According to Vanity Fair, “the Proust Questionnaire has its origins in a parlor game popularized (though not devised) by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.” Inspired by the Proust Questionnaire, we have put together a set of 32 questions designed to reveal the true nature of 4CITIES alumni. Or to at least give us some insight into what they are up to and what makes them, as students of “the urban”, tick.
1. What is your name?
Stephen Kent.
2. Which 4CITIES cohort were you a part of?
Cohort 09 (2016-2018).
3. Where and when were you born?
Ottawa, Canada, in 1986.
4. Where did you grow up?
Ottawa.
5. What did you study before 4CITIES?
Business and journalism.
6. Why did you join 4CITIES?
Interest in urban sustainability issues and desire to live abroad.
7. What is your fondest memory from 4CITIES?
The first semester in Brussels stands out for me because we had 35 people all getting to know each other and adjusting to 4Cities life: navigating a new setting, group projects, excursions, etc.
8. What was the most important thing you learned from 4CITIES?
In general to think more critically about whose interests are being served by urban projects. I come from a place where the predominate mindset is that the city should cater to private investors. But what is the net benefit of their projects for society at large?
9. What (if anything) have you studied since 4CITIES?
I’m back at a desk job 🙂
10. Where do you live now?
Vienna, Austria.
11. Where else would you like to live?
Eventually I’ll move back to Western Canada.
12. Which city have you never visited but would most like to?
Cape Town.
13. Where is your favorite non-urban place to be?
Log cabin in the middle of the Canadian Rockies.
14. What kind of work are you currently doing?
Communications/public relations for an international organization affiliated with the UN.
15. What other work have you done since graduating?
None.
16. What job would you most like to attempt?
I’d like to be semi-retired and write non-fiction.
17. What urban-related job does not exist but should?
Maybe this exists already, but some sort of anti-AI advocate/consultant who will work to protect people’s jobs.
18. What about cities do you enjoy the most?
The proximity to people. It’s convenient and entertaining.
19. What about cities do you enjoy the least?
Noise.
20. What about cities do you find most interesting?
How different they are. There are just so many layers to peel back to try to understand why a city looks a certain way or why the people there behave a certain way.
21. What about cities do you think is over-emphasized or over-hyped?
Physical structures.
22. What about cities do you think is under-appreciated?
How easy it is for people to access nature.
23. Why do you think urban studies is important?
Because how we design and manage cities shapes the quality of life of ~80% of the global population.
24. What is one myth about cities that you would like to bust?
That urban expansion is a sign of progress.
25. If you could time travel, what city and year would you visit?
Venice, 1955. Fewer tourists.
26. What is your favorite imaginary city (from books, movies, etc.)?
Had to look this up, but the main city in Wakanda: Birnin Zana.
27. What would you like real cities to learn or take from this imaginary city?
In harmony with nature.
28. What books, authors, or films would you recommend to someone who wants to better understand “the urban”?
Happy City by Charles Montgomery is what really got me interested in urban issues.
29. What changes would make cities more livable?
Greener, integrated transport, affordable public services and housing.
30. What are the most important changes cities must make in response to the sustainability crisis?
Electrify as much as possible (transport, heating, industrial systems) and incentivize people to be energy efficient.
31. If you could change one thing about your city, what would it be?
Vienna is pretty perfect. But I think it’s been slow to adjust to globalization, which means international food options are lacking.
32. What question have I not asked that you would like to ask other 4CITIES alumni?
If you could meet one urban researcher/practitioner, dead or alive, who would it be?
You can find Stephen on LinkedIn.
