Transforming Cities: The Authentic Podcast

Season One of our podcast is now live! Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or Stitcher.

As more and more people move to cities each year, urban life as we know it is transforming. New schools of thought and innovations in design and technology are reshaping the way we build and use our urban environment.

Here at Authentic Form & Function we're inspired by the positive changes we're seeing. We wanted to speak with the people leading these changes, and getting the inside scoop on innovations in development, architecture, design, and planning, that are creating our next generation of cities.

Last year we began interviewing these people, and learning about the transformative projects they are working on. Our unique position gives us access to a broad spectrum of the industry, and, upon realizing that there’s nothing quite like this in the podcast space, we wanted to share these conversations with you.

Giving listeners the chance to hear from designers, architects, planners, developers, brokers and more, our Transforming Cities podcast gets you a behind-the-scenes glimpse at guests journeys, goals and motivations.

Throughout conversations we relate back to core projects for context, and provide an authentic look at how they think, dissect, understand, and execute their work.

Season One

Our first season of Transforming Cities is available now. We interviewed planners, designers, technologists, architects, and others who contribute to improving the urban experience. See the season one synopses and links to details below:

Episode 1 - Jon Hartman - Why we need to value people over profit

Speaking with Jon Hartman, owner at Wunder Werkz design studio based in Denver, Colorado, we discuss how changing tides in urban development shift priorities from profit to people. For the last 8 years, he's been working on public projects that leverage design, graphics, typography, art placements, and various finishes that influence how people interact with space.

Episode 2 - Anna Mackay - Variety (in teams) is the spice of life

Anna Mackay from Portland-based Guerrilla Development shares with us how her seemingly ‘rag-tag’ team collide industrious creativity to bring inspiration from their varied walks of life. For the last 5 years Anna has filled a number of roles at Guerrilla: from spearheading projects, to tackling marketing, to leading crowdfunding efforts. Hear Anna speak the work they're doing at Guerrilla and the unique way they view ROI on their projects.

Episode 3 - Emily Silverman - Smart cities can mean saving lives

Speaking with Emily Silverman, Program Manager at the Denver Smart City initiative we discuss how, after almost 6 years as a transportation planner with the City of Denver, she transitioned into her current role deploying Denver’s Smart City Program. We talk about the impact and use cases for technology in urban planning, and how careful considerations can save lives.

Episode 4 - Megan Torza - Adaptive reuse as a means to invigorate cities

Megan Torza, Architect and Partner at DTAH, tells us how she was influenced by a strong personal interest in adaptive reuse, eventually developing and implementing the Artscape Wychwood Barns and the Evergreen Brick Works. With two beloved, award-winning examples of creative adaptive reuse in Toronto under her belt, we discuss how to do right by abandoned industrial facilities.

Episode 5 - Julian Sleath - Public space as a means to connect people

Julian Sleath is CEO of The Bentway in Toronto and brings more than 35 years of leadership and experience to the project, which opened its first full phase to the public in 2018. We discuss The Bentway's role and impact in Toronto over the years.

Episode 6 - Jorgen Jensen - Keeping design a top priority

Partner at Denver-based Slate Real Estate Advisors, Jorgen Jensen talks about design's role in the real estate world, and how it should be nurtured. Slate is a creative real estate agency that specializes in the marketing and sales of unique well-designed properties and residential development projects in Denver.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

If you’d like to have your say on Transforming Cities, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at podcast@authentic.com.