Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring! We had the privilege of interviewing three incredible planners from the City and County of San Bernardino, plus a special appearance from the APA California President, live from the APA 2024 California State Conference in Riverside! In this episode, we dive into their unique roles in local government, what brought them to the conference, and what they’re most excited about in the world of urban planning. We also explore the latest planning trends sha...
Oct 07, 2024•45 min•Ep. 53
In this episode of Urban Planning is Not Boring, we sit down with Senior Embedded Planner at 4Leaf Inc., Jonathan Pacheco Bell, to discuss hostile architecture. Jonathan recently appeared on the Decoder Ring and KJZZ NPR Phoenix podcasts where he discussed the inequities in public spaces caused by hostile architecture. He defines hostile architecture as "elements of the built environment that are designed to deter human behaviors and make targeted populations feel uncomfortable in public space."...
Sep 24, 2024•54 min•Ep. 52
In this episode of Urban Planning is Not Boring, Sam and Nat are joined by three representatives from various APA California chapters who share their experiences as young and emerging planners and discuss opportunities at the upcoming APA California Conference: Tony Lopez, APA Inland Empire Kyle Wilson, APA Orange County Brittany Montano, APA Los Angeles Join us as we dive into the world of young and emerging planners with a focus on the American Planning Association (APA) and its support for ea...
Sep 09, 2024•51 min•Ep. 51
After a few months off, we're excited to say that Urban Planning is Not Boring is back! In this episode, we're catching up on what we've been up to during the break and sharing some personal updates. Don't worry—your favorite urban planning content is just around the corner. Stay tuned for more deep dives into the world of urban planning in upcoming episodes! Coming Soon! We will be hosting a session at the APA California 2024 Conference in Riverside California! If you'll be there, come say hi! ...
Aug 27, 2024•26 min•Ep. 50
Welcome back to "Urban Planning is Not Boring"! We'll examine the historical context of downtown "ghost towns" and how this phenomenon is not entirely new but rather a cyclical pattern in urban development. From white flight to suburban sprawl, we'll trace the trajectory of downtowns over the last few decades, from decline to revival and now to uncertainty. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated existing trends and brought about unprecedented challenges. With remote work becoming the norm and downtow...
Mar 05, 2024•27 min•Ep. 49
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring! In this episode, we dive into an acronym many of you are likely familiar with, VMT. We start by breaking down the concept of VMT - vehicle miles traveled - which essentially measures the total distance traveled by vehicles, typically on a daily basis. To illustrate, imagine driving 20 miles to work, 5 miles to the gym, and 15 miles back home from the gym. That totals to 40 vehicle miles traveled for the day. But why does VMT matter? We explore the le...
Feb 12, 2024•39 min•Ep. 48
Welcome back to Urban Planning Is Not Boring! In today's episode, we delve into the concept of third places – those vital social hubs that bridge the gap between our homes (first places) and workplaces (second places). Join us as we uncover why third places are essential to fostering vibrant, connected communities. American sociologist Ray Oldenburg introduced the notion of third places as crucial to democracy and social cohesion in this 1989 book " The Great Good Place ". Despite the allure of ...
Jan 31, 2024•44 min•Ep. 47
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring ! In this episode, Nat and Sam sit down with representatives from the American Planning Association (APA) Inland Empire Section to dive into the excitement surrounding the upcoming APA California Conference in Riverside from September 28th through October 1st. Discover the purpose and vision behind APA and its Inland Empire Section, explore the initiatives of the Diversity Division, and learn how the Young and Emerging Planners Group is shaping the fu...
Jan 16, 2024•43 min•Ep. 46
Happy New Year! Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring! We are back from our break with a very exciting episode! In this joint episode, the Four Degrees to the Streets and Urban Planning is Not Boring podcasts come together to discuss Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Hosts Nimo, Jas, Sam, and Nat use their expertise and experience living in TODs as a backdrop to give a coast-to-coast perspective on this complex subject. Press play to hear: TOD defined as a mixed-use community that encou...
Jan 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 45
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring! In this episode, we delve into the bipartisan alliance formed to address a growing crisis: homelessness. Inspired by a recent New York Times article titled " In Rare Alliance, Democrats and Republicans Seek Legal Power to Clear Homeless Camps ," we explore the pressing issue of homelessness in the United States and the legal complexities surrounding the removal of homeless encampments from public spaces. Join us as we discuss the legal challenge pres...
Oct 23, 2023•27 min•Ep. 44
Welcome back to "Urban Planning is Not Boring." In this special episode, we're revisiting an essential topic that we recently covered in our class for Abundant Housing LA: "Introduction to Affordable Housing." Affordable housing is a pressing issue in cities worldwide, and it's crucial to understand the fundamentals of this complex and multifaceted subject. Whether you're an urban planning enthusiast, a housing advocate, or someone seeking to make sense of the challenges and solutions in your co...
Oct 10, 2023•37 min•Ep. 43
Cities across the United States have opted to implement policy for community development gradually, rather than undergoing expedited construction and housing reform. Brooklyn Heights, Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans, and Austin are just a few names you might recognize of cities undertaking something called incremental housing development. The term is used to describe when cities are built, as the name suggests, in small increments. It balances the ever-changing demands of modern urban living w...
Sep 19, 2023•57 min•Ep. 42
Welcome to another episode of Urban Planning is Not Boring. Today, we have the privilege of exploring the world of community engagement, design, and planning with some remarkable guests from co:census. They're here to discuss an exciting new product, civicX, which promises to transform public feedback into meaningful insights in real-time. Joining us are three experts from co:census: Autumn Beaudoin, Ethics & Research Design Lead Nicole Schwartz, Software Engineer Jovanny Tovar, Product Mark...
Sep 12, 2023•30 min•Ep. 41
Welcome to another episode of Urban Planning is Not Boring. Today, we're diving deep into zoning reform and its implications for our cities. We're thrilled to have special guests from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) with us to discuss their latest groundbreaking report titled "Reshaping the City: Zoning for a More Equitable, Resilient, and Sustainable Future." For those interested, you can find a link to the report further down in the episode description. Joining us are two ULI experts who played...
Sep 04, 2023•45 min•Ep. 40
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that delves into the dynamic interplay between architecture and planning. In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Shiva Ghomi, Director of Planning and Community Development at Aufgang, an esteemed architecture and planning firm. Shiva's unique background as both an architect and urban planner lends a distinctive perspective to our conversation. Shiva begins by sharing insights into her role at Aufgang, where she wears the ...
Aug 21, 2023•26 min•Ep. 39
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that delves into the exciting world of urban planning. In this episode, we take a close look at MOVE Culver City, a city-led initiative that envisions reimagining streets as public spaces, prioritizing efficient and safe mobility options for everyone. Join us as we explore the project's goals, controversy, and status. Despite the project's goals to increase safety and sustainable mobility options, there was significant public backlash, le...
Aug 07, 2023•23 min•Ep. 38
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring! After our mini 'summer break', we're excited to bring you a special episode titled "Catching up with Nat and Sam." In this episode, your hosts Natalie and Sam reconnect and share their experiences adjusting to post-grad life. Natalie kicks things off by discussing her transition into the working world. She provides insights into her full-time job and the challenges and joys that come with starting a new career in private real estate. From navigating ...
Jul 17, 2023•48 min•Ep. 37
Welcome to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that explores the fascinating world of urban design and planning. In this episode, we are thrilled to have Shruti Shankar, the urban design director at Studio One Eleven, a renowned interdisciplinary architecture, interiors, urban planning, and landscape architecture practice based in Long Beach, California. Originally from Chennai, Shruti brings a unique perspective to her work, deeply fascinated by the people and life of cities rather than j...
Jun 19, 2023•36 min•Ep. 36
Welcome to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that explores the fascinating world of urban planning. In this episode, join your hosts Sam and Nat as they dive into a crucial concept in housing production: filtering. They explore why it is essential to produce housing at every income level, not solely focusing on affordable housing. Sam and Nat discuss the mechanics of filtering, which refers to the natural process of housing becoming more affordable over time as newer, higher-cost units a...
Jun 06, 2023•31 min•Ep. 35
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that explores the fascinating world of urban planning. In this episode, we are joined by Maria Patiño Gutierrez, Director of Policy and Research at Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), a non-profit organization based in Los Angeles, California that works to build power and community leadership to create equitable policies and systems that benefit working-class communities of color. SAJE's work focuses on housing justice, equitable...
May 29, 2023•37 min•Ep. 34
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that explores the fascinating world of urban planning. In this episode, we sit down with Ryy Dickerson, an urban planner from Providence, Rhode Island who recently wrote his thesis entitled "Grief Urbanism: Placemaking, Surrealism, and Freedom Inside Protest Camps." Ryy's work explores the role of protest camps and other temporary urban interventions in creating new spaces of community and resistance within the city. We discuss the inspir...
May 15, 2023•41 min•Ep. 33
Happy National Bike Month and welcome back to "Urban Planning is Not Boring," the podcast that explores the fascinating world of urban planning. In this episode, we are joined by representatives from three non-profit organizations based in Los Angeles, California: Eli Kaufman from Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (BikeLA), John Yi from Los Angeles Walks, and Lena Williams, from People for Mobility. These three groups are part of a larger group called "Our Streets Action Committee." In this i...
May 08, 2023•27 min•Ep. 32
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring!! In this episode, we are joined by Angela Brooks, the new national president of the American Planning Association National organization. We are SO excited to have her on the show (we were fangirling a little). In this interview, Brooks shares how she came to find planning, her insights on the most pressing challenges facing cities in terms of zoning and housing, and how she hopes cities can begin to address these challenges. We also touched on her pe...
May 01, 2023•55 min•Ep. 31
Welcome back to Urban Planning is Not Boring, the podcast that explores the fascinating world of urban planning. This episode, Sam and Nat sit down with Brittany Simmons, an urban planner and creative based in New York City, to discuss her journey into creating urban planning content and how it can help raise awareness about the importance of city planning. Brittany shares her insights on why she began creating content related to urban planning and how short-form content, such as TikTok videos, ...
Apr 17, 2023•28 min•Ep. 30
Attention all urban planning enthusiasts! In the latest episode of "Urban Planning Is Not Boring," co-hosts Sam and Nat sit down with Victoria Ferrell Ortiz, Executive Director, and Evelyn Mayo, Co-Chair, of RAYO Planning, a non-profit planning firm based in Texas. RAYO Planning is a 501(c)3 urban planning nonprofit that is committed to closing the health, wealth and opportunity gap in communities through land use planning, policy creation and cultural preservation. RAYO works with communities i...
Apr 03, 2023•41 min•Ep. 29
Sam and Nat sit down to discuss all things Capstone! With graduation right around the corner, the capstone project is a pivotal element of the MUP graduate program at USC. This episode dives into the project’s components and all the ups and downs Sam and Nat faced during the process of writing their reports!
Mar 20, 2023•45 min•Ep. 28
This week, we are so lucky to have Dr. Santina Contreras a researcher and adjunct professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy. Santina's work focuses largely on environmental justice, disaster planning, and community engagement. With a background in structural engineering, Dr. Contreras has a unique subset of skills in the planning field, and we dive into how her background and passions have led her to where she is today. Listen to here more! Build Change - "Our mission is to greatly redu...
Mar 06, 2023•48 min•Ep. 27
"The role of transit in shaping urban form is as important as its role in meeting transportation needs." - Meghna Khanna In this episode, Sam and Nat chat with the amazing Meghna Khanna, a Senior Director at Los Angeles Metro. After seeing Meghna's keynote address at the APA Los Angeles Awards Ceremony, we knew that we wanted her to come on the podcast to talk about the work that she and her team at LA Metro have done pertaining to gendered experiences on transit. LA Metro has done amazing work ...
Feb 27, 2023•43 min•Ep. 26
Desiree (Dee) Powell does it ALL! From working with full-time with Congress for the New Urbanism, starting her own planning and placemaking group Do Right By The Streets (DRBTS), heading up the Sunny South Dallas Food Park activation and community space, and founding the Black Planner Collective, we quite frankly don’t know how she manages it all! But somehow, this incredible woman does! Listen to this episode to learn more about Dee Powell, a Texas-based planner and placemaker who believes abov...
Feb 13, 2023•44 min•Ep. 25
In today’s episode we are joined by Peter Enzminger to discuss all things affordable housing! This episode's discussion focuses on the different elements of affordable housing development and the ways in which it is both similar and different from market-rate housing development. Peter addresses many unique aspects involved in affordable housing development, including the historical significance of affordable housing that permeates into planning and policy today. Listen to learn more!
Feb 06, 2023•48 min•Ep. 24
