Vertical City

Stephen Turner is the President of Stephen Turner Inc., a building commissioning company based in Providence, Rhode Island. With over 35 years of experience in the field, he brings us insights from the inception of building commissioning as a practice right up to the front lines of the industry today. In this interview, we discuss the basics of building commissioning, why commissioning is important to green building, and the future of scale and sustainability — is the answer to build...

Lei Yi’an is a professor at Peking University in Beijing and the author of Next Revolution. In this new book, he argues that humanity’s next step is to build 3D cities — a concept very similar to our vertical city model. In this interview, we discuss why dedicated human habitats are important, the similarities and differences between Yi’an’s 3D city and Vertical City’s model, and the feasibility of creating such a city in the near future. Read full show notes and more at...

Richard Potestio is a Portland Oregon-based architect and the founding principal of Potestio Studio. In his work, Rick advocates for dense, mixed-use development centered around commons. In this interview, we discuss Portland’s strategies for addressing its housing crisis, the obsolescence of current zoning practices, and Rick’s ideas for how to tackle these issues. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/26-richard-potestio. Vertical City is building a foundation for a...

Kierán Suckling is Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit membership organization with over one million members and supporters. The Center is known for their no nonsense approach to protecting endangered species through science, law and creative media. In this interview, Kierán discusses the strategies that have contributed to the successes of the organization, the main factors contributing to species decline today, why biodiversity is...

Gilbert Van Kerckhove has lived and worked in Beijing for over 30 years. An electrical engineer by trade, Gilbert has worked closely with the Chinese government on a wide range of projects including power plants, urban metro lines, and telecommunication systems. He was also deeply involved in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In this interview, we discuss Gilbert’s history working in Beijing, the pace of change in China, and the social and environmental challenges the country faces moving...

Sonja Trauss is the head of the San Francisco Bay Area Renters’ Federation (SFBARF), which promotes the development of market rate housing and looks to find ways to combat San Francisco’s housing crisis. In this interview, we chat about local zoning laws and their effect on the crisis, why density is important, and what inclusionary housing means. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/23-sonja-trauss. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban...

After retiring early from Microsoft and traveling the world, Narendra Varma became interested in permaculture design and biodynamic agriculture. He moved to Portland Oregon in 2010 and purchased a fifty acre farm in order to found OurTable. OurTable produces local food from the community by blending science and wisdom form the past. In this episode, we discuss biodynamic agriculture, the problems with the modern industrial food system, and how locally produced food can elevate the world’s...

In this episode, Lennon chats with three members of the architecture firm Gluck+, a firm that specializes in architect led design build. We talk about the meaning and advantages of the design build process, the history of architecture and construction, and how vertical cities might benefit from the design build process. Our guests are Peter Gluck, Thomas Gluck, and Charlie Kaplan. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/21-gluckplus. Vertical City is building a...

Hong Gang is the Chairman of Greatview Packing, and an advocate for building a vertical city in China. In this episode, we talk about how politics shapes urban forms, the advantages and efficiencies of vertical cities, and why density is a good thing. Lynn King joins us as co-host for this episode. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/20-hong-gang. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban future. If you enjoyed this podcast, or you would like...

Lynn King lives in Shanghai where this interview takes place. In Shanghai, Lynn is helping to spark an ecologically-sourced local food movement. In this interview, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of local food and how they might play into the creation of vertical cities, and how we might promote thriving cultures within a vertical city. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/19-lynn-king. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban...

Brad Nemeth is the Vice President of Sustainability for Thyssenkrup Americas, a company that develops many technologies including elevator materials and technology. With a core background in engineering, technology, and sustainability, he is on the podcast today to chat about MULTI, the breakthrough elevator system that Thyssenkrup has developed. The MULTI is destined to change the way we construct our buildings and our cities in the future. Read full show notes and more at...

Kellogg Wong grew up in segregated Mississippi, served as a commander in the military, and then worked for many years as an architect with the renowned I. M. Pei. He partnered with Ken King to create the Vertical City book and project, and in this episode he discusses the changing field of architecture and how vertical cities would function. He argues for the need to change the American dream to make the world a more sustainable place, and the environmental issues that we must face to save...

Craig Leon is the Founder of Future History Films, the production company that created the Vertical City film. In this interview, Craig talks about how and why they made the film, what he learned about sustainability while making it, and the future for the film. Lennon and Craig also discuss the key elements that should be included in a Vertical City. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/16-craig-leon. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban...

Ned Daugherty is the Founder and CEO of H2O Futures, an environmental consulting firm that designs and develops biomimicry focused water systems. He has lived and worked all over the world, and joins us today on the podcast to talk about different ways to create fresh water and salt water systems, how a salt water farm works, and the future of water security. We’ll discuss how all of this might be integrated into the vertical city concept as well. Read full show notes and more at...

Mark Lakeman is the cofounder of the City Repair project and the Village Building Convergence, both place-making organizations based in Portland, Oregon. In this interview, we discuss what place-making is and why it is important, how it relates to vertical cities, the Roman Grid vs geomorphic city design, and much more. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/14-mark-lakeman. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban future. If you enjoyed this...

Rhonda Phillips is the Dean of the Honors College at Purdue University. She studies the professional and educational trends toward more interdisciplinary natures, and how strong communities are formed. In this episode, we discuss how communities are built and strengthened and how community might be built in the first vertical city. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/13-rhonda-phillips. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban future. If you...

Scott Ceasar is our guest on the podcast this week. He is a founding member of the LEED building certification, and Senior VP and Director of Sustainable Design for Cosentini Associates. He sits down with Lennon Richardson to discuss the ever-evolving definition of sustainability, net zero and passive house concepts, LEED certification, and the prospect of the world’s first vertical city. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/12-scott-ceasar. Vertical City is building...

Tjerk Reijenga has been a proponent of sustainable living for over 30 years. He is a Dutch architect and designer who has lived and worked in China for many years, and he joins us on the podcast today to discuss the differences between practicing architecture in the West and in China. He also talks about the sustainability movement in China, how the first vertical city might be built, and more. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/11-tjerk-reijenga. Vertical City is...

In this episode, Lennon Richardson chats with professor and writer Lloyd Alter about why people need to market the environmental and sustainability movements in a new and different way. They chat about why transportation and our dependence on the car is one of the biggest problems facing North America today, and how vertical cities would help with green space and urban density issues. Listen in for a fascinating discussion about the history of city design in America and the future that...

Mark, Perry and Michelle of the Tiny House podcast sit down with Lennon to discuss the similarities between the Tiny House Movement and the Vertical City concept. Surprisingly, there are many. From environmental design concepts to affordable housing, both movements have something to learn from the other. Read full show notes and more at verticalcity.org/podcast/09-tiny-house. Vertical City is building a foundation for a sustainable urban future. If you enjoyed this podcast, or you would...