a place to rent somewhere else.
- [20:15]
Lisette Ramirez
But it's difficult when it's happening every single day. It's difficult. But mostly I can say I am really grateful. I love this communal. I love to why I am here. I. I enjoy, but I have to be honest. Yes, there is a negative side. And this is the negative side. Maybe Ian in another place, when I want to feel a little bit more comfortable, I want to take a break.
- [20:39]
Ariel Fournier
John says with the noise and still growing tourism, it will be necessary for them to leave eventually. For Monocle in Medellin, I'm Ariel Fournier.
- [20:58]
Andrew Tuck
And finally today it's time to say farewell. Or should that be?
- [21:01]
Carlotta Rebelo
See you soon.
- [21:02]
Andrew Tuck
To the Urbanist's inimitable producer, Carlotta Rebelo. And she joins me now.
- [21:08]
Carlotta Rebelo
Carlotta, what are you doing to me? First of all, we should tell people where are you off to?
- [21:12]
David Stevens
Yes, Andrew, it is not a breakup. Do not worry. It is just a bit of space. I'm going to Portugal. I'm moving to Lisbon, where I'll still be keeping, you know, updated on everything that's happening in that exciting city. But, yes, it is time to step away from London just for a bit.
- [21:28]
Carlotta Rebelo
And this is homeward Baum. Your heritage is Portuguese. You're from the island of Madeira, but your family's on what we call the mainland as well.
- [21:36]
David Stevens
Yes, the family is on the mainland. And over the past decade or so, we've talked so much about everything that has been happening in the city that I feel it's only appropriate now to go see it for myself as well. And, you know, it's a remarkable time to be moving to Lisbon, you know, so cosmopolitan. I'm really excited about what that would mean.
- [21:55]
Carlotta Rebelo
Well, it's an amazing city, as we know, and many of the challenges and opportunities that we talk about here on the Urbanist every single week are certainly at play in that city now. July 2014, that was your first time working on this show, and you made an appearance right at the beginning of your time with this program. Should we have a little listen and
- [22:14]
Andrew Tuck
let's hear what the first question I asked you was. Monocle's Carlotta Rebelo went to FINX in Mountgrove Road just a few days before their grand opening and talked with the owners, Jess Blackstone and Matt Appleton, about street revivals.
- [22:27]
David Stevens
When you walk on the street, you just don't assume as the immediate place to open a new business. So why did you decide to take a risk and invest in this. This place? Well, I actually own the shop, and I. I used it as an art studio.
- [22:40]
Carlotta Rebelo
First of all, what on earth has happened to your voice? It's like you were. Like, were you nine years old when you first came on the program?
- [22:48]
David Stevens
And I smoked back then. Like, I don't understand. It took me, like, a few seconds to recognize it was me. I guess I have age, and I didn't notice.
- [22:57]
Carlotta Rebelo
Well, good. I think. I think you always had an amazing voice, but my. My God, I would barely have known who that was.
- [23:03]
David Stevens
I didn't recognize myself. So I wouldn't blame you, Andrew. Oh, wow. That's when you realize, you know, just how much doing this job and being around a microphone for 12 years really impacts the way you end up speaking.
- [23:16]
Carlotta Rebelo
Well, we also asked you to pick out a few of your favorite reports that you've done over this long time span that you've been with us just on the Urbanist. So here are a few of the things that you've chosen. I think which includes everything from being
- [23:29]
Andrew Tuck
in Bratislava at a concert to going down a mineshaft in Finland.
- [23:34]
Mata Schwaller
Well, it's a pretty strange end, a couple of days with a mayor, an elected official here to talk about what he's doing for his city of Bratislava. But there's something quite amazing about seeing this six piece band in front of an audience.
- [23:51]
David Stevens
So we're now on level -112. It's around 100 meters below ground. So we have actually gone up from last time we checked in. And as you can hear from the steps around us, the terrain has changed. We have actually gravel because we are inside the active mine.
- [24:09]
Carlotta Rebelo
First of all, Carlton, we talked about funny voices. That was actually my very strange voice at the concert of Mata Schwaller, who's the mayor of Bratislava and also a bit of a rock star as well.
- [24:19]
David Stevens
I still think one of the best things as a producer is to set you up for things like, yes, let's record some closing thoughts after a long night with the mayor, some backstage drinks, and it's about 2am in a random city in Slovakia and my voice actually doesn't show up. So I think that was one of my favorite moments as a producer. And it was such an amazing trip to fully immerse ourselves in a city that's again at the cusp of change and with such inspiring people. And I really enjoyed that trip that we did together to Bratislava. And then, yeah, the last one was with the Urbanist co producer David Stevens, when we went to Finland to meet with our good friends at Kone, the mobility providers. And as part of optional thing to the new technology that at the time they were showing us, there was this, do you want to visit our high rise testing facility which is in a decommissioned mine. And David and I were one of the few journalists that said, hell yes. So we recorded a report going, I think it was 300 or 400 meters below ground and this is how they test the elevators. And who knew it could be so fascinating. And you know, one of the amazing things about this show is that if you give me a hard hat and a high vis, I'm happy.
- [25:28]
Carlotta Rebelo
Well, I was gonna ask you about that because I think it's for you, for dav, Dave and myself, it's been remarkable doing this show because none of us are trained urbanists, but we probably get to have as many conversations as anybody in the field. We get to meet numerous civic leaders
- [25:42]
Andrew Tuck
and developers and architects and activists and
- [25:46]
Carlotta Rebelo
the range of conversations we have is incredible. What's been your takeaway over this Period about city life and urbanism and some of the challenges and opportunities that all of our cities are facing.
- [25:58]
David Stevens
The way you just put it is really how I tend to approach when people ask me about this show. I think one of the. The biggest advantages is neither of us are trained. So if we understand what's being told to us and we're able to, that really helps us to unpack some of these terminology and these stories. And I think over the years, this idea that if more people care about what's happening around them, if more people care about what's happening in their cities, we all will live in better places. And it's funny how that has replicated itself in my life. You know, as soon as my little apartment complex had an allotment up for grabs, I put my name up, because I can't be doing a weekly show with you preaching about, you know, being part of the community and then not being part of the community myself. And I ended up meeting so many neighbors that I had not met through that before, or this idea of, you know, eyes on the streets. So many important conversations we've had over the years about safety on the streets at some quite tough moments here in London as well, where it's been great to reflect on where the conversation is going. And I think ultimately it just reminds me why I love big cities. Why, despite being from a small island and growing up surrounded by water, it's amidst the hustle and bustle and the chaos and the organized chaos that I feel at home. And this has really been a privilege to be able for the past decade plus, to really fall in love with cities over and over again.
- [27:21]
Carlotta Rebelo
And it's been amazing because not only on the show have you produced and presented numerous reports, but you've built up a bit of a following for moderating talks for other city conferences. And it's great to see your name on the billing for so many of those things. Look, you've done 611 shows. You've been producing on. Just tell me, what are you going to miss about working on the show?
- [27:42]
David Stevens
You. You and David, of course. More than anything, it's. You know, when I. Even when I was asked to pick some of the favorite moments, I just kept thinking of our trips, you know, that we've done, like, countless urbanism conferences, some more boring than others, others really exciting. And over the years, the. To drop in somewhere, meet people who are usually so passionate about what they're doing, and come home with a bit of inspiration. You know, I was looking. Of course, it's been a week of reminiscing. I was looking through my phone the other day and I found a picture of the very first trip we did together, which was me and you to build BAO in 2014. Now, if you think my voice looked young earlier, you should see that photo because the two of us were like, wow, this is 2014. Okay. But we're happy with a glass of champagne. And I remember being so nervous ahead of that trip because it was our first trip together. And I was like, oh, my God. I mean, I can't ruin this because then Andrew doesn't want to travel with me ever again. And here we are. But, yes, I will miss, you know, the companionship, the amazing ideas, the amazing stories. But at the same time, I know that I will continue to be tapped into the show, that I will continue to collaborate with the two of you over the years, and I can't wait for the next chapter.
- [28:54]
Carlotta Rebelo
Well, we were only just the three of us in the south of France the other day for Mippim the the real estate fair. And again, it's been amazing being part of this team. So, well, obrigado Carlota, and good luck in Portugal. But as you've guessed, we're going to keep Colossa reporting for us. And she will be popping up, I'm sure, at many of those conferences alongside
- [29:13]
Andrew Tuck
me and Dave as well, over the coming weeks.
- [29:16]
Carlotta Rebelo
Months and maybe years, too. Let's see how we get on. Okay, but that is all for this
- [29:21]
Andrew Tuck
week's episode of the Urbanist. You can follow us for new editions of the show every week.
- [29:25]
David Stevens
Week.
- [29:26]
Andrew Tuck
And you can subscribe to Monocle magazine for reports on all things design, architecture and urbanism too. Just visit monocle.com the Urbanist has been produced by Coletta Rebelo for almost 12 years. A huge thank you to her. And I can tell you this certainly won't be the last time that you hear from her on this program. The show is also produced and edited, of course, by David Stevens. I'm Andrew Tuck. Ciao, and thank you for listening to City Lovers.
- [29:55]
David Stevens
Thank you. I was working really hard. I'm trying to save everything for Friday.
- [29:59]
Carlotta Rebelo
Yeah, I saved your Friday, my love. But there's more.
- [30:01]
Christina Raspi
There's one more stuff.