Many things influence the way we experience the urban environment - the history of the place, certainly its form, others who share the space with us, even the sounds and smells.

Our guests this week are shaping urban environments in their own special ways. Rick Kimbler and Kathleen Norris are remaking a history-laden neighborhood in downtown Cincinnati called Over-the-Rhine and bringing new life to its streets with shops, restaurants and new residents. Rick is a partner in NorthPointe Group, a primary developer in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Kathleen is principal with her own firm, Kathleen Norris & Associates.

Mark Shepard, an architect teaching architecture and media study at the University at Buffalo, is exploring the impact of sound - specifically, collaborative sounds - on the way we experience cities. Mark's work draws on architecture, film, and new media in addressing new social spaces and signifying structures of contemporary network cultures. His research focuses on the implications of mobile and pervasive computing for architecture and urbanism.

We'll look at the trends shaping the urban environment this week on Smart City.