The Urbanist – Urban Lessons from the World Economic Forum and the Holcim Foundation Awards

Podcast: The Urbanist by Monocle
Host: Andrew Tuck
Episode Date: January 22, 2026
Duration: ~34 min

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the latest urban insights from two major events: the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and the Holcim Foundation Awards for sustainable construction. Reporting from these events, the Urbanist team brings together lessons on making cities more livable, inclusive, and sustainable, covering topics from nighttime economies and aging populations to future-proofing urban governance and award-winning eco-projects around the world.

Urban Lessons from Davos

Featuring Carlotta Rebelo reporting from WEF

The Nighttime Economy: Rethinking 24-Hour Cities

Guests: Mirik Milan (former "Night Mayor" of Amsterdam, co-founder of Vibe Lab), Georgia McDonnell Adams (Nighttime Foundation Board Member)

• The Nighttime Foundation presented their "Enter" Global Nighttime Economy report at WEF, highlighting the scale and significance of nighttime activities.
  • "3% of global GDP is connected to the nighttime economy... 1 in 10 people actually work in a nighttime economy." — Mirik Milan (02:09)
• Nightlife is not just about entertainment; it drives local economies, fosters talent, and provides social cohesion.
  • "The night is a place to develop talent… It's really a serious playground for creative professions… that's what drives the local economy." — Mirik Milan (03:17)
• Berlin was cited as a case study: its expat community's $26 billion annual contribution is closely linked to the city's vibrant nightlife.
  • "One of the reasons that people choose to live in Berlin is because of its vibrant nightlife scene." — Georgia McDonnell Adams (04:29)
• The language of "24-hour city" helps reframe nightlife as an integral part of the urban ecosystem, not just parties.
• Addressing the loneliness epidemic and broadening nighttime offerings for Gen Z is a rising concern.
  • "They [Gen Z] are the most connected but they are the most lonely." — Georgia McDonnell Adams (05:31)
• There is a need to democratize access to nighttime spaces and rethink third spaces for social life beyond daytime hours.
• Safe and inclusive nighttime environments remain a challenge, especially for marginalized groups.
  • "We have to reimagine who has the right to the night, who has the right to the public space." — Mirik Milan (08:48)

Timestamps:

• 02:09-05:16 – Nighttime Economy scope & significance
• 05:16-07:32 – Social inclusion, language shifts, Gen Z and loneliness
• 07:32-09:52 – Designing inclusive and democratic nighttime spaces

Livability, Hybrid Work, and AI in Real Estate

Guest: Neil Murray (CEO, Real Estate Management Services, JLL)

• Community has long-term resilience—people need places to connect, despite the rise of remote/hybrid work.
  • "A culture will always emerge in an organization. The question is, are you in control or directing that culture?" — Neil Murray (10:18)
• Office spaces are now a strategic asset reflecting company culture, not just functional real estate.
• AI in real estate is revolutionizing how vast data is transformed into actionable insights.
  • "You can't put crude oil into a car and expect it to drive. You have to have refined petroleum. Our journey has been about refining our petroleum, meaning our data." — Neil Murray (12:02)

Timestamps:

• 10:18-11:47 – Future of office spaces and company culture
• 11:47-13:22 – Integrating AI and data in real estate management

Aging Populations and the "Care Hub" Concept

Guest: Stan Stallnacker (Founding Director, Hub Culture)

• Care Hub aims to create affordable, modular community living for older adults, inspired by personal experience.
  • "There are 1 billion people who will be entering the age category of 60 to 80 over the next 10 years. Many...don't have really great solutions for affordable care or for affordable living." — Stan Stallnacker (13:48)
• Modular construction—especially using cross-laminated timber—enables rapid, sustainable, and resilient building.
  • "They can go anywhere... The ICON is timber...very, very strong...it's renewable...much less likely to burn." — Stan Stallnacker (16:47)

Timestamps:

• 13:48-16:33 – Genesis of Care Hub, personal story, needs of aging populations
• 16:33-17:41 – Advantages of modular construction

The Urban Advantage in the Next Economy – New City Competitiveness Index

Guest: Anastasia Calinini (Supersymmetry Institute)

• The Supersymmetry Institute launched a report assessing the competitiveness of 50 leading cities in the Global South (plus benchmarks from the Global North) using over 350 criteria, 25M data points, and social listening.
  • "In our top 10 cities, we have more cities from the Global South than we could possibly imagine." — Anastasia Calinini (23:17)
• Key finding: The traditional North-South gap in urban competitiveness is closing at the top tier.
• Critical success factors: Future-proof governance ("the root system"), strong business environments ("the trunk"), and creative economic outputs ("the fruit").
  • "Good governance and good institutions…hardly anything could come out of this from the economic and creative perspective." — Anastasia Calinini (21:49)
• City archetypes help leaders strategize for their specific strengths: e.g., global gateways (Dubai), deep tech hubs (Bengaluru), or creative/green innovations (Cape Town).

Timestamps:

• 18:07-21:30 – Competitiveness index: methods, findings, archetypes
• 21:30-24:45 – Future-proof governance, city case studies, North-South conclusion

Holcim Foundation Awards: Celebrating Sustainable Construction

Featuring Ed Stocker reporting from Venice

Awards Overview and Evolving Mission

Host: Laura Viscovic (Executive Director, Holcim Foundation)

• The awards, marking their 20th anniversary, recognize projects worldwide that balance environmental, community, and economic value.
  • "Twenty years on…there are many, many examples of how to (build sustainably). Now, we’re trying to actually promote the real world projects…to get more eyeballs on them." — Laura Viscovic (27:16)

Jury and Projects Highlights

• The selection process included jurors from diverse backgrounds, fostering knowledge-sharing and vigorous debate.
  • "What happens when you're sitting in an award jury like this is you learn more than you give away." — Craig Dyks (28:20)
• Standout winners:
  • Europe: Artech Tutoya, Kosovo – Revitalizing a former brick factory into a multidisciplinary public space, upcycling materials and empowering creatives.
    • "To create such a project that sends a message to the younger generation of creatives, you have a place here." — Rafi Siegel, architect (29:59)
  • Asia: Dhaka Central Jail Redevelopment, Bangladesh – Transforming a historic jail into accessible green public space for the community, using local techniques and artisans.
    • "It's a public space that is unveiled after centuries for the people...all done in our local techniques." — Dideroul Islam Buyan (31:09)
  • USA: Portland International Main Terminal expansion – Utilizing mass timber, natural light, and sustainable materials to lower energy impact and create inviting space.

Timestamps:

• 25:51-27:48 – Awards context and evolution
• 27:48-30:54 – Jury process, project highlights: Kosovo, Bangladesh, Portland

Forum on Flooding: Collaborating Across Professions

Key voice: Chola Achibade (Associate Professor, Emory University)

• The parallel forum addressed urban resilience against flooding under the theme "Retreat. Resist. Respond."
  • "When people hear about retreat, they do think it's something that is a failure. But culturally, for me...a person that retreats is not necessarily failing, but you're going to prepare and come back stronger." — Chola Achibade (31:56)
• The event stands out for its cross-disciplinary exchanges, bringing together rarely overlapping professions.

Timestamps:

• 31:09-33:12 – Contextualizing "retreat" in resilience; value of multidisciplinary engagement

Notable Quotes

| Time | Speaker | Quote | |---------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:09 | Mirik Milan | "3% of global GDP is connected to the nighttime economy...1 in 10 people work at night." | | 04:29 | Georgia McDonnell Adams | "One of the reasons that people choose to live in Berlin is because of its vibrant nightlife scene." | | 05:31 | Georgia McDonnell Adams | "Gen Z…are the most connected but they are the most lonely." | | 10:18 | Neil Murray | "A culture will always emerge in an organization. The question is, are you in control or directing that culture?" | | 12:02 | Neil Murray | "You can't put crude oil into a car and expect it to drive. You have to have refined petroleum…" | | 13:48 | Stan Stallnacker | "There are 1 billion people who will be entering the age category of 60 to 80 over the next 10 years." | | 21:49 | Anastasia Calinini | "Future-proof governance ... is the root system for any other factor in city development." | | 23:17 | Anastasia Calinini | "In our top 10 cities, we have more cities from the Global South than we could possibly imagine." | | 27:16 | Laura Viscovic | "Twenty years on ... we’re trying to actually promote the real world projects as they (emerge)." | | 29:59 | Rafi Siegel | "To create such a project that sends a message to the younger generation of creatives: you have a place here." | | 31:56 | Chola Achibade | "A person that retreats is not necessarily failing, but you're going to prepare and come back stronger." |

Key Takeaways

• Nighttime Cities: Recognize the social and economic significance of the 24-hour city. Nighttime is not just about entertainment; it's about inclusion, safety, and innovation for all.
• Built Aging: Urban solutions must address aging populations using modular, sustainable, community-focused designs.
• Competitiveness Reimagined: Leading Global South cities are rapidly closing the gap with the North, driven by future-ready governance and local innovation.
• Sustainable Construction: Holcim Awards projects show that sustainability is about both materials and community impact, with inspiring global case studies.
• Resilient Futures: Cross-sector, cross-cultural exchanges are vital to urban resilience—sometimes, "retreat" is preparation, not failure.

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