Shows
Go Cultivate!Meet the Verdooners — with AJ FawverEpisode 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 reco...2022-12-2030 min
We Built It That WayDensity: Just a fancy term for overcrowding?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 measuresArguments people make against densityArguments people make in favor of densityA theory on why density tends to be a fixation in North AmericaDifferent ways to reach the same densityHow cars factor in (and cars always factor in...2022-09-2357 min
We Built It That WayExtra Credit: When Cars KillIn this Extra Credit episode, we have a chat about a frankly glum topic: when cars kill people. We discuss a fantastic 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 deathindividuals and families bearing the burden of collective failureslearning from other countries: whether safe streets are a "cultural" thing or a policy resultVision Zero as a response to...2022-08-2037 min
We Built It That WayCover your ears: Why are cities so loud?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 noiseadverse mental, physical, and social health effects from too much noise exposurewhat safe noise levels even areways to reduce noise in cities (hint: it has a lot to do with cars, like basically everything we talk about)and a whole lot moreLinks:Want to learn more on this episode’s topic? There has been no shortage of words written on the...2022-07-3055 min
We Built It That WayExtra credit: Who is to blame for climate gentrification?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 '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 cr...2022-07-1838 min
We Built It That WayPandemics change cities. They also spotlight their problems.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:What the Pandemic's 'Open Streets' Really RevealedCoronavirus is not fuel for urbanist fantasiesHow the Coronavirus Will Reshape ArchitectureDriving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why.Oakland's Open Streets Programs Are Still a Work in Progress. That's a...2022-07-0238 min
We Built It That Way📕 Extra Credit: Should we tear down highways?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: 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 transportationwhy people want to tear down some highways (are they just maniacs??)pros...2022-05-2738 min
We Built It That WaySigns and/or wonders: How much is too much?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 shor...2022-05-1354 min
We Built It That WayInduced traffic: Why doesn’t adding lanes help?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’...2022-04-081h 05
We Built It That WayCongested: Why is there so much 🤬 traffic?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...2022-03-1150 minWe Built It That WayAging in America: Why do we make it so hard for seniors?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:Improving with age? How city design is adapting to older populationsDesigning Better Urban Spaces for the AgingDesigning cities for the aged | E&T MagazineTo build an inclusive smart city, look through an age-friendly lensCities Alive: Designing for ageing communitiesCo-designing Urban Living Solutions to Improve Older People's Mobility and We...2021-12-1042 minWe Built It That WayNot throwing shade: Why is shade so hard to find?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:Shade (Places Journal)Impact of shade on outdoor thermal comfort—a seasonal field study in Tempe, Arizona22 Benefits of Urban Street Trees by Dan BurdenUrban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping ReviewSome city trees may discourage 'shady' behavior; Study explores relationship between urban trees and crimeQuantifying the shade provision of street trees in urban landscape: A case study...2021-11-0536 minWe Built It That WayLook both ways: Why is crossing the street so dangerous?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: Should Law Subsidize Driving? by Gregory H. ShillFighting Traffic (book) by Peter NortonRight of Way (book...2021-10-0841 minWe Built It That WayTRAILER: We Built It That WayTwo and a half minutes of us trying to convince you to subscribe to our new show! And by us, we mean AJ Fawver and 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...2021-09-3002 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Parking Minimums EditionWe’re back with another edition of our series “Are We Doing This Right?” This time around, we take a closer look at parking minimums. They might seem like a harmless feature of your zoning ordinance, but they play a huge role in shaping the physical environment of your community. Intentionally or not, parking minimums adversely affect the viability of public transit and local businesses, housing affordability, regional ecological health, and the fiscal strength of the cities that enact them.In this episode, we dig into the history and consequences of minimum parking requirements, and then we talk a...2020-04-291h 05Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Food Trucks & Pop-ups EditionFor the December installment of 'Are We Doing This Right?’ on the Go Cultivate! podcast, we’re diving deep into the world of pop-up retail and food trucks. The whole concept is a lot older than you (might) think. Join us for a walk through some of the history, regulatory and social issues, and much, much more.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...2019-12-201h 02Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Public Engagement Edition (Part 2)For the November installment of 'Are We Doing This Right?’ we’re tackling public engagement. What does it look like when it’s done well? What are some pitfalls to look out for? Who and what is it for, exactly? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s no one-size-fits-all right answer to public engagement. But we think there is such a thing as the right approach.In this double episode, we dig into literally everything you need to know about public engagement. Just kidding; we probably left a few things out. But we do think this...2019-11-2732 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Public Engagement Edition (Part 1)For the November installment of 'Are We Doing This Right?’ we’re tackling public engagement. What does it look like when it’s done well? What are some pitfalls to look out for? Who and what is it for, exactly? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s no one-size-fits-all right answer to public engagement. But we think there is such a thing as the right approach.In this double episode, we dig into literally everything you need to know about public engagement. Just kidding; we probably left a few things out. But we do think this...2019-11-2756 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Placemaking Edition (Part 2)This is Part 2 of our 'Are We Doing This Right?' discussion on placemaking! This time, we delve deeper into some criticisms of placemaking as it is commonly applied.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 / LinkedInAnd if you haven't yet, sign up for our weekly email digest. It's not lame! (Each...2019-11-0734 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Placemaking Edition (Part 1)Placemaking is one of those ubiquitous urbanist buzzwords these days. Yet it can be difficult to get a broadly agreed-upon definition. We discuss what is actually means (as far as we can tell), what trends it came about as a response to, and why it might look different depending on the location. We run through some of the key elements of (the different forms of) placemaking, and a few notable (good and bad) examples of where it's been done.This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion. In Part 2, we'll get more familiar with some of the different...2019-10-301h 04Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Tiny Homes EditionTiny homes have been growing in popularity over the past decade. To some, they’re an opportunity to shed unnecessary “stuff” and fully embrace a minimalist lifestyle. To others, they’re a critical part of addressing the homelessness crisis in this country. But in most cities in the U.S., it’s not exactly clear where they fit in with housing regulations.In this installment of our “Are We Doing This Right?” series, we take a look at some of the common assumptions about tiny homes, how people are using them, what laws are applicable to them (and what’s oft...2019-09-251h 07Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Granny Flats EditionCities 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...2019-09-0456 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Single-Family Zoning EditionAcross 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 ab...2019-07-231h 04