Introducing Cities in Mind
Cities, technology, innovation and the people behind them
“When you want to know how things really work, study them when they're coming apart.”
― William Gibson, Zero History
👋🏻 Hello! My name is Fabien and I am an urbanist, hailing from France and based in Singapore.
My decade of experience in the field of urban development, collaborating with various organisations (Greater Paris Authority, ETH Zürich, CNRS, Egis Group, World Bank Group), taught me a lot about social and technological changes happening in cities.
I have explored different methods, at the intersection of Public Policy, Urban Governance, Systems Thinking, Theory of Change and Participatory Action Research, to unpack urban innovation, understand it and act on it.
🌏 I have lived in Singapore since 2015 and, from Southeast Asia, I have witnessed the rapid rise of new urban trends and technological solutions, as well as new approaches, legislations and policies to respond to them.
📱 Super apps, 🚗 autonomous vehicles, 🌾 vertical urban farms, 🏙 co-living, 🧑💻 co-working, ☀️ climatic urban design, 👯 digital urban twins, 👉 social nudges, 🤳 social media, 🤖 artificial intelligence.. There is a profusion of new concepts, solutions, technologies, models, who will transform our cityscapes. Only few of these innovations actually started in Asia but it’s in this part of the world that they will leave their deepest mark.
In our troubled times, I believe we are all in dire need of fresh and new ideas and I am convinced we must keep observing our fast-changing present to grasp the contours of our urban future.
💡 That’s why I am launching Cities in Mind. Simply because there has never been a better time to share inspiring stories about cities, technology, innovation and the people behind them.
Together we will embark on a journey and explore the novel approaches and solutions that are transforming our urban environments, all that through an Asian lens.
Every city’s attitude to innovation is a product of history, politics and local culture and together we will unpack and distill the lessons learned behind successful urban experiments. Along the way, we will meet with the new generation of city shapers that supports social changes, fosters resilience and incubates solutions to our global challenges.
If you subscribe to this newsletter, here is what you will gain:
📝 Regular articles and analyses about emerging urban trends, with an Asian angle
🧐 Fresh perspectives at the intersection of urban design, planning, technology and policy
🎤 Cool podcast episodes with inspiring city change-makers (also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify)
📚 Book reviews, curated links and references that will save you precious reading time
💡 New ideas and take-aways to bring back and experiment in your local context
🏙 Are you convinced? Then, join me at Cities in Mind!
Sign up now so you don’t miss the first issue.
