In this episode, Art Pearce, Deputy Director of Planning, Projects and Programs at the Bureau of Transportation for the City of Portland, shares how a city’s internal culture can either hinder or propel urban transformation. Drawing from nearly three decades of public service, he discusses Portland’s deep-rooted legacy in sustainable transport and land use, and the strategic shift to viewing civic evolution through a change management lens. Art delves into co-creation, bureaucracy’s emotional “pizza dough,” and how psychological readiness shapes infrastructure success. The conversation spans curb management, equity, and rekindling confidence in public systems through intentional, people-centred design. Episode Overview: [00:01:49] Teaser: “Portland would be proudly a confusing pizza…” [00:03:04] Guest background: from housing advocacy to transport planning. [00:04:52] Housing and transport: interdependencies and equity. [00:07:10] Portland’s values-driven, process-heavy urban approach. [00:10:44] Defining change management for cities. [00:13:44] Change vs. transition: structural vs. psychological shift. [00:16:34] Lessons from Vision Zero and NYC’s public space evolution. [00:19:36] Co-creation examples: tactical urbanism and logistics decarbonisation. [00:23:07] Bureaucracy as pizza dough: internal cultural alignment. [00:26:26] Avoiding consensus paralysis while sustaining inclusion. [00:30:06] Curb management: a dynamic space for innovation. [00:32:45] Innovation checklist: why cities resist solutions without clear problems. [00:37:37] Challenges post-2019: mental health, homelessness, funding gaps. [00:41:07] Missing tool: sustainable funding models beyond gas taxes. [00:42:54] Empowering public sector staff for agency and impact. [00:46:46] Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?” Like our show? Remember to subscribe and rate it! Want to join us for an episode? Fill out the form on our Podcast Page. And for more insights, visit our BABLE Smart Cities Knowledge Hub