Shows
Then & NowWhy History Matters: L.A. Wildfires Past, Present, and FutureIn this week’s episode of then & now, we present a recording of a recent panel discussion focusing on L.A. wildfires past, present, and future. This program is part of the “Why History Matters” series presented by the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Department of History—a series dedicated to the belief that historical knowledge is an indispensable, and often missing, ingredient in public debate.”Why History Matters: L.A. Wildfires Past, Present, and Future,” brought experts together to explore how historical and indigenous perspectives can reshape our understanding of wildfires, especially in light of the devastating...2025-05-211h 07
UCLA Housing VoiceEp. 92: How Housing Influences Transportation Choices with Adam Millard-Ball (Road Scholars pt. 2)Do people drive less because they live in buildings that don’t provide parking, or do they live in buildings that don’t provide parking because they drive less? That question has huge implications for how we build and rebuild our cities, yet researchers have struggled for decades to answer it conclusively. UCLA professor Adam Millard-Ball joins us to discuss new research that finally — we hope — puts the question to bed. Taking advantage of San Francisco’s affordable housing lottery, Millard-Ball and colleagues find that (as-good-as-)randomly assigning tenants to different buildings and neighborhoods has substantial impacts on their transporta...2025-05-2150 min
UCLA Housing VoiceEp 86: Where the Hood At? with Mike LensHow have conditions changed since 1970 in neighborhoods where Black residents are the largest racial or ethnic group? Mike Lens wrote a whole book on the subject: Where the Hood At? Fifty Years of Change in Black Neighborhoods. He takes the guest mic to share what he learned.Book summary: Substantial gaps exist between Black Americans and other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., most glaringly Whites, across virtually all quality-of-life indicators. Despite strong evidence that neighborhood residence affects life outcomes, we lack a comprehensive picture of Black neighborhood conditions and how they have...2025-02-191h 17UCLA Housing VoiceEncore Episode: Family-Friendly Urbanism with Louis ThomasIn most of the U.S., cities are for singles, roommates, and childless couples, and the suburbs are for raising kids. That’s not true of much of the rest of the world, and perhaps the nearest example of family-friendly urbanism can be found just a few miles to the north, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver’s under-15 population fell by one percent citywide between 1996 and 2016, but in downtown specifically, its youth population nearly tripled. Louis Thomas, lecturer at Georgetown University and a parent himself, joins us this week to discuss the history, policies, and social infrastructure that have enab...2024-12-251h 07Then & NowContinuity and Change: The Fairfax District and What it Tells us about LA. A Conversation with Stephanie Zager, Michaela Esposito, and Ella KittIn this week’s episode of then & now, UCLA undergraduates Stephanie Zager, Michaela Esposito, and Ella Kitt join us to discuss the results of their LCHP report on the evolution of the Fairfax District in Los Angeles. The three researchers chronicle the district's rise and decline against the backdrop of the inevitable ebbs and flows of urban change. Influenced by migration patterns, economic development, and demographic shifts, Fairfax’s identity and outside perception have evolved significantly throughout its history. To understand this evolution better, Stephanie, Michaela, and Ella explored the policies and political initiatives within and outside the neighborhood, cond...2024-12-1841 minUCLA Housing VoiceEp 83: Local Effects of Upzoning with Simon Büchler and Elena LutzUrban upzonings have been rare across the world, and many of the most significant occurred only in the past 5–10 years or less. One exception is the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, where cities and towns have been relaxing land use restrictions for over 25 years. Simon Büchler and Elena Lutz share their research on the long-term effects of these reforms on housing supply and rents, and the kinds of zoning changes that produce real-world results.Show notes:Büchler, S., & Lutz, E. (2024). Making housing affordable? The local effects of relaxing land-use regulation. Journal of Urban Econ...2024-12-111h 01UCLA Housing VoiceEp 81: How New Zealand Passed Its Ambitious Zoning Reforms with Eleanor WestIn a previous episode we discussed Auckland’s unprecedented upzoning and its effect on housing production and land prices. This time we’re joined by Eleanor West to talk about the political, social, and economic conditions that made the reforms possible — not only in Auckland, but across New Zealand.Show notes:West, E. (2024). Up-zoning New Zealand: the localisation of a globally mobile policy idea (Policy paper no. 003). University of Auckland: Economic Policy Centre, Urban and Spatial Economics Hub. West, E., & Garlick, M. (2024). Upzoning New Zealand. Works in Progress.Episode 45 of UCLA Housing Voice with Ryan Gr...2024-11-131h 10
Decoding HealthFrom NFL to Philanthropist: A Fight Against Epilepsy with Brett HundleySend us a textIn this episode of the Decoding Health Podcast, Brett Hundley shares his journey from early life achievements to his career in the NFL and his eventual transition into life post-retirement. He offers advice on discipline, lessons learned, and insights into the often harsh business side of professional football. Brett also delves into the founding of The Hundley Foundation, driven by his desire to support those with epilepsy, discussing the challenges of epilepsy treatment and resources, and expanding on the foundation’s growth and impact. He provides practical advice on navigating an epilepsy diagnosis an...2024-11-041h 01
Forecast DirectForecast Direct No. 31 - Racial Discrimination and Equity in the Housing MarketRacial discrimination in any market is a sign of a market failure and needs to be quantitively identified, to prompt policy-based steps towards equity.
In this episode, UCLA real estate economist, Sayantani hosts Alina Arefeva, Assistant Professor at the Department of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, Wisconsin School of Business, who will discuss the presence and extent of racial discrimination in the housing market, through analyzing the differential impact of eviction moratorium on minorities. Professor Arefeva studies discrimination through a housing search model, and empirically quantifies a significant drop in the relative rental-housing-based response ratio to...2024-10-2321 minUCLA Housing VoiceEncore Episode: Market-Rate Development and Neighborhood Rents with Evan MastWe’ve long known that building more homes helps keep prices in check at the regional or metro area level, but what about the house down the street? Evan Mast shares two research studies that shed light on this important and controversial question. Originally aired in 2021. Updated show notes.Show notes:Mast, E. (2023). JUE Insight: The effect of new market-rate housing construction on the low-income housing market. Journal of Urban Economics, 133, 103383.Asquith, B. J., Mast, E., & Reed, D. (2023). Local effects of large new apartment buildings in low-income areas. Review of Economics and Statistics, 105(2), 359-375.Br...2024-09-1846 minUCLA Housing VoiceEp 78: Building Height and Construction Costs with Anthony OrlandoBuilding taller lets us fit more homes on valuable urban land, but more homes doesn’t necessarily mean more affordable. Anthony Orlando joins to share his research on why taller isn’t always better — and the circumstances where it definitely is.Show notes:Eriksen, M. D., & Orlando, A. W. (2022). Returns to scale in residential construction: The marginal impact of building height. Real Estate Economics, 50(2), 534-564.Episode 69 of UCLA Housing Voice, with Mike Eriksen discussing the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and “Crowd Out”Giuliano, G., Redfearn, C., Agarwal, A., & He, S. (2012). Network Accessibility and Employment...2024-09-041h 03UCLA Housing VoiceEp 76: How Housing Supply Responds to Rising Demand with Nathaniel Baum-SnowWhen the demand for housing rises, which kinds of neighborhoods respond by building more homes, and which just get more expensive? Nathaniel Baum-Snow joins to discuss his research on the different responses of urban, suburban, and exurban neighborhoods, and the many forms “supply” can take.Show notes:Baum-Snow, N., & Han, L. (2024). The Microgeography of Housing Supply. Journal of Political Economy, 132(6), 1897-1946.Alameldin, M., & Karlinsky, S. 2024). Construction Defect Liability in California: How Reform Could Increase Affordable Homeownership Opportunities. UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation.Saiz, A. (2010). The Geographic Determinants of Housing Supply. The Quarterly Jour...2024-08-071h 05UCLA Housing VoiceEp 74: Racial (and Spatial) Disparities in Rental Assistance with Andrew FenelonBlack households make up a disproportionate share of rent assistance recipients. Andrew Fenelon discusses how a “two-tiered approach to housing support" favoring white homeowners helped create the disparity.Show notes:Fenelon, A. (2024). Race, housing policy, and the demographic and spatial structure of modern housing programs: Who receives rental assistance and where do they live? Journal of Urban Affairs, 46(5), 944-961.Streets.MN article about the Bryant Avenue Bike Path (with photos).Episode 17 of UCLA Housing Voice, discussing housing vouchers with Rob Collinson.Episode 37 of UCLA Housing Voice, discussing public housing with Akira Drake Rodriguez.Tax Po...2024-07-1053 minThen & NowUnder the Heat Dome: A Conversation about Thermal Inequality with Bharat Venkat2023 marked the hottest year recorded in human history, with predictions indicating a worsening global trend. In early June 2024, southern California experienced an extreme heat dome, with temperatures rising into the triple digits. Currently, heat alerts affect over 16 million people across California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. This escalating situation is not confined to the United States nor limited to the present; it is a manifestation of the intensifying impacts of climate change. Regions previously unacquainted with extreme heat are struggling to adapt, while areas accustomed to high temperatures are becoming increasingly uninhabitable.Heat is not merely...2024-06-1251 minUCLA Housing VoiceEp 72: Notes on Tokyo’s Housing, Land Use, and Urban Planning with Shane PhillipsIn this episode, Shane combines insights from a recent trip to Tokyo with official data on housing production, affordability, land use policy, and more.Show notes:Twitter thread of photos and observations during my trip.Episode 16 of the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast with Jiro Yoshida, on Japanese Housing PolicyJapanese population by prefecture.JR East Yamanote Line timetable.Mainichi article on recovering transit ridership on the Yamanote Line.The myth of pedestrian infrastructure in a world of cars, by Joe Cortright in City Observatory.Data on housing starts vs. existing home sales in the US...2024-06-031h 00