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 publishes timely, evidence-based research that contributes to the urban climate agenda and supports governmental policy towards an equitable and resilient world. Join Editor-in-Chief and host David Miller as he speaks with mayors, city policymakers, economists, youth leaders, and scholars, among others, who are implementing and fighting for ambitious, near-term climate action.
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As geopolitical power shifts, cities are rising to lead this urban century while nations cling to outdated systems.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...
TEASER: Season 6 of Cities 1.5 is coming soon! (00:01:43)
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...
HOT TAKE: It’s Grand Ol’ Bargain, Alright (for Canada’s fossil-fuel companies) (00:09:54)
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...
Inside the C40 World Mayors Summit: The battle for cities, truth, and a fossil-free future at COP30 and beyond (00:59:22)
In the first episode of our two-part World Mayors Summit special, we heard from mayors around the world about the power of convenings like the Summit to unite city leaders and spark collaboration. In this second episode, we explore what that collaboration looks like in practice, from new approaches to urban planning and the challenge of energy-hungry data centres, to fossil-free trucks and greener and cleaner shipping routes. We also explore the outcomes for cities that came out of COP30 with...
Inside the C40 World Mayors Summit: Cities throw down the gauntlet (00:50:06)
In this first instalment of our two-part special from the C40 World Mayors Summit, Cities 1.5 takes you inside the flagship gathering of the world’s most ambitious urban climate leaders. We hear directly from mayors as they unveil this year’s Offer of Action – a unified commitment that raises the stakes for urban climate leadership and pointedly challenges national governments to match their ambition with action of their own, all on the eve of COP30. We also speak with leading climate e...
TRAILER: Join us at the C40 World Mayors Summit (00:01:45)
Cities 1.5 is back with a special two-part series focused on the C40 World Mayor's Summit in Rio de Janeiro, convening just ahead of the upcoming COP30 in Brazil. City mayors are continuing to play a critical role in combating climate change as they implement substantial climate policies and actions amidst the inaction of national governments. Tune in to hear behind-the-scenes discussions with funders, policymakers, and mayors who are committed to cutting emissions, creating green jobs, and s...
Going Steady with Herman Daly: 'The seeds Herman planted' (01:11:09)
We’re joining podcasts around the world in tandem with the 80th United Nations General Assembly, to ask a vital question: where do we find hope in challenging times? We explore how cities are implementing Herman Daly’s revolutionary economic theories. Featured in this episode: Karen Daly Junker, Herman and Marcia’s youngest daughter Terri Daly Stewart, Herman and Marcia’s eldest daughter Denis Daly Heyck, Herman’s sister David Batker, Ecological economist Katherine Trebeck, Political economis...
Going Steady with Herman Daly: ‘¡No pasarán’/ É Proibido Proibir’ (01:03:02)
We follow Herman Daly into one of the last places you’d expect to find a rebel economist: the World Bank. We will hear how the academic work of Herman’s sister, Denis Daly Heyck, impacted on his worldview. We’ll also see how this fused with Herman’s own experiences teaching in Brazil, and the building of pan-American ecological and human rights movements to fuel him to advocate for policy and philosophical changes at the Bank - culminating in his famous farewell speech. Featured in this...
Going Steady with Herman Daly: ‘For the common good’ (01:00:32)
We rejoin Herman Daly in the late 1970s - a tumultuous time for our renegade economist. Partnering with theologian John Cobb Jr., Daly began to rebuild economics from the ground up, reframing it around values, community, and the planet that sustains us. Woven through this intellectual journey are stories of faith, family, and friendship that helped Daly persevere. We hear how he sparked a global community of scholars and inspired whole new movements, ranging from wellbeing and reg...
Going Steady with Herman Daly: ‘The canary has fallen silent’ (00:59:31)
We follow Herman from the lecture halls of Louisiana to the forests of Brazil – and through a period of global upheaval and personal transformation. Herman was profoundly shaped by the realities of inequality and ecological fragility in the Global South. These experiences helped crystallize his vision of a steady-state economy; one that operates within the planet’s ecological limits and prioritizes human wellbeing and ecological boundaries over endless growth. With reflections from his family...
Going Steady with Herman Daly: ‘There are limits to everything’ (00:56:00)
Herman Daly was a founding father of ecological economics: more than half a century ago, he warned that the pursuit of endless economic growth was driving ecological collapse and harming society, as well as harming society - and came up with a plan to unbreak our economy. Dismissed by mainstream economists, pushed out of the World Bank, and even targeted by menacing, anonymous threats, Daly paid a high price for challenging our unsustainable global system. But now, as climate breakdown ...
TRAILER: Going Steady with Herman Daly: How to Unbreak the Economy (and the Planet) (00:02:01)
Is it time to retire the concept of growth as the sole measure of prosperity? This summer, join host David Miller for a special miniseries dedicated to Herman Daly, an economist who transformed how we think about growth. Featuring never heard before interviews with Daly himself alongside experts, scholars, and Herman’s nearest and dearest, this is a story you won’t want to miss! The first episode of Going Steady with Herman Daly debuts on August 19th, 2025. We can’t wait for you to hear it! I...
TEASER - Going Steady: Happy Birthday, Herman Daly (00:01:14)
Herman Daly would have turned 87 years old on July 21st, 2025. While he is no longer with us, his ideas have lived on - shaping an economic future that we haven’t yet achieved, but is steadily becoming the most probable way forward in the face of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and ecological and economic decimation. But who exactly was Herman Daly? Why was his work scorned by the World Bank? And how can his plan for world economics save the planet? Featuring economists Gaya Herr...
Knowledge is Power (00:59:27)
For hundreds of years, people have been pondering the power of information. In this past season of Cities 1.5, we’ve seen examples of cities from around the world who are using data and the lived experiences of their inhabitants to create policies that support healthier lives for people and planet: from Freetown, Sierra Leone, to Tokyo, Japan, to Princeton, Canada. But while history - and our own conversations on this podcast - prove that knowledge is powerful…it isn’t always easy to come by....
Brick by Brick: Cities and the future of clean construction (00:57:07)
The building and construction sector is responsible for a mind-boggling 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The kinds of construction materials we use - and the building sector generally - are also responsible for almost a third of global resource consumption. Shifting to cleaner methods of construction is the only way to minimize the damage we are causing to the planet, while still providing homes, workplaces and vital infrastructure for all. Featured guests: Henrique Goes, Clean Constru...
Why we need to adopt a Care Economy (00:46:33)
Capitalism is an illness: it’s killing our planet, and by extension, us. Economic instability and environmental concerns are symptoms that can only be cured by redefining prosperity in terms of health and wellbeing, so that we can create sustainable, equitable societies. In his new book, The Care Economy, returning guest Tim Jackson dives into historical and systemic reasons behind our current economic challenges and shares personal experiences that highlight the importance of systemic change...
Resilient cities (and how to build them) (00:57:02)
Cities around the world are on the frontlines of climate disaster. In Lisbon, Portugal, unprecedented flooding has required the construction of significant climate resilience projects like the city's drainage master plan. In the global south, cities like Ahmedabad, India are getting hotter and hotter…and the women who live in this region are disproportionately impacted physically and financially by heat wave events. But as we can see through the shining examples of both these urban centres, b...
Out of the frying planet and into the fire: Stories from the frontlines of climate-driven migration (00:58:36)
As global temperatures and sea-levels rise, so to does the frequency of climate-driven migration. The search for a safe, healthy, and prosperous place to live has been a feature of humanity since time immemorial...but an increasingly polarized and toxic global discourse sees migrants being increasingly demonized, which makes it hard to have much-needed conversations around the issue. For many migrants of the climate crisis, cities are the end destination, which means that our urban centres ne...
Cities as Urban Laboratories: Time to re-think what prosperity really means? (00:58:00)
As the world enters yet another period of unprecedented political and environmental tumult, it is becoming even more clear that our current economic system based on the primacy of profit over the health and wellbeing of people and planet is failing. Throughout history, cities have always been at the forefront of new ways of thinking, and are urban laboratories to test and pilot new concepts. The same holds true today: the degrowth strand of economics, along with policies that focus on healthy...
The Fate of the Inflation Reduction Act in the Second Era of Trump (00:33:57)
The United States of America’s second withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord under the Trump administration has enormous implications for both international and local climate efforts - and the Inflation Reduction Act is also potentially under threat. If the IRA is even partially repealed, it would be a huge step backwards in the fight against the climate crisis. But all is not lost - engaged individuals and organizations are striving to ensure the it stays and place, and more broadly, citie...
Risky business: How disinformation fanned the flames of the LA wildfires...and why insurance could help mitigate future climate impacts (00:59:04)
Risk is an integral part of the human experience…but risk also needs to be managed if we are to live safe, healthy and happy lives. The recent wildfires in Los Angeles were a tragic reminder of the risks that the climate crisis poses to health, homes, habitats, and the lives of human beings. But the risks posed by extreme weather events are also multi-faceted: disinformation in the wake of hurricanes and wildfires can lead to chaos, with online hate transforming into real-life violence. The i...
Dark Machines: AI, Climate Action, and the Future of Our Cities (00:43:44)
We live in the age of technology…in the blink of an eye, the Internet and social media have created new opportunities, jobs, and possibilities for connection. But they have also fuelled polarization, persecution, and real-world violence. Artificial intelligence, or AI, promises to turbocharge this revolution. But many questions remain unanswered by the advocates of these new technologies. Can we afford to let AI use infinite amounts of energy? Is it possible to create planetary responsible AI...
Economic Power, Urban Change: Women who are leading the way forward (00:54:50)
In times of uncertainty, leadership is key...but so is vision. As the climate crisis deepens, and people across the world are facing economic hardship and experiencing the increasing impacts of the climate crisis, mapping out an alternative to neoliberal economics, inequality and unmitigated climate breakdown has never been more vital. In our season opener, we speak to two women who are doing just that. Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown is using an innovative, inclusive and data-driven app...
TRAILER - Cities 1.5: It’s Time to Speak Truth to Power (00:02:23)
The world is standing on the brink…the deepening impacts of the climate crisis, rising inequality and increasing levels of economic turmoil are affecting us all. But we now face a new threat: a powerful network of autocrats, billionaires. and demagogues and fossil fuel industry leaders has emerged. This climate crisis denying coalition is weaponising disinformation and manipulating societal distress and uncertainty in a bid to steer us into the arms of far-right populism and...
How to protect people and planetary health: Lessons from the Peruvian Andes and New Orleans (01:04:38)
In this final episode of Season 4 of Cities 1.5, David has conversations with two formidable and inspiring women who are fighting to protect the health of people and the planet from Lima, Peru and New Orleans, USA. As the impacts of the climate crisis hit harder and more frequently, the effects this has on human health also multiply. It is key that urban areas plan and adapt to meet the growing challenges of temperature rise, food insecurity, migration, and more. Of course, extreme weather ev...
