How much does your environment shape your life, and what can city-makers do to make our lives better?

Michael Stott has spent over 25 years crafting narratives for cities around the world, considering how they can be made better for the people who inhabit them. As Head of Cities and Places, Masterplanning & Urban Design at DBI, one of Australia’s foremost multidisciplinary design practices, he’s at the forefront of Brisbane’s evolution as a global city in time for the 2032 Olympics.

Stott grew up in the picturesque Vancouver seaside communities of White Rock and West Vancouver, and he credits his childhood exploring the vast landscapes of his home country with setting the tone for his life. And his fascination with balancing the scale of small and big when it comes to shaping cities.

He credits his journey from art into linguistics, architecture, design and finally planning with his interest in understanding the pattern language of cities and how they speak to us.

Listen in as Vince and Michael discuss; how embracing local culture can help you feel at home, the influence of legendary architect Lord Richard Rogers and the UK’s Urban Renaissance and why Istanbul is one of his favourite cities in the world.

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