Addiction, mental illness, or poverty may explain why an individual may lose their housing—but these factors fail to explain why Seattle has five times more homelessness than Chicago. Through rigorous analysis, Colburn demonstrates that high rent prices and low vacancy rates are the true culprits behind regional homelessness variations. This revelation transforms how we should approach solutions.

Colburn advocates reframing housing as essential infrastructure—just as we invest billions in roads and transit without controversy, we must prioritize housing development as a public necessity. This perspective shift could unlock the political will needed to address our housing shortage crisis meaningfully.

Whether you're a policymaker, planner, or concerned citizen, this conversation offers crucial insights for understanding and addressing one of America's most persistent challenges. Listen now to discover how changing our approach to housing could transform our response to homelessness.

Show Notes:

• Further Reading: 
  • Neighborhood Defenders: Participatory Politics and America’s Housing Crisis by Katherine Levine Einstein
  • When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America by Donald Burns and Kevin Adler
  • There is No Place for Us: Working and Homelessness in America By Brian Goldstone
• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/4mr2A0A or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/ 

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What if shopping malls weren't just retail spaces, but carefully designed social hubs that reveal profound truths about American culture? Alexandra Lange's "Meet Me by the Fountain" takes us on a fascinating journey through the unexpected origins and evolution of one of America's most influential architectural forms.

Throughout our conversation, Lange uncovers surprising connections between malls and urbanism. Despite their reputation as anti-urban spaces, malls offer valuable lessons in creating environments where people actually want to spend time. Climate control, ample seating, accessible restrooms, and opportunities for both planned meetings and chance encounters—these simple amenities are often overlooked in our public urban spaces but prove crucial for creating functional social environments. 

Show Notes:

• Author Recommended Reading: 
  • Radical Suburbs: Experimental Living on the Fringes of the American City by Amanda Hurley 
  • The Harvard Design School to Shopping edited by Rem Koolhaus
  • When Women Ran 5th Avenue: Glamour and Power at the Dawn of American Fashion  by Julie Satow
  • Claire: The little girl who climbed to the top and changed the way women dress by Debra Scala Giokas
• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/44G44gK or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
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Libraries have always been pillars of knowledge in our communities, but their role is evolving far beyond book repositories. As author Shamichael Hallman reveals, these vital public institutions now serve as rare neutral spaces where people from all backgrounds can gather, connect, and rebuild the civic muscles we've lost in our increasingly polarized society.

What makes libraries uniquely positioned for this work? First, they offer something increasingly rare—barrier-free indoor public spaces where anyone can enter regardless of income, education, or background. In an era of commercial third places that require purchases, libraries welcome everyone with no expectation beyond respectful coexistence. Second, libraries already function as spaces of sharing, from books to meeting rooms to specialized equipment. Finally, their commitment to neutrality and free access to diverse perspectives creates safe environments for exploring ideas without judgment.

Show Notes:

• Author Recommended Reading: The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek, The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• 2023 Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
• Living Room Conversations for ideas on community conversations with a guide for assistance  
• Discoveries: the Library at the Mall
• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/43ZIJif or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/ 

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A new perspective on preservation is the topic of our conversation with Erica Avrami on her groundbreaking book "Second Order Preservation." This episode challenges everything you thought you knew about historic preservation, pushing beyond the binary "listed or not listed" mentality that has dominated the field for decades.

What happens when we shift from seeing preservation as merely saving buildings to understanding it as a powerful tool for social justice and climate action? Avrami reveals how our current policies often privilege certain histories while inadvertently erasing others. She questions whether our designation systems truly serve the broader public and introduces a framework that considers who benefits—and who is burdened—by preservation decisions.

The conversation extends beyond theory to practical paths forward, examining how we might reform preservation policies to better serve communities. Rather than abandoning preservation altogether, Avrami calls for a more intentional approach that evaluates the long-term impacts of our decisions and considers preservation as the freedom to transfer heritage across generations.

Show Notes:

• Further Reading: 
  • Preserving the Vanishing City by Stephanie Ryberg-Webster
  • Reconstructing the Garrick: Adler & Sullivan’s Lost Masterpiece by Tim Samuelson, Eric Nordstrom, Chris Ware, and John Vinci
• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/3FZ92en or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com 

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Join us as we discuss the world of systems thinking with Beth Sawin author of "Multisolving: Creating Systems Change in a Fractured World." Far from being an abstract academic concept, multisolving offers a practical framework that reveals how seemingly separate challenges—from climate change to public health to economic development—can be addressed simultaneously with thoughtfully designed interventions.

Beth takes complex systems theories and makes them accessible through everyday examples. She explains how filling a bathtub helps us understand housing shortages, and how our body's response to thirst demonstrates the power of balancing feedback loops. These relatable analogies unlock a powerful way of seeing the world that planners, community leaders, and change-makers can immediately apply to their work.

Whether you're a seasoned systems thinker or completely new to these concepts, this episode will transform how you approach complex problems and help you discover multisolving opportunities hiding in plain sight. 

Show Notes:

• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/4i0SwIV or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• Further Reading: 
  • From What Is to What If by Rob Hopkins
  • The Equitably Resilient City by Zachary Lamb and Lawrence Vale
• Learn more at The Multisolving Institute where Beth works
• To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/

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The world of planning is transforming at a rapid pace, and staying ahead requires more than just reacting to change—it demands foresight. In this conversation, we welcome back Petra Hurtado to discuss the American Planning Association's 2025 Trend Report, now in its fourth year of helping planners anticipate the forces reshaping our communities.

Petra highlights how "the only constant is accelerating change," explaining the sophisticated trend scouting process that brings diverse perspectives together to identify crucial developments across multiple fields. From technology to climate, work patterns to public spaces, the report categorizes trends into actionable timeframes: Act Now, Prepare, and Learn and Watch.

Ready to future-proof your planning approach? Download the complete 2025 Trend Report from APA's website and start incorporating these insights into your community's planning process today.

Show Notes:

• Check out the full report on APA’s website here.
• Trend Universe: https://planning.org/foresight/trends/ 
• Further Reading: 
  • The Good Ancestor by Roman Krznaric
  • The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

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This episode captures a vision of creating resilient communities that are not only eco-friendly but also accessible and inviting. We explore the five central themes of "The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook," with author Kaarin Knudson's, offering insights on energy efficiency, community connectivity, and innovative design strategies that cater to diverse urban settings.

Show Notes:

• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/3EKly0z or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• Further Reading: 
  • Homelessness is a Housing Problem by Greg Colburn and Clayton Page Aldern 
• To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/

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Steven Robinson joins us to unravel the captivating saga of how dedicated activists thwarted the massive 1990s Television City development on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Imagine the world's tallest building casting a shadow over a vibrant community, threatening its cultural and environmental essence. Our conversation with Robinson shines a spotlight on the resilience and ingenuity of local groups like West Pride and the Civics, who banded together to preserve their neighborhood's diverse character against a looming monolith of luxury towers and retail chaos.

Show Notes:

• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/4gHgBTF or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• Further Reading: 
  • Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
  • The Living City by Roberta Gratz
  • The Well Tempered City by Jonathan F.P. Rose
  • Fighting Westway by William Buzbee
  • Changing Places by Richard Moe and Carter Wilkie

To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/

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In this episode we sit down with Michael Eliason, the architect behind "Building for People: Designing Livable, Affordable, Low-Carbon Communities." Michael unveils the potential of eco-districts as a transformative alternative to the all-too-often car-centric and monotonous transit-oriented developments found in the U.S. Drawing from his extensive research in Europe and China, he casts a spotlight on how cities prioritize ecological orientation and community vibrancy, offering a path to creating sustainable, affordable, and engaging urban spaces.

Show Notes:

• Transit cost project referenced: https://transitcosts.com/about/ 
• Recommended Reading:
  • Soft City by David Sim
  • Inclusive Transportation by Veronica Davis
  • Movement by Marco Giugni 
  • Everyday Utopia by Kristen Ghodsee
  • Killed by a Traffic Engineer by Wes Marshall
• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/40U6Xs4 or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• Further Reading: 
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Have you ever stopped to consider how you would get through your day if driving wasn't an option? We get into this question during our conversation with Anna Zivarts, author of "When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency." Anna's journey, shaped by living with nystagmus, unveils the challenges and daily realities faced by non-drivers in a predominantly car-dependent society. From disabled individuals to those who simply can't afford a vehicle, Anna sheds light on an often-overlooked demographic and their need for equitable transportation solutions. Her insights encourage a deeper understanding and empathy towards fostering inclusive urban environments.

Show Notes

• To help support the show, pick up a copy of the book through our Amazon Affiliates page at https://amzn.to/4hf4aPH or even better, get a copy through your local bookstore!
• Further Reading: 
  • Exploding the Phone by Phil Lapsley
  • Bartering with the Bones of Their Dead by Laurie Arnold
• To view the show transcripts, click on the episode at https://bookedonplanning.buzzsprout.com/

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