Every element of a city’s design, from a neighborhood’s street lighting to a sidewalk’s drainage to the shape of the skyline, has politics behind it. It’s not always clear what those politics are, or who the decision-makers behind them were, but it’s there. You just have to look closely and you’ll see it.

This week we’re bringing you an extended interview with author Barbara Brown Wilson, an assistant professor of Urban and Environmental Planning and the Director of Inclusion and Equity in the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. 

Her current research projects include understanding how grassroots community networks re-frame public infrastructure in more climate and culturally appropriate ways across the U.S.

In her latest book, “Resilience for All,” she uncovers the politics behind our urban landscapes and lays out an alternative to business-as-usual urban design and planning.