In this episode, we’re joined by Marwan Aboudib, partner at Tekuma (Tekuma Urban Design), to talk through what it really takes to build cities for the future. Drawing from his work across global markets, Marwan shares how city-making actually happens when vision meets economics, policy, and real-world constraints.

The conversation moves past the usual smart city and quantum city hype and into the harder questions: what makes a city productive, why so many large-scale urban projects stall, and how technology fits in without becoming the main character.

We explore the intersection of urban design, governance, culture, and economics, and why cities only work when these pieces are aligned.

We talk about:

• Marwan’s background and how growing up in Dubai shaped his perspective on cities
• The early days of Tekuma, the challenges of building the firm, and the moment that pushed it onto the global stage
• What “productive cities” really mean and why cities need to create more than they consume
• The real challenges of urban development. From governance and ROI to moving beyond renderings
• Why the future of cities is less about building from scratch and more about retrofitting what already exists
• Community, culture, and why many megacities struggle to feel human
• Boston’s AI talent drain, Miami’s rise, and how lifestyle and branding influence where people build
• The role technology should play in cities and where it often goes wrong
• Greenland, freedom cities, and what happens when big tech ambition meets real people and real places

Thanks to Marwan for coming on the show and spending the time with us. His perspective, his honesty about what actually works in cities, and the way he connects people, culture, and technology made this a great conversation.