Episode 22: Artistry Beyond Borders: Exploring the Power of Public Art with Destinie Adélakun [VIDEO]

August 16, 2023

Public art plays a big role in bringing our favourite city streets and neighbourhoods to life.

Join me as I chat with Destinie Adélakun, an emerging multi-disciplinary artist, who masterfully weaves her Nigerian-Indian heritage into her breathtaking solo exhibition, "Journey of Adé." Destinie also shares the excitement of exhibiting at Toronto's renowned Nuit Blanche, her work bridging mental wellness and public art as part of the Scarborough-based Behind the Art Collective, and the crucial role that public art plays in shaping the identity of our cities. 

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Guest: Destinie Adélakun, Behind the Art Collective

Destinie Adélakun is a daughter of the diaspora hailing from the ocean groves of West Africa and South Asia. The award-winning artist aims to celebrate the Black and Brown identities of the diaspora using photographs, paintings, sculpture, film and digital media. Destinie’s work is driven by her personal values and experiences — themes of pre-colonial history, social justice, ancestry and belonging are vital in her work.  Destinie has been awarded the Canadian Women Artist of the Year Award 2020 by New York Foundation for the Arts. 

Acknowledgements

Sponsorships

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities, the Department of Geography and Planning, and GlowReel

The School of Cities "convenes urban-focused researchers, educators, students, practitioners and the general public to explore and address complex urban challenges, with the aim of making cities and urban regions more sustainable, prosperous, inclusive and just". To learn more about the School of Cities visit www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca. 

To learn more about the Department of Geography and Planning and the different undergraduate and graduate programs available please visit www.geography.utoronto.ca.

To learn more about GlowReel and their work elevating women of colour founders and leaders please visit www.glowreel.co/

Production

Stay in the loop!

If you would like to be interviewed, have an interesting idea to share for an episode, or have any feedback on the podcast, please send me an email at hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com.

If you enjoy the show, please share it with your family, friends, teacher, tennis instructor, tax accountant... and leave a review! 

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Introducing the Urban Limitrophe YouTube Channel!

August 10, 2023

We've got some thrilling updates to share with you. The Urban Limitrophe podcast has just taken a giant leap into the world of visuals with the launch of our very own YouTube channel! 

Subscribe to Urban Limitrophe on YouTube

Are you ready to embark on a visual journey with us? Our podcast has been all about exploring the fascinating dynamics of urban planning, African cities, and innovative ideas shaping our urban landscapes. Now, with our YouTube channel, we're taking this experience to a whole new level!

Click here to subscribe to @urbanlimitrophe on YouTube!

What to Expect on Our YouTube Channel:

Get ready for immersive visual content that delves deep into the heart of urban planning, African cities and diasporic communities, and the stories that shape them. From captivating interviews with experts in the field to on-site explorations of urban initiatives, we're here to paint the vibrant tapestry of our cities.

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Upcoming Highlights 

The YouTube channel will feature in-depth interviews, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the podcasting journey, on-the-ground tours of urban projects, and much more. Sharing all these moments via film allows us to delve deeper into the stories that matter most.

Join us on this exciting new adventure by hitting that subscribe button and ringing the notification bell! Be the first to catch upcoming videos and get involved in the conversation.

Stay Connected

If you're not already following the podcast on social media, now's the perfect time to do so! Connect with Urban Limitrophe on Instagram and Twitter for regular updates, sneak peeks, and engaging discussions about all things urban.

Thank you for your incredible support on this journey. I can't wait to [visually] explore the world of urban planning, African cities, and innovative ideas with you on our new YouTube channel!

P.S. Stay tuned for the first YouTube video dropping soon – you won't want to miss it! Subscribe now and be part of the Urban Limitrophe community
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Episode 21: How the Charter Cities Institute Promotes Inclusive and Adaptable Planning for Sustainable New Cities

May 28, 2023

Join me in this captivating episode of the podcast as I have an insightful conversation with Heba Elhanafy, an urban researcher from the Charter Cities Institute (CCI) Zambia. Together, we explore the fascinating world of charter city development and dive deep into the Planning Guidelines Report titled "Guided Organic Growth: An urban planning framework for charter cities." 

Discover the recommendations outlined in the report on how to enhance City Development, Urban Planning, and Mobility in new cities. Learn how taking a flexible and adaptable approach, in collaboration with communities, can lead to more inclusive outcomes for citizens and foster a holistic approach to city building.

In this episode, you'll learn about:
  • What are charter cities and why promoting good governance is at the heart of making them work
  • The benefits of taking an incremental approach to infrastructure development for more affordability and efficiency 
  • The importance of adapting urban policies and plans to the evolving needs of citizens
  • And much more!

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You can listen to the podcast on Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS | Apple Podcasts 

Guest: Heba Elhanafy, CCI Zambia

Heba is an urban planner and researcher. Her research interests lie in human settlements, culture, heritage, community, and new city development. Heba has been working as an urban researcher at the Charter Cities Insitute for two years. 

Timestamps

  • 03:19 | Introduction to Heba and her work
  • 04:47 | About the Charter Cities Institute (CCI) and its approach to urban development (.e. the Charter City Model)
  • 07:02 | What are Charter Cities and why is good governance so important?
  • 11:08 | Can you walk us through the planning guidelines report?
  • 16:09 | Can you explain more about the Guided Organic Growth Paradigm and why it is important for urban planners to keep in mind?
  • 24:58 | What are some key takeaways from the report that readers should keep in mind moving forward?
  • 27:20 | Do you have any insight to ensure urban planning remains flexible and remains a dynamic process?
  • 30:19 | In general, what can urban planners do to ensure that when making charter cities, the voices of the community are included and people don’t get left behind?
  • 29:23 | Can you tell us what’s next for your research or the work that you’re up to?
  • 33:32 | How can people get involved with CCI (i.e. their co-authorship program, etc.)

Show Notes

Acknowledgements

Sponsorships

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

The School of Cities "convenes urban-focused researchers, educators, students, practitioners and the general public to explore and address complex urban challenges, with the aim of making cities and urban regions more sustainable, prosperous, inclusive and just". To learn more about the School of Cities visit www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca. 

To learn more about the Department of Geography and Planning and the different undergraduate and graduate programs available please visit www.geography.utoronto.ca.

Support
  • Editor and Music Producer: Imany Lambropoulos
  • Podcast Host and Graphic Designer: Alexandra Lambropoulos

Stay in the loop!

If you would like to be interviewed, have an interesting idea to share for an episode, or have any feedback on the podcast, please send me an email at hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com.

If you enjoy the show, please share it with your family, friends, social worker, software engineer, ski instructor... and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 

Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow the podcast on Instagram to stay in the loop

Read more »

Episode 20: How Ushahidi is Using Crowdsourcing to Help Community Disaster Response and Recovery

March 28, 2023

In this episode, I chat with Angela Oduor Lungati, the CEO of Ushahidi. Ushahdi is a mobile platform dubbed “Africa’s Gift to Silicon Valley” by the New York Times. Born out of a crisis, the open-source software enables virtually anyone with a cellphone or internet connection to efficiently crowdsource information, map it and share it with those the most in need and guide those who can provide aid. Ushahidi is a powerful planning and decision-making tool for communities and cities in the midst of an emergency and has been used by groups worldwide to track everything from COVID-19 recovery to police brutality and everything in between. 

In this episode, you'll learn about:

  • how Ushahidi has been leveraged by communities and governments worldwide, 
  • how to keep communities at the center of innovation, 
  • and much more!

Powered by RedCircle

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS | Apple Podcasts 

Guest: Angela Oduor Lungati, Ushahidi

Angela is a technologist, community builder and open-source software advocate who is passionate about building and using appropriate technology tools to impact the lives of marginalised groups. She currently serves as the Executive Director at Ushahidi, a global non-profit technology company that helps communities quickly collect and share information that enables them to raise voices, inform decisions and influence change. She’s also a co-founder of AkiraChix, and serves on the Board of Directors of Creative Commons.

Timestamps

  • 5:17 | Can you walk me through the process of using the platform?
  • 8:32 | Who are the typical users of Ushahidi actually creating the deployments vs the people using it?
  • 9:47 | How does Ushahidi make the software accessible to both those collecting the data and those viewing the final maps?
  • 12:58 | What have been some of the challenges of getting communities to actually use the platform and take part in this crowd-sourcing process?
  • 16:44 | Can you share some examples of projects that have been created by Ushahidi that you find particularly noteworthy?
  • 22:54 | Why is crowd-sourcing data important for city builders?
  • 24:47 | What do you think city-builders should consider in ensuring that the smart cities of today don’t leave anyone behind?
  • 26:56 | What kind of policies or partnerships do you think cities/ governments can provide to organizations like yourself to expand the reach of your work?
  • 28:47 | What's next for Ushahidi?
  • 30:52 | How can people support the work that you’re doing?

Show Notes

Sources

Acknowledgements

Sponsorships

This episode is co-sponsored by the University of Toronto School of Cities and the Department of Geography and Planning. 

The School of Cities "convenes urban-focused researchers, educators, students, practitioners and the general public to explore and address complex urban challenges, with the aim of making cities and urban regions more sustainable, prosperous, inclusive and just". To learn more about the School of Cities visit www.schoolofcities.utoronto.ca. 

To learn more about the Department of Geography and Planning and the different undergraduate and graduate programs available please visit www.geography.utoronto.ca.

Support
  • Editor and Music Producer: Imany Lambropoulos
  • Podcast Host and Graphic Designer: Alexandra Lambropoulos

Stay in the loop!

If you would like to be interviewed, have an interesting idea to share for an episode, or have any feedback on the podcast, please send me an email at hello[at]urbanlimitrophe.com.

If you enjoy the show, please share it with your family, friends, racecar driver, rapper, radio host... and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! 

Make sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow the podcast on Instagram to stay in the loop

Read more »

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