Urban Radar
Urban Radar is a podcast series presented by Professors Tom Goodfellow and Beth Perry, reflecting on current events and emerging trends through the lens of cities and urban life. Drawing on the urban expertise at the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester, the show places urban dynamics at the centre of contemporary global affairs. Each episode explores how cities shape and are shaped by wider social, economic, and political forces. The podcast is supported by the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester.
Episodes
32. INDIGENOUS URBANISM AND YOUTH: fluid geographies in Latin America, +Ceuta, +cats and dogs, +marine heatwaves, +population surge and more
In this month's episode, Beth and Tom mark World Indigenous Peoples' Day and the International Day of Youth with Dr Philipp Horn, School of Geography and Planning, University of Sheffield. Drawing on Philipp's work with Indigenous youth from the Bolivian cities of El Alto, Santa Cruz, Sucre and Rurrenabaque, they challenge stereotypes of indigenous lives, highlighting fluid geograph
31. INSIDE URBAN STUDIES: Voices from RC21, +chokepoint cities, +Binface, +bar brawls, +polo clubs and more
In July's radar, we report back from one of the major urban studies conferences - RC21 - which is held every two years in different cities across the world. Bringing together 1200 scholars at the University of Vienna, the 2026 conference provided spaces for provocation and discussion about the methods, approaches and theories we need to identify and address urban inequalities in these contemp
30. URBAN CHARITY RETHOUGHT: A conversation with Nicola Banks
In this month's feature Tom and Beth are joined by Professor Nicola Banks from the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester to discuss One World Together, an innovative model of charitable giving that makes sure the bulk of the funding ends up where it is needed most. Often less than 10% of what we give to charity gets to where it's needed, and communities are not always th
29. BREXIT, AUSTERITY AND YOUTH FUTURES: Ten years later, +unbounding zoos, +war with Russia, +street 'goons' in Kenya, +banned flags in Oxfordshire and more
In this episode Tom and Beth are joined by Professor Sarah Marie Hall from the University of Manchester to reflect on ten years since Brexit and specifically how austerity has altered the lifecourses of young people in Barcelona, Sardinia and Greater Manchester. Together, they discuss how Brexit layered on top of existing crises, how community podcasts helped chart economic change during this exte
28. RIVER/CITY: A conversation with Olivia Casagrande and Roberto Monte-Mór
High up in the Andes mountain range, two rivers begin their journeys. Starting in the El Plomo hill, one becomes the Mapocho river travelling though Chile into Santiago, dividing the city in two. The other makes its way from the Peruvian Andes and develops into a complex network of waters and rivers to become the Amazon basin, one of the longest rivers in the world. Rivers such as these shape and
27. MAKING A PRIME MINISTER IN MAKERFIELD? Predicting election results, +Ebola in African cities, +domestic worker activism, +global sand crisis, +housing and the World Urban Forum and more
In this episode Beth and Tom are joined by Dr Lotte Hargrave from the University of Manchester to discuss whether psephology - the study of elections and voting behaviour - can predict the next Prime Minister of the UK. All eyes are turned on the town of Makerfield in Greater Manchester, where Andy Burnham is making a play to win the constituency and head south - back to Westminster, and (probably
26. COMPARATIVE LEARNING THROUGH COMMUNITY EXCHANGE: A conversation with Jack Makau and Temilade Sesan
In this episode - recorded on location in Kampala, Uganda during an African Cities Research Consortium (ACRC) workshop in late April - we delve into questions of how urban communities in informal settlements can build power through their own forms of knowledge and data collection, and how two-way exchanges between cities can strengthen this process. For the main discussion, Tom was there in person
25. ASYMMETRIC URBANISM: Pushback in Portland, +Palantir in Sheffield, +dunking in Trento, +adopting cities, +Pope vs Trump and more
In this episode, Beth and Tom are joined by Ryan Bellinson, researcher/civil servant living in Portland, Oregon, US, to discuss how residents and community groups can mobilise their power to resist democratic backsliding.From Minneapolis to Portland federal immigration enforcement agents have been deploying hostile tactics to identify and seek to deport migrants, even those of legal status. Meanwh
24. CHAOS AND DESIRE IN THE CITY: A conversation with Tanya Zack and Tanzil Shafique
Come with us to Johannesburg and Dhaka in this month's feature. Visit the markets and stalls of Jeppe, in inner city Johannesburg, a dynamic ecosystem of informal traders, sometimes called Africa’s shopping Mecca. Head with us to Korail, an informal settlement of 300,000 dwellers, sometimes called Bangladesh’s largest slum.In this double book talk, we are joined by two critically-acclaimed au
23. PROPERTY AND URBICIDE: Housing in Lebanon, +Nairobi floods, +Banksy, +scam centres, +Habermas and more
This month, Tom and Beth are joined by Hannah Sender, University of Sheffield, and Mariam Bazzi, Beirut Urban Lab to discuss how propertied families in small towns in Lebanon have responded to violence and displacement over the past years (Go to 35:04 for guests). When left with no savings, and little help to repair and reconstruct after military interventions, property becomes a moral relationshi
22. CRISIS, PUBLIC HEALTH & THE CITY: A conversation with Cristina Temenos
In this episode Beth and Tom are joined by Cristina Temenos from the University of Manchester to discuss a wide range of issues from trust in medicine, responses to COVID-19 and experimentation and evidence in localised healthcare settings. Together, they ask:Faced with crisis after crisis, how do municipalities deliver public health care in Athens, Santiago and Greater Manchester?What forms of ex
21. URBAN ROBOTICS BY STEALTH: Driverless vehicles, + Epstein, + Royals, + drug cartels, + immigration and more
In this episode Tom and Beth are joined by Professor Aidan While from the University of Sheffield to explore how robotic urban infrastructures are already reshaping everyday lives, homes and mobilities. From self-driving taxis to autonomous delivery drones the size of a lorry, we take a closer look at how experimentation in US cities, across Africa and now in the UK foreshadows the stealthy rise o
20. SEEING THE CITY: A discussion with Junia Mortimer and Felipe Magalhaes
In this episode Tom and Beth are joined by visiting researchers to the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester, Junia Mortimer and Felipe Magalhães. They discuss:How can we see and understand the city in this geopolitical age of conflict and global uncertainty?How can photographs and visual archives make visible the complexities of cities, particularly those in the Global South?When seeing direct
19. THE NEW URBAN GEOPOLITICS: Inside Caracas + urban Greenland, + embassies and disinformation in London, + neighbourhood governance and more
In this first episode of Series 2 of Urban Radar, Beth and Tom start to tackle some of the many ways in which the current moment of geopolitical turmoil is filtering down into in cities and towns across the world. We make the most of our new Sheffield-Manchester partnership by bringing on Dr. Erika Garcia Fermin (29:45 minutes onwards) from the University of Manchester's Global Development In
Series 2 Urban Radar: Trailer
Urban Radar is a podcast series which reflects on current events and emerging trends through the lens of cities and urban life. Launched in 2025, Urban Radar hit the UK social science podcast charts, and was amongst the top 5% of new podcast entrants (according to one major streaming platform!). It reached listeners in every continent, over 80 countries and 670 cities. Series 1 included 18 episo
18: WRAP UP, REFLECTION & REVEAL (+ Care and the city, +Aussie social media ban, +urban themes of the year and much more...)
This month, we (Beth and Tom) are podding alone, using the final episode of the year to reflect on some of the big themes we’ve discussed in 2025 as well as on the process of making Urban Radar. We start with our monthly radar for December, dipping into three current stories each as usual. Following this we offer some quick-fire thoughts on a number of issues and themes that have resurfaced repea
17: CHILD LABOUR AND DISINFORMATION (+immigration policy, +COP30 in Belem, +ticket touts, +urban statistics and more…)
In this episode we are joined by Professor Julia Moses to consider the working lives and rights of children, and then Dr Dani Madrid-Morales to discuss disinformation and how it plays out across urban and rural areas. Reflecting on World Children's Day on 20 November, we explore children's rights and how these relate to questions of labour, as well as how attitudes to child labour have v
16: CHINA, THE GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE RACE AND ITS URBAN IMPACTS - A panel with Jon Silver, Zhengli Huang and Linda Westman
In this feature, Tom and Beth discuss the Global Infrastructure Race with colleagues from the Urban Institute (UI), recorded live as part of the UI’s 10 year anniversary celebrations. Drawing on insights emerging from the GlobalCORRIDOR and Pluralize projects, Jon Silver, Zhengli Huang and Linda Westman share their interpretation of the Global Infrastructure Race, its urban impacts and how we can
15: GREEN RESURGENCE & GAZA RECONSTRUCTION (+Brexit, +rats, +Louvre heist, +AI Friend and more)
Released to coincide with World Cities Day on 31 October, this episode sees Beth and Tom first joined by Prof. Matthew Flinders (26:09) to discuss what the rise in fortunes of the Green Party, UK, under Zack Polanski, means for progressive politics in the UK, and for a city like Sheffield. Then, with Said Zaaneen (51:46), they dive into what the history of refugee camps in the Gaza strip tells us
14: HUMANITY'S URBAN FUTURE - A conversation with AbdouMaliq Simone and Ash Amin
In this month’s feature Tom and Beth are joined by two leading scholars of the urban condition - Ash Amin and AbdouMaliq Simone - to reflect on questions of inclusion and belonging in the search for the 'good city'. Building on their collaborative work for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research's Humanity's Urban Future programme, our guests consider: Are ideas of the goo
13: CONFLICT & URBAN TERRITORY - FROM UK HOMELESSNESS TO UPRISING IN NEPAL (+West Bank settlements, +witchcraft, +cars and more)
This month we are joined by Dr Sam Burgum & Professor Simon Rushton to dive into what the new UK Minister for Homelessness should have on their agenda (27:50) and how we can understand the wider socio-economic issues shaping the recent Gen Z uprising in Nepal (50:08). Cutting across our discussions are questions of conflict over and in urban territory, federalism and decentralisation and how b
12: URBAN INFORMALITY AND TRANSLOCAL LEARNING - A conversation with Melanie Lombard and Diana Mitlin
In this month's episode Tom and Beth discuss the value of translocal learning to address poverty and inequality for women in low income communities in India, Southern Africa, Kenya and the UK. Joined by guests Melanie Lombard and Diana Mitlin, they ask:What can we learn from informal processes and practices in South Asian and African cities to address social injustice and poverty here in the
11: SCHOOLING AND SURVIVING IN ENGLAND AND SUDAN (+policing/protests, +flags/fakes, +mining and cities on the move)
This month we are joined by Drs Christina Tatham & Cathy Wilcock for a post-summer bumper episode. First in England, many children are starting school for the first time, including those with English as a second language, against a backdrop of stubborn spatial inequalities in educational outcomes later in life (31:26). Then, in the face of civil war and conflict in Sudan, we dive into how urba
10: URBAN LABS IN TIMES OF CONFLICT AND POST-TRUTH - A conversation with Mona Fawaz & Nausheen Anwar
In this month’s feature, Beth and Tom are joined by Professors Nausheen Anwar and Mona Fawaz, Directors of the Karachi Urban Lab and Beirut Urban Lab respectively. This feature is a live recording of an in-person event on Urban Research Labs in Times of Conflict and Post-Truth, recorded in July as part of the Sheffield Urbanism Summer Programme. This was an ‘in conversation’ event during which Tom
9: URBAN POLITICS OF TRUTH AND WEALTH (+ AI data centres, +extreme heat and more)
In this episode we are joined by Dr Katie Pruszynski and Professor Rowland Atkinson to explore how political and wealth elites are reshaping cities from New York to London and beyond. We dive into Zohran Mamdani's journey to becoming the Democratic Party's nominee for Mayor of New York City (25:10) and the pros and cons of increasing tax on the super-rich (47:26), through an urban politi
8: CYBORG RIGHTS & THE CITY? A conversation on tech & urbanism with Simon Marvin & Allan McCay
In this month's special feature, Tom and Beth are joined by Simon Marvin and Allan McCay to discuss how advances in neurotechnology - specifically Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) - are changing the way we think about urban infrastructures and human-technology relations in the city. We discuss: How can we understand the complex and continuously changing relationship between cities and techno
7: HOUSING SAFETY, TRANS RIGHTS & THE CITY (+ Bunkers, AI protest & more)
In this month’s episode, we are joined by Jenny Preece to dive into the issue of building safety in the context of the recent anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire (22:33). Next, we consider trans rights in the context of Pride month and the impact of the UK’s recent Supreme Court ruling (38:40).Also on our radar: Bunkers and new forms of subterranean exclusionUrban festivals Touristification and
6: POWERING THE NORTH - A conversation with Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram
In this first stand-alone feature, Tom and Beth introduce an uncut conversation with Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram - the Mayors of Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region in the North of England, recorded at Sheffield's Festival of Debate.The conversation was chaired by Beth at the Octagon Theatre, and focussed on Andy and Steve's 10-point plan for a fairer, more equal Britain
5: POWER & THE POPE (+ Gaza urbicide, gambling cities & more)
In this month’s Radar, we dive into the issue of community power - the energy kind! - with Dr Jayne Carrick (22:28), before discussing how a new pope (or an AI confession box!) will alter relations between religion, faith and the city with Dr Krzysztof Nawratek (35:26). On our urban radar (02:41) we also consider: The UK government’s Immigration White Paper and the ‘local impacts’ of international
4: BATS, BUILDINGS & BIG IDEAS (+ local action on water, + the urban impacts of tariff wars, and more...)
In this month's bumper episode we are joined by Malcolm Tait, Kiera Chapman and Hugh Ellis for a feature (45:13) on the UK government's planning reforms, how we can save nature and whether we need more utopian thinking to engage citizens in planning for sustainable communities. With Liz Sharp and Antonio Navas, Tom and Beth also dive into the local impacts of the UK's water crisis (
3: CITIES & AUTHORITARIANISM (+ addressing urban air pollution, + cities and the UK asylum crisis, and more)
This month’s special feature focuses on the rise of authoritarianism in cities (34:48). What are the strategies and tactics that authoritarian regimes might use to control their capital cities? Beth and Tom are joined by David Jackman to discuss the insights provided in his edited book with Tom, as well as a discussion of urban political dynamics in Bangladesh - the subject of David's other
2: MANCHESTER'S DEVELOPMENT MODEL (+ German elections, + UK local government reform, and more)
In this month's feature (21:09), Tom & Beth turn their attention to Manchester’s model of property-led development. As the UK government pins hopes on enabling greater private sector investment to boost economic growth, can the 'Manchester model' deliver the expected outcomes? They are joined by Adam Leaver and Richard Goulding to discuss their new report, co-authored with Jon S
1: CITIES & CLIMATE CHANGE (+ human rights for mountains, + foreign aid cuts and more)
On this month's Urban Radar, Beth & Tom zoom in on:Why recognising the rights of a New Zealand mountain is an urban issue Conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and its impacts on the city of GomaHow cutting US international development funding will impact cities Whether ‘more-than-schools’ can offer community level responses to the crisis in young people and children’s mental h
Urban Radar: Trailer
In this trailer, we set out the background to Urban Radar, the format of the show and the main questions that we will explore. Urban Radar is a podcast series which reflects on current events and emerging trends through the lens of cities and urban life. It is brought to you by Sheffield Urbanism, a community of urban researchers in the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Sheffield, UK.
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