California Future Society

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Fulton - urban planner, professor, former Ventura mayor, and author of one of my favorite books (The Reluctant Metropolis) - for a wide-ranging conversation on how California stopped growing and what it will take for the state to build again. We explore how the state’s postwar growth machine broke down, how laws like Prop 13 and CEQA warped local incentives, and why so many cities now chase warehouses and retail instead of housing.

This is also a conversation about California’s evolving identity from the death of the suburban dream to the rise of a more urban, infill-driven future. We talk about generational divides in housing politics, lessons from Houston’s deregulated model, and why building more homes isn’t just about entitlement reform—it’s about labor, capacity, and culture.

If you care about how California can remain a place where regular people can live and thrive, this episode is for you!

Make sure to subscribe at californiafuturesociety.org, youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Chapters:

00:00 — Intro

02:55 — Why Did Growth Stop?

08:08 — Sales Tax Dynamics and Local Government Funding

12:56 — Accepting SoCal's Urban Identity

16:03 — Intergenerational Perspectives on Growth and Development

17:47 — State vs. Local Control

22:49 — The Role of Unions

26:25 — CEQA

30:03 — Land-Use Lessons from Houston

33:28 — SoCal After Sprawl

37:23 — Demographics and the Changing Landscape of California

42:09 — Hope for California’s Housing Crisis

Keywords:

California housing policy, urban planning, Prop 13, CEQA, NIMBY vs. YIMBY, sales tax incentives, local control, state intervention, entitlement reform, zoning, infill development, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), post-sprawl urbanism, Inland Empire, Houston vs. LA, light rail, construction labor shortage, environmental law, unions and housing, demographic shifts, affordability crisis, generational change

California’s fertility rate is near historic lows. Politicians keep proposing pro-family policies—but what if none of them actually work?

In this episode, I talk with policy researcher and fellow Californian Noah Johnson about the hard truths behind declining birthrates. Why aren’t paid family leave, baby bonuses, and daycare subsidies moving the needle? What can California learn from other countries—and where is our state uniquely falling short?

We also explore the cultural and economic reasons behind shrinking families, the rise of black-market daycare, and why California cities are losing their grip on the next generation of parents.

Topics include:

– Why family policy doesn’t increase fertility

– California’s broken daycare and licensing system

– How parenting shapes civic engagement

– Why implementation is as important as ideas

– The cultural costs of childless cities

– Paid Family Leave in California: what’s working, what’s broken

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

02:23 – The State of Global Fertility

07:21 – Implications of Low Fertility Rates

10:30 – California-Specific Challenges

15:51 – Cultural Norms and Their Impact on Family Size

19:11 – The Societal Implications of Fewer Children

23:00 – What Makes People Leave CA

27:45 – Paid Family Leave: Successes and Challenges

34:53 – Easy Fixes to California’s Policies

46:40 – Hope for California’s Future

Newsletter: https://californiafuturesociety.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNumolJuKvqJScBEnhe8hQ

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0zzVSVdCUCTGuZUyl8qZXA

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/california-future-society/id1807612672

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/California-Future-Society/dp/B0F4B2LVGJ

Keywords: California fertility rate, fertility crisis, family policies, parenting, childcare, childcare regulation California, paid family leave California, California governance, population decline, declining birthrates, demographics, cost of living, urban policy podcast, black market daycare, why people aren’t having kids, societal implications, cultural collapse, Noah Johnson, California Future Society, YIMBY movement California, family policy USA, urban families, California politics, affordable housing, implementation challenges, community engagement

What if building a home was as fast and seamless as assembling a car?

In this episode, I sit down with Alexis Rivas, co-founder and CEO of Cover, to talk about his company's bold efforts to reinvent how homes are built and the slow-motion disaster of LA's permitting system.

Alexis shares how Cover is rethinking every step of the building process—from design and engineering to manufacturing and on-site assembly. We explore how they set a new record for the fastest ADU ever built in Los Angeles (3.5 months from contract to occupancy), and why the biggest bottleneck he faces is bureaucracy.

We talk about why the current permitting system is broke and why real reform means deleting entire layers of red tape, not just “streamlining” bad processes. We also talk about how much potential California has left to grow and what it would look like to house 1 billion people. We also explore the deeper political and cultural shift needed to spark a true pro-housing movement in California.

Subscribe at californiafuturesociety.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVNumolJuKvqJScBEnhe8hQ

Chapters

00:00 – Intro

05:29 – Cover’s Long-Term Vision

08:23 – 1 Billion Californians

14:01 – Cover and California’s Identity

17:04 – Why Build in California?

20:17 – LA Fire Rebuild

24:17 – Policy Levers to Create More Housing

32:14 – Building a Pro-Housing Movement

35:00 – Hope for the Future of California

Keywords

California housing crisis, LA housing policy, permitting delays Los Angeles, ADU construction California, prefab homes California, modular homebuilding, Alexis Rivas Cover, Cover homes interview, California Forever project, Solano County new city, zoning reform California, housing innovation, homebuilding startups, pro-housing movement, building in California, factory-built homes, urban growth California, fast housing solutions, real estate development California, architecture and design innovation, housing affordability California, home permits LA, construction tech, future of home design

I sat down with Sheel Mohnot of Better Tomorrow Ventures to talk FinTech and whether a state that struggles to build can maintain its edge as the global leader of innovation. We get into why New York has an advantage in FinTech, his thoughts on SF and CA local politics, and some startup ideas he’d like to see in the world (even though they not make money!). Enjoy!

Chapters

00:00 — Introduction and Personal Background

06:02 — The Vision of Better Tomorrow Ventures

08:23 — The Human Impact of FinTech

12:47 — Comparing FinTech Hubs: New York vs. San Francisco

18:54 — Challenges Facing California: Housing and Governance

26:44 — Startups You Want to See and is AI Washing

32:17 — Political Engagement and the Future of California

Subscribe to the Newsletter at californiafuturesociety.com

Keywords

FinTech, Better Tomorrow Adventures, San Francisco, New York, technology, housing crisis, public transit, regulation, innovation, startup ideas, overlooked markets, AI, political engagement, talent retention, California future, network effects, simplifying complexity, human impact

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

04:43 The Importance of City Budgets

08:10 Los Angeles Budget Challenges and Deficits

14:08 The Fires on LA Budget

21:35 Civic Engagement and Community Leadership

30:20 Lessons From 40 Years of City Reform

36:27 The Future of Local Government

43:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Los Angeles is facing a billion-dollar budget shortfall. But this isn’t a blip. It’s a structural crisis with lessons that apply to cities far beyond LA.

In this episode, I sit down with Rick Cole, one of the most respected voices in local government. Over nearly four decades, he’s served as a mayor, city manager, and now Chief Deputy Controller for the City of LA. Few people have seen more from the inside.

We talk about why LA’s budget crisis was both predictable and preventable, what most people get wrong about how city budgets actually work, and why short-term thinking is dragging our institutions toward decline. Rick explains how the city missed a once-in-a-generation opportunity around the 2028 Olympics, why infrastructure neglect is catching up to us, and what it would take to turn things around.

At its core, this is a conversation about leadership, civic responsibility, and whether we’re willing to invest in the future. Rick doesn’t sugarcoat the problems, but he also hasn’t given up on what’s possible.

If you care about California’s future, local democracy, or how cities actually function, you'll enjoy this conversation. Subscribe at californiafuturesociety.com to get more conversations like this.

Keywords

local government, California, budget crisis, civic engagement, city management, public policy, community responsibility, future of California, leadership, public-private partnerships

What if building better cities didn’t have to take decades?

In this conversation, I sit down with Devon Zuegel of the Esmeralda Institute and Edge Esmeralda, to explore how a Solarpunk-inspired pop-up village in Northern California is creating new models for community, experimentation, and urban design.

We talk about what it means to build spaces that are human-scale, how aesthetics shape culture, and why California’s future still holds enormous promise — if we’re willing to rethink how we build.

Topics include:

• How Edge Esmeralda is shaping the design of a future permanent village

• Lessons learned from hosting 1,300 people in a pop-up city

• The real meaning of “solarpunk” (beyond the sci-fi aesthetics)

• Why California’s ‘resource curse’ demands bold experiments

• Building communities that can evolve, not just endure

If you care about the future of California — or the future of cities anywhere — this is a conversation worth hearing.

📍 Learn more about Edge Esmeralda: https://www.edgeesmeralda.com/

📬 Subscribe and you could win a CFS hat!: https://www.californiafuturesociety.com/subscribe

Chapters

00:00 Intro  

08:43 What is Edge Esmeralda?  

11:59 How Do You Prototype Community?  

14:55 Lessons and Highlights from Year 1  

22:46 Solarpunk and the Importance of Aesthetics  

30:35 Come to Edge Esmeralda!  

32:06 The California Identity  

35:40 Escaping Stagnation in California  

40:42 California's Resource Curse  

43:20 Approaching Local Politics  

49:44 Sources of Inspiration in California

Keywords

Edge Esmeralda, solar punk, California culture, community building, aesthetics, experimentation, local relationships, future of California, cultural identity, programming dynamics

I had so much fun talking with Sanjana Friedman from YC about the future of California and everything from SF politics to homelessness, AI, biotech, and the need for greater techno-optimism in the media. We dug into the gap between political narratives and real-world outcomes, the rise of PirateWires, and why emerging technologies could drive a new California technological renaissance. Enjoy!

Sanjana on X: https://x.com/metaversehell?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

07:30 The Craft of Writing and Starting to Cover San Francisco

10:38 Major Themes in Her Work at PirateWires

15:30 The Disconnect Between Nonprofits and Outcomes

17:49 Why PirateWires' Tone Resonates

27:02 The Power of Narrative in Tech

29:34 How Tech Industries Should Shape Public Narratives

30:57 Strategies for Telling Positive Tech Stories

36:34 Political Implications of AI

44:18 Biotech and Emerging Technologies Impact

50:41 Optimism for California’s Tech Renaissance

Keywords

Sanjana Friedman, California politics, San Francisco, Y Combinator, tech writing, PirateWires, homelessness, nonprofit effectiveness, techno-optimism, AI, biotech, media narratives

I sat down with Nolan Gray to unpack one of the biggest challenges facing California today: housing. We got into how the YIMBY movement has evolved, what’s happening on the ground in 2025, and why things still feel so stuck despite all the momentum.

We talked CEQA (of course), permitting bottlenecks, and what actually needs to change to make building easier. But we also zoomed out to look at the cultural story behind California’s housing crisis, how the "California dream" has shifted, and what it’ll take to bring it back.

If you’re curious about housing policy, want to understand how we got here, or are looking for ways to get involved, this episode’s for you.

Follow Nolan's work here: https://mnolangray.substack.com/

As always, don't forget to subscribe at californiafuturesociety.com

Chapters

00:00 - Intro and The Evolution of the YIMBY Movement

07:20 - CA YIMBY as a Basketball Program and the State of the Movement

13:19 - CA YIMBY's 2025 Bills

21:07 - CEQA

26:17 - Permit Reform and Alexis Rivas

32:34 - How Can People Help?

36:52 - Where Can Californians Find Hope?

40:42 - California Wasn't Always Expensive!

50:31 - The Evolution of the California Dream

01:02:29 - Advice for Aspiring Writers in Policy

Keywords: California housing crisis, YIMBY movement, housing legislation, CEQA, housing affordability, urban planning, housing policy, California dream, housing advocacy, legislative process

What does it take to change the politics of a city like San Francisco? In this episode, we talked to the founders of Grow SF, the leading and most innovative civic organization in San Francisco that has already had a tremendous impact on the city's politics. If you live in SF, make sure to check out their site to find ways to get involved!

Chapters 00:00 - The Birth of GrowSF 03:10 - Quitting to All in on GrowSF 07:37 - Political Landscape and Opportunities 10:25 - The Gift of Perfect Opponents 12:12 - Data-driven Pragmatic Idealism 14:12 - Relying on Data and Building Trust 19:41 - Building a Talent Pipeline for Future Leaders 23:28 - How Has Your View of Politics Shifted? 29:30 - Common Sense Politics, Abundance, and a Long-Term Movement 35:54 - Visions for the Future of California 39:58 - Taking Action: Starting Your Own Movement

Casey Handmer, PhD is the founder of Terraform industries (https://terraformindustries.com/) who recently wrote about California (https://caseyhandmer.wordpress.com/2025/03/02/californias-path-to-redemption/)Find him on X (https://x.com/cjhandmer?lang=en)Get all my writing and interviews at californiafuturesociety.com00:00 Casey: The Gentleman Inventor 03:17 Casey's Path to California 04:55 "How Much Better Could California Be?"09:40 Is California's Status at Risk? 14:12 What Makes It Difficult to Build in California?17:51 Why Nothing Works and Broken Political Incentives23:25 People Aren't Evil - Large Orgs are Inefficient26:50 Does Scaling Require Leaving California? 31:30 California's Manufacturing Legacy 33:27 Casey's Unique Skill of Making Sci-Fi Real36:40 Alchemy38:48 A Vision for Transforming the Salton Sea 46:07 If Casey Was CA's Energy Abundance Czar48:45 Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators