Hardly any cities-related university programme gained so much attention over the last 15 years as the 4CITIES Masters in Urban Studies. For good reason. Over the two years, the students study at six universities in four different cities: Brussels, Vienna, Copenhagen and Madrid – with many many occasional visits to other cities in between. 4CITIES is located at the intersection of academia, activism, professional practice and urban exploration.

I had the privilege of being part of the second cohort of 4CITIES from 2009 to 2011… and it was a life-changing experience for me. With the 4CITIES programme coming to an end in September 2025, it was a good moment in time to sit down with two people who have been part of making 4CITIES possible since the beginning:

Yvonne Franz, Senior Lecturer from the University of Vienna and Stefan de Corte, administrative coordinator at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels.

Whether are one of hundreds 4CITIES alumni from around the world, involved in teaching and setting up urban-related programmes at your university or just want to find out why madness plays an important role in setting up such a programme, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

· Why a Eurocentric perspective on urban studies is not enough

· How the 4CITIES Master in Urban Studies changed the system from within

· Why a comprehensive set of skill between disciplines is needed applying urban knowledge(s)

· How the 4CITIES Master in Urban Studies shaped careers of former students but also of staff and teachers

· How moving to (at least) four cities within 2 years teaches invaluable life lessons

More information:

- Follow Cities Reimagined on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citiesreimagined/

- https://www.4cities.eu

- Yvonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-yvonne-8449913a/

- Send Johannes an email: johannes@anthropocene.city

Photos by Daniel Dutkowski (Yvonne) and Hadrien Durei (Stefan).

Have you ever wondered how to give nature a voice in urban development? The City of Mechelen in Belgium does exactly that while reimagining the connection between water, public spaces, animals, plants and people. In these two episodes of the Cities Reimagined Podcast we zoom in to reshape your understanding of how the interests of more-than-human inhabitants can be taken up in urban transformation projects. This is part one out of two exploring the work done by the WATSUPS project. Click here for part one where we look at the background of the City of Mechelen’s ambition to reconnect to the water.

In this episode:

· Why a river should be understood as an actor/stakeholder in urban transformation

· How empathy towards nature is essential for co-creating urban biodiversity

· How to organise a citizen panel that ensures that the voices of nature are heard in urban transformation projects

· How taking into account the voices of nature requires empathy, knowledge and “mildness”

· How Mechelen’s Citizen Assembly developed over 120 recommendations for enhancing nature along the river Dijle

More and more cities are reimagining their connection to their rivers, ponds and other water bodies. Whereas historically, cities have turned their back to the water as it was used primarily for economic purposes, in the 21st century, this perception has significantly shifted: Water in cities is a source of livability and sustainability.

The City of Mechelen has been taking a groundbreaking approach to reconnect its inhabitants (humans, animals and plants) to the water. As part of the “Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces” (in short: WATSUPS - funded by the European Urban Initiative and running from 2024 to 2027) Mechelen is going to radically reshape the face of the city along the River Dijle while ensuring everyone has access to the water while making the more-than-human perspective a leading principle of the transformation. WATSUPS demonstrates how the spirit and principles of the New European Bauhaus can be translated into local, innovative actions.

Listen in to the two Cities Reimagined episodes where we explore how Mechelen is giving back the river Dijle to all inhabitants: human and more-than-human.

More information and materials mentioned in the podcast:

· European Urban Initiative: https://www.urban-initiative.eu

· Portico - The Gateway to Urban Learning: https://portico.urban-initiative.eu

· WATSUPS - Article: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together: Reimagining Mechelen’s Relationship with Water, Biodiversity in Urban Public Space while Tackling Gentrification

Water as the Source of Urban Public Space

Have you ever wondered how to give nature a voice in urban development? The City of Mechelen in Belgium does exactly that while reimagining the connection between water, public spaces, animals, plants and people. In two episodes of the Cities Reimagined Podcast we zoom in to reshape your understanding of how the interests of more-than-human inhabitants can be taken up in urban transformation projects. This is part one out of two exploring the work done by the WATSUPS project. Click here for part two (coming soon) where we talk about the voices of nature and the experiences of the citizen panel in WATSUPS.

More and more cities are reimagining their connection to their rivers, ponds and other water bodies. Whereas historically, cities have turned their back to the water as it was used primarily for economic purposes, in the 21st century, this perception has significantly shifted: Water in cities is a source of livability and sustainability.

The City of Mechelen has been taking a groundbreaking approach to reconnect its inhabitants (humans, animals and plants) to the water. As part of the “Water as the Source of Urban Public Spaces” (in short: WATSUPS - funded by the European Urban Initiative and running from 2024 to 2027) Mechelen is going to radically reshape the face of the city along the River Dijle while ensuring everyone has access to the water while making the more-than-human perspective a leading principle of the transformation. WATSUPS demonstrates how the spirit and principles of the New European Bauhaus can be translated into local, innovative actions.

Listen in to the two Cities Reimagined episodes where we explore how Mechelen is giving back the River Dijle to all inhabitants: human and more-than-human.

In this episode

· How the City of Mechelen is giving back the River Dijle to its inhabitants...

· How public administration needs to seek compromises between interests...

· Why being a civil servant is the most difficult job there is...

· How including artists in co-creation/participation processes might lead to a cultural shift...

· How fun and a positive energy are key to innovation...

More information and materials mentioned in the podcast:

· European Urban Initiative: https://www.urban-initiative.eu/

· Portico - The Gateway to Urban Learning: https://portico.urban-initiative.eu

· WATSUPS - Article: Beautiful, Sustainable, Together: Reimagining Mechelen’s Relationship with Water, Biodiversity in Urban Public Space while Tackling Gentrification