Talking Place
Welcome to Talking Place
The podcast that brings placemakers and storytellers together to talk about what makes a good place.
The Talking Place podcast is your go-to podcast for exploring the power of storytelling in shaping narratives and identities for neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and nations.
Join your host, Concept Culture’s Creative Director Tanisha Raffiuddin, as she talks with experts across the built environment, sharing their knowledge and stories on placemaking, branding, sustainability, language, finance, health, culture, and more.
Whether you are an investor, developer, urban designer, architect, planner, marketeer, or simply curious about places and stories, this podcast is for you.
Listen to our latest episodes of Talking Place and join the conversation on social media!
Follow us on:
Instagram: @talkingplacepodcast
LinkedIn: Talking Place Podcast
Bluesky @talkingplace
TikTok: @talkingplacepodcast
Web: www.conceptculture.co
Host: Tanisha Raffiuddin
Produced by: Concept Culture
Episodes
28 episodes
E26: Can We Design Out Danger? Spatial Justice, Safety & the Politics of Public Space with Deborah Saunt
What does it mean to design a city that's truly just? And can we actually design out danger?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin sits down with Deborah Saunt, founding director of award-winning London practice...
E25: Future of Cities - Power, Politics & Density with Patrik Schumacher
Patrick Schumacher, Principal of Zaha Hadid Architects, joins Talking Place for a conversation that challenges some of the most settled assumptions in contemporary placemaking and urban design.From the claim that inclusiveness und...
Talking Place Season 3 Trailer
Season 3 Trailer — Talking PlaceThe conversations cities need. The ones the industry keeps avoiding.Season 3 of Talking Place is coming — and it's the most urgent series yet. From the economics of viability to the politics ...
024 - Why Retrofit Is the UK’s Most Urgent Climate and Housing Challenge with Anna Moore
Retrofit is often framed as a technical challenge — but what if it’s actually about people, pride and place?In this episode, Anna Moore, founder of Domna, joins Talking Place to unpack why upgrading the homes we already live in is essent...
.png)
023 - The role of cultural districts in our cities with Gregorio Scarpella
What role does culture play in shaping our cities, and how can collaboration across borders help places thrive?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin talks place with Gregorio Scarpella, Director of t...
.png)
022 - The Impact of A Good Home with Ruth Skidmore
How do homes shape our health, happiness, and sense of belonging, and what does it take to design places where everyone can truly thrive?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin talks place with Ruth Skidmore, Social Imp...
.png)
021 - Why real estate is broken and how to fix it with Ben Cross
How do we fix a broken real estate system built on short-term returns?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin ‘talks place’ with Ben Cross, Founder of MORE, a purpose-led real estate and development company rethinking h...
020 - Reimagining Public Practice with John Stiles
How can Local Authorities create places people truly belong to, and what does public placeshaping look like in action?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin ‘talks place’ with John Stiles, Placemaking Manager a...
.png)
019 - Designing Cities That Last: Masterplanning The Future with Bob Allies (Part 2)
What makes a city truly work, and how do we design places that endure the test of time?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin ‘talks place’ with Bob Allies, Partner at Allies and Morrison, whose work has shaped some o...
019 - Designing Cities That Last: Masterplanning The Future with Bob Allies (Part 1)
What makes a city truly work, and how do we design places that endure the test of time?In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin ‘talks place’ with Bob Allies, Partner at Allies and Morrison, whose work has shaped some o...
018 - Architecture That Travels: From Expos to Olympics with ES Global
What if buildings didn’t just get demolished, but were moved, reused, and reborn?In this episode of Talking Place, Tanisha Raffiuddin ‘talks place’ with Olly Watts (Joint CEO) and Amy Casterton (Business Develo...
.png)
017 - Reimagining Earls Court: Culture, Creativity and Community with Tom Branton
What does it mean to reimagine a place as complex and stories as Earls Court?In this episode of Talking Place, Tanisha Raffiuddin speaks with Tom Branton, Development Director at the Earls Court Development Company, about the am...
016 - Designing people-friendly places with Hilary Satchwell
What makes a place truly people-friendly?In this episode of Talking Place, Tanisha Raffiuddin speaks with Hilary Satchwell - Director at Tibbalds and the Mayor of London’s Town Architect for Angel Edmonton - about designing inclusive ci...
.jpg)
015 - Place Literacy - unlocking the value of a shared language to empower people and places with Devorah Block
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin is joined by Devorah Block, founder of the Place Literacy Project, to explore why ‘place’ sits at the nexusof today’s polycrisis,and how a shared language could unlo...
014 - Culture as A Catalyst: The Role of Cultural Placemaking in Urban Development with George Kekatos from Futurecity
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin is joined by George Kekatos, Cultural Director at Futurecity, to explore the role of culture in shaping cities, from policy to placemaking.Together, they unpack how cultu...
013 - From Constraints to Creativity - the Joy of Delivering Retrofit with Orbit Architects
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin sits down with Philip Atkinson and Llinos Hughes from Orbit Architects to explore the real-world impact (and joy!) of transforming existing buildings.Together, they explo...
012 - Festival of Place 2025: Radical Hope and Practical Imagination
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin heads to the Festival of Place 2025, live from Boxpark Wembley, to uncover the bold ideas, honest reflections, and emerging practices shaping the future of placemaking.Framed arou...
011 - Co-Design in Action — from Town Centres to Industrial Masterplans
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin is joined by not one, but two incredible guests, Rumi Bose, urban designer and place shaping consultant , and Palak Jhunjhunwala, architect and co-founder of Beyond Design. Together they...
010 - Creating Health Equity in the Built Environment - with Clare Delmar
In this episode of Talking Place, Clare —urban health campaigner, housing expert, and founder of Listen 2 Locals—joins host Tanisha Raffiuddin to explore the powerful connection between public health and the places we design, ...
009 - What we learnt from SXSW London about the future of place — Special Episode
In this special solo episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin, Creative Director of Concept Culture, shares her reflections from the inaugural SXSW London 2025—a bold and buzzing fusion of tech, culture, design, and storytelling.
.jpg)
008 - ‘REiiFlections’ from UKREiiF - Special Episode
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin heads to UKREiiF 2025 in Leeds to hear directly from the voices shaping the future of our built environment.Framed around one powerful question—“What does the place of the future loo...
007 - Celebrating 20 years of the London Festival of Architecture - with Rosa Rogina
In this episode of Talking Place, Rosa Rogina, Director of the London Festival of Architecture (LFA), joins host Tanisha Raffiuddin to explore the evolving role of city wide architecture festivals in shaping inclusive, responsive, and people-ce...
006 Wandsworth's journey as London Borough of Culture 2025 - with Cllr Kemi Akinola
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin sits down with Cllr. Kemi Akinola, the Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council, to explore how culture, placemaking, and community-led leadership are shaping the future of one of London’s mo...
005 The business case for people-first placemaking - with Frances Heeney
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin sits down with Frances Heeney, Director of Product Development at Principal Asset Management, to explore how finance, sustainability, and placemaking intersect to shape the future of our...
004 Building Inclusion in places - with Marsha Ramroop
In this episode of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin sits down with Marsha Ramroop, an inclusion strategist and author of the groundbreaking book ‘Building Inclusion’, to explore the critical intersections of place, diversity, and the huma...
.png)