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For the past few weeks we’ve been talking about the planned revitalisation of the downtown districts of Kuala Lumpur.  There's no point bringing new life, new businesses and a sense of renewed creativity and vigour to a neighbourhood unless its residents and those that use it feels safe.  With us today is Think City’s Aishwariya Krishna Kumar to discuss a forthcoming report from Think City titled ‘Understanding Women's Perception and Experience of Safety in Downtown Kuala Lumpur’. The report recognises the inherent inequality in Malaysia's public spaces where, too often, female perspectives and needs are not taken into account in either the historical or contemporary design and planning of urban space and infrastructure. It identifies the experiences and concerns of women who use these spaces aand provides recommendations with a solutions based approach, including design and programming interventions delivered from women's perspectives. Hosted by Matt Armitage Guest: Aishwariya Krishna Kumar, Senior Executive, Think CityProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode Resources: Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme Open Days: https://www.merdeka118.com/grants2021/  Downtown KL: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownKualaLumpur  Downtown KL Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303545807924841  Downtown KL Instagram: @Downtown_KL  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.my www.thinkcity.com.my

For the last few weeks we’ve been talking about downtown regeneration schemes and heritage assets. Think City’s Matt Benson touched on the issue of tech companies and smart cities initiatives; one of the hopes for Think City’s downtown KL grants project is to integrate more smart technologies and attract more tech-oriented companies to the district. And on our last show, REXKL’s Shin Tseng spoke about the integration of Big Data into REXKL in the form of a cashless hub, with the information to be pooled amongst all the stakeholders in the project.  Smart city projects and historic architecture are often seen as anathema to one another. But it needn’t be either-or when it comes to heritage and technology. This week we take a look at a newly installed 3D printed smart bridge in historic Amsterdam that is proving how smart design, smart construction and smart functionality can enrich and enhance heritage assets.  Hosted by Matt Armitage and Maya TanProduced by Matt Armitage for Think CityEpisode ResourcesMerdeka 118 Community Grants Programme: https://www.merdeka118.com/grants2021/ Downtown KL: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownKualaLumpur Downtown KL Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303545807924841 Downtown KL Instagram: @Downtown_KL For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been speaking about the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Cultural District and the blueprint for change it represents. We spoke to Think City’s Matt Benson about the genesis of the KLCCD as well as PNB President and Group CEO Zulqarnain Onn about the recently launched Merdeka 118 Community Grants Programme. This week we thought it would be interesting to talk to someone whose life is tied to the downtown district, in that he both lives and works there. We last spoke to Shin Tseng, one of the co-founders of the iconic retail, arts and community hub, REXKL, late last year where he outlined some of the challenges that REXKL and its vendors and tenants had faced over the first year of the pandemic. We caught up with him to talk crowdfunding, living in the downtown district during lockdown and how grassroots grants and finding could help to create sustainable, thriving neighbourhoods inside the city’s heritage core.  Hosted by Matt Armitage Guest: Shin Tseng, Co-founder REXKL and Creative Director, Urban Agenda Design Group Produced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesMerdeka 118 Community Grants Programme: https://www.merdeka118.com/grants2021/ Downtown KL: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownKualaLumpur Downtown KL Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303545807924841 Downtown KL Instagram: @Downtown_KL For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head towww.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Last week we announced the launch of a Community Grants Programme linked to the landmark Merdeka 118 development in KL Downtown’s district. The project is the first part to launch of a wide ranging initiative that Think City is spearheading, the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Cultural District. The KLCCD aims to revitalise the heritage core of KL through programmes that target business, community and infrastructure renewal projects. Today we will be speaking to Permodalan Nasional Berhad President and Group Chief Executive Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn about the Merdeka 118 development and the Community Grants Programme. Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn, President & Group Chief Executive, PNBProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesMerdeka 118: www.merdeka118.com Community Grants Programme: https://www.merdeka118.com/grants2021/ Downtown KL: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownKualaLumpur Downtown KL Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303545807924841 Building A New Creative And Cultural District For KL https://thecitymaker.com.my/building-a-new-creative-and-cultural-district-for-kl/ For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Saturday 27th June is the UN’s Micro, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (MSME) Day. Small businesses are the heart of any economy. That’s especially true in Southeast Asia, where millions of people rely on work in the informal employment, daily wage and micro enterprise sectors.  According to data provided by the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), MSMEs make up over 90% of all firms and account, on average, for 70% of total employment and 50% of GDP. And it is precisely those small businesses, especially those run by women and young entrepreneurs, that are being hardest hit by the economic fall-out of the pandemic.  Today we ask Peter Eckert, co-founder of design thinking and experience agency projekt202, to create a how to guide for micro-business operators to improve their customer experience and grow their business from home during the current lockdown in Malaysia.  Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Peter Eckert, Co-Founder, projekt202Produced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode Resourcesprojekt202: https://www.projekt202.com Downtown KL: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownKualaLumpur Downtown KL Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303545807924841  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Downtown. Sometimes all the noise and hurry masks underlying problems that you don’t notice when you’re listening to the music of the city. Kuala Lumpur’s heritage core has hollowed out over the past few decades, its transient population rising while its resident population falls. Over the next few weeks, Think City will be announcing details of a comprehensive restructuring and regeneration plan, complete with grants, to build a Downtown Creative and Cultural District in the heart of this vibrant city.  Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Dr. Matt Benson, Programme Director, Think CityProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesKLCCD New Generation Perspectives https://thinkcity.com.my/KLCCD/#page=1 Downtown KL: https://www.facebook.com/DowntownKualaLumpur Downtown KL Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/303545807924841 For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

This week we’re celebrating World Environment Day which took place on Saturday 05 June with the theme Reimagine. Recreate. Restore. WED 2021 marks the start at the UN decade on ecosystem restoration, which aims to revive billions of hectares of land use and promote ecosystem restoration. Not just as a way to promote biodiversity and species renewal but also as a tool to counteract climate change, to reverse the conditions that have allowed COVID-19 to proliferate and to enhance peoples livelihoods and standard of living. Of course, in Malaysia, we're back in lockdown, limiting our ability to effect change beyond our immediate environment. But, with imagination we can still make positive changes and reduce our environmental impact and our personal waste while we’re at home.  We speak to Zero Waste Malaysia, an NGO that focuses on practical skills to reduce that environmental impact, about the organisation’s work and some simple, practical steps we can all take to effect environmental change under lockdown.  Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuests: Sue Yee Khor and Jasreel Lim, Zero Waste MalaysiaProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesWorld Environment Day https://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-dayZero Waste Malaysia https://zerowastemalaysia.org Think City Brand Perception Survey: bit.ly/tcbr-survey  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Often, when we talk about building resilience we talk about the strategies and programmes that are being used to achieve those policy goals. This week we look at the Think City Institute (TCI) and its mission to create a new generation of placemaking experts who will help to reshape the towns, cities and communities they live in. We speak to Duncan Cave, the Lead at Think City Institute about how the pioneering educational tools and models that TCI is devising to create a new generation of urban impact makers. Old Cities New Challenges Webinar, 29 May: Register at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/379/wy7yyb3m Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Duncan Cave, Lead at Think City Institute Produced by Matt Armitage for Think CityEpisode ResourcesThink City Institute: https://thinkcityinstitute.org For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

This week the Reflexive City has the great pleasure of talking to a heritage conservation expert who has been instrumental in setting up the Think City Institute. A former UNESCO Regional Advisor for Culture for Asia and the Pacific, thought leader Dr Richard Engelhardt has been an adviser and consultant to Think City for the last 10 years.  We speak to him about his involvement with Think City’s policies and initiatives, and the creation of a new approach to heritage thinking and education. One that could create new models of development and economic prosperity for heritage centres and leave them less exposed to pandemics and the fluctuations of the global tourism market. Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuests:  Dr. Richard Engelhadt.Produced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesThink City Institute: https://thinkcityinstitute.org For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Selamat Hari Raya! A slightly longer episode for you to enjoy over the Raya break. A few weeks ago we marked the launch of the KISAH Futures anthology, a compilation of short stories submitted for the KISAH Futures competition that Think City launched in conjunction with UNDP Accelerator Labs, Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, MIGHT and Matahari Books. We marked that occasion with a live streamed event and discussion featuring our partners and the winners of the competition. And as we head towards June and the launch of a new grants-based renewal project, the Kuala Lumpur Creative Cultural District, we thought this would be a good time to preface the news of that programme with the discussion we had at the KISAH Futures launch about Futures Thinking. Futures Thinking is a system that uses divergent thinking to explore ideas and map the multiple potential answers that reflect the uncertainties of the future. It’s a methodology that allow us to respond to the world around us, to catalyse change, to build resilience and moving towards that goal of sustainable social, economic and ecological futures in our cities and the wider world.Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuests: Manon Bernier, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Darussalam.Dr Liz Alexander, Futurist, Author, Consultant, Speaker and senior associate at MIGHT. Dr Susan Philip, Associate Professor the Faculty of Arts & Science at University Malaya. Amir Muhammad, publisher and founder of Buku Fixi and its imprint Matahari BooksDuncan Cave, Lead for Think City Institute.Produced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode Resources Think City Institute: https://thinkcityinstitute.org Futures Thinking: Human Technology For A Volatile Present https://thecitymaker.com.my/futures-thinking-human-technology-for-a-volatile-present/ Beautiful Stories That Speak For Themselves https://thecitymaker.com.my/beautiful-stories-that-speak-for-themselves/Get your copy of the KISAH Futures Anthology: https://thinkcity.com.my/UNDPKisah/ UNDP in Malaysia: https://www.my.undp.org MIGHT: https://www.might.org.my UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: https://fass.um.edu.my For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head towww.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

This week we have the great pleasure of talking to Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Think City board member, and Managing Director of Yayasan Hasanah, the grant-making foundation dedicated to the growth of civil society and the creation of impact-based solutions that empower communities.  The Foundation works to encourage social inclusivity and eradicate child poverty, extending education and skills training to communities in need. It protects the treasure trove of natural resources that are Malaysia’s forests and its natural flora and fauna. And it celebrates the diverse arts and cultures that make up Malaysia’s unique cultural heritage.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Maya TanGuest: Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Managing Director, Yayasan HasanahProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesYayasan Hasanah: https://yayasanhasanah.org  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Today we talk to a homegrown citymaker, Qhawarizmi Norhisham of Qhawarizmi Architect (QWA), about his winning blueprint in the Penang Bay International Ideas Competition (PBIIC) and his vision to sustainablytransform Penang’s core urban areas into an integrated and resilient new economic zone. Mixing traditional and cutting edge development tools, Qhawa sees the potential to democratise land ownership with blockchain technologies, reduce congestion with drone delivery services while improving transport infrastructure, boosting the Bay’s eco-tourism credentials and restoring its seafront mangroves. And that's just for starters. The PBIIC is an initiative from the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), in partnership with the Penang State Government, Think City, Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) and Penang Island City Council (MBPP).  Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Qhawarizmi Norhisham, Qhawarizmi Architect (QWA)Produced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode Resources Penang Bay International Ideas Competition: https://penangbaycompetition.com.my QWA: https://qwaarchitect.wixsite.com/microsite QWA Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgNMgKbs_pKWQmuLImAlZzNGJL640FbiC  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

This week we are celebrating Earth Day, the annual global event that involves more than a billion people in almost 200 countries demonstrating their support for the planet and protection of the environment. This year the theme is Restore Our Earth, and as part of a week-long programme of activities, Think City Institute has partnered with Finds of Bukit Kiara, Habitat Penang Fashion Revolution to present a series of virtual workshops and talk and film screenings.  Maya brings us the latest developments on Selangor Kita untuk Kita (K2K), a Think City pilot programme in collaboration with Citi Foundation, to improve the quality of life for people living in PPR housing communities. We also have an interview with a zero-waste activist, Melissa Tan, who is also the acting country coordinator for Fashion Revolution, a global movement of fashion industry activists who are working to end human and environmental exploitation in the global fashion industry.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Maya TanGuest: Melissa Tan, Country Coordinator, Fashion Revolution MalaysiaProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesCiti Foundation: https://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/Think City’s Programme of Earth Day Events: https://thinkcityinstitute.org/earth-week-2021/Fashion Revolution Malaysia: https://www.facebook.com/FashionRevolutionMalaysia/ Fashion Revolution Global: https://www.fashionrevolution.org Earth Day: https://www.earthday.org  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Last week saw the launch of the KISAH Futures Anthology, a collection of the 50 winning short story entries in Think City’s storytelling competition in association with UNDP Accelerator Labs, MIGHT, UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Matahari Books. We also speak to the strategist, speaker and serial entrepreneur Mary Carty about the importance of storytelling for micro businesses and SMEs.  Hosted by Matt Armitage & Maya TanGuest: Mary Carty, Co-Founder, Awaken HubProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesGet your copy of the KISAH Futures Anthology: https://thinkcity.com.my/UNDPKisah/ UNDP in Malaysia: https://www.my.undp.org MIGHT: https://www.might.org.my UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences: https://fass.um.edu.myAwakenHub: https://www.awakenhub.com For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

This week we’re celebrating World Health Day 2021 and we couldn’t ignore the effect that the pandemic has had on mental health. That mental toll, brought about by economic, social and physical pressures, is something that Think City is working hard to alleviate though its interventions and programmes like K2K Aktif Bersama. We speak to Shaleen Chrisanne, a clinical psychologist based in Selangor, about communities at risk, the issues they face, as well as simple steps we can all take to rebuild relationships as we move into this near post-pandemic phase. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Maya TanGuest: Shaleen Chrisanne, Clinical PsychologistProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesK2K Aktif Bersama: https://www.facebook.com/k2kaktifbersamaShaleen Chrisanne on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaleenxanne  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

On today’s show we look at an innovative and pioneering programme from Think City, in association with Citi Foundation, designed to build healthy communities and improve the physical, mental and social wellbeing of residents in public housing across Malaysia. K2K Aktif Bersama follows successful initiatives like K2K Idol that looking for ways to assist communities under stress. Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Uta Dietrich, Social Resilience & Urban Health Lead, Think CityProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode Resources K2K Bersama: https://www.facebook.com/k2kaktifbersamaCiti Foundation: https://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

AwakenHub is a resource hub and community in Ireland, whose mission is to foster and support women entrepreneurs in Ireland and create a more vibrant start-up culture. The site hosts online events, workshops and mentoring sessions where women founders can network and share their experiences. This week, The Citymaker speaks to one of its co-founders, the strategist, speaker and serial entrepreneur Mary Carty, about the hub, the wider issues that women face when starting businesses, and some of the ways that similar models could be used to develop information and experience sharing communities for women founders in Malaysia.  Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Mary Carty, Co-Founder, Awaken HubProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode Resources AwakenHub: https://www.awakenhub.com  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Continuing our coverage of inspiring women, this week we speak to Dr Ceelia Leong, the author of a new data visualisation report by Think City that illustrates the effects of climate change and the emergence of heat island effects in many Malaysian cities. It’s part of a deliberate process of democratizing data to make it easier to assist communities in adapting to extreme climate events. Hosted by Matt Armitage & Maya TanGuest: Dr Ceelia Leong, Data Analytics Lead, Think CityProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesLand Surface Temperature Visualizations https://thinkcity.com.my/urban-analytics/  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to:  www.thecitymaker.com.my www.thinkcity.com.my

This week we celebrate International Women’s Day with an exclusive interview with Suryani Senja Alias, an inspiring entrepreneur, arts advocate and gallerist. A former lawyer and investment banker, Suryani is the founder of Cult, a Kuala Lumpur-based art gallery championing the work of new artists. Her heritage-inspired online lifestyle brand, Senijari, is helping to reshape the way we think about artisanal crafts and their role in contemporary design. And did we mention that Suryani, in her role as a member of our Board of Directors, is a driving creative force at Think City!Hosted by Matt Armitage & Maya TanGuest: Suryani Senja Alias, Gallerist, Entrepreneur & Think City Board MemberProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesCult Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/cultgallery/ For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my

Last week we talked to Aishwariya Krishna Kumar about Think City’s role in establishing NGOhub’s Homeless Services Registry. This week we speak to Joel Goh, a senior Analyst at Think City, about the growing role of realtime and near-realtime data in helping to shape urban policies and strategies and to provide instant feedback to make those policies more reflexive and adaptable. Hosted by Matt ArmitageGuest: Joel Goh, Senior Analyst, Think CityProduced by Matt Armitage for Think City Episode ResourcesMalaysia Business Community Pulse Check Report: https://bit.ly/3oNQyiL Careers at Think City: www.thinkcity.com.my/careers  For more information about this podcast and the cities we live in, head to: www.thecitymaker.com.mywww.thinkcity.com.my