The Urbanist – MIPIM Asia 2025: What Are Asian Cities Learning From Each Other?

Podcast: The Urbanist
Host: Monocle (Andrew Tuck, David Stevens, Carlotta Reebelo reporting)
Date: December 4, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of The Urbanist takes listeners inside the MIPIM Asia 2025 real estate summit in Hong Kong, exploring how Asian cities are responding to unprecedented urban growth, sharing knowledge across borders, and learning from both triumphs and tragedies. The show brings together insights from city leaders, urban planners, investors, and sustainability experts, with discussions touching on high-density living, aging populations, climate resilience, and the shifting priorities of the real estate sector. The recent tragic fire in Hong Kong’s Taipo district serves as an urgent backdrop to conversation about safer, more inclusive, and sustainable urban futures across Asia.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Unique Role of MIPIM Asia

(00:17–03:26)

• Nicolas Boffi (Director, MIPIM Asia) reflects on his transition to leading MIPIM at a pivotal moment for Asian real estate and urban challenges.
• Emphasis on the event as a compact, connected space for high-level networking and best-practice exchange across the APAC region.
• MIPIM’s global reach: over 20,000 attendees in Cannes vs. 400 in Hong Kong, with plans for further editions in places like Riyadh.

Notable Quote:

“At the center of this there is the question of learning from each other. I really like the city to city learning, especially between global cities, where I think most of the urban challenges are concentrated in a very globalized world.”
— Nicolas Boffi (04:48)

2. Knowledge Exchange and Global Urban Trends

(03:49–06:04)

• Public/private collaboration is key, with Manchester cited as exemplary for its urban regeneration partnerships.
• Importance of modular construction in Asia for tackling housing crises—offering lessons for Europe.
• Technology and AI are “totally redefining the way we work” and transforming urban infrastructure and development.
• MIPIM is positioned as platform not just for investment, but mutual education.

3. Responding to Tragedy: Building Standards and Safety

(06:20–11:05)

• The Taipo housing complex fire is a somber reminder of the human stakes; safety and building standards are now central topics.
• Donald Choi (Managing Director, Hong Kong Urban Renewal Authority) emphasizes ongoing vigilance:

"It's not only at the very beginning of the construction, but throughout the lifetime of the building—operation to maintenance.” (09:17)

• Tragedies are not unique to high-density Asian cities—risk awareness and lasting precautions matter everywhere.
• Regulatory response and professional responsibility are critical.

4. The Asian Perspective: Ageing Societies and Social Solutions

(11:05–16:03)

• Japan’s senior living challenge: with over 10% of population now 80+, new insurance schemes and senior housing models have emerged.
• Tsuji Tomikawa (President, Mitsui Fudosan Investment Advisors) on structural issues:
  • Senior housing needs scale and professional management—something Japan is still building towards.
  • The rise in loneliness among urban elderly is mitigated by insurance-funded services and community engagement.
  • Lessons for China, Malaysia, Indonesia as rural-urban divides accelerate demographic shifts.

“Urbanization creates situations where parents, elderly, grandparents are left alone in the countryside… elderly citizens in the future may not be able to be assisted by the sons and daughters who are living in the cities.”
— Tsuji Tomikawa (15:10)

5. Sustainability’s Shift from “Nice-to-Have” to Non-Negotiable

(16:03–21:29)

• Esther Ann (Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited, Singapore) recounts three decades of environmental advocacy in real estate.
  • Green and healthy building practices have transitioned from peripheral to core business concerns post-Paris Agreement.
  • Triple bottom line: Profits, People, and Planet are inseparable.

“If company don’t remain profitable, the first to suffer is going to be your employees… Profits, people, and planet are all interconnected or interdependent.”
— Esther Ann (19:44)

• Healthy spaces mean higher productivity, well-being, and retain economic value.

6. The Stakes: Cities Facing Existential Climate Challenges

(21:29–26:03)

• Singapore as a showcase for urban resilience and adaptation:
  • Climate risk in a low-lying, rainy, fully-urbanized state
  • 40% green cover via intentional design and park connectors helps keep the city livable and attractive to investment.
  • The real estate sector’s responsibility to reduce emissions especially from high-carbon construction materials (steel, cement).
  • Urgent need to ‘green’ building materials and focus on nature-based solutions for cities battling urban heat island effects.

“If we can green the real estate sector, we are on good track to green the world.”
— Esther Ann (25:52)

7. Hong Kong Case Study: Challenges in Ongoing Urban Renewal

(26:03–30:41)

• Hong Kong’s unique “double aging”: both its population and built environment are getting older.
• Donald Choi on balancing demolition and refurbishment:
  • It's not either/or—both are needed to retain cultural identity and reduce waste.
  • Emphasizes private sector partnership for investment and innovation.
  • Central Market as a model:

“Central Market… was abandoned and left vacant for a number of years. And then the URA together with private sector believed that we should revitalize… [it’s now] the showcase of modern Hong Kong kind of startups and entrepreneurship.”
— Donald Choi (29:34)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “At the center of this there is the question of learning from each other…more than ever, I think there’s always a lot to learn from the best practices.”
  — Nicolas Boffi (04:48)

• “Events like this are a strong reminder that ESG as sustainable fuel to the investment is no longer the cherry on the cake…It’s absolutely fundamental to all the capital investments nowadays.”
  — Nicolas Boffi (08:07)

• “It’s not only at the very beginning of the construction, but throughout the lifetime of the building… all of the procedures and precautionary measures.”
  — Donald Choi (09:17)

• “Profits, people, and planet are all interconnected or interdependent. This is what I can simply explain why sustainability…should be at the core.”
  — Esther Ann (19:44)

• “If we can green the real estate sector, we are on good track to green the world.”
  — Esther Ann (25:52)

• “We need to attract private sector involvement…to help us to renew our city at the same time actually provide better living environment and also be able to get a reasonable return on their investment.”
  — Donald Choi (27:55)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening & MIPIM Context: 00:12–02:41
• City-to-City Learning: 03:26–06:04
• Post-Fire Response: 06:20–11:05
• Japan’s Senior Living Innovations: 11:05–16:03
• Sustainability Evolution: 16:03–21:29
• Climate & Singapore’s Urban Model: 21:29–26:03
• Hong Kong Urban Renewal Case: 26:19–30:41

Memorable Moments

• Reflection on the aftermath of the Taipo fire and its impact across all summit discussions (06:20–11:05).
• Japanese struggles and lessons in scaling senior housing and managing elderly isolation (11:40–13:59).
• Singapore’s holistic embrace of sustainability not only as climate mitigation but as national and business survival (21:29–25:52).
• The Central Market transformation as a symbol of Hong Kong’s hybrid approach to history, innovation, and entrepreneurship (29:34).

Tone & Language

Throughout, the speakers maintain an engaged, thoughtful tone—focused on pragmatic optimism, sometimes somber in the context of tragedy, but determined to exchange lessons and inspire better, safer, and greener urban futures across Asia.

This summary captures the episode’s sweeping discussion of how Asian cities are learning from each other in the face of rapid change, and the real-world urgency spurring innovation in policy, design, investment, and sustainability.