Tired of being asked what professional box I fit into - an architect or a planner, an economist or a social entrepreneur, a researcher, policymaker or an activist - I've come up with a new title: urban therapist. What's all that about then?I work with cities. Cities which are brave enough to admit they have problems, wise enough to see they can learn from others and smart enough to know they must be the authors of most of the solutions. First I ask questions. Difficult ones - or some so simple no-one else thought to ask them. I bring the cold insight of the outside eye and the challenge of the experienced practitioner. But also the enthusiasm, empathy and practical support of a critical friend, because I care - I really care. The things I cares about most are how, from the conditions of greatest adversity, cities can find the energy to re-invent themselves. And I cares about how we can not only tolerate each other in all our diversity, but co-operate and create a new kind of society. I care, ultimately, about how cities can embrace, not fear, the inevitability of change.Author of the book The Intercultural City: Planning for Diversity Advantage, my main interest lies in how cities can come to terms with their growing heterogeneity and connectedness – to see it as a creative opportunity not a threat. Through years of trying out what works and what doesn’t in cities, I have put together a set of tools and methods to aid cities. but I also go deeper too, to tackle the mindsets that determine whether a city will thrive or falter.I don't do tenders, bids, procurement or anything like that. Me and the people I work with just sort of find each other. It seems to work.I work in challenging places on beguiling problems with interesting people finding solutions that generally surprise both them and me. I can't believe my luck.Specialties: I specialise in being non-specialist. I swim the clear waters between overcrowded professional islands. Hopefully constructing a few ferries and bridges.