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PODCAST

Cities 1.5

University of Toronto Press

Cities 1.5 is a podcast featuring progressive policy conversations with urban leaders taking action to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees. Hosted by David Miller and developed by University of Toronto Press, this podcast serves as a platform to discuss the most pressing policy and underlying economic issues facing cities in their effort to lead on transformational climate action. The podcast is an extension of the Journal of City Climate Policy and Economy (https://jccpe.utpjournals.press), which

science earth sciences

All Episodes

1:57

TRAILER: Oh, Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/09/29

Climate change can feel frightening and uncertain - so much so, in fact, that sometimes hope can feel like an act of denial. But hope isn’t denial: it’s a recognition that we still have choices. In our new Cities 1.5 limited miniseries, Oh, Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis, we’re speaking to Canadians from coast, to coast, to coast, who are turning those choices into action. Featuring voices from politics, academia, activism, and municipal leadership - including Leader of Canada’s NDP...

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16:31

Be Hope: Cities 1.5 presents a special preview of Oh,...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/09/22

What if there are reasons to hope for a more resilient climate future in your own backyard - right here in Canada? Well, that’s exactly the question we’re asking in our new miniseries, Oh, Canada: Solutions for the Climate Crisis. At Cities 1.5, we’re proud to join forces with voices around the world for the 2026 #BeHope Podcast Takeover. We’re coming together to prove that even in challenging times, hope remains a real force for progress - and we can all be part of it. This special pre...

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20:53

HOT TAKE: "A Captain never leaves his ship."

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/08/20

When the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, local leaders found themselves thrust onto the frontlines of both military defense and environmental catastrophe. Coupled with untold amounts of human suffering, the war has inflicted deep environmental scars - from the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam to the corrosion of municipal water pipes - which many Ukrainian officials refer to as "ecocide." Yet, amidst daily bombardment, energy blackouts, and severed water su...

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29:30

HOT TAKE: Urban Legends - Sorting City Climate Facts...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/08/06

As the climate crisis accelerates, our information ecosystem has become a critical battleground. Coordinated climate disinformation - driven by fossil fuel interests - is increasingly targeting cities and urban leaders to stall transformative policy and manufacture public doubt. In this special Hot Takes episode recorded on the ground at London Climate Action Week, host David Miller examines how cities are actively defending information integrity and reclaiming the narrative. We look at why p...

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23:41

HOT TAKE: Can Cities Clean Up the Cloud?

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/07/23

As the AI boom drives an unprecedented rush for computing power, cities face a critical question: how do we support digital expansion, without derailing net-zero climate goals? Left unregulated, data centers can consume staggering amounts of energy and water, threaten to destabilise power grids, strain local resources, and alienate communities. But it doesn’t have to be like this: city leaders are stepping up to demand both climate-friendly solutions and accountability for big tech. In this H...

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36:53

The Shipping Forecast: Climate Edition

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/05/19

The winds of change are blowing through the world’s maritime hubs…despite some national governments’ efforts to the contrary. While the shipping industry carries 90% of global trade, it also leaves a heavy carbon trail in its wake. In this episode of Cities 1.5, we explore the high-stakes transformation of our global ports: once seen as industrial hotspots of pollution, these urban harbours are emerging as the front lines of the green transition. We dive into the groundbreaking "Green Shippin...

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32:58

Creating ecosystems of climate truth: How can cities...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/05/05

From fossil fuel lobbying to coordinated political disinformation campaigns, vested interests have built a profitable disinformation infrastructure designed to spread confusion, polarize debate, and exhaust the public. The good news is that the world is waking up. For the first time in the history of the COP, a Declaration on Information Integrity was agreed upon, with governments committing to address climate disinformation and promote accurate, evidence-based information globally. But we ne...

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31:58

The Cloud vs the Climate? Lessons from Ireland on the...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/04/21

As our lives become increasingly digital, the infrastructure powering them is sparking a global debate: we need data centres, but at what cost to the climate and our access to energy? These massive facilities are the backbone of everything from streaming to AI, yet they consume staggering amounts of electricity and water, often straining local grids and and in some cases, threatening to derail decarbonisation efforts. In this episode of Cities 1.5, we explore how Ireland became the "canary in...

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19:50

One day, millions of journeys: Celebrating World...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/04/16

Ready for a ride? In this episode, we’re celebrating the inaugural World Public Transport Day, created by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), along with its global partners, and we explore why public transport is the beating heart of our cities. From the "rolling focus groups" on Melbourne’s iconic trams to the colorful jeepneys of the Philippines, we share personal stories of connection from urban centres across the globe. But it’s not just about the journey: we d...

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31:23

The Hidden Infrastructure of Urban Resilience

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/04/07

Cities aren’t just structures. They’re people. In the rapidly urbanising cities of the global majority, many of those people are migrant workers. They often work informally, with limited protection when shocks hit. At the same time, they are vital to propping up and rebuilding cities after climate disasters. In this week’s Cities 1.5 podcast episode, host David Miller speaks to Ritwika Basu, an environmental social scientist and urbanist who researches this invisible labour in small and...

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32:08

A Tale of Two Cities: A New Chapter

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/03/24

In this episode of Cities 1.5, we bring you another "Tale of Two Cities" - but this time, David sits down with two pioneering mayors from opposite ends of the globe. Despite their vastly different histories, both Athens are Melbourne are inspiring and leading the way through the climate crisis, and mitigating its impacts.We explore Athens is embracing progressive economics and tackling energy poverty, and how Melbourne is transforming and greening urban spaces and trailblazing renewable energ...

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26:15

Lead like a girl - In conversation with Catherine...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/03/10

What links the Paris Agreement, Barbie and Arnold Schwarzenegger? The answer is this week’s guest on Cities 1.5! As a key architect of the Paris Agreement, Catherine McKenna - Canada’s former Minister for Climate Change and the Environment - reflects on why cities are now the true engines of delivery. There’s also a powerful exploration of Catherine’s new memoir, Run Like a Girl, and a firsthand account of why we cannot solve the climate crisis while leaving half the world’s population out of...

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27:58

Whose Streets? Our Streets: Curbing Fossil Fuel...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/02/24

In a world where climate emergencies are being declared daily, why do so many of our city streets and public transport networks have misleading ads for the very industries driving the crisis? Our conversation with two C40 experts reveals how the fossil fuel industry mirrors old tobacco industry tactics using sophisticated techniques to "greenwash" their image and frame essential health protections as attacks on free speech. Tune in to learn how cities reclaiming the narratives in our transit ...

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18:40

HOT TAKE: The Kids are alright - Youth take the Mic...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/02/19

Hot Take: the climate crisis isn’t some abstract data point or a dry policy debate, it’s a deeply human story of survival. Right now, a whole generation is growing up inside the emergency, doing the heavy lifting to fix a mess they didn't create. In this episode, we’re ditching the script to bring you the raw, human heartbeat of the movement and amplifying the voices that stole the show at the World Mayor’s Summit in Rio. Through a powerful spoken word piece, youth climate leaders from London...

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31:01

Tales from the Belly of the Beast: An ExxonMobil...

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/02/10

What would you risk to tell the truth, if the institution you served was one of the most powerful corporations on Earth? Early scientific warnings about global heating have long stood in tension with corporate narratives shaping public understanding. This episode examines the enduring disinformation created and disseminated by the fossil fuel industry: how it evolves, why it persists, and what it means for the pace of climate action. Through the perspective of a former insider at ExxonMobil, ...

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30:54

Mayoral Deep Dive: US cities as climate first responders

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/01/27

Across the United States, cities are acting as climate first responders - carrying climate action forward even as national politics grow more hostile. From clean energy and buildings to transport, land use and resilience to extreme weather events, mayors are proving that climate leadership does not depend on federal permission. It grows from proximity: to people, to impacts, and to the places leaders are entrusted to protect. Cities are stepping in to safeguard neighbourhoods, rivers, urban e...

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31:08

Economics and the City

Cities 1.5 ·

2026/01/13

In times of profound geopolitical turbulence - wars, trade shocks, energy insecurity, and climate breakdown - something unexpected is happening: while autocratic leaders double down on fossil fuels and climate denial, cities are stepping into the breach to create a different story. One of hope, resilience, and innovation. Like wildflowers pushing through concrete, cities around the world are experimenting with new economic models that challenge the old orthodoxy of endless growth. They're tur...

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2:48

TRAILER: Cities Won't Wait

Cities 1.5 ·

2025/12/23

As geopolitical power shifts, cities are rising to lead this urban century while nations cling to outdated systems. Season 6 of Cities 1.5 explores how mayors and urban leaders from around the world are turning uncertainty into opportunity, building regenerative futures with hope-filled narratives that counter disinformation and inspire action. Join us from January 13, 2026, as we explore the urban transformation the world cannot wait for, ranging from tackling disinformation, decarbonising i...

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1:43

TEASER: Season 6 of Cities 1.5 is coming soon!

Cities 1.5 ·

2025/12/16

In the face of the accelerating climate crisis, rising authoritarianism, and geopolitical shifts, national governments are faltering…but cities are stepping into the void and taking the lead. Season 6 of Cities 1.5 will delve into how municipal-level actions and powerful coalitions are creating a carbon-free future, promoting resilience, and enabling a new economic system based on wellbeing over profit. We’ll explore how cities are countering disinformation, fear, and inertia by spearh...

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9:54

HOT TAKE: It’s Grand Ol’ Bargain, Alright (for...

Cities 1.5 ·

2025/12/11

Welcome to Cities 1.5 Hot Takes: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis. Hot Takes brings you fast, focused coverage on breaking news and underserved stories at the intersection of climate, economics and public health - all through an urban lens. This first-ever edition of Hot Takes is about a major move in Canada’s energy future…and what it means for climate, cities, and the promises made to hold fossil fuel giants accountable. As Canadian cities race toward net zero, the...

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