What will the cities of the future feel like? Will they be cooler, more resilient, more human, or simply bigger, faster, and hotter? According to ETH alumna Estefanía Tapias, no one has the answer. And that uncertainty is exactly what makes cities so fascinating.

In the latest episode of the We Are ETH podcast, host Susan Kish sits down with Estefanía, an architect, urban scientist, and Head of Smart & Digital for WSP in the Middle East, to explore her journey from Colombia to Zurich to Dubai and to understand how she is helping shape the cities of tomorrow in some of the world’s most extreme climates.

From Medellín to Zurich to Dubai: A Journey Shaped by Curiosity

Estefanía’s story began far from the desert skylines she works with today. Growing up in Colombia, she dreamed of becoming an artist. Architecture came next, followed by technology, data, and ultimately cities themselves.

“I’ve always been curious about cities,” she says. “How they evolve in 5, 10, 20 years… no one knows where we will be.”

That curiosity eventually brought her to ETH Zurich, where she completed her PhD under renowned professor Gerhard Schmitt at the Future Cities Laboratory. This pioneering hub blended urban science, technology, climate research, and design long before “smart cities” became a buzzword.

“For me, ETH was the perfect combination,” she recalls. “A visionary professor, a cutting-edge laboratory, and a city, Zurich, that I fell in love with at first sight.”

Those six months for her Master’s thesis turned into eight years. Zurich shaped not just her research but her life as well: “I ended up marrying a Swiss person. My daughter is Swiss. Everything came together very nicely.”

Why Dubai? A Laboratory for Big Ideas

Today, Estefanía works in Dubai, which she describes as similar to what Singapore felt like 15 years ago: a place buzzing with ambition, experimentation, and large-scale technological investment.

“There’s a momentum here,” she explains. “You see it in day-to-day life. They’re pushing innovation everywhere. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but that is simply part of building the future.”

She also points to Saudi Arabia, where entire cities are currently being built from scratch, something that no other region in the modern world is attempting at a comparable scale.

“In my lifetime, I will only have this opportunity once,” she says. “You learn from all the cities that came before, meaning what worked and what did not, and you apply it to a place being built from zero.”

Some projects succeed quietly. Others, such as The Line, have faced challenges. But even the difficult experiments matter.

“They pushed technology forward,” she says. “If it weren’t for these ambitious projects, the software and systems we use for city-building would not have advanced as quickly.”

When Heat Becomes the Challenge and the Teacher

Estefanía’s PhD focused on urban climate and sustainability long before she ever experienced what 45°C heat really feels like. “When I arrived in Dubai, the heat was unbearable. I thought: I cannot do this,” she laughs. “By my second summer, I realised I had adapted.”

Her research helped her recognise something essential:

Cities must adapt as well.

Extreme heat now shapes how cities must be designed, influencing shading, materials, energy systems, and public spaces. Traditional Gulf urbanism provides valuable clues, and technology offers new tools, yet people ultimately remain at the center.

“We need buildings that work with the environment instead of working against it through endless air conditioning,” she says. “There is so much opportunity to rethink how cities respond to heat.”

Why ETH? Vision, People, and a City That “Grew Organically”

When asked why she chose ETH Zurich for her PhD, Estefanía answers without hesitation: “It was the person I would work with, and it was also the city.”

Professor Schmitt’s vision shaped her academically. Zurich shaped her personally and professionally.

“It is modern but not too modern. It is technological but still full of culture. It is clean, safe, close to nature, and still very much a city,” she reflects. “It grew organically. It is still my favourite city in the world.”

Her perfect Zurich moment?

“A coffee by the lake, looking at the mountains full of snow.”

Advice to Young Urbanists: Move Where Cities are Moving

For students who dream of shaping cities, she offers the same advice she once received: “Go where things are happening. Don’t stay comfortable. Live in the places that are changing fast and learn from them.”

Her own path reflects that philosophy, moving from Turin to Zurich to Singapore and eventually to Dubai.

“It is easy to criticise from far away,” she says. “I wanted to come here, experience it, and solve problems instead of just pointing at them.”

Looking Ahead: The Future No One Can Predict

When asked what she is most curious about today, Estefanía lights up: “Future cities. How they evolve. How systems change. I wish I had a machine that took me 10 years forward and then brought me back.”

Until such a machine exists, she is helping build that future herself.

This article is based on We Are ETH, the podcast highlighting ETH Zurich alumni who are shaping science, industry, and society around the world. Listen to the full episode on your favourite platform.

As the summer season is underway, it is the perfect time to slow down, rewind, reflect, and grab the opportunity to read some inspiring stories that showcase how science, innovation, and passion are shaping a better world. At ETH Zurich, sustainability is more than a buzzword, it is a commitment that drives research, education, and action across disciplines.

In this summer reading list, we bring you five interesting stories from the Development & Sustainability section of the ETH Ambassadors Blog. These contributions spotlight how members of the ETH community are engaging with real-world challenges, from climate justice to clean energy, circular construction to future cities and even career reinvention.

Here’s your curated selection of thought-provoking, inspiring and interesting reads for sunny days at your cozy balcony, at the lake, at a beach, or while enjoying the panorama somewhere in the mountains:

1. From “Never Build” to “New Beginnings”

By Dimitri Durst

Can discarded railway tracks become a foundation for sustainable construction? ETH alumnus Dimitri Durst thought so and proved it. This story follows his journey of turning high-quality scrap into an architectural statement of environmental innovation.

Read more…

2. Bridging Climate Justice and Urban Policies

By Dr. Fernando Túlio Salva Rocha Franco

From São Paulo to Berkeley, this reflection reveals how cross-continental research collaborations are addressing climate inequality through data-driven urban solutions. A powerful exploration of the intersection between social justice and climate science.

Read more…

3. CERAWeek 2025: Navigating the Energy Landscape in an Era of Change

By Ayca Duran, Fiona Kriwan, and Giacomo Mastroddi

Three ETH students offer their insights from CERAWeek, the world’s leading energy conference in Houston, Texas. Their report captures how the global energy conversation is shifting in response to climate challenges and technological breakthroughs.

Read more…

4. Envisioning Cities Yet to Come

By Dr. Julio Paulos & Joanna Sleigh

What will the cities of tomorrow look like? As ETH Zurich’s Future Cities Laboratory enters its fourth phase (FCL IV), this piece explores how researchers are imagining and building future-positive urban environments rooted in equity, sustainability, and design innovation.

Read more…

5. Unexpected Journeys: My Path from Flight Attendant to Environmental Scientist

By Bettina Hänny

In this personal and inspiring narrative, Bettina Hänny shares how she transitioned from a career in aviation to environmental science and how ETH Zurich played a transformative role in reshaping her life and professional purpose.

Read more…

Science with Purpose

Each of these stories reflects ETH Zurich’s commitment to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through education, research, and global collaboration. Whether you are relaxing by the lake or planning your next academic adventure, let these articles inspire you to think differently about development, sustainability, and the role we each play in building a better future.

To find out more about ETH Zurich’s sustainability work, visit https://ethz.ch/en/the-eth-zurich/sustainability.html

Happy reading!