How come our modern cities have become so hostile to humans, so ugly, car-oriented and grey? What is the solution to these problems - how can we return to a more human, beautiful and liveable city? In this podcast, host Ruben Hanssen interviews experts in the fields of architecture, urban planning and urban design to find out how we can improve our cities, our architecture and our streets, in order to create more friendly and beautiful places. The clock is ticking; valuable land is wasted on dreary developments while many beautiful, picturesque urban environments are at risk of being jarred forever by ugly buildings that don't belong there. There are better ways to build; let's explore how!
#61 - Alexander Rotmensz: Seeking Truth & Beauty in Architecture & Urban Design
Alexander Rotmensz is an urbanist YouTuber with over 40,000 subscribers and millions of views, known for advocating classical architecture and traditional urban design while documenting the devastating legacy of mid-20th century urban renewal on American cities. He launched his channel about three years ago while studying at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and holds a bachelor's degree in Film & Media. He is now pursuing law school, with plans to move beyond the camera and into direct action, whether as a lawyer or real estate developer, in the fight to restore beauty to American cities.
Follow Alexander's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@alexanderrotmensz
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29 May 2026
#60 - Branko Mitrovic: The Classical Architecture Education Renaissance in Trondheim
In today's episode, professor Branko Mitrovic tells us about the battle to teach classical architecture at NTNU in Trondheim, Norway. Here, one student prompted Branko to start teaching Classical architecture, which started a movement in the university, a study association. Might this be the beginning of a return of the Classical curriculum at architecture schools?
Branko Mitrović is a professor of architectural history and theory at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. He has been involved in the classical movement since the late 1980s. Professor Mitrović has PhDs both in Architecture and Philosophy and has been a recipient of research fellowships from the Harvard University, Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Humboldt Foundation, the National Gallery (Washington DC) and the Clark Art Institute. He is the author of eleven books and has received the Humboldt Research Award for his work in architectural history.
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18 Feb 2026
#59 - Michael Diamant, part III: Why Tradition Is Progressive
Michael Diamant is the founder and a leading voice of the global "New Traditional Architecture" movement. His background is in urban sociology, but he sparked the "Architecture Uprising": an international campaign to replace monotonous modernist buildings with beautiful, human-centered, and sustainable design.
He has successfully shifted architectural discourse in his native Sweden and is a frequent speaker at leading institutions like the University of Notre Dame and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and his work has been featured in mainstream media like Bloomberg CityLab and Swedish magazine Kvartal, where he has been called "the Swedish John Ruskin."
Visit his website https://newtrad.org
Follow him on X: https://x.com/michael_diamant
Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiamant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diamant.10
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For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/
Work with Ruben:
https://aestheticcity.consulting
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city
Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/
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Who has been a guest on The Aesthetic City
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Ruben Hanssen
Aaron Lubeck
Chuck Marohn
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
12,924,641
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
21 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
138 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 75 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
92
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