121. The Case for Thinking Differently About San Antonio (with Rory Sutherland – Live at Geekdom)

This week on bigcitysmalltown, we bring you a special live-recorded conversation with world-renowned behavioral economist and ad executive Rory Sutherland, hosted at the Geekdom Event Center in downtown San Antonio.

Known for his provocative ideas on creativity, design, and human behavior, Rory joins host Bob Rivard for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking dialogue about how cities like San Antonio can unlock their potential—not by copying others, but by thinking differently.

They discuss:

• Why cities should lean into their uniqueness instead of competing on size

• How human psychology shapes everything from public transit to public toilets

• What San Antonio can learn from Buc-ee’s bathrooms and British roundabouts

• Why being “the third-best option” might actually be a city’s greatest strength

• The power of delight, surprise, and reverse benchmarking in economic development

This episode is for anyone interested in place-making, economic identity, and creative approaches to urban challenges. Whether you’re in public service, business, or the creative sector, Rory’s perspective will leave you seeing San Antonio—and its possibilities—in a whole new light.

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RECOMMENDED NEXT LISTEN:

▶️ #120. Why San Antonio’s Future Starts with Early Childhood Education – If Rory Sutherland challenges how we think about cities, this episode shows how San Antonio is rethinking its future from the ground up—literally. Bob Rivard sits down with civic leaders Peter J. Holt, Mark Larson, and Dr. Sarah Baray to unpack the city’s nationally recognized investment in early education, what’s working, and where big gaps remain. 🎧 [Listen Here.]

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