Arthur Kay: Advisor to organisations making cities better places to live

Arthur Kay believes the future of cities depends on rethinking our relationship with mobility, urban design and the hidden systems that shape everyday life.

In this episode, Arthur Kay, entrepreneur, urbanist, Professor of Practice at University College London, and co-author of Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars, explains why the car has become one of the most influential forces shaping our cities and why understanding its true social, economic and environmental costs is essential for creating healthier, more prosperous places.

The conversation explores how mobility influences freedom, quality of life, real estate development and long-term urban resilience. Arthur discusses the philosophy behind his new book, the hidden costs of car dependency, designing cities around people rather than vehicles, the importance of transport choice, density, site selection and why developers should think beyond the red-line boundary when creating future-ready places. The discussion also examines new towns, planning policy, accessibility, the future of urban mobility and how systems thinking can help shape better cities for future generations.

Throughout the episode, Arthur shares practical insights into creating more resilient, people-focused cities through better design, mobility and systems thinking.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Arthur's career journey and lifelong mission to make cities better places

08:00 - Why cities, not countries, drive human progress and innovation

11:10 - The inspiration behind Roadkill and uncovering the hidden costs of cars

16:45 - Freedom, the psychology of car ownership and challenging conventional assumptions

23:40 - What great urban mobility looks like and why transport choice matters

31:10 - Mobility, accessibility and creating genuine alternatives to car dependency

35:30 - Urban design strategies to improve mobility and quality of life

37:55 - Why site selection matters more than sustainable building materials

42:20 - Planning policy, density and building better cities instead of urban sprawl

47:30 - The Network of Care framework and systems thinking for real estate

55:00 - Richard Rogers, influential books and ideas shaping the future of cities

About Arthur Kay:

Arthur Kay is an entrepreneur, urbanist, Professor of Practice at the Institute for Global Prosperity at University College London, and co-author of Roadkill: Unveiling the True Cost of Our Toxic Relationship with Cars.

Originally trained as an architect, Arthur has founded and scaled multiple businesses focused on urban innovation, including Skyroom, while also serving on the boards of Transport for London, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Museum of the Home.

His work brings together urban design, mobility, systems thinking and public policy to help create healthier, more prosperous and future-ready cities.

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