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3 episodes with AICP
What do improv comedy and planning have in common? According to Phil Green, AICP —more than you'd think. A practicing planner and seasoned improviser, Phil shares with APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg how tools from the improv stage—like active listening, quick thinking, and collaborative storytelling—can empower planners to navigate tough questions, community tensions, and even mundane fence permits with humor and humanity. In this episode of People Behind the Plans, Phil brings to life the unexpected intersections of comedy and civic engagement, explaining how improv can boost a planner's confidence, empathy, and ability to lead with presence. He reflects on his unconventional path from stand-up to site plans, how improv helped him feel more connected and resilient, and why embracing failure (and fun) makes for stronger teams and better outcomes. Whether you're facing a high-stakes public hearing, a frazzled applicant, or just want to build stronger communication skills, this episode offers fresh insights—and a few good laughs—on how the art of improvisation can make planners more effective, compassionate, and present. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/phil-green-aicp-on-what-planners-can-learn-from-improv/
Episode sponsor: Eastern Washington University Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/critical-conversations-in-transportation-planning-wes-marshall-and-trung-vo-aicp/ In this episode, co-hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall were excited to take the podcast show on the road, recording episodes at the 2025 National Planning Conference in Denver. This dispatch of Critical Conversation in Transportation Planning kicks off our safety series and features Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, and Trung Vo, AICP, PE, Denver Office Director, Senior Planner, and Owner at Toole Design. Our speakers highlight how many traffic engineering standards are based on flawed assumptions rather than science, specifically pointing to problems with level of service metrics, automatic traffic growth assumptions, and designing for peak hours rather than community needs. They emphasize the need for courage to tackle arterial roads where most fatalities occur, challenging the reactive approach of waiting for crashes to happen instead of proactively designing safer streets for all users. Relevant Links: ● Death by Design: A New Book from a CU Denver Transportation Expert Rethinks the Science Behind Our Roads ● Killed By a Traffic Engineer, Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System ● Denver Moves: Safe and Slow Streets with Bikeways ● No More Five-Lane Roads: An Engineer's Perspective About Wes Marshall: Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, where he holds a joint appointment in urban planning. He plays a pivotal role as director of the CU Denver Human-Centered Transportation program and the Transportation Research Center at CU Denver. Wes is a licensed Professional Engineer and focuses on transportation teaching and research dedicated to creating safer and more sustainable transportation systems. Wes is the author behind the 2024 book Killed by a Traffic Engineer. He also has more than 80 peer-reviewed journal publications and book chapters to his name and has received millions of dollars in research funding. Wes was the winner of the campus-wide CU Denver Outstanding Faculty in Research Award. He also has a passion for teaching and mentoring students and is the only three-time winner of the CU Denver College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty in Teaching Award. A native of Watertown, Massachusetts, Wes is a graduate of the University of Virginia (BS) and the University of Connecticut (MS and PhD). He is a recipient of the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, Australia's Endeavour Fellowship, and the Transportation Research Board's Wootan Award for the outstanding paper in policy and organization. About Trung Vo: Trung serves as a Senior Planner and our Denver Office Director. In his work, he leverages his certification as a planner, licensure as a Professional Engineer, and experience in both the public and private sectors to help communities become safer, more connected, and more resilient. Trung specializes in multimodal planning and design, public engagement, and design guidance. Outside of the office, Trung enjoys photography, bicycling, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife and two sons.
What does being an introvert in a profession centered on community and collaboration mean? For Katelynn Morgenstern, AICP, Director of Planning and Zoning in Kennett Township, Pennsylvania, navigating networking and building a brand used to feel daunting—until she discovered the power of social media to build authentic connections, explore planning passions beyond her day job, and grow her confidence. Through her online persona @CityPlannerKate, Katelynn cultivated a meaningful network that helped her engage in person with more ease, while exploring under-addressed topics like equity and hostile architecture. On this episode of People Behind the Plans, APA Editor in Chief Meghan Stromberg sits down with Kate at the NPC25 in Denver to talk about her journey from overwhelmed first-time conference attendee to confident speaker and thought leader. They explore how social media can be a powerful tool for introverted planners, why authenticity matters more than algorithm hacks, and how to stay connected while protecting your well-being. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/katelynn-morgenstern-aicp-on-planning-social-media-and-finding-your-voice-as-an-introvert/
In this episode of the Trend Talk series, a companion podcast for APA's 2025 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association, chats with author and urban planning professor Justin Hollander, FAICP. Listen as they examine the potential for human settlements on the Moon and Mars, and discover the unique challenges and ethical questions that come with planning cities beyond Earth. Hollander also shares insights from his book, First City on Mars: An Urban Planner's Guide to Settling the Red Planet, discussing the opportunities for planners in the expanding space industry and the lessons we can learn for urban development back on our home planet. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/the-role-of-planners-in-space-exploration-with-justin-hollander-faicp/
From urgent housing needs to the rapid growth of e-commerce, communities everywhere are under tremendous pressure to rethink and reuse existing spaces. On this episode, host Greg Bedalov sits down with two local leaders to discuss how their communities are adapting.Special GuestsSean Gascoigne, Director of Community and Economic Development at the Village of BloomingdaleStaci Springer, AICP, Community Development Director at the City of Wood DaleDive DeeperIn this episode, Sean and Staci discuss the growth of data centers in Chicagoland. For a deeper dive on how DuPage communities are adapting to and benefiting from data center investment, read our blog. One of the strengths of DuPage County is our economic diversity. Communities like Wood Dale and Bloomingdale aren't dependent on a single industry, which gives them more resiliency. Learn more about the region's economic diversity and other key advantages here.Chicagoland was recently named the #1 U.S. metro for corporate relocation for the 12th consecutive year; that was, in large part, due to the creativity and business-friendly mindset of community leaders like Sean and Staci. To learn more about Chicagoland's #1 ranking, start here.As always, we'd like to thank the College of DuPage for supporting today's episode. To keep up with what's happening in DuPage County and the Chicagoland region, follow Choose DuPage on social media or visit ChooseDuPage.com/Ready.
Today on What's My Frame I'm joined by Casting Director, Caitlin D. Jones. Caitlin has worked on hundreds of commercial in her career. Her passion for casting expanded into the television and independent film genres. Winning the 2020 CSA Artios Award for Best Casting of a Pilot/First Season Drama. Her first studio film SMILE, has broken box office records and garnered rave reviews! Caitlin comes from a comedy background, completing all four levels of Improvisation at the UCB Theatre NY in 2009. In the spirit of "yes, and," her work reflects her commitment to champion equity, inclusion, and casting that accurately reflects the modern world in which we live. Working as Associate Casting Director for FX's POSE by Ryan Murphy, Caitlin helped feature the most inclusive and authentic LGBTQ+ cast on television. Caitlin is a proud member of the Television Academy, Commercial Casting Directors Association, The AICP, and Casting Society of America's Diversity Committee and from 2016-2023, she served the CSA as a member of the Board of Directors. From 2020-2023, she was elected VP of Communications for the Casting Society.Caitlin's Official Sitehttps://www.cdjcasting.com Follow Caitlin on socials https://www.instagram.com/caitlindjones/?hl=enSAG-AFTRA Foundation On Camera Labhttps://sagaftra.foundation/on-camera-labs/
This episode features a conversation focusing on community connections and craft beer with Jen Price, a beer educator, a Cicerone Certified Beer Server, and the author of The Chick's Guide to Beer: 7 Simple Rules for the Beer Novice. Jen grew up in Decatur, GA, and her work is dedicated to fostering inclusivity, education, and meaningful connections through beer. As the co-founder of Craft Women Connect, she has created a space for women and beer professionals to learn, collaborate, and thrive within the industry. In 2020, Jen also launched Crafted for Action, an event and experience curation company that centers diversity, equity, and inclusion in the craft beverage space. This company is built on the pillars of craft, community, and culture, and we talk about some ways that these efforts have sparked conversations that extend beyond beer. Their flagship event, coming up this June in Atlanta, is the first craft beverage conference founded by a BIPOC woman, providing a platform for robust discussions and real solutions to drive progress in the industry. In 2025, they have expanded beyond beer to include all craft beverages including an entire track at this year's conference dedicated to wine. Through Crafted for Action, Jen continues to create impactful experiences that challenge the status quo and open doors for underrepresented voices in craft beverage. Outside of beer, Jen is an AICP-certified urban planner specializing in active living planning, community impact assessments, environmental justice, and stakeholder engagement. Her expertise in community-focused planning fuels her commitment to making beer spaces more welcoming and inclusive. You can visit www.craftedforaction.com for details and tickets to the upcoming conference, and you can follow @craftedforaction on Instagram.2025 Crafted for Action Tickets: https://craftedforaction.tix.page/Recorded February 19. 2025-------------This episode is generously sponsored by Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville, VA. They ship to 40 states, and shipping is free on orders over $100, so you can enjoy Blenheim wines no matter where you are. Use code CORK10 for 10% off your purchase online or in person. Follow @BlenheimVineyards and visit www.blenheimvineyards.com to plan your visit!SHOP WINE & MERCH: https://shop.blenheimvineyards.com/Wines/All-Wines------------Friday Uncorked! tickets (March 21, 2025): https://high.org/event/friday-uncorked-2025/
In this episode of the Trend Talk series, a companion podcast for APA's 2025 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, research manager at the American Planning Association, chats with recent graduate and current transportation planner, Beneeta Mary Jose. The two explore the latest trends in micromobility, electrification, and the essential balance between proactive and reactive planning. Beneeta also shares her thoughts on how young professionals are shaping the transportation landscape, the importance of including children's perspectives, and the visionary future of an integrated, sustainable, and human-centric transportation network. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/the-future-of-transportation-with-beneeta-mary-jose/
In this episode, I talk with Tyler Marshall, PE, ENV SP, principal environmental engineer & environmental discipline technical lead at Stanley Consultants, and Melissa Edsill Tiedemann TEE-DUH-MEN, AICP, business development manager & senior environmental planner at Stanley Consultants, about the hidden impacts of renewable energy projects, the crucial role of public engagement, and the importance […] The post Renewable Energy Projects Can Unlock Hidden Value for Businesses – Ep 284 appeared first on Engineering Management Institute.
In this special NPC25 episode of the APA podcast, host Michael Brown, AICP, conference committee chair for NPC25, engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Leah Rothstein. Leah is co-author along with her father, Richard Rothstein, on the book Just Action, and has specialized in community development and affordable housing policy, practice, and finance throughout her career. Leah delves into the challenges in addressing critical issues surrounding race, housing, and community equity, emphasizing the importance of building relationships, engaging in service, and finding purpose. As a keynote speaker at the 2025 National Planning Conference (NPC 25), Leah offers a sneak peek into her upcoming talk and highlights the significance of local action in advancing equity and making a positive impact on your community. This episode is sponsored by AARP Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/building-community-and-purpose-leah-rothstein-on-just-action/
In the latest in our "Green Footprint" series, listen as Christopher Teng, PhD, AICP, Global Energy Efficiency Lead at Juniper Networks, talks with Auden Schendler, author of "Terrible Beauty: Reckoning with Climate Complicity and Rediscovering our Soul."
In this episode of Critical Conversations in Transportation Planning, hosts Divya Gandhi and Em Hall interview Jacky Grimshaw and Nina Idemudia, AICP, from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) in Chicago. They discuss the evolution of transportation planning, the importance of community engagement, and the emergence of millennial leadership in the planning profession. Jacky shares her extensive experience in advocating for citizen participation in transportation planning, while Nina reflects on her journey from growing up in Detroit to serving as CNT's CEO, and emphasizes the need for planners to address structural inequities. Together, they highlight CNT's innovative approaches and ongoing efforts to create equitable and sustainable urban environments. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/critical-conversations-in-transportation-planning-cnt-nina-idamudia-aicp-and-jacky-grimshaw/
In this episode of the Trend Talk series, a companion podcast for APA's 2025 Trend Report for Planners, Joe DeAngelis, AICP, Research Manager at the American Planning Association, chats with APA President, Sue Schwartz, FAICP. The two discuss the evolving landscape of public sector planning and delve into current hiring challenges, the impact of political polarization on community engagement, and the importance of personal resiliency for planners. Sue shares insights on managing technological changes, balancing remote and in-office work, and preparing for future trends in the profession. Join us for an enlightening conversation on the crucial role of planners in shaping resilient and equitable communities. Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/the-future-of-public-sector-planning-with-apa-president-sue-schwartz-faicp/
In 2019 Minneapolis, Minnesota became the 1st city to eliminate single-family zoning. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul region continues to be a leader in urban planning and economic development practices. Yet the region, like others across the U.S, continues to struggle with poverty, unemployment, and housing affordability issues. Join us in a conversation with Minneapolis native and experienced planner: Breanne Rothstein, AICP, founder and CEO of Thrive Consulting on how to improve quality of life by shifting the focus of economic development to investing in people and community. Breanne Rothstein, AICP, is founder and CEO of Thrive Consulting, a firm that seeks to connect communities to the abundance in the economy by creating economic development and housing solutions through policy and programs. Breanne has a distinct passion for communities and strives to help them be welcoming places through meaningful, inclusive community partnerships. She offers over 20 years of experience of community development and organizational development in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She is a powerful speaker and trainer, and has presented over 50 panels, sessions, and workshops on topics of zoning reform, housing finance, and inclusive economic development strategies.Share these insights from this episode: Traditional economic development practices in local/city governments have focused on growing the tax base and bringing jobs to the neighborhood but these objectives are often missed and not in alignment with the economic and growth needs of residents and small businesses. Small business centers, down-payment assistance programs, talent/industry cultivation, micro-loans (
Irene Navis, AICP, former Assistant Emergency Manager for Clark County, discusses the tragic events of the October 1, 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, which resulted in 58 deaths and over 750 injuries. She shares her firsthand experience of responding to the crisis and the long-term impacts on both victims and first responders. The conversation highlights the community's resilience, the importance of mental health support for responders, and the collaborative efforts to aid those affected by such tragedies, emphasizing the vital role of shared stories in promoting healing and understanding.Irene Navis, AICP, is Managing Partner of Navis Strategic Services. Navis comes from a 30-year career in local government. She serves as the Nevada Coordinator for the Western Regional Alliance for Pediatric Emergency Management (WRAP-EM), and is the CBRN Domain Manager for the Pediatric Pandemic Network (PPN). Navis is widely published in several professional journals and conference papers, and has presented at a number of state, national, and international conferences.For more resources about firearms, violence, mass casualty incidents, and mental health, check out PPN Resource Central, an expertly curated database of thousands of resources related to giving care to children — every day and in crises. ReferencesClark County Resiliency and Recovery Framework – October 2017What Happened In Vegas – Rolling StoneFirearm Violence Prevention – AAP988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline – SAMHSA1 October After-Action Report [Las Vegas Shooting] – Homeland Security Digital Library
In this conversation we speak to Billy Boyd Cape. We discuss how he transitioned into the commercial industry, his process of working with actors, and discovering emotion on set. This episode is sponsored by Smoke & Mirrors. Billy is represented worldwide by Academy Films.Billy started his career while still at Bournemouth Film School; he began directing music videos which garnered millions of views and produced feature-doc ‘Beyond Clueless' which premiered at SXSW (and later landed on Netflix and Mubi). His graduation short film 'More Hate Than Fear' was nominated for awards at Camerimage and the Royal Television Society.Billy directed 'Reach', an award winning short for Channel 4 Random Acts, followed immediately by 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' for Pride in London. Pride won a D&AD Yellow Pencil and New Director Awards at the British Arrows, Kinsale and Ciclope Festivals, plus gained inclusion at the Saatchi & Saatchi New Creators Showcase in Cannes. Billy was also selected by Campaign Magazine as one of the Top 10 Directors in its end of year issue.Since then Billy has directed multi-award winning work for the likes of Nike, ITV, Co-op, NHS and Cadbury, cementing him as one of the most sought after new directing names in advertising.Most recently he has directed work for Alzheimer's Society, the Justice & Care Coalition and the BBC, leading to multiple industry awards including Best Of Show at AICP, plus 3 further Golds and 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze at the British Arrows.Billy's short film ‘Wings' was premiered at the BFI and is currently being entered into short film festivals around the world.Hope you enjoy.
"You have to have time for yourself—time for reflection, time for growth, both personally and spiritually…but for few years all of that went out the window; it was just work, building, career, and success.” — Paul Mitchell What happens when the pursuit of creative excellence starts to conflict with the responsibilities of family life? How do we measure the true cost of our ambitions when they extend beyond ourselves and touch the lives of those we love? Paul Mitchell is a designer, director, husband, and father. Currently represented as a director at Untold Studios in Los Angeles, he has made significant contributions to the film and television industry for over three decades. Before relocating to the U.S., Paul served as Design Director at the BBC in London. His journey in LA began as Creative Director at Prologue Films, before holding positions as an independent director at Elastic, Head of Design at The Mill Los Angeles, and was one of the lead directors for Mill+. A passionate storyteller with a cinematic eye, he seamlessly connects live-action with visual effects to craft compelling narratives across commercials, short films motion design. His work has been recognized by The Emmys®, BAFTA, D&AD, and AICP, to name a few. In Episode 9 of Object Subject Form, Paul reflects on his career, offering an honest look at the sacrifices made, and striking the balance between professional success and family well-being. Despite the challenges, he also highlights the enriching experiences his family gained by moving to Los Angeles—opening a new chapter filled with a wealth of opportunities. — Paul @ Untold Studios: https://untoldstudios.tv/portfolio/paul-mitchell/ — Follow Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-mitchell-4266717/ — Paul's website: https://www.paulmitchell-director.com/ — Connect with me: https://zaap.bio/simonclowes
In this episode of the APA Podcast, Jason Jordan, APA's Principal of Public Affairs, chats with Burlington, Vermont's former mayor, Miro Weinberger, and former planning director, Meagan Tuttle, AICP. In this discussion, they share how they worked together to provide the political leadership and the critical insights needed for Burlington to enact one of the nation's most important and far-reaching reforms aimed at increasing housing supply. Episode Sponsor: Booked on Planning Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/the-burlington-model-how-planning-led-reforms-transformed-the-citys-housing-market/
Julio shares his experience growing up near La Oroya, one of the most polluted cities in Peru, and going on to study architecture to pursue his interest in large scale solutions that impact people's every day lives. He shares his experience spearheading the Green Building Council in Peru as the only LEED AP in the country and his most recent project, Planning 2050, a dashboard platform where public entities such as cities, towns and agencies can track progress on the goals they have set for themselves on a range of topics like transportation, air quality and parks. Over time, tracking their performance can lead to identifying best practices that can be shared with other entities. Julio Carrillo, AICP, LEED AP ND, is a Senior Planner at Parkhill. Julio co-founded Peru's Green Building Council and has chaired various committees, including Austin's AIA Urban Design Committee (2022), and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee at the Urban Land Institute of Austin – Texas (2022). Julio is also a board member of the Downtown Austin Alliance (2024). Recognized for his urban design practice, Julio was selected as an International Expert in 2021, leading a research team for future city planning in Asia. In 2023, Julio was the General Co-Rapporteur of the 59th World Planning Congress. He is also the Director of Planning Commitment Inc, driving the PLANNING 2050 initiative for positive impacts in Equity, Climate Change, and Resiliency.
We sit down with Steve Caplan, an expert in strategic communications, and the founder of Message. With a background spanning from senior advisory roles at the United Nations to executive leadership at the AICP, Steve dives into the foundational principles that guide his approach to advocacy, emphasizing the critical role of strategy in achieving impactful communication outcomes. Steve also explores how digital media revolutionized commercial production, and shares his insights into the impact of generative AI on production techniques and distribution channels. This is an episode you surely wouldn't want to miss! About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/
Public Health Careers podcast episode with Deepika Andavarapu, AICP, PhD
Ever had a major production hit the brakes unexpectedly? In this episode, we dive into the art of managing cancellations and postponements in production. With special guest co-host and freelance producer Jade Forte, we share gripping stories of projects derailed at the last minute and reveal the strategies used to navigate these crises. Listen in as we discuss how to keep your team motivated, maintain client relationships, and pivot plans without losing momentum. Whether you're a seasoned producer or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable insights to keep your projects on track, no matter what. Stick around until the end as we outline the AICP guidelines for these exact scenarios.Topics: #aicp, #cancellations, #postponements, #commercialproduction, #producingtipsFREE RESOURCES WE MADE FOR YOU:
Hurricane Preparedness is the subject of the upcoming May 30, 2024 Town Talks series which is being held at Town Hall in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. A relatively new community classroom series, Town Talks, is an effective & important way for the town to stay connected and informed as Mount Pleasant continues to grow and thrive. We're excited to bring you Liz Boyles, Chief Livability Division with the Town of Mount Pleasant, and Kara Browder, AICP, Principal Planner with the Town of Mount Pleasant along with host Brian Cleary to share valuable information and insights about our town and how this and other Town Talks will benefit the town and its residents. The town's website, talking about Town Talks, says, "a public forum initiative aimed at fostering community engagement, education, and collaboration. Inspired by the need to address neighborhood issues and facilitate knowledge exchange, this series aims to provide a platform for residents to come together, discuss various topics of interest, and learn from each other." Visit https://www.tompsc.com/1558/Town-Talks-A-Community-Classroom-Series for more information and to sign up for notification to stay informed about upcoming Town Talks events. Don't miss out, join us for this episode of the Mount Pleasant Podcast!
Dawveed Scully is Managing Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Development at the City of Chicago. Prior to the DPD, Dawveed was an Associate Principal in the urban design and planning studio at SOM. He is a licensed architect in the State of Illinois and AICP certified urban planner. Listen in to hear about his design philosophies bringing together architecture and urban planning.
Amber is an Associate Principal at Ayers Saint Gross and leads the firm's practice in community and campus edge design. Trained as both an architect and planner, she works on projects that bridge across disciplines and scopes from feasibility studies for the Smithsonian Institution to campus master plans for Purdue University to neighborhood vision plans for East Baltimore. While she enjoys working on a wide variety of project types, Amber has a particular passion for creating thoughtful and sensitive planning and design solutions for communities in need. By sharing her knowledge, she works to elevate client and community voices in crafting the future of their neighborhoods. Amber is particularly proud of her work designing revitalization plans for East Baltimore and the Harlem Park neighborhood, some of the most historically disinvested neighborhoods in Baltimore. Her engagement and master planning efforts in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. have been awarded the Greater Baltimore Committee's Mayors Business Recognition Award and the American Planning Association National Capital Area Chapter's Award for Outstanding Regional or Comprehensive Plan. Amber leads the firm's People and Culture committee and is passionate about promoting gender and racial equity in the field of architecture. Outside the firm, she serves on the board of the Neighborhood Design Center, the board of the Baltimore Tree Trust, as a member of the Greater Baltimore Committee Economic Development Committee, and as a mentor with the Baltimore Design School. In 2021, Amber was included on the Daily Record's list of "Maryland's Top Women" for her professional achievements, community leadership, and service to others
In this episode, Maryland REALTORS CEO, Chuck Kasky, Esq., is joined by Maryland Department of Planning Secretary, Rebecca L. Flora, to discuss how planners can guide, change, create more sustainable and equitable outcomes, and establish themselves as critical to Maryland's thriving communities. Rebecca L. Flora, AICP, was confirmed as Governor Wes Moore's nominee for Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning on February 17, 2023, the latest achievement in a career spanning more than 35 years, including planning leadership positions in the public and private sectors.As Secretary, Flora provides comprehensive leadership of the Department's mission, objectives, and initiatives, including oversight of Planning Services, State Data Center, Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), and Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum (JPPM) in Calvert County.Flora comes to the Department of Planning with extensive urban planning experience, having worked in the Pittsburgh area for more than 20 years in project management, community development, and was the first executive director of the Green Building Alliance (GBA), whose vision is to address climate change, advance human health, achieve social equity, and create thriving economies.
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Originally published in 2019, Benjamin Pauli's book, Flint Fights Back offers lasting insights into one of the most important drinking water-caused public health crises of American history. In this 2024 interview Pauli shares some explanations from the book but also offers his insights, in this year of the 10th anniversary of the Flint Water Crisis, on what is happening in Flint today and what, after all, we have learned from the fight for clean water in Flint, Michigan. -Patricia Houser, New Books in Environmental Studies Host. An account of the Flint water crisis shows that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water is part of a broader struggle for democracy. When Flint, Michigan, changed its source of municipal water from Lake Huron to the Flint River, Flint residents were repeatedly assured that the water was of the highest quality. At the switchover ceremony, the mayor and other officials performed a celebratory toast, declaring “Here's to Flint!” and downing glasses of freshly treated water. But as we now know, the water coming out of residents' taps harbored a variety of contaminants, including high levels of lead. In Flint Fights Back: Environmental Justice and Democracy in the Flint Water Crisis (MIT Press, 2019), Benjamin Pauli examines the water crisis and the political activism that it inspired, arguing that Flint's struggle for safe and affordable water was part of a broader struggle for democracy. Pauli connects Flint's water activism with the ongoing movement protesting the state of Michigan's policy of replacing elected officials in financially troubled cities like Flint and Detroit with appointed “emergency managers.” Currently available for free online: “The open access edition of this book was made possible by generous funding from the MIT Libraries.” Patricia Houser, Ph.D., AICP, is former professor of geography and urban planning, now focused on writing and environmental research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Of all the parts of this enjoyable conversation with Seth Zeren, now of Providence, RI, the part I liked the most was this quote:The worst fight is with your allies that betray you.The quote, which is mostly about perception, says a lot about people who are frequently in heated agreement with each other, but find themselves disagreeing on something that's very minor in the big picture. We discuss this as we discuss his post called, “When New Urbanists and YIMBYs fight.”Seth has a great Substack, talking about all the overlap in his interests from city planning to development and more. His path and his passion are impressive. From his early days working in local government, to now the cold, hard reality of making development projects work. And what's next? Perhaps some place management, perhaps some housing policy advocacy, perhaps just more really interesting redevelopment projects.Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin's Substack page.Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you'd like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.Intro: “Why Be Friends”Outro: “Fairweather Friend”Transcript:Kevin (00:01.269)Welcome back to the Messy City podcast. This is Kevin Klinkenberg. I'm excited today to have Seth Zarin here with me on the podcast. Seth and I have met in the past and corresponded a little bit. Seth has a sub stack that I definitely recommend called Build the Next Right Thing. And he's in Providence, Rhode Island, which is actually, I think, one of the sort of most underratedsmaller cities in the country. I've always really liked Providence, enjoyed it. So Seth, welcome to the podcast. I know we're going to have a lot of good things to talk about. We're going talk some housing and some other stuff, but glad to have you on so we can do this.Seth Zeren (00:43.574)Thanks Kevin, it's nice to be here.Kevin (00:46.261)I think, you know, Seth, I want to kind of start by talking about you're another guy who has a really interesting path and background into becoming into the development world, which is what you're doing now, but certainly not at all where you started. And I wonder if you could kind of walk people through your professional background and then even like why you wanted to do a sub stack.in the first place, as some of us silly people do to put thoughts out in the world.Seth Zeren (01:19.862)Yeah, absolutely. I usually introduce myself when I meet people by saying that I'm a former climate scientist, recovering city planner, turned real estate developer. I usually get a laugh on recovering. Much like people who have all sorts of addiction issues, city planning is something that you always kind of in the back of your head, always kind of want to work on, but can be really challenging.Kevin (01:35.381)Ha ha ha.Seth Zeren (01:48.918)I'm actually from California. I grew up in the San Francisco suburbs, south of the city in Silicon Valley, basically. And by the time I graduated high school, it was quite clear that I would never be able to afford to live there. At that point, houses were selling for about a million dollars for a little ranch. Now it's about $3 million. And so by the time I left for college, I sort of knew that the housing situation there had been a little bit of a mess.broken so much that it was really unlikely that I would be able to find a good quality of life there for myself at that time. In college, I ended up studying geology and climate science. So I was a geology major, geosciences major, and I narrowly averted the PhD. I dodged it, fortunately, and I found myself really becoming interested after college. I went and lived in South Korea for a year and I taught English there. AndIt was such a different experience than growing up in an American suburb or in a small town where I went to college. And it really got me thinking a lot. And when I came back to the U S and I went and worked at a boarding school while I was figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. And I started to read about cities and urbanism and architecture. And I realized that, Oh, actually at the time I thought I wanted to go to school and do architecture, but I was really intimidated by portfolio and drawing. And I had, I was a scientist. I mean, I could do data.I understood geology, but, um, so I was really intimidated by that. I ended up going to an environmental management program at Yale where I could kind of moonlight in law and architecture and business. And so that was kind of my entree. And I discovered I really liked zoning at the time. Uh, and I like to say like, I like board games and zoning is basically just the biggest board game imaginable. It's a huge map, bunch of colored spaces and a really long rule book, which was totally my jam. And.Kevin (03:38.485)Yeah. Yeah.Seth Zeren (03:46.038)So I was a zoning, big zoning nerd. I interned with the planning department, but you know, in between the two years of graduate school and then got a job as a zoning official after graduate school for Newton, Massachusetts, which is kind of that wealthy first ring suburb outside of Boston where the doctors and professors go to have children. And, uh, I was there for about three years before I kind of realized this was not the place for me. I wanted to do stuff. I wanted to shake things up and.One of the dynamics you'll encounter when you find a sort of a wealthy sort of trophy suburb, right, is that people buy there because they like what it is. Right. So the political dynamic in a place like Newton, like many wealthy suburbs around many cities in America is people are buying a particular place and they want it to stay that way. That's what they bought. And so there's a real change aversion there, which was just a bad fit for someone in their twenties, whose master's degree and wants to get stuff done. And.I had also at the time had the opportunity to work with a bunch of developers. And this was coming out of the financial crisis. So there wasn't a lot happening right away, but slowly, slowly things started to get back in gear. And after about three or four years there, I decided I was going to jump ship from the, from the planning side and eventually found myself working at a development shop as a development manager, kind of coming in to do the permitting work. Right. So I just basically switched sides. I was going to go do permitting for the developer.moving complex projects through design review and master plan approval and stuff like that. And I did that for my sort of early apprenticeship for about three or four years. And got to the point where, you know, I got married, we thought about buying a house and realized Boston was also too expensive. So we started considering other places and Providence was nearby. We'd visited, we had friends here. And at the time, certainly it was massively more affordable than the Boston Cambridge area.So we moved down here about eight, maybe nine years ago, about. And so I was working as a development manager, you know, for a larger firm. And then when I came down here, I was still working remotely, but I connected with some local developers and eventually joined a local firm, Armory Management Company, which is a 35 year old, almost 40 year old partnership now that has done historic rehab.Seth Zeren (06:09.782)Main Street revitalization ground up in field development and came on board here, you know, also as a development manager and kind of worked my way up. Now I'm a partner and working on kind of the future of the firm and future of development in the Providence area. So that's kind of my, my origin story. It's one path. I haven't met a lot of other people who've come through the planner path into development. I would say that I was one of those people that you probably remember this, Kevin, you know, whatever eight, nine, 10 years ago at CNU.There was this whole conversation about why are you working for shitty developers? You know, to architects, planners, engineers, go be your own. And I took that very much to heart and was trying to find a way to do it. And I've kind of managed to find a way to do it, come through that.Kevin (06:54.709)Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have met a few other folks who kind of started in the planning route and then ended up in development. But yeah, you're right. There's not too many. I mean, one thing I'm curious about, Seth, so like I'm a Midwestern or so. I don't have that experience of growing up someplace and then realizing like I'm never going to be able to come back. I mean, so a lot of Midwesterners like myself leave at some point.And then often we find our way back home, but it's like, and there may, there's lots of reasons why people do the things, but there's never seems to be this like logistical issue that says, well, I'm just not going to be able to afford to come back where I grew up. What, what's that? And what's that like to at some point have this realization in the place you grew up in, which you probably have some really fond feelings and memories for that you just, you weren't going to be able to make it back or you weren't going to be able to afford to.make it back. That must be a strange feeling.Seth Zeren (07:55.414)It is, and I will say it becomes a lot stranger when you have your own kids, which I have now. I have two young children and we go back to California, you know, once maybe twice a year visit my parents who are still in the house I grew up in. And you know that neighborhood that I grew up in, you know, hasn't built. More than a couple net new homes in the last 50 years, right? Homes get torn down and they get replaced by bigger homes, but.Kevin (08:00.501)Yeah, sure.Seth Zeren (08:24.246)There's no net additional homes. But my parents raised three kids in that house who all have their own households. My parents are still in that house. So sort of mechanically, if you have a neighborhood that doesn't add any homes, you're essentially, but you have, but you have children, those children have to leave, right? Mechanically, right? And if you then multiply that across an entire region, well, then they have to leave the whole region, which is like why people have to leave California. And I, so I have a very,like complicated relationship with it. It's like, obviously, it's my home, it has like a smell and weather and just like the culture that is what I grew up with. It's it's I have nostalgia for that. But I also go whenever I go back there, I'm like, this place makes me crazy. Because it's not like you couldn't build more buildings, you know, you couldn't, it's not like the soil can't support more buildings, right? There's no physical limitation, really. It's the self imposed limitation. And then when you go back, especially,after the last 20 years or so, and you look, you know, here's a region in the world that is the current sort of nexus of tremendous wealth accumulation, right, the Bay Area. And what did we get for it? Right, we got kind of mediocre drive it strip malls, and the, you know, single family houses that go for three and a half million dollars to $5 million. You know, it's similar times in the world, we got, you know,London, Paris, New York, Chicago, Shanghai, Tokyo, like these metropolitan areas were built and there's this tremendous physical capital that's created by economic growth. But in the Bay Area, it's, it's, it's, it's, so it's kind of depressing for me. I feel like it's helpful to go back as a, as like a cautionary tale, you know, it's, it's a, it's a practice, you know, you have to go to the meditation retreat and struggle. And that's a little bit like what it is for me. Um,So you would ask why I write and so I'm a full -time developer. I run, you know, commercial development, residential development, run commercial leasing, a lot of architecture design permitting, you know, I would say, you know, there's a lot of different backgrounds. One can bring into the development world and all of them come with different strengths. Uh, being the planner background gives me a lot of facility with permitting. And so zoning is an area where we're really effective zoning historic.Seth Zeren (10:50.74)neighborhood relationships, all that kind of stuff. And then finding value in buildings that other people don't see because we look around at what other people are doing in other parts of the country and we're able to import those ideas and try things out. Other people have different advantages that they bring. The reason I write is probably like you, I've got like some thoughts in my head that I have to get out. And, you know, development is a great practical.you know, craft practice, you know, and it's, I mentioned, I think earlier apprenticeship, like there are a few schools that teach development, real estate development, kinda, but mostly they teach what we think of institutional development. So if you want to go build a skyscraper, go to MIT or Columbia. Fine.Kevin (11:37.333)Yeah, MIT's got those great courses and everything else that, yeah.Seth Zeren (11:39.51)Yeah, and like, totally fair. Like, that's a reason that's a thing that makes sense in the world, but it's not going to help you, you know, renovate a triple decker or, you know, put up an ad or or renovate a Main Street building. It's just not the skill set. They're not teaching that. So it's an apprenticeship. I mean, it's still really an apprenticeship job. You have to go and you have to go through a lot of stuff and struggle and you see all the pain and suffering and you go through the stress andKevin (11:53.877)Yeah. Yeah.Seth Zeren (12:08.726)You start to learn stuff and it's one of those jobs. There's so much to learn that you, you know, here I am 40 a partner doing a bunch of development work and I'm learning stuff every day, right? And we're all learning stuff every day. So it's it's really satisfying in that way, but. It's not necessarily intellectual job, right? I mean, thinking about stuff is important. Math is important. Those are all relevant things, but it's not the only thing that matters. And so I write because trying to figure out some stuff, right? Trying to figure out.for myself, but then also how to explain things to other people. Um, cause one of things I say to people is that, and I learned this when I became a developer is that like as a developer, I had more in common with the blue collar tradespeople without a college degree in terms of my understanding of the built environment than I did with someone who had my equivalent class background, education, income level, like an attorney or something, right?They live in a house that they bought from someone else, right? They are a consumer of the built environment, but they know very little about how it gets built. They don't get under the hood. But conversely, like I, you know, the plumber and I under, you know, we're in it together. Now we have very different jobs. We might, you know, we're having a different experience of it, but we both are seeing this world. We're both participating in the making of stuff. And so we end up with this very different environment. And then.because of the way we've regulated the built environment, now there's this huge chasm between the people who build the cities and the people who consume the cities that are built for them. Because people don't build much for themselves or for their cousin or for their neighbor.Kevin (13:44.533)Yeah, yeah, that's a, I mean, that's a really interesting point. I like that Seth. And it sort of resonates with me too. And, you know, in my experiences in design and development and you get some of that in architecture too. If you're the kind of an architect who you spend a lot of time doing construction administration or on job sites, you really, I think get a very different feel for that than if you're just kind of working in schematic design all the time. But yeah, that art of.creating things. And this is what I kind of often tell people about development. One of the things that just completely, like routinely frustrates me is this sort of parody of developers that's put out in the world. It's like, you know, as the black hat evil people trying to, you know, ruin cities and, and not this understanding that actually, and not that there aren't those people, there are some, you know, there are crappy people in every field. But most developers are just simply in the act of creating things that other people are going to use.Seth Zeren (14:36.278)Yeah.Seth Zeren (14:44.022)That's true. And I say that all the time as well. And I would add to that, that one of things that's interesting about development, right, coming from planning. So like real estate or city planning, right? Graduate degrees, conferences, magazines, there's even a licensure, right? You get your AICP, go to the conference, get the magazine. It's a profession. Real estate development isn't really a profession.Kevin (14:44.181)Like that's the whole point.Seth Zeren (15:11.254)You get $2 million and buy a CVS, you're a real estate developer. There you go. You put it on your business card, it's your real estate developer. So there's no professional boundaries for good and for ill. I mean, sometimes I think the boundaries around some of these professions are actually really harmful, but you kind of know what you're going to get. You know what the professional culture is and you kind of know how it changes and you know the institutions. Development really doesn't have any of that. Even the Urban Land Institute, ULI, which is a major player still like,compared to like the APA and planning is minuscule. And so like part of the challenges is that, so that's one piece of it. It's not really a profession. The other piece of it is that one of the things that's happened in the 20th century is we blew up our development culture, right? We had an ecosystem of building places, you know, that was the design, the construction, the operations, the leasing, the materials.the trades, there was a sort of ecosystem of it, and we kind of blew it up. We radically transformed it over a short period of decades. And so there's no continuity. So when people do development, there's not a sense of there's any kind of private constraint or private rules. So it feels even less like there's a profession. There's not like a coherent culture, we're going to build more of that, or we're going to evolve incrementally from a coherent culture of building.We're just going to build whatever you end up. That's where you end up with the like two story building with a mansard. That's like with the weird landscaping. It's just this weird Chimera because the developer and to a large extent, the architects have no grounded. There's, there's no like lineage they're working from. There's no continuity. They're just throwing stuff at the wall, you know,Kevin (17:00.341)Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I think one of the other aspects is that in development, so many of the players in the non -institutional world are entrepreneurs. At their heart of hearts, they're entrepreneurs. And it's hard to gather together a whole group of entrepreneurs who are, in some sense, in competition with each other all the time, to feel like a common sense of purpose.Seth Zeren (17:25.174)Yeah, and they're often grinding for their own private gain, which in many parts of the United States is sort of seen as not good, right? Profit is bad to a lot of people. And I think that's unfortunate because while certainly people can do bad things and that's not good, making a profit from doing good things is good. It's a good sign. It means you get to do more of it, right? We say we have to make a profit because that's what we, that's the...Kevin (17:30.101)Yeah.Seth Zeren (17:53.062)seed corn for the next project, right? If we ate all of our seed corn, we would have no next project, right? And if we run out of seed corn, we all starve, right? So you don't get to lose money very many times in real estate before you're out of the game. So it's...Kevin (18:05.685)Yeah, well, and nobody bemoans the local cafe or the barbershop or whomever from making a profit. We all want them to make a profit and succeed, but for some reason, the local developer in a business that's far riskier and more expensive, it's like we completely beat them up about the idea that they actually need to make money to keep going.Seth Zeren (18:22.326)Yeah.Seth Zeren (18:27.606)Yeah. And I think part of it is that there is part of this change in building culture, right? Is that there is where there is more of, or a greater percentage of the built of the new development is sort of seen as done by outsiders for short -term gain. And then they're gone. You know, you'll you've talked to other folks in the incremental development world between the farmer and the hunter, right? And it's we're, we're 90%, 95 % hunters now, you know, instead of 25 % hunters. And that just really changes.Kevin (18:41.397)Yeah. Right.Kevin (18:48.661)Yeah, sure.Seth Zeren (18:56.918)the relationship. So we're a local firm. I work in the neighborhoods in which we live. We work down the block from our projects. If we do a bad job, I have to look at it every day. People know who I am. They're going to yell at me. Like there's a level of responsibility. The profits are most, many of the profits are being reinvested again locally into the next project or into donations to local organizations. So it gets it, you know, not, it's not just as a matter of credibility, but as a matter of like the actual development culture and ecosystem, it's just a better way of life. Um,I think one of the things that's key though about the developer image, right? Is that there was this real period and formative period for, for you and for me, like in the 60s, 70s, 80s of the real estate developer is always the villain, right? And every hallmark movie and every, you know, real estate developers are always the bad guys. And it's a really easy trope, right? It's, it's, it's change for, you know, we're going to change something that's here now that's good for profit, you know, and then they're going to be gone. Um, we don't have any valorous.Kevin (19:37.811)Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm. Sure.Seth Zeren (19:56.442)examples of the real estate developer in popular culture. And I think if I had a magic wand, I would like I would have some great popular sitcom about, you know, a real estate developer, young Latino builder in LA doing interesting stuff and growing over the course of seasons and be hilarious because there's so much tragic comedy and development. So if anyone out there wants to pitch a show to Hollywood, that's that's what I would pitch. Oh, my God, no, that's not me.Kevin (20:19.893)Well, I think you've got your next screenwriting gig. So, give us an example of a project that you're involved with now, something you're working on to get people sent to what you're doing.Seth Zeren (20:31.798)Yeah, so yeah, I'll give two quick examples. So we just finished a rehabilitation of an historic structure, four story masonry building that was converted back to residential, right? It had been turned into actually a nursing home. It was first as a hospital than a nursing home in the 20th century. It was originally built as four brick row houses. And so we brought that back to residential. That just finished last summer, 12 units. And that project was really great. It's really beautiful building.We are a little bit counter -cultural in some times what we do. So we built, in part following the logic of the building, because we were doing a federal historic tax credit project, we didn't want to torture the building. So the units are large. We have, you know, 1500 square foot, two bedroom, two bath apartments, which is on current construction, like weird. It's just, they're really big and they're expensive as a consequence of being big. But what we're finding is there are people who will like nice stuff, and they're willing to pay.more for an apartment. And it's still cheap compared to New York or Boston. It's expensive in Providence, but there are people who will pay that. And right now we're working on the second phase of that project. So that's probably 26 unit building. We're going to try to get some three bedroom apartments in that, which is again, sort of philosophically, we think it's important that there are places where families could live in multifamily housing. It's on a park. It's a beautiful location. And then the project we just started,As we acquired a 50 ,000 square foot mill building in a kind of old industrial area of the city that has, it's one of those things where the previous owner kind of ran out of money and attention. So some things got done, but not other things. So we're finishing that up and that project, we are actually going to complete sort of the previous owner's plan, which was to create modestly priced commercial spaces. So we, in our portfolio, about 50, 50 residential and commercial, which isn't.necessarily by strategy. It's just sort of where we've ended up. Uh, but I think on the margin, we're a little bit more comfortable with commercials than the typical developer or landlord in our area. So because we run so much of it and it's full, I mean, we're 95, 97 % full and commercial across 300 and something thousand square feet. Um, and that's because we price to rent it, you know, and we take a good job caring for it. Uh, we follow the advice of making things smaller if they don't rent.Seth Zeren (22:57.878)Right? So if you make them smaller, then you make the rent smaller, which means more people can rent it. Um, and there's turnover, but you have a reusable unit, just like an apartment, people move right into it, uh, run their business out of that. So it's been good. I mean, you know, who knows things could always change, but we see a lot of value in, you know, one of the things that happened in American cities is disinvestment and white flight took place was not only did the people leave, but I'll sort of all the businesses.So it's like, what is your dentist? Where's your doctor's office? Where's your accountant? Where's your graphic designer? Or, you know, where's your retail shops, you know, your salons, your banks, your restaurants, your bars and restaurants and bars usually come first, but that's only a piece of the ecosystem. You know, it's a whole, you know, you need gyms and retail stores and yoga studios. And I know that sounds kind of trite, but it's sort of a, a, a curating kind of orientation. So this building, part of the strategy is to create a building that is safe.and modestly priced and not pristine so that it's a building in which people can do work. So it's artists, fabricators who have real businesses but need a space to operate their real business. It's not just a crazy building, spray painting the walls, but a reasonable building, not too expensive, not too fancy, but safe. Sprinklers and a roof that doesn't leak. So that's kind of our current project.Kevin (24:16.149)Yeah. Yeah. That's a great model. It reminds me a little bit of one of Monty Anderson's projects in South Dallas, sort of a similar deal, large former industrial building and essentially a minimal, very minimal tenant finish, but incredibly flexible. And if it's priced right, it, you know, in his case, at least up, you know, very quickly. That's a cool model. So I didn't really have any, a whole lot of personal experience withProvidence probably until the CNU was hosted there in what was that? Mid 2000s or so. Which was the best Congress up to that point and the best one until we hosted one in Savannah, of course. And anyway, I was really impressed by Providence. I thought it was...just an incredibly interesting city, very walkable, really cool architecture everywhere, nice downtown. Just seemed like it had a ton of assets, especially in that region. And like you said, priced very differently than Boston or New York. And so I'm curious about the last decade or so, what's going on in Providence. How's the market there? How are things changing? And as a...more of like a third tier city, what do you see that's different compared to some of the larger markets?Seth Zeren (25:47.094)Well, I think that the big story of the last 10 years is that we're no longer kind of isolated on our own. And I don't know if that's mostly a combination of remote work or if it also has something to do with just how expensive Boston and New York have become and other cities. And Providence has seen some of the highest year over year property appreciation in the country. So you're right. It's a nice place to live, you know, and then if you're paying, you know,$3 ,500 a month for, you know, kind of crappy two bedroom apartment in Somerville, you move to Providence and you can get a really nice apartment for $3 ,500 or you can save a bunch of money. And so that it's not so similar for me, right? We moved down here because it was cheaper. And so that adds demand. It adds demand in the upper end of the market. So a big part of what's happening in Providence, Rhode Island is, is that there's a relatively small number.but of people with a fair amount of resources, income and capital moving here. And the state chronically, because it's sort of been tucked away for a long time, it has very little home construction, right? We are the last, second to last, third to last in per capita home construction every year for the last few decades. And so the intersection of those two things is causing a really crazy housing spike and a lot of angst.And for myself, this is one of the places where like my own experience growing up in the Bay Area and then having my own kids has really hit home because, you know, I know in 20 years, I'm still going to need a house to live in. And my two kids are probably each going to want their own house to live in or apartment. Right. So I either got to build them one. They're going to buy yours or they got to leave. It's math. Right. And so it's put the question of housing shortage kind of on the sharp end of the stick for me personally.Right? Is, you know, am I going to be able to see my grandchildren more than once or twice a year kind of thing? You know, and that's a big deal. Right. And I know people don't quite appreciate it yet. I feel a little bit like a harbinger of doom sometimes because in Rhode Island, the feeling is like this could never happen here. Right. Because we're kind of this backwater sort of economically hasn't done well since deindustrialization. You know, there's some bright spots, but it's a little tough and nice quality of life, but not too expensive. And that whole script.Seth Zeren (28:13.142)of worked for a generation or two, but it's not relevant anymore unfortunately. And then that psychic cultural transformation is going to be really hard.Kevin (28:23.541)So coming from the background that you came from, how do you compare the development or the regulatory apparatus in Rhode Island and in Providence compared to places you've worked or pros and cons and what's going on there?Seth Zeren (28:36.086)Oh boy.Seth Zeren (28:41.494)Yeah, when I go to CNU and I'd say I'm from New England, they're like, how do you work there? Because it's hard. Yeah, we're more heavily regulated region. I think that in some ways that's beneficial to someone like me, right? If you're good at navigating the rules, then it's actually to your advantage to work in a regulated market because there's, you I'm not competing on how cheaply I can put up drywall. I'm competing on who can come up with the most creative use of land and get through the regs.Kevin (28:45.685)Ha ha ha ha.Seth Zeren (29:13.686)It's, you know, Providence itself has a mod, what I would call like a modern zoning ordinance. It's got a lot of, you know, there's things I would quibble with, there's things I would change, but it's basically a functioning ordinance that like does the right things more or less, right? And which is great. We mostly work in Providence. I'd say the rest of the state, like most of the rest of New England, it's still like 1955 and there's no...resources, no political impetus to like really fix that yet. I've, I've helped one of my responses is I helped found last year a group called Neighbors Welcome Rhode Island, which is a sort of strong towns meets UMB type or organization that we're still kind of launching a website now. We're working on legislation, state level legislation, and also trying to support local organizing in these towns.Seth Zeren (30:14.998)So it's a, it's, it's, you know, very similar to the markets I'm used to. It's a new England place. Everyone's in everyone else's business. The place has been inhabited buildings on it for, for, you know, hundreds of years. I think one thing that's always interesting about, about new England though, you know, compared to the national conversation is the missing middle is not missing here. Like our cities are made out of triple deckers, twos, threes, fours, sixes all over the place.Kevin (30:37.653)Mm -hmm.Seth Zeren (30:43.062)Our problem is we don't know what comes next. So a city like Providence right now, the only plan is, and this is true, Boston and these places, you can, sure, you can build on the vacant lots and there's a bunch of vacant lots and you can build those for a while. There's gonna be some bad commercial buildings. You can build on those for a while. There's some old industrial land. You're gonna build on that for a while. But in a different way, but similar to the regions where everything's zoned single family and it's built out single family, you can't add anything.to the bulk of the neighborhoods, which are zoned for two and three family homes, because there's already two and three family homes there. And what we don't have, and I don't think anyone has an answer to this, is how do you create a building typology and a business model and a regulatory framework, building code, zoning code, et cetera, to add density to those neighborhoods, to take a three -family neighborhood and bring it to the next increment.whatever that is, because I don't, I don't think we have a model for that other than to go to a full like five over one big apartment building, but the land assemblage there is really prohibitive. So what's the next thing that's denser than three families on 5 ,000 square foot lots, but isn't a big commercial building. And I don't think we have an answer for that yet. I mean, as a urbanist architecture development community, and we certainly don't have a regulatory framework that will allow us to build it either. So that's like an R and D project. That's sort of a back burner curiosity of mine.Kevin (32:08.981)Does the regulatory framework allow you to build the triple -deckers in place?Seth Zeren (32:14.198)Uh, under zoning. Yeah, kind of under building code. No, right. Cause triple deckers are commercial code. So you need sprinklers. So you can't build them. The cost difference. You'd just build a big two family instead of building a three family. It's a much better strategy. So one of the things that neighbors welcome is proposing this legislative cycle to follow on North Carolina's example and Memphis's examples to move three, four, five, six family dwellings into the residential code. And, you know, with no sprinklers, a single stair. Um,And, you know, we'll keep the two hour rating, just add more drywall. Okay, fine. But, you know, that's one of the things we're proposing along with a single stair reform for the small apartment buildings. But yeah, I mean, it's a chicken and the egg, right? There's no point coming up with the prototype and you can't build it. But then no one wants to reform the building code because there's no prototype that makes sense that people are excited about. So it's really kind of trapped. And so, you know, that's an interesting challenge that we struggle with.Kevin (33:14.069)Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's an interesting thing to think about what that next increment to would be beyond the freestanding, you know, triple deckers and stuff like that. Because, you know, I guess the first thing that comes to mind as you start to think about neighborhoods more like you would see in New York or Boston, certain parts of those cities that went to like five and six story walk up buildings that, yeah, yeah. And they're not.Seth Zeren (33:39.476)Buildings that touch. That's the big thing.Kevin (33:43.931)really townhouses wouldn't call them townhouses, but they might be like a five story walk up. Like you'd see, you know, on the upper East or upper East side or upper West side or something like that.Seth Zeren (33:49.598)Yeah.Seth Zeren (33:52.982)Yeah, there's two tiers, I think. There is a version that's more about lot subdivision, right? So we have decently sized lots and three families are big, but you might be able to get some more houses on them or bigger versions. And then I certainly moving to the part where you have party wall construction and the buildings that touch, you recover a bunch of lost area to thin side yards that no one can use. That tier is really interesting because you could probably keep them as owner occupant.Right? They'd be small, you know, two, three, four families, but on smaller piece of land, you know, buildings that touch whatever the next year above that, you know, which is like a single stair elevator, five, six stories, you know, 20 apartments. That's a commercial loan. It's a commercial operator. And, you one of the virtues of the triple decker, right, is that you have a distributed ownership, right? So that it's not just.You know, we have tons of landlords in the state, you know, because everyone I own, the triple decker I live in, right? Everybody owns, you know, a two family, a three family mom, grandma's two family, right? It's just it, there's so many opportunities for people to be small landlords for good and for ill, mostly I think for good, but there are, there are some limitations to it. Um, you know, so when I look around at international examples, right. You know, so for example, I teach real estate development on the side, cause I really care about bringing more people into this profession and not profession trade.craft, whatever. And I had some European students last fall, and I brought them to Providence on a field trip, took them around my neighborhood, which is, you know, to native Rhode Islanders like the hood. It's like the inner city. Ooh, scary. And they're like, this is a very nice suburb, right? Because to them, a bunch of detached two and three family dwellings with a few vacant lots in between them or parking lots, this is suburban density. And they're wrong. And they're not wrong. They're right.Kevin (35:19.893)Yeah.Seth Zeren (35:47.786)you know, historically like that, that was a transition. You'd go from town, right? Which is mostly detached, small multifamily buildings to herb to the city. The building starts to touch because the frontage is really valuable and you wouldn't just leave it for like, you know, five foot grass strips and whatever. Um, and so, you know, it still ends up being quite car focused because, you know, everything is sort of far apart and you know, you got to fill in the empty gaps.Kevin (36:13.781)Yeah. Yeah. I mean, a lot of that reminds me a little bit of what Jane Jacobs used to talk about in Death and Life of Great American Cities as sort of like the gray zones. Yeah, the in -between density.Seth Zeren (36:23.094)Yeah, the gray density. Yeah. And what I would say is what happened to my neighborhood to a certain extent, and I think this is true of a lot of American, you know, urban neighborhoods, you know, sort of pre -auto suburbanization is that what happened, there was so much, there was a lot of removal, even where there wasn't wholesale urban renewal, you know, mercantile buildings were taken down and replaced with a gas station, right, or a parking lot. And the church is, you know, brought down, you know, there's little holes in the fabric.And when I look at the neighborhood as like someone who thinks about cities and can see, can, you know, learns to look in that way, it's kind of looks like someone who's slightly sick, right? Their skin's a little pale, a little drawn, you know, there's a little yellow in their eyes. That's what it kind of feels like. And so it's about kind of filling it back up again. I think we've kind of, in a lot of cases, we kind of dipped down into the gray zone and we're trying to get back into it because once we get kind of out of that gray zone, adding density is good.Right, it brings more services, more people, which can support more businesses. And there's this positive feedback that strengthens the neighborhood and makes it better. But in the gray zone, it's like, well, is more people gonna make it worse? Like, what are we? It's a nice callback, because most people don't make it past parks in death and life. It's just too bad. I tell them all the good bits are at the end.Kevin (37:37.781)There's many good bits. But yeah, I think there's an interesting aspect of American cities in particular there where you have, and I think about this a lot, we wrestle with this so much in my part of town in Kansas City where there is a sort of urban density that actually works pretty well where everybody pretty much drives still, right? If you know what I mean, like it.Seth Zeren (38:05.526)Yep. Yep. Bye, Norris.Kevin (38:06.869)The parking is easy and it's just not that, it's not really urban, but it's not really suburban. And I think there was a generation of people who re -occupied a lot of urban places like that in the 70s and 80s in particular, who love it for that. They love the fact that they're like in the city, but it's like parking was easy. Now the problem is, yeah.Seth Zeren (38:17.91)Yeah.Seth Zeren (38:32.182)Yep, we have that here too, absolutely.Kevin (38:34.997)The problem is like historically that was a complete non -starter. Those neighborhoods had far more people, were far more urban. And by today's standards, it would have been incredibly difficult to have a car and drive it around everywhere and park it.Seth Zeren (38:49.258)Well, people forget that like you could have the same number of housing units and have fewer people because house hold size is so much smaller today. So the street is relatively empty, right? Compared to when grandma was living here, you know, 80 years ago, um, as far fewer people around.Kevin (38:53.365)Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.Kevin (39:03.381)Yeah. And now with the prevalence of like one car per adult everywhere, the challenge of trying to upgrade those neighborhoods to become more like their historical predecessors, it does create a lot of conflict because then all of a sudden we are wrestling with the, it's really the car issue in many respects. Yeah.Seth Zeren (39:15.798)Yeah.Seth Zeren (39:22.774)Yeah, you're moving from one equilibrium to another equilibrium. And that's always really painful because it's going to reduce quality along the trip, even if you end up in a better place on the other side. You know, one of the things I find really helpful or really valuable, and I admired your work about this, is the business improvement district. And I don't know, whatever we call that microform of government. And we're involved in helping create one on a main street near us that has suffered from a tremendous amount of urban renewal and...Kevin (39:32.501)Yeah. Yeah.Kevin (39:46.003)Mm -hmm.Seth Zeren (39:53.3)institutional concentration and we're trying to figure out how to improve that. And one of things that I've learned from doing that is that the city, even with a pretty strong planning department, Providence has a good planning department, lots of good people, plenty of staff. It's not low capacity, but they got a big city to run, right? And they can't know it super deeply everywhere all the time, right? And here, and I'm involved because we own a bunch of property nearby and I've been working in the area for years. And so I get to know all the other owners and I get to know thethe nonprofits and the businesses and residents and you know, but I'm working on like eight square blocks, if that right. And I know that really well. I can talk about this block versus this block and this crosswalk and that curb and this parking lot and that, that tenant and you know, at that micro level. And it just seems to me that that's gotta be the future of a lot of this governance stuff. Cause to get out of that bad equilibrium is going to require a bunch of really careful.tactical hands -on changes to infrastructure, to private development, public, you know, all those pieces. And when I look at the whole city, I'm like, there's not enough coordination, right? There's not enough attention. There's too many things going on, too many fires to fight. It's at that micro level that I could kind of organize enough people, run the small planning exercise, coordinate the private development, coordinate the public investment and keep on top of everybody. But it's only, you know, eight square blocks, right? In a big city.So how does that work?Kevin (41:21.525)Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's something we've wrestled with a lot and we obviously do a bunch of it here, but I'm a big believer in, you know, place management at that scale. And I think one of the issues that we've seen over and over again is, you know, my city is even much bigger. It's like 320 square miles geographically. It's insanely large. Half a million people in the city limits. So like relatively low density for that large of a city, but...the ability of staff to actually manage all that and know what's going on. It's impossible. It's literally impossible. Yeah.Seth Zeren (41:57.142)Well, I've been city staff and I remember how insane it was. I mean, you don't get out of the building because you're too busy answering emails. You know, this is like you fight with the engineers or whoever about an intersection is like, have you ever stood in the intersection for an hour? Because I have, right? Because I'm there all the time. But you can't run the city, you know, not getting out into the field and seeing the mucky bits, right? And that's like.Kevin (42:17.045)Yeah, there's just a there's a huge mismatch in how we manage cities and their ability to change and solve just solve problems, solve basic problems.Seth Zeren (42:25.43)Well, so one of my questions is, is that in part because like the way we teach kind of all the pieces of city building and management is kind of like, and it feels like they're individually busted and then the system is busted. So like public administration, civil engineering, architecture, planning, you know, development, all, you know, whatever that there's a whole package of different professional schools that you could go to that would teach you these different skills, but none of them talk to each other.And so when they're graduates, I remember being a planner and then talking to the civil engineer Newton being like, we're from different planets, man. Like the words I'm saying, you don't understand the words you're saying, I don't understand, like, and no one's in charge. So we're just kind of like, because every department, one of the things that happens in cities, right, is every department is co equal under the under a mayor or city manager or something. So like planning department can't tell DPW what to do. They're the same level, you know, and so we're just kind of butt heads.Kevin (43:01.493)HeheheheheSeth Zeren (43:23.67)But planning is in a particularly bad situation because they don't have any shovels or trucks or much free cash or anything else. They don't get to do much. Their only power is persuasion.Kevin (43:33.525)And it's the first jobs that are cut whenever there's a recession too. But yeah, I mean, the whole industry is very siloed. And this has kind of been the classic battle of the new urbanism from the beginning was really the push from our side was to create generalists, that people who could pull everything together. And our charrette process was designed to bring all those people together and problem solve at the same time.Seth Zeren (43:36.83)Yeah.Kevin (44:03.317)And that actually worked really well, and it does work really well when you're able to facilitate that. The challenge you have in a lot of city governments that I've seen is that they're just like you said, they're all vertically, you know, all differentiated vertically and it's all siloed. And there's not a ton of incentive for the different departments to understand each other and work together unless you have a particularly strong executive who forces that to happen.Seth Zeren (44:28.662)Yeah, that's really the game. It's like, does your executive get it and care and willing to spend the time on it? You've said something really interesting in the past on other versions of this podcast, which is that, I don't know if I'll get it exactly right, but we spend like 50 % of the time on design, 40 % on policy and 10 % on implementation. And we should be like a third, a third, a third. Here's the thing. I feel like the charrette process is really great, but then the charrette leaves. New urbanists don't have, as far as I can tell, much of an answer of how you actually run the city.There's no proposal on how to reorganize the departments of the city government. There's no proposal on charter reform for cities or, you know, there's a whole universe of, you what should the education for a city manager be? Right. We have, we have an idea about what planning should do differently, you know, and so there's bits and pieces, strong towns, urban three, talk a little bit about the finance side. We're just starting to think about it. When you open that door, you realize, oh my gosh, where are the new urbanist police chiefs? Where are the new urbanist fire chiefs? Right.the controllers, the tax assessors, there's this huge apparatus of public entities that are out there. And I guess part of the reason why the place management is so cool is that you get to actually just be a little micro government. And instead of having to silo off every little bit of things, you're a taxing entity, you can also go hire people to put out flowers, you can also write regulations, you're a whole thing. And so likewise, I feel like the CNU universe has not yet...Kevin (45:47.541)Yeah. Yeah.Seth Zeren (45:55.19)really contended with like the mucky bits of administering, managing the city.Kevin (46:00.245)Yeah, I think that's totally, I think it's totally fair. And, you know, I got a lot of that thinking from Liz Plater -Zyberg who, and so the way she broke it down was design, policy and management. That's the three legs of the stool. Most of the people who came to the new urbanism originally and were most passionate were designers. So they had a very heavy emphasis on design. There were also a lot of policy wonks. So you got that policy piece, but yeah, very few people from.the world of understanding how to actually manage cities. And we've had a lot of interaction and bring people to the table and conferences and all, but I still think very little understanding in that world of how things work.Seth Zeren (46:42.166)Well, and you go, I think, to the International Downtown Association, right? The IDA. How is it that the IDA and CNU are still, like, not connected at all? As far as I could tell, right? From the outside, it just, like, the stuff we're doing is so, so connected, right? And so this, I guess, is a plea to the CNU folks and a plea to the IDA folks, like, let's get together, guys. Because, like, CNU can bring a whole bunch of the design and policy ideas. But you're right, we need managers. And manager, Strong Town sometimes talks about howKevin (46:45.173)Mm -hmm. Yeah.Kevin (46:55.925)This is a good question.Seth Zeren (47:11.132)maintenance is not sexy, right? It's easier to get people to design a new road than just fix the damn road you got. But that's the problem, right? If nobody's interested and we have no way of making management or administration better, like you'll just keep doing new projects and then as soon as you leave, they'll just fall apart, right? Because no one's going to run them when you go.Kevin (47:32.981)Yeah, no doubt. And so hopefully we can make that happen. I would have talked with a few people about this that we need to find a way to link up. I mean, there's always been a linkage there, but it's just not nearly as tight and as strong as I think it could be. I'm amazed when I go to the IDA conference just how few new urbanist consultants even bother to attend, which is shocking to me. It's enormous. But yes, I think there's an in...Seth Zeren (47:53.558)Yeah, it seems like a huge missed opportunity on both sides.Kevin (48:02.965)One of the, I think, ill effects of the last 30 or 40 years of there's been a lot of education that's pushed really smart, ambitious young people into the policy world instead of emphasizing that how important really good management is. First of all, I would say design also. I mean, and problem solving with projects generally is incredibly important.My bias is doing projects is more important than policy, but I know there's a role for both. But management, God, if you don't have good ongoing management of a place, just like any business, if a business doesn't have good ongoing management, forget it, you're toast. And a city, if it doesn't have it, is gonna suffer tremendously. So, you one, go ahead, go ahead.Seth Zeren (48:54.038)Well, I was gonna say, I feel like in my head, I've been thinking about this for a long time. And when I went to school, I went into an environmental management program, quote unquote management, right? It was supposed to train professional people to manage environmental organizations, work in government, work at the forest service, work for nonprofits, working for profits, doing environmental stuff. Were there any classes on management stuff, right? Managing people, managing budgets.Communications, no, it was all science, which is great, fine, like I need to know some stuff about ecology or water management or whatever, but like, how are we a professional school? You know, we have to go out in the world and run organizations which have budgets and staff and HR and communications and negotiation. You know, you can go to the business school and learn some of that and a lot of people did, but you gotta ask yourself like, well, what are we doing here?Kevin (49:44.405)Yeah. Well, man, I had six years of architecture school and there wasn't one business course that was required the whole time.Seth Zeren (49:49.718)Yeah, I mean, I see that. And the planning people, you know, maybe it's gotten better. But when I was going through it, I took a negotiations class at the business school, which was the most useful class for being a planner. It was negotiations. Most planners, we don't need people with physical planning backgrounds. I mean, you need someone who can do some physical planning. Mostly you need some social workers because local government is like a family therapy. They have fights going back 20 years with their neighbor about whatever and who's yelling at who. And it's like, we need just some people to get people to talk to each other.It's not about technical analysis. No one ever voted for my zoning amendment because I had a great analysis. No, it's relationships. So, you know, I look at this as like, and I know there's been efforts around this at CNU, but I think we need to really get serious about building new educational institutions. I don't know that we can do it inside. I mean, we've tried it, you know, at Miami, we've tried it at Notre Dame, and there's been some successes, but it's just not enough, right? 30 years later, you know, there's just...it hasn't really changed anything in terms of what we're training. So we have another whole generation raised up in the old way of doing business and we're surprised when we get the same results.Kevin (50:55.829)Well, one of the things that even mystifies me, somebody who's gone to a lot of architecture schools to do student crits and everything else is like there's this, there's a whole group that have come through in the last, I would say 15 years that don't even know anything now about the early new urbanism because that was like so long ago and it's just not taught. So it's wild to me. It's like that has gone down the memory hole.Seth Zeren (51:14.038)Yeah.Seth Zeren (51:19.35)Yeah.Kevin (51:21.077)So I talk about that a lot with people that I know just to try to keep some of those things going and make sure people have a memory of what actually happened in a lot of those years.Seth Zeren (51:29.91)What I think is so striking is I don't think it's actually that much money that would be needed to build some of these institutions. So if anyone out there is listening and wants to write checks, fantastic. But you could get a lot done for not a lot of money building these new institutions. I really do think that. And the scale of impact on society could be really huge. Yeah.Kevin (51:51.893)Yeah. Seth, I want to switch gears and do one more topic before we run out of time. I want to hit on this piece that you wrote about Yenbys and New Urbanists in Strong Towns and sort of the differences or perceived differences, you know, amongst the groups. I wonder if you could sort of set the table and talk a little bit about what, where you were going with that one. It's a long piece for anybody who wants to read it, but it's, it's really good.Seth Zeren (51:55.862)Oh, sure.Seth Zeren (52:02.538)Yeah.Seth Zeren (52:14.326)Yeah, it's on my my sub stack build the next right thing which is I have small children So we watch a lot of Disney movies. That's do the next right thing, which is a song from frozen 2 But related to incrementalism, right? You don't have to know the final answer You just when you and you're confused you just do the next right thing, you know, you're gonna work your way through it solve the problem incrementally Pragmatically, it's very American way to work. It's good. That's build the next right thing andKevin (52:27.533)Know it well.Seth Zeren (52:45.27)It's a part because like getting to utopia is not like you're not going to take one jump to utopia. We got to like work in the world we're in. So this piece came out actually, ironically, I started writing this in the emergency room with my child in the middle of the night. Because when you have little children, sometimes they eat like stuff and you end up in the emergency room in the middle of the night. So I'm like, I'm like starting to jot down some notes and the notes were really stimulated by another guy, Steve Mouzon, who's been on your show, I think, who, you know, is active on Twitter and occasionally.regularly gets in fights with sort of the very online Yimby crowd. And then there was an exchange, you know, about a piece that Steve wrote and some other people responded. And, you know, a lot of people that I'm considered I like or I appreciate their work. I mean, I appreciate Steve's work. I assign his book on on on the original green. I appreciate Nolan Gray's work. I assign his his stuff. So but I was really struck by this continuing like fight.In this case, between the CNU and the Yenbis. And in my analysis, I mean, you can go read the piece, but I'll give you the really short version. It's basically that, and since I'm from California, I'm very sympathetic to the Yenbi argument, right? I feel it in my bones, right? I can never return to the soil I was raised on because of the failure that has gone before us. So in the Yenbi world, it's all about supply. We got to build a bunch of homes, right? And that's the overriding value and virtue and goal.right? You see it celebrate. We're going to build so many more homes. And the new urbanist orientation, which is really importantly different for a few reasons. First of all, it was started in the eighties and nineties when there wasn't a housing crisis. So the DNA is not built around a housing crisis was built around building crappy places, right? Go read, you know, uh, suburban nation, right? It's about building bad stuff. Read consular, you know, that's, that's the DNA. It's also mostly working in the South, you know, in the Midwest to a certain extent whereThere hasn't been a supply crunch, you know, because they're building stuff, right? It's building sprawl. We can build better sprawl, worse sprawl, but it's still just getting built. And so, you know, a lot of that is about quality. How do we build good places? And so what's so frustrating about, I think, to both sides about the EMBC and U debate is that often we agree. Often building density and building quality are the same. So we're on the same team, but sometimes they're not. And the worst...Seth Zeren (55:12.502)fight is with your ally who betrays you, right? Your enemies, yeah, f**k that guy, he's terrible, right? You know, that's easy, but my friend, I thought you were with me, but now we're not, ah. And so that's what keeps happening, right? The CNU folks are like, you know, that might be a little bit too much density, aren't you worried about the blank walls? Aren't you worried about X, Y, and Z? And then, and the, and the, the Yenbis are like, are you kidding, man? Like we're all homeless, like, unless we build this building, we don't have time for your cute little nonsense. You know, your ADU is just too slow, whatever.Kevin (55:15.477)YouSeth Zeren (55:41.878)And so that's, that's on sort of goals and the people are different, right? The CNU architects first developers planners, the Yimby movement really comes out of activists, uh, political advocates, regular people, software engineers who are not professional built environment people, uh, lawyers, right? It's a policy oriented movement, economists, right? That's the core. That's their intellectual DNA is.know, economists at George Mason, whereas the CNU, it's, it's an, a few architects at Miami. That's really different DNA, right? And I think the CNU has, for whatever reason, not really, it's done some behind the scenes politics, you know, policy change, right? There's been really important behind the scenes policy change, very not visible to normal people. It's never been interested in mass mobilization, you know, votes.persuading elected officials, it's not their jam. The Yenby movement is a political advocacy movement, right? So they're trying to like win votes and get lost. So the Yenby folks have gotten more bills passed that does a bunch of CNU ideas, right? The missing middle, ADUs, all the stuff that CNU came up with like 20, 30 years ago is being mandated by bills passed by Yenby. So they're like, CNU guys, we're doing the thing. Why are you yelling at us? Right? But the Yenbys don't always appreciate that the CNU has,rebuilt so much of the DNA of 20th century planning. So like, complete streets was like a CNU invention. People don't realize that anymore because it's now so mainstream. And so there's this sort of tension where people don't see the benefits the others have provided because they're kind of operating in different styles. So that's, I think, the sort of core tension. And then I added the strong towns because strong towns sometimes finds itself fighting with both of them.And often aligned, right? Often we're all the same team, right? I consider myself a Yimby. I run a Yimby organization. I also am a Strong Towns founding member and I've been at CNU a lot. But they're subtly different, right? The Strong Towns thing that puts them at odds with some of these groups is that Strong Towns core idea is that we need to reengage bottom -up feedback, right? That the system is too top -down, too...Seth Zeren (58:06.454)tightly wound, too fixed, too set. So we build these places that are built to a finished state. We can't ever change them. We have tables that are not responsive to content. So we're just locked up. We can't get anything done. And the Strong Town's idea is, well, we need the systems to be responsive, right? If housing prices go up, we should build. If they don't go up, we shouldn't build. We need to make the streets context sensitive. And so on the one hand, we're all for getting rid of parking requirements and upzoning stuff. So the inbys are like, great.But then sometimes we're like, well, that might be too much of zoning. Here's some reasons why. And the Yenbis are like, wait, I thought you were pro density. I thought you were pro development. We're like, yes, but right. Uh, the strong towns, people would worry that the Yenbis in 1950 would have been the suburban sprawl advocates, right? They would have said, we need the houses now. Damn the consequences. We're not going to worry about fiscal insolvency in 50 years. We're just going to build the houses now. You know, that's, so that's the strong towns. Sort tension with the Yenby movement is the top down, the sort of.And this is a result of your movement being led by political advocates and attorneys and economists, right? There's the concern about that kind of top -down policy orientation, these sort of single metrics, let's get it done. And then I think sometimes there's also debate with the CNU around things trying to be too precious. Ther
Planners can design places for many purposes: to promote commerce, to protect us from natural disasters, to uplift historical significance. As mental health and social relationships become increasingly significant, new questions rise to the top: What about planning for the way people feel? How can planners better understand how environments impact well-being and then learn to shape more joyful, healing spaces? In this episode of People Behind the Plans, Megan Oliver, AICP, WELL AP, founder of Hello Happy Design, discusses how the intersection of neuroscience and planning — called neurourbanism — can provide planners with the necessary tools to design places for social and emotional health. Oliver also speaks to the rising awareness of neurodiversity and how we can change our assumptions about how community members engage with the people and places around them. This episode was sponsored by Nexus at University of Michigan Episode URL: https://planning.org/podcast/megan-oliver-on-how-to-plan-for-happiness-in-cities/
Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Eileen Baden, a certified planner specializing in environmental and park planning about Collaboration, Planning, and AZAEP. Read her full bio below.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: 2:55 Nic & Laura discuss being a conversationalist18:04 Interview with Eileen Baden starts24:53 AZAEP28:49 Collaboration36:23 Planning42:21 Field NotesPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Eileen Baden at https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileenbadenaicp/Guest Bio:Eileen Baden, AICP, has over 13 years' experience in environmental and park planning, public outreach, and higher education. She holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning degree from ASU and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Virginia Tech. She has been involved with the Arizona Association of Environmental Professionals (AZAEP) since 2013. As the Park and Open Space Planner at Maricopa County she was responsible for park, trails, and open space planning for one of the largest counties in the country. As a Senior Program Coordinator she also taught environmental planning at ASU. In 2023 she was appointed to the Arizona BLM Resource Advisory Council.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.
What's the secret to a highly functioning community association? Host Donna DiMaggio Berger and Take It To the Board's producer, Claude Jennings Jr. look back on Take It To The Board's 2023 season and revisit some of the most important conversations about community association living while answering listener questions. Most new communities are devoid of all but the most basic policies and over the years far too many boards fail to anticipate which policies and protocols can make their jobs, as volunteers, easier. Does your community have the following policies in place and, if not, why not?Vacant Unit PolicyWater Leak PolicyHandling of Election Materials PolicyOwner Unit Renovation PolicyBoard Member Code of ConductOwner Civility CodeDirector Resignation PolicyParticipation at MeetingsDocument InspectionsLender Questionnaire PolicyDonna and Claude examine the best policies and protocols for your community association spiced up with real-life questions from Take It To The Board's engaged listeners. Donna also opens up about her journey into condominium law and finding balance at Becker, while Claude shares the fulfilling experiences that carved his path in media and podcasting. Listen now to learn how to maintain a community that is not only functional but harmonious.Conversation Highlights Include:Best policies and protocols to have in place, post-developer turnoverIndividual unit renovations and documentation needed to comply with safety lawsPotential property damage from vacant unitsLender questionnaires Board member eligibility and director resignationsThe biggest mistake boards and managers make when it comes to policies and protocols!Top Episodes of 2023 The Art of Negotiating the Best Telecommunication Deal for Your Community With Marcie Gershoni, President at Community Cable ConsultantsAre “55 and Older” Communities Still In Demand? What Must Be Done to Preserve Your Senior Lifestyle? An Engaging Discussion with Mark Friedman, Becker & PoliakoffThe Impact of Construction Next Door on Your Community with Katie Berkey, AICP, Becker & PoliakoffDonna DiMaggio Berger Celebrates 50th Episode with Business Attorney and Husband, Michael BergerGuns, God, and Gab - A Constitutional Analysis with Jay Roberts, Esq.
Today, I'm making friends with Chris Do, an Emmy award-winning designer, director, CEO and Chief Strategist of Blind and the founder of The Futur—an online education platform with the mission of teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love.** What I Discuss with Chris:– NorCal VS SoCal– Growing up as a first generation immigrant– The problem with the education system– The struggles of being a true designer within the ad agency system** (Psst... Before I tell you more about the guest, do you like this show? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts — even one sentence helps!
We've known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, we've seen the complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decision makers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the systemic change we need? In Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia UP, 2024), Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action—but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. She assesses the current state of affairs and shows why public policy and private-sector efforts have been ineffective. Spurred by this lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Clear-eyed yet optimistic, Saving Ourselves offers timely insights on how social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and open windows of opportunity for transformative climate action. Dana R. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America (2006) and American Resistance: From the Women's March to the Blue Wave (Columbia, 2019). Patricia Houser, PhD, AICP, is a researcher and writer on environmental issues. After several decades as a professor of geography and urban planning, she has turned to public education and outreach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
We've known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, we've seen the complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decision makers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the systemic change we need? In Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia UP, 2024), Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action—but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. She assesses the current state of affairs and shows why public policy and private-sector efforts have been ineffective. Spurred by this lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Clear-eyed yet optimistic, Saving Ourselves offers timely insights on how social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and open windows of opportunity for transformative climate action. Dana R. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America (2006) and American Resistance: From the Women's March to the Blue Wave (Columbia, 2019). Patricia Houser, PhD, AICP, is a researcher and writer on environmental issues. After several decades as a professor of geography and urban planning, she has turned to public education and outreach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies
We've known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, we've seen the complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decision makers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the systemic change we need? In Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia UP, 2024), Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action—but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. She assesses the current state of affairs and shows why public policy and private-sector efforts have been ineffective. Spurred by this lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Clear-eyed yet optimistic, Saving Ourselves offers timely insights on how social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and open windows of opportunity for transformative climate action. Dana R. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America (2006) and American Resistance: From the Women's March to the Blue Wave (Columbia, 2019). Patricia Houser, PhD, AICP, is a researcher and writer on environmental issues. After several decades as a professor of geography and urban planning, she has turned to public education and outreach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology
We've known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, we've seen the complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decision makers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the systemic change we need? In Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia UP, 2024), Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action—but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. She assesses the current state of affairs and shows why public policy and private-sector efforts have been ineffective. Spurred by this lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Clear-eyed yet optimistic, Saving Ourselves offers timely insights on how social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and open windows of opportunity for transformative climate action. Dana R. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America (2006) and American Resistance: From the Women's March to the Blue Wave (Columbia, 2019). Patricia Houser, PhD, AICP, is a researcher and writer on environmental issues. After several decades as a professor of geography and urban planning, she has turned to public education and outreach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/public-policy
We've known for decades that climate change is an existential crisis. For just as long, we've seen the complete failure of our institutions to rise to the challenge. Governments have struggled to meet even modest goals. Fossil fuel interests maintain a stranglehold on political and economic power. Even though we have seen growing concern from everyday people, civil society has succeeded only in pressuring decision makers to adopt watered-down policies. All the while, the climate crisis worsens. Is there any hope of achieving the systemic change we need? In Saving Ourselves: From Climate Shocks to Climate Action (Columbia UP, 2024), Dana R. Fisher argues that there is a realistic path forward for climate action—but only through mass mobilization that responds to the growing severity and frequency of disastrous events. She assesses the current state of affairs and shows why public policy and private-sector efforts have been ineffective. Spurred by this lack of progress, climate activism has become increasingly confrontational. Fisher examines the radical flank of the climate movement: its emergence and growth, its use of direct action, and how it might evolve as the climate crisis worsens. She considers when and how activism is most successful, identifying the importance of creating community, capitalizing on shocking moments, and cultivating resilience. Clear-eyed yet optimistic, Saving Ourselves offers timely insights on how social movements can take power back from deeply entrenched interests and open windows of opportunity for transformative climate action. Dana R. Fisher is the director of the Center for Environment, Community, and Equity and a professor in the School of International Service at American University. Her books include Activism Inc.: How the Outsourcing of Grassroots Campaigns Is Strangling Progressive Politics in America (2006) and American Resistance: From the Women's March to the Blue Wave (Columbia, 2019). Patricia Houser, PhD, AICP, is a researcher and writer on environmental issues. After several decades as a professor of geography and urban planning, she has turned to public education and outreach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics
Dana Okano from Hawai'i Community Foundation joins us today to talk about the needs of her home state Hawai'i, and the importance of giving back to the land that rejuvenates you. She dives into the ongoing challenge of supporting environmental and community needs. Dana and Sybil dig deeply into her freshwater initiative and many of the important priorities in Hawai'i in order to donate and support local organizations in a place that many people visit for rejuvenation.Episode Highlights:Tips and strategies for effective giving Leveraging local resources in a place that rejuvenates youFavorite grants and initiativesDana Okano Bio:Dana Okano, PhD, AICP, (she/her) is Director of the Natural Environment sector at Hawai‘i Community Foundation, and is responsible for programs such as the Hawai‘i Fresh Water Initiative, Holomua Marine Initiative, and co-chairs the Hawai‘i Environmental Funders Group. She is also Director of the EPA-funded Hawaiian Islands Environmental Finance Center, providing Technical Assistance to communities across Hawai‘i for their water needs.Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Okano worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program and Coastal Zone Management Program in Saipan, CNMI. Dr. Okano also previously worked as a Planner at County of Hawai‘i Planning Department, and she began her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Benin, West Africa. Links:Holomua Marine Initiative: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/holomua/ Hawai'i Makai Watch: http://pupukeawaimea.org/programs/makai-watch Hawai‘i Community Foundation https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org If you enjoyed this episode, listen to these as well:https://www.doyourgood.com/blog/150-pooled-funds-that-protects-sharkshttps://www.doyourgood.com/blog/129-jim-enotehttps://www.doyourgood.com/blog/leveraging-public-dollarsCrack the Code: Sybil's Successful Guide to PhilanthropyBecome even better at what you do as Sybil teaches you the strategies and tools you'll need to avoid mistakes and make a career out of philanthropy.Sybil offers resources including free mini-course videos, templates, checklists, and words of advice summarized in easy to review pdfs. Check out Sybil's website with all the latest opportunities to learn from Sybil at https://www.doyourgood.com Connect with Do Your Goodhttps://www.facebook.com/doyourgoodhttps://www.instagram.com/doyourgoodWould you like to talk with Sybil directly?Send in your inquiries through her website https://www.doyourgood.com/ or you can email her directly at sybil@doyourgood.com
In this week's School of Motion Podcast, our Director of Community, Brittany Wardell interviews the founders of two studios leading the charge on Inclusivity in the motion design industry. Macaela VanderMost (Newfangled Studios) and Ricardo Roberts (Bien Studios) discuss how and why inclusivity became a part of their studios' DNA, the steps they've taken to make that a reality, and the costs and benefits of prioritizing inclusivity in their work. Shownotes: Shownotes: Macaela VanderMost https://www.linkedin.com/in/macaela/ Newfangled Studios https://www.newfangledstudios.com/ Ricardo Roberts https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardoroberts/ Bien https://www.bien.studio/ Dash Bash https://www.dashbash.net/ Bien InMoDe Methodology https://thisisbien.com/inclusive-motion-design/ Newfangled North Star https://www.newfangledstudios.com/About/ Madison Avenue: The Advertising Revolution https://barcelona.tbs-education.com/news/madison-avenue-the-advertising-revolution/ AICP https://www.aicp.com/ Double the Line https://www.aicp.com/initiatives/equity-and-inclusion/double-the-line NothingAbout Us Without Us https://vimeo.com/event/3214781
Are you tired of stumbling upon pre-production blindspots that drain your resources? Don't let hidden challenges derail your projects. Enroll in our course, The Art of Script Breakdowns, and uncover the secrets to identifying and overcoming those blindspots with confidence. Visit our website and enroll now to master the art of pre-production!Join us for the first part of a riveting two-part series as Erin Wile and Cheyenne Cage, co-founders of Stand With Production, share their incredible journey of successfully organizing and winning a union with IATSE for the Commercial Production Department. Uncover how they overcame challenges, rallied support, and are reshaping the industry landscape. Tune in to witness their historic achievement that's transforming the future of commercial production. Grab a drink, and let's celebrate.Topics: Unionization, Production Transformation, IATSE, AICP, Labor MovementFREE RESOURCES WE MADE FOR YOU:
Shruti Shankar, AICP brings over a decade of design, planning and sustainability experience to Studio One Eleven in her role as Urban Design Director. Her work focuses on creating sustainable and equitable urbanism, and vibrant urban places by combining data-driven insights, design thinking, community engagement and collaborative city-building practices. Shruti holds a Bachelors' degree in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design, as well as a global certification in sustainability. In this episode, she shares the different countries she had the opportunity of studying architecture in and how it helped shape her perspective in her work today. Shruti is a very thoughtful designer and she shares great insight on what it means to be a "Global Architect" Full Bio Shruti Shankar, AICP brings over a decade of design, planning and sustainability experience to Studio One Eleven in her role as Urban Design Director. Her work focuses on creating sustainable and equitable urbanism, and vibrant urban places by combining data-driven insights, design thinking, community engagement and collaborative city-building practices. She is experienced in a variety of project types, including visioning, master planning, public space design, and tactical urbanism for placemaking and testing improvements. Shruti is currently leading efforts on a design manual for outdoor dining for the City of West Hollywood and a study to assess the potential for redevelopment of commercial sites to housing in the South Bay, including site utilization and density studies. She also led the Downtown Huntington Beach and Main Street Urban Design Study to assess the potential for placemaking improvements, and was involved in crafting the vision for the Glendale Arts and Entertainment District. Shruti holds a Bachelors' degree in Architecture and a Masters in Urban Design, as well as a global certification in sustainability. Link to Studio One Eleven: https://studio-111.com/
Jonathan Curth, AICP, Development Review Manager of City Planning Division with the City of Fayetteville, discusses removing parking minimums in the City of Fayetteville.SPONSORSThis episode is brought to you by Parker Technology, the customer experience solution of choice in the parking industry. Parker's solution puts a virtual ambassador in every lane, to help parking guests pay and get on their way in under a minute. Parker helps capture revenue, provides better customer service, enables your staff to focus on other on-site tasks, and keeps traffic moving, according to your business rules. With the Parker solution, you'll also enjoy access to real-time call data and recordings. Learn more at helpmeparker.com/parkingpodcast.This episode is brought to you by the International Parking & Mobility Institute, the world's largest association of professionals in parking, transportation, and mobility. Learn more at parking-mobility.org.This episode is brought to you by RISETEK. RISETEK's VERGE Data Analytics and Reporting Platform delivers a powerful management solution with integrations to your existing technologies. Learn why the largest cities in America such as New York City are using RISETEK to solve their parking and transportation challenges at risetekglobal.com/parkingpodcast.This episode is brought to you by TEZ Technology. Since 1993, TEZ has developed innovative, text-based mobile solutions designed to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and improve overall customer experiences. My favorite is the ability to pay for parking without having to download an app. TEZ solutions include SMS Valet, Text2Park, Permit2Park, and much more. Every organization should add TEZ to their payment options arsenal. Learn more about TEZ at teztechnology.com.WEBSITES AND RESOURCEShttps://www.helpmeparker.com/parkingpodcast/https://www.parkingcast.com/https://www.parking-mobility.org/https://tezhq.comrisetekglobal.com/parkingpodcastMERCHCheck out some of our awesome parking themed t-shirts and other merch at parkingcast.com/merch.SURVEYCould you give us 2 minutes of your time? We would be so grateful if you could fill out this quick 2 minute survey to help us learn more about our listeners: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TV68NB9
Despite the fact that Atlanta has a river flowing through the center of it, it isn't known as a river city. We are hoping that changes with the Chattahoochee River Project and Atlanta embraces the river the way that Chattanooga, Tennesse or Greenville, South Carolina have creating areas where the public can interact with the river. Chattahoochee Program Director Walt Ray, PLA, AICP with Trust for Public Land joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast to discuss the Chattahoochee River Project. On the All About Real Estate segment, Ray chats with host Carol Morgan about how the public can access the river and ways to get involved with the project. Walt Ray, PLA, AICP is a professional landscape architect and part of the American Urban Planners Association. Growing up on a quaint farm on the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania, Ray spent most of his time exploring along the river – starting his passion for the outdoors and riverside culture. Ray holds a degree in landscape architecture from Clemson University and has spent much of his career working in the public realm, including helping communities understand their needs, building census on the public's wants and designing outdoor spaces. Joining the Trust for Public Land team in 2017, Ray is head of activating and conserving the Chattahoochee River and its valley from Helen to Columbus, Georgia. Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit organization that aims to connect individuals to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. Beginning in 1972, the organization has over 30 offices nationwide and has protected approximately two-million acres of public land across the country, including many beloved national and state parks. Raising close to 84 billion dollars in public funding, Trust for Public Land has connected over nine-million people to the outdoors through building and protecting lands, parks and trails. Ray said, “We believe that access to the outdoors is a fundamental human need and that communities are stronger and healthier when everyone can get outdoors to engage with neighbors and nature!” With the Chattahoochee River spending decades in the shadows of industrial sites, train stations, sewer lines, golf courses and much more, very few know the river, its location and how to access it safely. Early on in his stint at Trust for Public Land, Ray knew the Chattahoochee River was a significantly large project. In 2018, the Trust of Public Land began its journey of reviving the river with public engagement, and in 2020 Ray and his team proposed 125 miles of continuous trail featuring 25 new or improved river crossings, 42 trailheads, connected parks and greenspaces and many more exciting amenities. You can explore the entire Chattahoochee River Project vision at www.ChattahoocheeRiverLands.com. Individuals and businesses interested in getting involved with the Chattahoochee River Project can visit the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area or the river within parks in Carroll County, Duluth and Sandy Springs. In addition, Trust for Public Land is hosting volunteer days to help build the Chattahoochee RiverLands and guided tours in Smyrna for larger groups to see renderings and designs of upcoming developments. You can also donate toward the Chattahoochee River Project at www.ChattahoocheeRiverLands.com. Ray said, “Seeing is believing! We welcome all volunteers, visitors and donors who are willing!” Tune into the full interview above to learn more about the Trust of Public Land, or visit www.TPL.org. A special thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006, podcasting since 2011 and is currently working on strategies for the Google Helpful Content update and ways to incorporate AI into sales and marketing. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions.
Boy, we had a time this season! And just like that, we're on our last episode of season three. We got to catch up with Nina Idemudia, AICP, before she presented several sessions at the American Planning Association (APA) National Planning Conference that took place April 1-4, 2023. Nina inspired Nimo and Jas in their planning careers long before this episode. She currently serves as the Chicago Recovery Plan Director for the City of Chicago's Department of Planning and Development. She started her career as a planner for the City of Los Angeles with a purpose and passion for how the built environment impacts communities. In addition to multiple awards from APA, Nina was recently elected the first Black President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association. She is also a board member of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Press play to hear: Reflections on Nina's career journey and education experience, and local planning differences by region Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Recovery and resilience planningPlanning “hot takes” in 45 seconds or lessYou can learn from the Chicago Recovery Plan Team at the virtual APA conference on April 27, presenting on using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for equitable outcomes. Follow Nina on IG @aplannerwithapurpose.Thank you for listening and tune in every other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.Or send us an email to connect with us!
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