Podcasts.
"The status quo would like you to believe it is immutable, inevitable, and invulnerable, and lack of memory of a dynamically changing world reinforces this view. In other words, when you don’t know how much things have changed, you don’t see that they are changing or that they can change... This is an extraordinary time full of vital, transformative movements that could not be foreseen. It’s also a nightmarish time. Full engagement requires the ability to perceive both." - Rebecca Solnit
A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America
In 1933, faced with a housing shortage, the federal government began a program explicitly designed to increase — and segregate — America's housing stock. Author Richard Rothstein says the housing programs begun under the New Deal were tantamount to a "state-sponsored system of segregation."
The Arsenal of Exclusion
Cities are great. They have movement, activity and diversity. But go to any city and it’s pretty clear, a place can be diverse without really being integrated. This segregation isn’t accidental. There are design elements in the urban landscape, that Daniel D’Oca calls “weapons,” that are used by “architects, planners, policy-makers, developers, real estate brokers, community activists, neighborhood associations, and individuals to wage the ongoing war between integration and segregation.”
512: House Rules
Where you live is important. It can dictate quality of schools and hospitals, as well as things like cancer rates, unemployment, or whether the city repairs roads in your neighborhood. On this week's show, stories about destiny by address.
This Community Life - Equitable Placemaking
In South Philadelphia, a community is coming together to revitalize Mifflin Square Park. We look at what has gone into this placemaking project, what makes it inclusive. Our guest Thoai Nguyen talks about the challenges and rewards of working with the community.
Who Owns Culture?
It may not have the same impact as the Elgin Marbles, but a slightly battered bronze statue of a cockerel has re-ignited a row that has potentially profound implications for our museums and opens a Pandora's Box of moral dilemmas.
What Does Flint Tell Us About the Challenges Facing Post-Industrial Cities?
Flint, Michigan is in a state of crisis because its water is too toxic to drink. The bill to fix the city's water pipes could run as high as $1.5 billion dollars. What does this crisis tell us about the challenges facing smaller post-industrial cities in America?
Reclaiming Public Space-- at the Beach and at the River
Aside from water, the L.A. River and Malibu’s beaches at first glance don’t have much in common. But look closer, and you’ll find they are two of L.A.’s most underutilized public spaces. We explore both places and how Angelenos are reclaiming them via recreation.
How to Revitalize a Deserted City Center
Australia's Marcus Westbury joins me to talk about the Renew Newcastle initiative he helped launch that revitalized the nearly deserted downtown of Newcastle, Australia. The project convinced landlords to loan space on a rolling 30 day basis to people with entrepreneurial ideas. Westbury also wrote about this project in his book "Creating Cities"
Rebecca Solnit On The Power Of A Story
Human beings have been drawn to stories for thousands of years. They captivate us. We yearn for them — “tell the one about … ” — ad infinitum. Sometimes we get the story right. Sometimes not. Stories break. Stories change. And sometimes it helps to turn a story upside down.
What Are We Going to Do With All of These Dead Malls?
Eric McAfee of American Dirt (http://dirtamericana.com/) joins me to talk about dead malls, why they are happening, and what they indicate, and what we can do about them.
Financing Community Redevelopment
Bill Taft of LISC Indianapolis talks about how his organization finances community redevelopment in cities around the country, and shares lesson's he's learned from two decades of working to rebuild urban neighborhoods.