Podcast appearances and mentions of aj fawver

Episode 5 of “Meet the Verdooners” introduces us to AJ Fawver, who leads Verdunity's Community Consulting Program. In this episode we learn what initially brought AJ into the planning world and what element of community building she is most concerned about. AJ is a firm believer that we serve communities best when we remember that people are at the center of everything we do, and she greatly admires communities that are willing to have difficult conversations in order to effect positive change in their cities. After the episode make sure to check out AJ's book recommendations:The Local Economy Solution by Michael ShumanPlacemaking with Children and Youth by Victoria Derr, Louise Chawla, and Mara MintzerAs well as “We Built it That Way”, a podcast she co-hosts with Jordan Clark.

Is urban density good or bad??? This is the type of question we'd prefer not to answer. But if you're okay with a little nuance, hop on in while we take a stroll through what density means, what it does and doesn't do, and why the topic riles so many people up. We talk about: What density measures Arguments people make against density Arguments people make in favor of density A theory on why density tends to be a fixation in North America Different ways to reach the same density How cars factor in (and cars always factor in!) What is overcrowding? And how that relates to "density" How talking about urban intensity allows for greater specificity And a lot more! Links: Want to learn more on this episode's topic? There has been no shortage of words written on the virus and our cities. Here's just a tiny sample: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fh0032706 (June 1972 article from Psychological Review, titled "On the distinction between density and crowding: Some implications for future research" by Daniel Stokols) https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/june-2021/we-need-to-focus-on-the-problem-of-crowding-not-density-in-our-cities/ (June 22, 2021 article in Policy Options Politiques, "We need to focus on the problem of crowding, not density, in our cities" by Valerie Preston and Brian Ray) https://www.tvo.org/article/density-is-a-planning-problem-crowding-is-a-money-problem (June 1, 2020 TVO Today article, "Density is a planning problem. Crowding is a money problem" by John Michael McGrath ) https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-density-americans.html (January 2019 Governing, "Why ‘Density' Is a Bad Word: It's often used to describe how people live in urban spaces. But it shouldn't be." by Alex Marshall) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode includes: Sounds of the Supermarket, https://www.sessions.blue/ (Blue Dot Sessions), bummies. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkFbda5rUJoJv0lTGsNUEYg (on YouTube)), a 1986 recording from The Weather Channel, lukrembo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eWIffP2M3Y (on) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua7Qfc1xu90 (YouTube)), https://freemusicarchive.org/music/C_Scott/ (C. Scott), Isaac Horwedel, and Dead Moon ("Too Many People")

In this Extra Credit episode, we have a chat about a frankly glum topic: when cars kill people. We discuss a fantastic https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/when-cars-kill-pedestrians (piece in the New Yorker) about a growing movement to end pedestrian and cycling fatalities in NYC and beyond. Lots to cover in this show, and we talk about: ingrained attitudes about transportation (and whose experience counts the most) policy choices that inevitably lead to avoidable death individuals and families bearing the burden of collective failures learning from other countries: whether safe streets are a "cultural" thing or a policy result Vision Zero as a response to traffic deaths neighborhood politics the concept of "windshield bias" a few simple design approaches that make streets safer for all people ... and more Let's dive in! --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, a 1985 Weather Channel broadcast, Isaac Horwedel, and Cullah ("GroOvy" and "Western Firefight 2").

In this episode, we talk about noise pollution—a much bigger problem than you might realize! Some of the things we discuss include: the most common (and annoying) sources of outdoor noise adverse mental, physical, and social health effects from too much noise exposure what safe noise levels even are ways to reduce noise in cities (hint: it has a lot to do with cars, like basically everything we talk about) and a whole lot more Links: Want to learn more on this episode's topic? There has been no shortage of words written on the virus and our cities. Here's just a tiny sample: Book: https://islandpress.org/books/curbing-traffic (‘Curbing Traffic' by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-22/why-city-noise-is-a-serious-health-hazard (Why City Noise Is a Serious Health Hazard) https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.1307272 (Environmental Noise Pollution in the United States: Developing an Effective Public Health Response) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/07/light-noise-pollution-animal-sensory-impact/638446/ (How Animals Perceive the World)  https://www.salon.com/2014/11/02/the_sounds_of_our_lives_suck_how_to_make_cities_better_by_ending_the_blight_of_noise/ (The sounds of our lives suck! How to make cities better by ending the blight of noise) https://youtu.be/CTV-wwszGw8 (Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud (Video)) https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/06/14/1053771/sounds-smells-vital-to-cities-as-sights/ (Why sounds and smells are as vital to cities as the sights) https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20210830-paris-caps-speed-limit-to-30km-h-in-further-boost-to-soft-transport-road-safety-hidalgo (Paris caps speed limit to 30km/h in further boost to 'soft' transport) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-02/the-sensory-assault-of-18th-century-cities (The Sensory Assault of 18th Century Cities) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-26/road-traffic-noise-pollution-is-linked-with-a-heightened-risk-of-central-obesity (Road Traffic Noise Pollution Is Linked With a Heightened Risk of Central Obesity) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-03-26/the-science-of-quieter-cities (The Science of Quieter Cities) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-06-21/traffic-noise-might-give-you-a-heart-attack (Traffic Noise Might GiveYou a Heart Attack) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-03-26/the-science-of-quieter-cities (The Science of Quieter Cities) https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/10/how-silence-became-a-luxury-good/408412/ (How Silence Became the Ultimate Luxury Good ) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-20/the-basically-complete-health-case-for-urban-parks-trees-and-nature (The (Basically) Complete Health Case for Urban Parks, Trees, and Nature) https://interactive.wearepossible.org/noisycities/#/?city=nyc&language=en (NOISY CITIES) (interactive map) https://maps.dot.gov/BTS/NationalTransportationNoiseMap/ (National Transportation Noise Map) (US DOT) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode includes: Sounds of the Supermarket, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats ("Rocket 88"), Scott Joplin ("Pineapple Rag"), Bob Dylan ("Piano Mood").

Time for another installment in our 'Extra Credit' series, where we take a reading and discuss our takeaways, for your listening pleasure. In this episode, we discuss a piece in Shelterforce titled https://shelterforce.org/2022/05/09/are-urban-planners-staying-silent-on-climate-gentrification/ ('Are Urban Planners Staying Silent on Climate Gentrification?') – written by Colleen O'Connor-Grant. The built environment is the embodiment of countless decisions, each of which is a vote for what matters to us (or, to be honest, what matters to those with power and influence). In the case of climate gentrification, zoning rules, economic development practices, affordable housing policies, and other "boring" things create an unequal, ecologically degraded world. Which shapes each of us who live in it. Let's dive in! --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, a 1985 Weather Channel broadcast, Isaac Horwedel, Scott Joplin ("Reflection Rag"), and Lead Belly ("Bourgeois Blues").

In this episode we look back on just a few ways this current pandemic had an impact on how we see and use our built environment. (ARE CITIES DEAD?!?!?!) Links: Want to learn more on this episode's topic? There has been no shortage of words written on the virus and our cities. Here's just a tiny sample: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-03/the-unequal-geography-of-covid-s-open-streets (What the Pandemic's 'Open Streets' Really Revealed) https://archive.curbed.com/2020/5/20/21263319/coronavirus-future-city-urban-covid-19 (Coronavirus is not fuel for urbanist fantasies) https://www.newyorker.com/culture/dept-of-design/how-the-coronavirus-will-reshape-architecture (How the Coronavirus Will Reshape Architecture) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2022/1/10/driving-went-down-fatalities-went-up-heres-why (Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why.) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/10/14/oaklands-open-streets-programs-are-still-a-work-in-progress-thats-a-good-thing (Oakland's Open Streets Programs Are Still a Work in Progress. That's a Good Thing.) https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-04-22/coronavirus-pandemics-architecture-urban-design (Past pandemics changed the design of cities. Six ways COVID-19 could do the same) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, ERLAX (https://youtu.be/MK8eBCD0a5s (YouTube)), Stockwave (YouTube), and Scott Joplin ("Reflection Rag").

We're trying something new! This is the first in our 'Extra Credit' series, where we take a reading and discuss our takeaways, for your listening pleasure. In this episode, we discuss an article that ran in Texas Observer in 2021: https://www.texasobserver.org/the-road-home/ (What If the State Department of Transportation Tore Down Texas Highways?) by Megan Kimble. We talk about: what impact urban highways have on cities (and how they are different from rural highways) the "interesting" ways Texas's Department of Transportation publicly talks about transportation why people want to tear down some highways (are they just maniacs??) pros and cons of urban highways and a lot more! We also mention an article in The Guardian that came out the week we recorded: https://theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/29/texas-highway-expansions-project-displacements-protests (‘It's just more and more lanes': the Texan revolt against giant new highways) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, Isaac Horwedel, a 1985 Weather Channel broadcast, and Wire ("Lowdown")

We're back, and we're talking about signs. Urban advertisements. Billboards, pole signs, and much more. We sure do put up with a lot of signs telling us what to do. Why are we so permissive with our eyeballs? Well, in recent decades, there have been movements across the globe to rid cities of public advertising. We discuss this trend and much more. Plus, what implicit values and priorities are built in to the way advertisement is allowed in cities? Links: Want to learn more on this episode's topic? Here's just a short list of interesting resources: https://placesjournal.org/article/the-stealthy-politics-of-urban-advertising/ (The Stealthy Politics of Urban Advertising) https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/aug/11/can-cities-kick-ads-ban-urban-billboards (Can cities kick ads? Inside the global movement to ban urban billboards) https://archive.curbed.com/2018/12/19/18148818/outdoor-digital-advertising-billboard (Advertising: Why billboards and outdoor ads are booming in a smartphone age) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-20/the-ad-screens-on-ride-hail-cars-collect-data-too (The Ad Screens on Ride-Hail Cars Collect Data, Too) https://www.planetizen.com/node/78993 (Cities Lose Supreme Court Case on Sign Regulation) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-05/here-are-the-tools-to-hack-into-your-city-s-public-advertising (Here Are the Tools to Hack into Your City's Public Advertising) https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Planning/Docs/MarchApril2019-DCPFeNews-DigitalSigns-printerfriendly.pdf (Shedding Light on Digital Signs) (PDF) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, Blue Dot Sessions ("Sandy Shuffle"), Homer & Jethro ("The Billboard Song"), Isaac Horwedel, and Gary Nintendo ("Riding a giant eagle over the mountains")

It's Part II of our two-part series on traffic congestion! This time: why adding more lanes doesn't make congestion go away. Framing traffic congestion as primarily a “street capacity” problem has led practitioners to seek solutions by adding more lanes and miles of streets and roads. This has the unintended (but predictable) consequence of generating more traffic. This phenomenon is exceedingly well known but continually ignored among the professionals who can do anything about it. Let's talk about it. Links: Want to learn more on this episode's topic? Here's just a short list of interesting resources: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-06/traffic-jam-blame-induced-demand (Traffic Jam? Blame 'Induced Demand.' - Bloomberg) https://t4america.org/2021/10/20/say-hello-to-induced-demand/ (Transportation For America More highways, more driving, more emissions: Explaining "induced demand" - Transportation For America) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2021/3/3/the-fundamental-global-law-of-road-congestion (The Fundamental, Global Law of Road Congestion) (from City Observatory) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2015/11/20/reducing-or-inducing-traffic (Reducing Traffic or Inducing It?) https://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-traffic-induced-demand/ (What's Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse | WIRED) https://humantransit.org/2022/01/induced-demand-an-axiom-of-biology.html (Induced Demand: An Axiom of Biology — Human Transit) https://cityobservatory.org/questioning-congestion-costs/ (Questioning Congestion Costs | City Observatory) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand (Induced demand - Wikipedia) https://cityobservatory.org/reducing-congestion-katy-didnt-2/ (Reducing congestion: Katy didn't | City Observatory) https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/2021/03/19/reduced-demand-just-important-induced-demand (Reduced demand is just as important as induced demand | CNU) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/7/18/the-problem-with-hov-lanes (The Problem with HOV Lanes) https://slate.com/business/2021/12/cars-traffic-congestion-jams-open-streets-freeways-reduce.html (Opinion: Filth, Automobiles, and Our Misguided Obsession With Traffic) https://cityobservatory.org/calculating-induced-demand-at-the-rose-quarter/ (Calculating induced demand at the Rose Quarter | City Observatory) http://www.vtpi.org/gentraf.pdf (Generated Traffic and Induced Travel) – VPTI (PDF) https://its.berkeley.edu/news/your-navigation-app-making-traffic-unmanageable (Your Navigation App Is Making Traffic Unmanageable | Institute of Transportation Studies) https://shift.rmi.org/ (SHIFT Calculator) Book: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1289253484 (Walkable City by Jeff Speck) (public library) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, Joanna Newsom ("Good Intentions Paving Company"), Wu Tang Clan ("C.R.E.A.M." instrumental), Bob Dylan ("Piano Mood"), Isaac Horwedel, Gary Nintendo ("Riding a giant eagle over the mountains"), and a 1985 Weather Channel broadcast

After an unexpected hiatus, your best friends AJ and Jordan are back in business. This time around we go where few shows of any stature have ever dared: the subject of traffic congestion. What's up with it? What causes it? When did we first start to see it as a problem? How did competing narratives from the early days come to shape how we see and deal with it? Is traffic congestion definitely bad, or is it akshually good? And as always, we will be talking about how this all affects us as humans, individually and collectively. This is a longer episode than usual, but it's more packed than the Katy Freeway at rush hour. Stay tuned for a follow-up episode about some common ways we've tried to address traffic but ended up making it worse! Links: Want to learn more on this episode's topic? Here's just a short list of interesting resources: Fighting Traffic by Peter Norton (https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fighting-traffic (buy) or https://www.worldcat.org/title/fighting-traffic-the-dawn-of-the-motor-age-in-the-american-city/oclc/1020677234 (find in library)) https://cityobservatory.org/questioning-congestion-costs/ (Questioning Congestion Costs) https://cityobservatory.org/its-back-and-its-even-dumber-than-ever-the-urban-mobility-report/ (It's back, and it's even dumber than ever: The Urban Mobility Report) PDF: http://www.vtpi.org/UMR_critique.pdf (Congestion Costing Critique: Critical Evaluation of the “Urban Mobility Report”) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/traffic-congestion (Traffic Congestion - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/10/2/does-new-development-cause-traffic (The Causes of Traffic and Congestion) https://humantransit.org/2011/06/that-influential-texas-urban-mobility-report.html (That Influential Texas "Urban Mobility Report") https://humantransit.org/2015/11/self-driving-cars-a-coming-congestion-disaster.html (Self-Driving Cars: A Coming Congestion Disaster?) https://humantransit.org/2018/07/is-ride-hailing-to-blame-for-rising-congestion.html (Is Ride-Hailing to Blame for Rising Congestion?) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion (Traffic congestion - Wikipedia) Video: https://youtu.be/cHSCmQnGH9Q (Why Traffic Congestion Grows Exponentially, Why It Matters, and What To Do About It // An Explainer) (CityNerd) Video: https://youtu.be/iHzzSao6ypE (The Simple Solution to Traffic) (CGP Grey) — mentioned in the show Video: https://youtu.be/8qy6MrDcukk (Why do Traffic Jams Occur out of Nowhere?) (The Good Stuff) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, Scott Joplin ("Reflection Rag" & "Sugar Cane"), a 1986 Weather Channel broadcast, Gary Nintendo, Jerry Reed ("Lord Mr. Ford"), and The Muppets ("It's Not Easy Being Green")

This month we ask whether our built environment serves older adults well as they age—and how that has an impact on all of us, regardless of age. Links: Want to read more on this episode's topic? Here's just a short list of interesting resources: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/25/improving-with-age-how-city-design-is-adapting-to-older-populations (Improving with age? How city design is adapting to older populations) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-13/designing-better-urban-spaces-for-the-aging (Designing Better Urban Spaces for the Aging) https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2020/09/designing-cities-for-the-aged/ (Designing cities for the aged | E&T Magazine) https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/to-build-an-inclusive-smart-city-look-through-an-age-friendly-lens/514328/ (To build an inclusive smart city, look through an age-friendly lens) https://www.arup.com/perspectives/publications/research/section/cities-alive-designing-for-ageing-communities (Cities Alive: Designing for ageing communities) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5993707/ (Co-designing Urban Living Solutions to Improve Older People's Mobility and Well-Being) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/s41289-019-00081-x (Improving housing and neighborhoods for the vulnerable: older people, small households, urban design, and planning) https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/cities-must-adapt-to-aging-populations-study-finds (How Cities Can Design for Aging Baby Boomers) https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/116709/___%20Chong%20%20Cho.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (Creative Ageing Cities: Place Design with Older People in Asian Cities: Foreward) https://www.planning.org/pas/reports/report148.htm (Planning and an Aging Population) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/03/this-is-how-we-create-the-age-friendly-smart-city/ (How can cities become more inclusive for elderly people? | World Economic Forum) https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20191028-the-cities-designing-playgrounds-for-the-elderly (The cities designing playgrounds for the elderly) https://icma.org/documents/age-friendly-built-environments-opportunities-local-government (Age-Friendly Built Environments: Opportunities for Local Government) https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/what-do-seniors-need-parks/1070996/ (What Do Seniors Need in Parks?) https://www.completecommunitiesde.org/planning/healthy-and-livable/aging/ (Planning for Aging-Friendly Communities) https://www.wsj.com/articles/five-innovative-ways-cities-are-improving-life-for-seniors-11558450968 (Five Innovative Ways Cities Are Improving Life for Seniors) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132321003267 (Ten questions concerning age-friendly cities and communities and the built environment) https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/12/elderly-coronavirus-covid-ageism-pandemic (The US's Neglect of the Elderly Has Turned Murderous) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Edited by Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, Scott Joplin ("Pineapple Rag"), a 1986 Weather Channel broadcast, and Bing Crosby ("Silver Threads Among the Gold")

In this episode we're talking shade in cities. The good kind! Why don't we have enough of it? Links: Want to read more on this episode's topic? Here's just a short list of interesting resources: https://placesjournal.org/article/shade-an-urban-design-mandate (Shade) (Places Journal) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127889/ (Impact of shade on outdoor thermal comfort—a seasonal field study in Tempe, Arizona) https://www.walkable.org/download/22_benefits.pdf (22 Benefits of Urban Street Trees by Dan Burden) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7345658/ (Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101101171240.htm (Some city trees may discourage 'shady' behavior; Study explores relationship between urban trees and crime) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319466170_Quantifying_the_shade_provision_of_street_trees_in_urban_landscape_A_case_study_in_Boston_USA_using_Google_Street_View (Quantifying the shade provision of street trees in urban landscape: A case study in Boston, USA, using Google Street View) https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/journals/pnw_2013_dilley001.pdf (Homeowner Interactions with Residential Trees in Urban Areas) https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ppp3.39 (The benefits of trees for livable and sustainable communities) https://archinect.com/news/article/150018158/how-glass-buildings-are-making-fighting-climate-change-harder (How glass buildings are making fighting climate change harder) https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2021/7/2/shade-in-the-city (Shade in the City) https://www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entries/the-high-cost-of-urban-monocultures-2/ (The High Cost of Urban Monocultures)https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/parks/urban-forest/tree-and-shade (Parks and Recreation Learn About Phoenix's Urban Forest) https://sustainability-innovation.asu.edu/sustainable-cities/resources/tree-shade-plan-development-resources/ (Tree & Shade Plan Development Resources) https://ucsusa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e4e9082a1ec343c794d27f3e12dd006d (Killer Heat in the United States: The Future of Dangerously Hot Days (Map)) https://folklife.si.edu/talkstory/2015/on-fences-plazas-and-latino-urbanism-a-conversation-with-james-rojas (On Fences, Plazas, and Latino Urbanism: A Conversation with James Rojas) https://www.weather.gov/hazstat/ (Weather Related Fatality and Injury Statistics) https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/08/05/talking-headways-podcast-the-heat-is-on/ (Talking Headways Podcast: The Heat is On) (featuring Dr. V. Kelly Turner) https://placesjournal.org/article/tree-thinking/ (Tree Thinking) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, a 1986 Weather Channel broadcast, the West Wing theme, Edward Shallow, and Stephen Douglass ("Gonna Be Another Hot Day")

In our first episode, we take a look at crossing the street. Why is it so frequently a dangerous and uncomfortable activity? What does street design reveal about our priorities as a society? And what does this all mean for us as humans?  Join us as we barely scratch the surface on these questions!  Links: Want to read more on this episode's topic? Here's just a short list of interesting resources: Quoted in the show: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3345366 (Should Law Subsidize Driving? by Gregory H. Shill) https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fighting-traffic (Fighting Traffic (book) by Peter Norton) https://islandpress.org/books/right-way (Right of Way (book) by Angie Schmitt) https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-015-0175-0 (Street crossing behavior in younger and older pedestrians: an eye- and head-tracking study) https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/21/6/1236/332865 (Collective behavior in road crossing pedestrians: the role of social information) https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/13098/13098.pdf (Human Factors Assessment of Pedestrian Roadway Crossing Behavior) https://rspcb.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/RSF/Unit2.aspx (Road Safety Fundamentals Unit 2: Human Behavior and Road Safety) https://austinpublishinggroup.com/emergency-critical-care-medicine/fulltext/ajeccm-v2-id1011.php (Exploring the Pedestrian's Behaviors in Crossing the Street Based on Gender) https://www.drdarciedixon.com/blog/on-the-psychology-of-crossing-the-street (On the Psychology of Crossing The Street) https://www.wired.com/story/why-did-the-human-cross-the-road-to-confuse-the-self-driving-car/ (Why Did the Human Cross the Road? To Confuse the Self-Driving Car) https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7551873/jaywalking-history (The forgotten history of how automakers invented the crime of "jaywalking") https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26073797 (Jaywalking: How the car industry outlawed crossing the road) https://www.salon.com/2015/08/20/the_secret_history_of_jaywalking_the_disturbing_reason_it_was_outlawed_and_why_we_should_lift_the_ban/ (The secret history of jaywalking: The disturbing reason it was outlawed — and why we should lift the ban) https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/03/13/the-classist-racist-history-of-jaywalking/ (The (Classist, Racist) History of Jaywalking) https://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/10/14/adam-ruins-everything-explains-the-origins-of-jaywalking/ (“Adam Ruins Everything” Explains the Origins of “Jaywalking”) https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/06/28/three-turning-restrictions-cities-need-to-put-on-drivers/ (Three Turning Restrictions Cities Need To Put On Drivers) https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/03/10/study-how-race-and-income-impact-road-safety-in-oregon/ (STUDY: How Race and Income Impact Road Safety in Oregon) --- Check us out on https://twitter.com/webuiltitpod (Twitter) and https://www.instagram.com/webuiltitpod/ (Instagram) @webuiltitpod. Hosted by AJ Fawver and Jordan Clark. Music in this episode: Sounds of the Supermarket, Scott Joplin, Gary Nintendo

Two and a half minutes of us trying to convince you to subscribe to our new show! And by us, we mean https://twitter.com/planning_guru (AJ Fawver) and https://twitter.com/mrjordanclark (Jordan Clark), your friends who work in urban planning and apparently don't have anything better to do than to nerd out off the clock. But we nerd out in a charming and approachable way. (When you tell your friends and coworkers about this new show, make sure to sell it with exactly those words: "charming and approachable.) This is a show for curious people, where we'll question why the built environment is built the way it is, and what it says about who we are. Here is your homework between now and next week: Subscribe now to make sure you don't miss out on Episode 1, coming Friday, October 8. Follow us on https://twitter.com/WeBuiltItPod (Twitter) (for now). Send us instructions about how to create a TikTok and also what is Tiktok? ;) Tell literally every single person in your life that their life is about to change forever, and when they ask why, text them the link to our https://webuiltitthatway.captivate.fm/ (show page) and slink off mysteriously. (That last part helps to build the buzz, probably.) Music is from: Sounds of the Supermarket

Adam and Dr. Nick are joined by AJ Fawver. AJ is the Community Consulting Program Leader for Verdunity. The three chat about the unified development code. They explain what it is, what it means, and why you should be invested in its development. Interesting in learning more about the current city planning proposals? This episode is a great place to start.

Our friends at Strong Towns have put out a new resource for folks in local government called The Local Leader's Toolkit: A Strong Towns Response to the Pandemic. Jordan speaks with Rachel Quednau of Strong Towns and then with Verdunity's AJ Fawver to discuss some of its key points.--The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of Verdunity. Find more about this and other episodes (and our blog) at verdunity.com/go-cultivate.You can also find us on social media. Facebook / Twitter / LinkedInAnd if you haven't yet, sign up for our weekly email digest. It's not lame! (Each week we collectively curate a list of the things we read that caught our attention. Then we hand-package your copy, spank a first-class stamp on that baby, and drop it right in your email inbox.) Sign up here!Join us (and your peers!) in the Community Cultivators Network.(This episode features music from No Money and Custodian of Records.)verdunity.com/podcast/episode-68

Changing how communities are built. Two people joined the podcast from Verdunity, a planning, engineering, and engagement firm focused on fiscal sustainability. Kevin Shepherd, the Founder and CEO, and AJ Fawver, Program Leader, talked about the mission of Verdunity, how cities can build better places, and the cost of maintaining infrastructure.  Host: Kirsten Wyatt

Cities across the country face a shortage of affordable housing, despite a nationwide glut of single-family homes. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—often referred to as granny flats or other quaint-sounding names—have emerged as one way to quickly add affordable units to single-family neighborhoods, without tearing down existing homes. Yet, in most cities, they remain illegal to build. And while some cities have re-legalized them, they often put in place so much red tape that few units end up actually getting built. In this episode, we cover: the myriad arguments in favor of building more ADUs some common pushback and reasons why ADU allowances aren’t more common the types of people who would benefit from and/or occupy ADUs how some cities are discouraging the construction of ADUs even when they technically allow them suggestions for what your city can do to enable and encourage residents to build ADUs Want to research this further? Here are some of the resources we found helpful: The ABCs of ADUs: A guide to Accessory Dwelling Units and how they expand housing option for all ages All About Accessory Dwelling Units AccessoryDwellings.org Santa Cruz Implements “Granny Flat” Program Why tiny ADUs may be a big answer to the urban housing crisis American Planning Association KnowledgeBase: Accessory Dwelling Units BuildingAnADU.com -- "Are We Doing This Right?" is a new series where we dig deeper into an issue that affects cities across North America, bust (or uphold) a few myths, set some context, and give our frank opinions about whether or not we could be doing things better. Check out the other episodes with "Are We Doing This Right?" in this podcast feed if you dig this one. And we're always taking submissions: podcast@verdunity.com. Your hosts for this episode: Jordan Clark & AJ Fawver. The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of Verdunity. Find more about this and other episodes (and our blog) at verdunity.com/go-cultivate. You can also find us on social media. Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn And if you haven't yet, sign up for our weekly email digest. It's not lame! (Each week we collectively curate a list of the things we read that caught our attention. Then we hand-package your copy, spank a first-class stamp on that baby, and drop it right in your email inbox.) Sign up here! -- (Music in this episode is from No Future, Blue Note Sessions, Chuck Jackson, Custodian of Records, & Fred Rogers.) verdunity.com/podcast/episode-37

Across the country, cities big and small are facing a housing affordability crisis, yet many single-family houses sit vacant. Many of the same cities have serious infrastructure funding shortages. We examine the role of single-family zoning in shaping these issues and more—and we explore why there is momentum building to re-legalize other housing types, such as duplexes and fourplexes. "Are We Doing This Right?" is our new podcast series where we dig deeper into an issue that affects cities across North America, bust (or uphold) a few myths, set some context, and give our frank opinions about whether or not we could be doing things better. (Hint: we usually think we could be doing things better than we currently are, but we always try to find examples of places that already are doing a good job.) Your hosts for this episode: Jordan Clark & AJ Fawver. -- The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of Verdunity. Find more about this and other episodes (and our blog) at verdunity.com/go-cultivate. You can also find us on social media. Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn -- (Music in this episode is from No Future, Custodian of Records, & Malvina Reynolds.) verdunity.com/podcast/episode-35

Engagement and shaping communities. Three guests join the podcast to discuss approaches to neighborhood planning and the work that goes into engaging residents. Mercy Murguia is a Commissioner for Potter County, TX; Dina Newman is the Director of the Center for Neighborhoods at the University of Missouri at Kansas City; and, AJ Fawver is the Planning Director for the City of Lubbock, TX. All three discussed their perspectives on planning and engagement as well as how each of their communities approach neighborhoods.

This is the second of a two-part interview with AJ Fawver, director of planning for the City of Lubbock, Texas. (Follow her on Twitter: @planningguru. Read her blog on ELGL here.) In part two, we talk about the world of strengths assessments and communication styles—and how they can be applied to make organizations like city government more effective and empathetic. Then Kevin asks AJ what she as a planner wants people other roles in the city to know. They run through advice and input for elected officials, city management, economic development folks, engineers, and citizens. The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of VERDUNITY. Learn more at verdunity.com. Find our other episodes and blog posts at GoCultivate.org. (The music in this episode is from Custodian of Records.)

This is the first of a two-part interview with AJ Fawver, director of planning for the City of Lubbock, Texas. (Follow her on Twitter: @planningguru. Read her blog on ELGL here.) Here's a sampling of what Kevin and AJ get into: The difference between land use planing and zoning—and what they’re good for. And some ways that their application hasn’t been good for cities. Dealing with the common perception (in various cities) that planning departments exist to hinder growth or development The ways that money enters the equation in decision making, for planners, for city administrators, for elected officials, and even for citizens. And the ways that it often doesn’t but should. Why it’s so common for (vocal) residents in cities to oppose things like apartments and assisted living facilities. AJ also addresses the politics of having discussions about development patterns with residents and elected officials. The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of VERDUNITY. Learn more at verdunity.com. Find our other episodes and blog posts at GoCultivate.org. (The music in this episode is from Custodian of Records.)

The career ladder is becoming more of a career jungle gym, there's no one path to leadership in local government. To talk about a couple of non-traditional career paths Kirsten chatted with Amber Mathiesen, City Manager of Mt. Angel, OR, and AJ Fawver, Planning Director of Amarillo, TX. They shared how their backgrounds in records and planning prepared them for leadership positions.