It's a great conversation focused on the centralization of capital in real estate and how that affects decision making, how we prioritize profits over people and most importantly what we can do differently to try and solve these issues. We chat about smaller scale development and the creation of smaller grained places that are essential for vibrant communities, as well as how our current infrastructure is unsustainable financially and how we will see the effects in the next few decades. We discuss infill development, local investment and rethinking the way we raise capital, and finally we dive into the potential for infill development like creating streets as spaces that can really create beautiful, wonderful places. People really can be enriching forces on our built environment and are capable of immense good and immense beauty- hope you enjoy the conversation!

TAKEAWAYS

- The centralization of capital in real estate development leads to

decisions that prioritize maximum returns over human flourishing.

- Smaller-scale development and the creation of smaller grained places are essential for building vibrant communities.

- Current infrastructure is unsustainable and requires financial

innovation to address its high costs.

- Financing new urbanist projects is challenging due to the changing

landscape of real estate finance.

- Infill development offers opportunities for incremental growth and the revitalization of existing communities.

- Local investment empowers individuals and strengthens communities.

- Capital plays a significant role in shaping development and should be aligned with the values of creating human-scaled places.

- Recognizing the potential of infill development and building streets

as public spaces can create inviting and reflective environments.

REFERENCES

https://ioncommunity.com/

CONNECT WITH THOMAS DOUGHERTY

https://www.innerblock.org/about

CONNECT WITH BUILDING CULTURE

https://www.buildingculture.com/

https://www.instagram.com/buildingculture/

https://twitter.com/build_culture

https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/

https://www.facebook.com/BuildCulture/

https://www.tiktok.com/@buildingculture

CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL

https://www.instagram.com/austintunnell/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/

https://twitter.com/AustinTunnell

https://linktr.ee/austintunnell

https://playbook.buildingculture.com/p/ready-fire-aim

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:04 Becoming Known as the Alley Guy

05:01 The Concept of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

07:08 The Potential of Alleys for ADUs

09:05 The American Alley Hidden Resource

12:26 The Impact of Experiencing Human Scale

19:34 Reimagining Suburbs as Villages and Market Towns

30:04 The Limitations of Subdivisions

33:37 The Importance of Language and Advocacy

38:32 Empowering Individuals in Shaping the Built Environment

39:31 The Centralization of Capital

41:25 The Importance of Small-Scale Development

43:20 The Unsustainability of Current Infrastructure

45:52 The Need for Financial Innovation

47:23 The Difficulty of Financing New Urbanist Projects

50:15 The Potential of Infill Development

52:20 The Power of Local Investment

55:51 The Role of Capital in Development

57:19 Recognizing the Opportunities in Infill Development

59:52 Building Streets as Public Spaces