Episode 14: Prof. Greg Clark (Advisor to 400+ Cities) — Cracking the DNA of Great Cities

Why does one city feel instantly recognizable while another could be almost anywhere? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Professor Greg Clark — advisor to more than 400 cities across six continents, author, and co-host of The DNA of Cities — to explore what gives places their identity and why the most successful cities of the future may not be the ones that grow fastest, but the ones that become more fully themselves. Together, they unpack the idea of a city’s DNA — the combination of inherited geography, historical choices, culture, institutions, and new adaptations that shape how places evolve. The conversation moves from global competition to local belonging, asking a bigger question: How do we build cities people can actually imagine staying in? In this episode:The DNA of a city: endowed, inherited, and acquired traitsWhy global sameness is the great risk to citiesTurin and the cities that defy their reputationBuilding a belonging index: social capital and the social contractAffordability vs. global competitiveness and the case for 50% affordable housingClimate, AI, and the just transition