Land Matters

Mayor Frank Jackson is happy about the myriad efforts to revitalize Cleveland – from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to the University Circle cultural center and the recent "innovation hub" activity in tech and life sciences. But as he finishes out his fourth and final term, Jackson says that the city's ultimate success should be defined by one standard only – whether future regeneration is equitable for all. For links and resources, please visit our show notes at https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/podcasts-videos

Home to global tech companies and a record number of millionaires, Cambridge, Massachusetts has been trying to make the city more accessible for all. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui talks about recent strategies, including an innovative affordable housing overlay that awards extra height and density and includes a streamlined permitting process for below market-rate residential projects. For links and resources discussed in this episode, please visit our show notes at https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/series/land-lines-magazine

As the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy marks its 75th anniversary, Board Chair Kathryn J. Lincoln and President George W. "Mac" McCarthy reflect on the past, present, and future of an organization that recognizes the central role of land in solving some of the world's greatest challenges, from confronting climate change to making global cities better places for all.

Rising rents are straining family budgets now more than ever, says NYU professor Ingrid Gould Ellen, co-author of the Lincoln Institute report "Through the Roof" – and the pandemic has both revealed and exacerbated the affordability crisis. Local governments should establish comprehensive plans to create more housing, she says, but action at the state and federal level will help as well.

In the first of the year's shows marking the 75th anniversary of the Lincoln Institute, environmentalist and author Bill McKibben breaks down the actions of the incoming Biden administration to confront the climate crisis, from rejoining the Paris accord to halting the Keystone XL pipeline. Land use and land policy, he says, are critical components as the planet readies for inevitable impacts such as rising seas, which is expected to trigger massive migration.

As the world prepares to bid farewell to 2020, taking stock of an unprecedented year involves both understanding the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic and looking ahead to what the future may hold. New York Times reporter Emily Badger and author Diana Lind reflect on the prospects for cities, housing, and transportation in the times ahead.

Recently reelected Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego reflects on a supercharged election season – and how, among other changes, Phoenix is becoming a more sustainable, and more urban, place. The nation's fifth-largest metropolis is battling COVID, stepping up measures to conserve water, and providing new housing and transit options for its growing population.

With revenues down and pandemic-related expenditures up, state and local governments are facing a fiscal meltdown this fall and beyond. Experts from the Lincoln Institute talk about the options, including layoffs and cuts in services, and explain how leaving cities and states to struggle on their own might actually worsen a recession.

To make sense of the current discussion of affordable housing in cities or in suburbs, it is necessary to understand the history of discrimination that has been part and parcel of US housing policy and programs, says Lisa Rice, president of the National Fair Housing Alliance.

The coronavirus pandemic and growing outrage about racial injustice have underscored the centrality of healthy, well-located, and affordable housing in society. Author Kim Vermeer and smart growth advocate Andre Leroux assess efforts to create more housing options to address longstanding economic and racial disparities.