Innovation and YIMBYism are a combination that could help our communities become more affordable, climate resilient, and equitable in the years to come. On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action's Courtney Porcella sits down with Abby Ivory, Managing Director at Ivory Innovations, to discuss a competition that puts innovation at the forefront of the effort to solve our housing affordability crisis.

Tune in to learn about Ivory Innovation's Ivory Prize and its 2025 winners. Courtney and Abby discuss the three game-changing organizations advancing housing affordability through policy, finance, and construction. These bold leaders are finding their own unique ways to increase opportunity for Americans to live in homes that they can afford. You won't only hear about the 2025 winners in this episode, but you'll also get insights into how past winners are scaling solutions and influencing change. Abby also gives insights into how different levers of change can create a ripple effect in our housing system, and why collaboration across public, private, and non-profit ecosystems is vital to increasing affordability.

Learn more about Ivory Innovations: https://www.ivoryinnovations.org/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: yimbyaction.org/join

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On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action's Marketing Manager Mariah Redfern sits down with artist, activist, and educator Mark Harris to explore the history of redevelopment in San Francisco’s Fillmore District and how systemic displacement continues to impact Black communities today.

Mark shares his personal journey from corporate life to art and activism, and how his work with the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project uncovered the erasure of what was once the “Harlem of the West.” Together, they unpack the legacy of urban renewal, zoning as a tool of modern segregation, and the need to diversify the pro-housing movement.

Tune in to hear a deep dive into how history shapes the present—and why building a future of abundant housing requires as many voices, especially different kinds of voices, as possible.

Check out Mark's work with the AEMP: https://antievictionmap.com/dislocationblack-exodus

Find more of Mark's work: https://www.artofmarkharris.com/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/join/

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On this episode of Infill, Sonja Trauss is joined by renowned author Richard Rothstein and his daughter Leah Rothstein, co-authors of the book Just Action, also known as the sequel to Richard's groundbreaking work The Color of Law. Together, they explore how housing laws perpetuate segregation and what local communities can do to fight back and build more integrated, equitable neighborhoods.

In this discussion, Trauss and the Rothsteins tackle the hard questions: Why don't race-neutral policies go far enough? How do local efforts build momentum when national politics seem stalled? And what can everyday people do to push for change in their own backyards?

Tune in to hear more about Richard’s and Leah’s journey into writing Just Action, why race-conscious remedies are necessary to address the legacy of government-sanctioned segregation, and get actionable ideas for how your community can organize to make a difference.

Read Just Action: https://www.rjjulia.com/book/9781324093244

Read The Color of Law: https://www.rjjulia.com/book/9781631494536

Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/

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On this episode of Infill, Gillian Pressman talks with two powerhouse voices: Sonja Trauss, founder of the YIMBY movement and Executive Director of YIMBY Law, and Misha Chellam, founder of the Abundance Network. Together, they unpack the transformative idea of “abundance,” sparked by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson’s new book. They explore what resources it takes to build abundance and how we can build the political power to make a future of abundance our reality.

You'll hear thoughts on how YIMBY and Abundance movement leaders are creating systems that empower local advocates to get involved in politics, how different kinds of people in your movement can help you win, and the benefits of various approaches to building power.

Whether you're new to the YIMBY movement or deep in the policy trenches, this episode will inspire you to think bigger, act bolder, and advocate harder for a future of abundance for all of us.

Read the Your Role in Abundance Substack article: https://modernpower.substack.com/p/your-role-in-abundance

Learn more about the Abundance Network: https://www.abundancenetwork.com/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

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In this episode of Infill, YIMBY Action Board member Sonja Trauss speaks with Zellnor Myrie, New York State Senator, and mayoral candidate, to discuss why New York housing policies matter far beyond city limits. They discuss how the NYC housing shortage impacts the national economy, what plans Myrie has to enact bold YIMBY policies across the state, and why voters across the country should care about the outcome of this pivotal race.

Zellnor shares his housing platform and unpacks his thoughts on everything from rent stabilization to affordable housing supply to mixed-income public housing and the future of short-term rentals. Tune in to hear his ambitious vision to make New York more affordable, equitable, and opportunity-rich for everyone. If you want to hear more about what kinds of actions leaders in large cities can and should be thinking about to tackle our national housing shortage, give this episode a listen!

Learn more about Zellnor's campaign: https://www.zellnor.nyc/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

Follow YIMBY Action on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yimbyaction/

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In this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law's Executive Director, Sonja Trauss, sits down with Sara Bronin—architect, attorney, professor, and author—for a deep dive into the rules that shape where and how we live. They discuss findings from the National Zoning Atlas, the power of local zoning codes, and how land use policy affects everything from housing affordability and environmental sustainability to food systems and even nightlife.

Tune in to hear how zoning has been used to block housing, how it's tied to segregation and climate change, and how rethinking it at all levels of government could unlock more equitable and livable communities. Sonja and Sara also discuss what it's like to build a nationwide zoning map, why seemingly small rules like minimum unit sizes matter, and how advocates everywhere can put zoning data to work to create more abundant housing for all of us! Tune in to hear the discussion.

Read Key to the City:  https://wwnorton.com/books/key-to-the-city

Learn more about the National Zoning Atlas: https://www.zoningatlas.org/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

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In January 2025, wildfires in Los Angeles killed at least 29 people, destroyed thousands of homes, and displaced thousands more. After the fires, Angelenos and their elected officials began figuring out what came next. On this episode of the Infill Podcast, our California Organizing Director, Leora Tanjuatco Ross, speaks with Azeen Khanmalek, Executive Director of the pro-housing advocacy group Abundant Housing LA, and Jordan Grimes, a Resilience Manager at the climate-focused Bay Area organization Greenbelt Alliance.

In this episode, you'll get insights into some of the short and long-term implications of housing availability and affordability for people in LA after the fires. As we continue to see the effects of climate change in California and other areas, our guests dive into why dense housing is so critical to ensure that homes can be as resilient as possible and to mitigate the consequences of climate-related displacement. You'll also hear about different policies and lessons that elected officials can and should act on  to rebuild in the wake of the lost homes and to prepare for future climate disasters.

Read our LA Fires Policy Memo: https://yimbyaction.org/blog/policy-memo-la-fires-and-impacts-on-housing/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

Follow YIMBY Action on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/yimbyaction.bsky.social

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Everyone knows that the cost of living, especially housing, has reached a high that feels unsustainable for most Americans to maintain. So, what can we do to solve this problem?

In 2024, the Chamber of Progress released its Democratic Cost of Living Agenda. The Agenda is a low-cost policy framework with actionable recommendations for legislators to help lower costs in several sectors for families.

On this episode of the Infill podcast, YIMBY Action's Mariah Redfern speaks with the author of the Cost of Living Agenda, Dr. Gary Winslett. They discuss the policies that the Chamber of Progress suggests as solutions for high housing prices, why we must take new approaches to our housing policy, and how people can get involved.

Read the Democratic Cost of Living Agenda: https://bringcostsdown.org/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

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On this episode of the Infill podcast, our Executive Director Laura Foote speaks with Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawai'i. They discuss why housing is a priority issue for Senator Schatz, how folks are thinking about the housing shortage at all levels of government and the unique opportunity that Democrats and Republicans have to work together on this issue for Americans.

Our nation's housing shortage is pushing residents out of their neighborhoods, exacerbating homelessness, and contributing to unequal outcomes in health, finances, and more. In this episode, Senator Schatz and Laura Foote discuss how we got here and what methods it will take to make community members and elected officials understand the importance of building more homes.

Learn more about Senator Brian Schatz: https://www.schatz.senate.gov/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/

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On this episode of Infill, YIMBY Law's Executive Director Sonja Trauss speaks with Dr. Adam Ozimek, Chief Economist for the Economic Innovation Group about their idea to get the federal government more involved in housing policy.

Pro-housing advocates understand that we need to incentivize local governments to remove barriers to building new homes. The Economic Innovation Group has come up with a new idea called "Density Zones" to empower local governments to facilitate more building by incentivizing them with rewards from the federal government proportional to the number of new homes built. So, how would this work?

The first step would be for the federal government to develop standardized zoning and building codes drawn from best practices nationwide. Then, municipalities would have the ability to adopt this code for specific areas within their jurisdiction. These standardized best practices would help streamline building by providing a set of rules that developers can use to operate with. Finally, areas that meet the program's targets would be rewarded with "Density Dividends," which could be used to do things like building infrastructure or new schools to accommodate the new homes.

Tune in to learn more about the ideas that the Economic Innovation Group is working on, and how they think "Density Zones" could make it easier for state and local governments to their tackle housing shortages.

Learn more about Density Zones: https://agglomerations.substack.com/p/how-the-next-president-can-solve

Learn more about the Economic Innovation Group: https://eig.org/

Learn more about YIMBY Action: https://yimbyaction.org/

Follow YIMBY Action on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yimbyaction/

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