Forth Bagley — Principal Architect at KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox) — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about designing at scale, threading the needle between progressive design and commercial realities, and why tall buildings owe a responsibility to the cities they define. As an architect involved in transforming places from Covent Garden, to Changi Airport, to Hudson Yards, to Central Hong Kong, Forth brings a strong perspective on what it takes to actually get ambitious projects built, and what happens when iconic architecture becomes the backdrop for everything — good and bad — in a city.

Forth walks through how KPF finds itself embedded in neighborhoods for decades, often through clients who follow them across continents — like the developer who hired them in Hong Kong, then brought them to Covent Garden in London to upgrade what had become a tourist trap into a lifestyle destination for everyday Londoners. He explains how Hudson Yards, the largest private development in North American history, required building over active rail lines, threading complicated funding mechanisms, and pulling back architectural ambition at the right moments to ensure the project could actually get built and generate the tax revenue New York desperately needed. The conversation touches on Bill Pedersen's theory that tall buildings become the church spires of modern cities — responsible not just to owners but to skylines, wayfinding, and civic identity — and the uncomfortable reality that a decade-long project can launch in 2008 and emerge into a completely different world of Uber, Amazon deliveries, and viral photography.

We also touch on: Why built precedent matters more than renderings. Threading the needle between pushing boundaries and staying on budget. Half of all designs ending up on the cutting room floor. Tall buildings as wayfinding tools and civic markers. Architecture as public relations and its downsides. Why Hudson Yards saved New York from deeper fiscal crisis. Austin's Waterline and green terraces. Hong Kong's seamless infrastructure.

Timeline:00:00 Intro.02:24 Introducing Forth Bagley from KPF.02:47 The architect's perspective on the show.03:12 KPF's mission: elevating basic building blocks.03:47 From single buildings to neighborhoods over 50 years.04:09 How KPF gets hired for major projects.05:12 Covent Garden: from Hong Kong client to London.06:34 Upgrading a tourist trap for everyday Londoners.07:19 Hudson Yards: largest private development in North America.08:47 Building over active rail lines.09:12 The West Side as a net negative on tax rolls.10:33 Why built precedent matters.11:55 Threading the needle between ambition and reality.13:22 Half of designs end up on the floor.14:38 The difference between getting built and not.18:45 Bill Pedersen's theory of tall building responsibility.21:17 Tall buildings as church spires and civic markers.24:33 Looking different from different points of view.26:58 The responsibility to the skyline.31:42 Hudson Yards and the iPhone problem.34:19 Starting in 2008, emerging into a different world.38:27 Hudson Yards and New York's tax revenue crisis.41:53 Public school kids educated because of the project.44:14 Architecture as public relations problem.45:02 When iconic buildings become protest backdrops.46:21 Making buildings harmonious with existing skylines.47:07 Hudson Yards preventing fiscal disaster.47:51 Austin's Waterline and green terraces.48:14 The commute question.48:51 JFK to Hong Kong W hotel without stepping outside.49:42 Hong Kong's seamless infrastructure systems.50:02 Wrapping up.

Further context:

KPF's work.

On Instagram.

Dominic Leonardo — the urban planner and creator behind CityGlowUp — is back in good traffic this week for a conversation about the hidden costs of hosting major sporting events, why cities keep building stadiums they can't afford, and what a leaked 2013 Super Bowl bid book reveals about the NFL's demands. As cities across the country bond for billions to build new facilities hoping for economic windfalls, Dominic's recent videos expose financial inconsistencies that rarely make headlines — and why the math might never add up the way boosters claim.

We also touch on: The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs' new stadium deals. How economic impact studies overstate benefits. Parking requirements as a tax on density. Rhode Island's iterative approach to housing legislation. ADUs in existing non-conforming structures. Massachusetts transit-oriented development laws. Hasbro leaving Rhode Island for Boston. The Washington Bridge replacement project.

*Apologies for the delay in getting this out - an illness slowed us down, last week.

Timeline:

00:00 Dominic Leonardo returns.

02:47 CityGlowUp on YouTube.

03:28 The economics of the Super Bowl video.

04:08 The leaked 2013 NFL bid book.

04:55 Tax exemptions and 35,000 free parking spaces.

05:24 Are cities really seeing economic growth?

05:41 Brad's biggest hypocrisy.

06:33 Why stadium financing is so problematic.

07:07 New England's unique approach to stadiums.

07:42 The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City deals.

08:25 Dallas Cowboys and public subsidies.

11:18 Economic impact studies and their flaws.

15:34 The cultural value of sports teams.

19:47 Other CityGlowUp videos worth watching.

24:12 Parking requirements as a hidden tax.

29:38 Minimum lot sizes and exclusionary zoning.

35:22 Rhode Island's housing production package.

40:15 Iterative legislation year after year.

44:50 ADUs in existing non-conforming structures.

48:33 State preemption of local zoning.

52:41 Comparing Rhode Island to Massachusetts.

57:28 Transit-oriented development laws in Mass.

1:01:15 Commuter rail bleeding into Rhode Island.

1:04:22 The latest in Rhode Island land use.

1:06:23 ADU regulations evolving rapidly.

1:07:23 Hasbro leaving for Boston.

1:07:38 Rhode Island versus other New England states.

1:09:40 Wrapping up and future meetups.

Further context:

CityGlowUp on YouTube.

On Instagram.

On TikTok.

Diana Lind — urbanist, author, and writer of The New Urban Order newsletter — is back in good traffic this week for a wide-ranging conversation about municipal public land, the loneliness epidemic, and why threading the needle between instant reactions and thoughtful responses matters more than ever. Diana's newsletter has become essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of urbanism's role in the cultural moment, and this episode breaks down several recent pieces that reveal how much untapped potential sits hidden in plain sight.

Diana walks through her recent interview with Dr. George McCarthy from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, which uncovered that 276,000 acres of government-owned land sits within 1,000 feet of transit stations across the U.S. — most of it owned by local municipalities that don't even know what they have. She explains why this matters more than office conversions for solving the affordable housing crisis, how transit agencies could function as developers to fund their own operations, and what communities of practice around public land could accomplish. The conversation shifts to her piece on third places and loneliness, exploring why social media platforms tried to become digital gathering spaces, why they failed, and what the physical infrastructure of connection actually requires. From ads telling you to see your doctor from your couch to students demanding in-person classes after years of Zoom, Diana traces the countervailing forces shaping how—and whether — we show up in shared space.

We also touch on: Why municipalities don't know what land they own. The Trump administration's public land sales. Office-to-housing conversions versus building on public land. How social media became anti-social. The drift toward staying home and the fight against it. Why kids don't play outside anymore (hint: it's the parking lots). Philadelphia's Rail Park and the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Skiing 45 minutes from Philly.

Timeline:

00:00 Diana Lind returns to the show.

03:02 Parsing out any individual newsletter.

03:44 Today's letter: public land and transit.

04:45 276,000 acres near transit stations.

05:16 Municipalities don't know what they own.

06:23 Trump administration selling federal buildings.

07:16 Transit agencies as developers.

08:07 Public land versus office conversions.

12:18 The third places and loneliness piece.

16:34 Why social media tried to be a third place.

21:45 The failure of digital gathering spaces.

26:12 What physical infrastructure requires.

31:58 Countervailing messages about staying home.

37:24 The drift and the fight against it.

42:19 Why we're made to move and connect.

46:33 Students demanding in-person classes.

49:40 Ads selling comfort from your couch.

50:33 The importance of built environment choices.

52:34 Setting up the full question correctly.

53:10 The coolest thing in Philadelphia this year.

53:58 Skiing 45 minutes from Philly.

54:26 The Rail Park and community involvement.

55:11 Philly's 250th anniversary and World Cup games.

55:49 Wrapping up.

Further context:

Subscribe to Diana's newsletter.

Diana's site.

Juan Pablo Garnham — Communications and Policy Engagement Manager at the ⁠Princeton Eviction Lab⁠ — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about the hidden scale of America's eviction crisis and why the data didn't exist until recently. Before 2018, there was no way to answer a simple question: how many evictions happen in the United States each year? The lab, founded by Matthew Desmond after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Evicted, set out to change that — and in doing so, revealed eviction not as a symptom of poverty, but as a cause of it.

Juan Pablo walks through the lab's two core offerings: the ⁠National Eviction Map⁠, which tracks every county from 2000 to 2018, and the ⁠Eviction Tracking System⁠, which monitors over 30 cities and ten states month by month since the pandemic began. He explains why collecting this data remains extraordinarily difficult — most states don't mandate reporting, courts lack technology or willingness to share records — and how the lab works with journalists, policymakers, and advocates to turn raw numbers into impact.

The research is clear: Black and Latino families face eviction at rates several times higher than white families, mothers with young kids are especially vulnerable, and one eviction can trigger a cascade of financial and health consequences that become nearly impossible to escape.

We also touch on: Why eviction data matters for housing policy. How teachers often see the warning signs first. The domino effect of a single financial shock. Car dependency as a hidden eviction risk. Illegal lockouts and 911 call data. Why Portland, New York, and Santiago all taught him something about commuting. What it takes to make technical research accessible and actionable.

Timeline:

00:00 Juan Pablo Garnham is in good traffic.

02:48 What the Princeton Eviction Lab does.

03:29 Matthew Desmond and the founding story.

04:29 Two main products: data and research.

05:03 The National Eviction Map.

05:30 The Eviction Tracking System.

05:57 Why getting eviction data is still so hard.

06:46 Research on impacts and demographics.

07:32 Juan Pablo's role in communications and policy.

08:26 Why focus so intensely on evictions?

09:23 Eviction causes poverty, not the other way around.

10:15 Eviction as an indicator of housing crisis.

13:38 Who is most impacted by evictions?

16:54 Racial and demographic disparities.

21:01 The cascade of consequences after eviction.

25:33 How the data gets used by advocates and policymakers.

30:56 Making research accessible to non-academics.

35:31 Early warning signs before evictions happen.

45:54 Teachers as first responders to housing instability.

47:25 Low savings and car dependency as risk factors.

48:41 Health problems and unexpected costs.

49:14 Illegal lockouts and 911 data.

50:07 Black and Latino families with kids at highest risk.

50:58 The commute question.

51:18 New York subway as people-watching classroom.

52:09 Portland's bikeable scale.

53:18 Wrapping up and staying connected.

As much of the northern U.S. shivers through subzero wind chills, this episode argues that waiting for ideal conditions is exactly what keeps most people from ever establishing durable mobility habits at all.

We touch on the psychology of habit formation, explaining why starting a walking routine during perfect weather in May or September sets you up for abandonment when conditions change. If you can walk in January, February becomes manageable. March feels like a gift. By the time summer arrives, the habit is unshakeable. We draw parallels to gym routines built during breaks that collapse when real schedules resume, and make the pitch that the key to year-round walking isn't willpower — it's starting when it's hard and letting everything else feel easy by comparison.

We also touch on: Why the most walkable cities are often in harsh climates. The social layer of walking with friends in cold weather. How small tasks become accomplishments when the weather is terrible. And, what to expect from the show in 2026.

*Obviously, use good judgement when walking in extreme cold. Be safe out there, and layer up.

Timeline:

00:00 Into 2026.

01:03 What to expect from the show this year.

02:34 Short-form video returns in 2026.

04:00 New Year's resolution: asking for reviews.

06:27 Negative five-degree wind chill in Columbus.

07:22 How we move around our spaces.

08:26 The winter walking habit.

10:44 Why walking in the cold is worth it.

12:53 Building habits under difficult conditions.

14:38 The mistake of waiting for ideal weather.

18:12 The pitch: start walking this winter.

19:42 Cold weather doesn't have to be perilous.

20:31 The social layer of walking long distances.

21:23 Walkable cities in harsh climates.

22:20 Winter is not a barrier to multimodal culture.

22:56 Wrapping up.

WE'RE BACK from our December break. At the end of '25, Kemp Gregory — CEO and co-founder of Renewal — joined good traffic for a conversation about energy infrastructure, the hidden potential of idle oil wells, and why the future of renewable energy storage might already be in the ground. As cities debate electric cars, housing development, and transit expansion, energy remains the crucial constraint — one that demands innovation beyond conventional batteries and solar panels.

Kemp walks us through Renewal's unconventional approach: converting millions of abandoned oil and gas wells into gravity-based energy storage systems. He explains how 30,000-pound weights moving up and down inside existing steel infrastructure can discharge power to the grid when needed and store it when it's cheap. From his early days as a petroleum engineer, to his pivot into clean energy at Stanford, Kemp shares how technical knowledge from fossil fuels is being repurposed for renewable infrastructure — and why working with local drilling crews and engineering firms matters more than reinventing everything from scratch.

We also touch on: Why energy storage is the bottleneck for electrification. The geometry problem of EVs and infrastructure strain. How data centers highlight AI's energy costs. Standing on the shoulders of the oil and gas industry. Why rural Texas and California need the same solutions. The importance of making technical work accessible. Biking at Stanford and burning calories without trying.

Timeline:

00:00 Energy as the missing conversation.

01:07 The electric car paradox.

02:13 Data centers and AI's energy appetite.

03:03 Clean energy as infrastructure policy.

03:30 Introducing Kemp Gregory and Renewal.

04:15 Making the technical accessible.

04:56 From petroleum engineer to clean tech.

05:39 Leaving shell for Stanford.

06:27 The startup that had to happen.

06:47 How gravity-based energy storage works.

07:36 Reusing existing infrastructure.

08:10 Standing on the shoulders of giants.

12:43 Why abandoned wells matter.

15:21 The economic model of energy storage.

18:09 Peak demand and grid stability.

20:45 Texas grid challenges and opportunities.

23:17 Working with local drilling firms.

25:33 Regulatory differences: California vs. Texas.

28:40 Environmental reviews and timelines.

31:28 Why rural energy storage serves cities.

34:15 The transmission challenge.

37:22 Collaboration over reinvention.

40:06 Proving the technology at scale.

42:50 Trust and partnerships with legacy industry.

45:30 Local knowledge and expertise.

47:02 The commute question.

47:43 Audiobooks in Argentina.

48:17 Biking at Stanford.

50:27 Wrapping up and happy holidays.

For context:

More on Renewell's tech (via Pique Action).

Renewell website.

On LinkedIn.

LEAVE US A REVIEW, PLEASE. It's extremely helpful, wherever you listen! Thanks so much for your time.

Who doesn't love a Halloween pot-mortem on the week of Thanksgiving? Aly is back, and we dig into the rise of trunk-or-treat events, what gets lost when Halloween moves from sidewalks to parking lots, and how this one holiday reveals so much about walkability, safety, protectionism, and kids’ independence in American car-dependent neighborhoods.

Timeline:

00:00 Aly's back.

00:56 What trunk-or-treat is replacing.

03:32 Kids losing low-stakes social interaction.

04:33 Gamifying community interaction with candy.

05:58 Cars as “safety crutches” in American life.

08:42 Halloween vs. the parking lot version.

10:12 Navigation and independence for kids.

12:01 Why Halloween should be the safest night to walk.

14:47 Holidays as community infrastructure.

16:02 The middle zone of connection.

17:03 Wrapping up and heading into the holidays.

Nolan Gray — Senior Director of Legislation and Research at California YIMBY — is in good traffic this week for a discussion on how the state with America’s biggest housing problem has become a national leader in reforming the rules of the built environment. California is often treated as both a cautionary tale and a blueprint — derided for its crises yet envied for its innovation.

Nolan walks us through California’s last decade of housing policy evolution — from failed early bills like SB 827 and SB 50 to seismic wins like SB 79, which legalized mid-rise multifamily housing near transit, and AB 130, which exempted infill housing from certain environmental reviews. He explains how bipartisan coalitions, local data, and a willingness to rethink outdated laws like CEQA have made real change possible.

We also touch on: Why density is environmentalism. The cultural paradox of Los Angeles and car dependence. How Sacramento quietly became California’s model midsized city. The future of transit funding and infill development. Lessons from working across political divides to make housing work. How storytelling and communication shape real policy progress.

Timeline:

00:00 The nuance of California.

01:15 The contradictions of California’s reputation.

02:29 Economic powerhouse, housing failure.

04:21 Newsom, YIMBYs, and the new momentum.

05:20 Nolan Gray.

07:23 California’s housing crisis explained.

08:47 Why families are leaving the state.

09:51 The political wake-up call.

10:12 Origins of recent SBs.

11:33 Early lessons from failed reforms.

12:24 The ADU revolution.

13:20 Environmental review reform (AB 130).

14:17 Construction costs and the next frontier.

15:11 Inside the CEQA reform victory.

20:02 Rethinking “environmentalism” in housing.

22:47 How CEQA became weaponized.

24:20 The irony of “greenfield” development.

25:40 Real environmentalists vs. procedural ones.

26:09 Bridging divides across California.

27:37 Exporting the housing crisis inland.

28:18 Bipartisan coalitions and shared values.

29:28 Property rights and family housing narratives.

30:14 SB 79 as a national model.

31:14 The transit funding question.

32:18 Transit agencies as landowners.

33:02 Revenue models for sustainable transit.

33:47 Building costs and American inefficiency.

34:31 Transit as geometry, not ideology.

35:14 The LA paradox.

36:08 Car culture as identity.

37:23 Angelenos waking up to change.

38:38 Sacramento’s quiet leadership.

45:34 Practical vs. theoretical planning.

47:20 UCLA and the civic responsibility of planners.

48:06 Donald Shoup’s influence.

50:33 Communicating policy and nuance.

52:24 The gap between research and perception.

53:05 Policy storytelling and responsibility.

54:16 How to make complexity accessible.

55:06 Why housing reform depends on communication.

56:22 Wrapping up.

For context:

Read Nolan's work on Substack.

On SB79.

On CEQA.

California YIMBY.

Nolan's book, on zoning.

Ryan Short — author of the new book The Civic Brand, and founder of place-branding firm Civic Brand — joins the show this week for a discussion on how cities can more meaningfully define their brand. The term has been used and overused in almost every industry imaginable, and yet, Ryan argues the importance of the idea at its root. Particularly, for places.

Through this, we spend time on the lifecycle of a cliché, and how cities of various sizes can and should) go about avoiding becoming one.

The new book zooms in, and surveys places that have done the work around brand intentionally, across the states. It's a great starting spot for folks in and around local government, and citizens alike.

Timeline:

00:00 Ryan Short is in good traffic.

03:14 Cities at the tipping point with brand.

04:55 Why Ryan wrote The Civic Brand.

07:31 An Alaska project and triple bottom line.

09:37 Tourism vs. place management.

10:25 Listening to locals, not just departments.

12:00 Branding as a tool for equity and alignment.

13:18 Urbanism and marketing.

15:06 Walkable cities vs. livable cities.

17:15 Who the book is for — civic leaders to citizens.

19:17 Libraries, Dewey Decimal, and early feedback.

21:13 Marketing professionals and the shift toward destination management.

23:20 How local culture actually drives big decisions.

27:54 Power, culture, and the street-level brand.

29:18 Balancing capitalism, people, and place.

32:08 Density as environmentalism.

33:53 Realism over idealism.

34:38 When words lose meaning — “brand” and “place.”

38:06 “Keep Austin Weird” and what it really means.

39:09 Religion, symbols, and the depth of meaning.

41:35 Making “welcoming” real in the built environment.

43:28 Incongruities between vision and reality.

44:10 Brand as civic north star.

46:39 Why alignment matters.

47:32 How to start civic alignment locally.

49:18 Housing, universities, and shared goals.

52:16 “Civic alignment” as the real message.

52:54 The thesis chapter — start with Chapter 1.

53:36 Commute — living and walking in Salida, CO.

55:48 Wrapping up.

For context:

Buy the book.

Ryan's firm: Civic Brand.

An opinion brief, on defining and messaging urban design's healthcare-equivalent issue.

Democrats are centering the current government shutdown showdown around a salient issue: healthcare. It's a smart framework, as the issue has long been a winner for them, and it benefits large swathes of folks across the political aisle.

We need to do a better job of strategizing our shorthand, and communicating accordingly.

Timeline:

00:00 The urbanist wish list.

00:33 Strategy.

01:29 Lessons from the current government shutdown.

02:24 Why healthcare works.

04:09 Finding a shorthand - safe cities for kids.

05:08 What’s our healthcare?

05:41 Designing and planning for kids.

06:35 The Bike Bus precedents, and safe streets for kids.

07:29 Nostalgia and the long-term play.

08:10 Plugging into mainstream conversations, such as The Anxious Generation.

09:17 Wrapping up.

For context:

ACA enrollee data (Kaiser Family Foundation).