Silent Generation

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration 

The term “transplant” refers to domestic migrants who move to major cities from small towns and suburbs. Closely related terms like “yuppie,” “PMC,” and “gentrifier” suggest high salaries, but the term “transplant” is indifferent to wealth, getting applied to anyone viewed as an outsider by locals. Failing to immediately integrate into their newfound communities, transplants quickly form bonds with one another and create their own “transplant culture.” But what does “transplant culture” look like? 

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by identifying several important components of transplant culture: city subreddits, localisms, meetup groups, neighborhood nicknames, and urbanism. Particular focus is paid to Jeppson's Malört and Red Hot Ranch, with the two pointing to them as evidence of transplants’ propensity to overstate the importance of most local traditions to local culture. Nathan then coins the term “neighborhood classism” to describe the prejudice that transplants feel toward people who live in non-transplant neighborhoods. The episode rounds out with a survey of the most popular transplant neighborhoods in Chicago (Lincoln Park, Lake View, West Loop, and Wrigleyville) followed by a discussion about “nashvillification.”

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Recorded on 10/5/2026

This week’s episode of Silent Generation revisits the subject of one of our most popular episodes: yuppies. These are the “young urban professionals” who flooded into finance, law, and politics during the 1980s. While the original episode on yuppies (Ep. 116: Yuppies) offered a comprehensive analysis of yuppie fashion, it neglected to address other important signifiers of yuppie taste like jogging and fine dining. 

To dive deeper into the topic, Nathan interviews college professor and historian Dylan Gottlieb about his recent book Yuppies: The Bankers, Lawyers, Joggers, and Gourmands Who Conquered New York. Nathan begins by asking Dylan about the inspiration behind the book and the story behind the “yuppie couple” featured on the cover. Dylan then offers insights into why deregulation (rather than individual greed) was responsible for the emergence of yuppies, why yuppies drew parallels between their arduous careers and the marathons that they ran, and why fine dining became such an important way for yuppies to express their identity and status.

Links:

Yuppies: The Bankers, Lawyers, Joggers, and Gourmands Who Conquered New York by Dylan Gottlieb

Dylan Gottlieb’s Website

Dylan Gottlieb’s Twitter

Making Cents Podcast

Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko and Daryl Hannah as Darien Taylor in Wall Street (1987)

from The Style of Wall Street by Victor Besnard

Recorded on 9/18/2026

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Sebastien interviews Nathan about his most recent trip to Brazil. Nathan begins by sharing his impressions of São Paulo’s metro system and of the nearby railroad town of Paranapiacaba. He then details his time in Curitiba, where he rode the city’s bus rapid transit system, took the Serra Verde Express to Morretes, and saw capybaras in Parque Barigui. He concludes by sharing his insights into Florianópolis, a picturesque capital city in the south of Brazil, where he went on a disastrous hike.

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Recorded on 9/15/2026

In this announcement Nathan shares some recent health changes that are going to affect podcast output in the short term. 

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Recorded on 8/24/2026

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration  

What does it mean to “settle down”? What is the difference between “settling down” and “committing”? Does the phrase “settling down” have negative connotations, and do those negative connotations come from men? Do men fear “settling” down more than women? How does “settling down” differ between straight men and gay men? Why do so few gay men struggle to find partners, let alone get married? Are fewer and fewer people achieving these milestones because of structural reasons, or because they don’t actually want to?

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan is joined by a listener named Sam to try and answer these questions. 

Links:

Sam’s Instagram

Ever Heard of the Taxi Cab Theory? Here's the Research That Backs It Up by Sydney Meister

The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness by Michael Hobbes

Artwork:

The mystery of the gay wedding photos

Recorded on 8/9/2026

Over the course of the 19th century, the field of landscape architecture emerged as the practice of gardening became increasingly professionalized. The first person to call themselves a “landscape architect” and popularize the term in the United States remains the only landscape architect that most Americans know by name: Frederick Law Olmsted. Unbeknownst to many, his career was heavily intertwined with the English-American landscape architect Calvert Vaux, with the two having collaborated on many of America’s most famous parks.

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by examining two of Olmsted and Vaux’s most well-known projects: Central Park and the Buffalo Parks System. They then compare the development around Golden Gate Park to Central Park, debating the degree to which the development surrounding urban parks factors into their greatness. Next they detail how Park Avenue in New York City once sported 56 feet of greenspace for pedestrians, only for it to get whittled down to 20 feet to accommodate car traffic in the late 1920s. The episode concludes with a deep dive into the Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, with an examination of two of his modernist landscapes: the Copacabana Promenade and the Edmundo Cavanelas Residence. 

Links:

Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/landscape-architecture/

Frederick Law Olmsted | Designing America

The Seven S’s of Olmsted Design by Dr. Charles E. Beveridge

Photograph of 2nd Ave and 42nd St in NYC in 1861

Stunning pictures that show how Central Park has drastically changed since the 1980s by  

Asta Thrastardottir

Just how bad was Central Park in the 1970s?

About Buffalo Park System - Olmsted Network

Buffalo: Delaware Park - Segregation by Design

Comparing Golden Gate Park to Other Major Urban Parks by Tessa McLean

Casting Shade on Shadows: S.F. Supervisor Targets a Favorite Tool for Blocking Housing by Io Yeh Gilman

San Francisco Family Zoning Plan - San Francisco Planning

New York City Wants to Bring More Park to Park Avenue by John Surico

Park Avenue’s Park Is Coming Back. Partially. Eventually. by Christopher Bonanos

Manhattan's Park Avenue would look more like a park under plan pushed by Mamdani by Liam Quigley

Mayor Mamdani Unveils Design Concepts to Put the ‘Park’ Back in Park Avenue

Landscape Film, Roberto Burle Marx (2018)

Revisiting the Constructed Edens of Roberto Burle Marx by Holland Cotter

Re-Thinking Roberto Burle Marx by Edward J. Sullivan

The Full Brazilian by Isabela Ono

Brazilian Artist Roberto Burle Marx’s Most Mesmerizing Gardens by Madeleine Luckel

The History of the Copacabana Sidewalk: From Its Origin in Portugal to Burle Marx's Intervention by Nicolás Valencia

The Battle for Central Park by Hoog

The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Full Brazilian by Isabela Ono

Artwork:

City Park in Peine, Germany in 1960

Recorded on 8/17/2026

National Park Service Rustic, also known as “parkitecture,” was the dominant architectural style of national parks from roughly 1916 to 1942. Many early examples of the “rustic” style were commissioned by private railroad companies, such as the Fred Harvey company, in order to lure tourists out west to fledgling national parks. The style came to be characterized by harmony with the natural environment, locally sourced materials, and vernacular features.

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by synopsizing the early history of the National Park Service. They then discuss famous examples of National Park Service Rustic such as the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone, Desert View Watchtower in the Grand Canyon, and the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. Particular attention is paid to the work of Mary Colter, one of the first female architects, who is notable for designing her buildings to harmonize with both the natural environment and the cultural heritage of the places she built them. The episode concludes with an examination of how car-oriented development caused the National Park Service to abandon the style after WWII. 

Links:

Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/national-park-service-rustic/ 

Old Faithful Inn

Architecture in the Parks: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study: Old Faithful Inn

Inside Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn

Inside Yellowstone’s Old Faithful Inn — “The Beginning of Rustic Architecture in National Parks” by Kate Daniel

Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter

Mary Colter and Her Buildings at Grand Canyon

Mary Colter's Bright Angel Lodge

Mary Colter and the Grand Canyon - Parkography Podcast

Mary Colter: The forgotten architect of the US Southwest by Erin Van Rheenen

Mary Colter, Builder Upon the Red Earth by Virginia Grattan

Mary Colter’s ”Geologic Fireplace”

The Architect Behind Parkitecture by Teresa Bitler

Building History: Mary E. J. Colter at Grand Canyon - Linda Reeder

On The Trail: Grand Canyon Architecture

Tracing the Yosemite Valley Railroad

Post Cards Related to the Yosemite Valley Railroad

Parkitecture: A Rustic Back-to-Nature Architectural Aesthetic

19: Parkitecture and Historic Hotels - Exploring the National Parks

US national parks told to remove signs on mistreatment of Native Americans, climate, Wash Post reports - Reuters

America’s National Parks at 100 (2016)

Artwork:

Ahwahnee Hotel, Yosemite NP, 1960

Recorded on 8/7/2026

Full episode available on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration 

Shoegaze is a subgenre of rock and roll that first emerged in the British Isles in the late 1980s. The term was coined by Andy Ross, a British music executive, who observed shoegaze artists “shoegazing” (looking down at their feet to play with guitar pedals) during a 1991 show in London. Interest in the subgenre peaked shortly thereafter with the release of My Bloody Valentine’s sophomore album Loveless, and shoegaze effectively died by 1994. Despite the subgenre’s brief initial popularity, shoegaze has experienced a revival every subsequent decade, leaving modern listeners to question what makes its sound so enduring.

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by detailing shoegaze’s early influences (Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique, ‘60s psychedelic rock, and new wave) before describing what the subgenre actually sounds like. With that context established, they then discuss the music of Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Gleemer. The episode rounds out with an examination of “zoomergaze” (the newest revival of shoegaze) to try and answer the question of what makes the subgenre so appealing to Gen Z. 

Links:

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YijO72un5g7jh3qMt98ft

Shoegaze Classics Spotify Playlist

Shoegaze: a Beginner's Guide by Ella Fraser-Thoms

Feedback, Distortion, an Exploration of Sound: A Brief History of Shoegaze - Underground England

Rock for Dreamers: History and Transcendence of the Shoegaze Music Genre - Sound of Life

The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time - Pitchfork

124 - Simon Reynolds on Shoegaze, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, Sonic Youth, Pavement & More - Music Maps Podcast

Simon Reynolds - Still in a Dream of Shoegaze, Slackers, and the Reinvention of Rock, 1984-1994 - C86 Show - Indie Pop

Shoegaze as an Aesthetic

“Venus in Furs” by the Velvet Underground by Erich Kuersten

“Relentless Wall of Sound”: Nadine Shah Describes her Favourite Velvet Underground Track by Kelly Murphy

History & Impact Of The Wall Of Sound

Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound”: The Technique That Changed Music Forever by Nathan Fields

Hunting Phil Spector - Homicide: Los Angeles (2024)

Cocteau Twins - History

Unpacking the Unique Sound of Cocteau Twins - Stained Glass Stories 

Why Does Gen Z LOVE Shoegaze? by Kelsie x The Yellow Button 

From Shoegaze to Zoomer Gaze: the Evolution of a Gen Z Musical Phenomenon by Whynow

Artwork:

Slowdive - 3 old live acts (1991-1993)

Recorded on 7/27/2026

Beginning in the mid-1990s, developers began building new low-density housing developments on the edge of major metropolitan areas: exurbs. These communities were even further from the city center, had even lower population densities, and were even more car dependent than typical American suburbs. Perplexingly, they leaned into their semi-rural character and became hotbeds of rightwing extremism as detailed by David Masciotra in Exurbia Now. But why?

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien examine how the built environment influences the political leanings of exurbia. They begin by listing the common characteristics of exurbs before detailing how late stage white flight, longer commute times, and megachurches made them more conservative. They then examine the exurbs of Illinois and Texas, paying particular attention to Prosper, TX. The episode concludes with a discussion about why exurbs are growing and the degree to which “environmental determinism” can account for exurban rightwing extremism.

Links:

Suburbs: A Very Short Introduction by Carl Abbott

List of exurbs in the United States

List of edge cities

"Exurbia": Democracy's Newest Battleground | David Masciotra | TMR

Exurbia Now: The Battleground of American Democracy by David Masciotra

The Exurban Dream vs. The American Dream by David Masciotra

The Exurbs: The Suburban/Rural Transition Zone by Pete Sanders

Exurbs: America's Biggest Housing Trend You Haven't Heard Of by Justin Klawans

The ‘Great Reshuffling’ Is Shifting Wealth to the Exurbs by Laura Forman

The Surprising Politics of Sidewalks by Eleanor Cummins

Proper, Texas - Texas Escapes

Is Prosper On a Path to Prosperity, Or Is it Lost in Suburban Limbo? by Peter Simek

Texas Leads U.S. in New-Home Construction, Census Data Finds by Joe Edwards

America’s Fastest-Growing Cities Are in the Exurbs by Jon Kamp, Paul Overberg, and 

Max Rust

A great exurban surge is reshaping America by Russell Contreras

Millennials are Fleeing Cities in Favor of Exurbs - Upzoned Podcast

Boomburbs, Exurbs, Edge Cities, Mega/Meta Cities, Oh My!’

How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church by Tim Alberta

The Metro Framing Urbanists Didn’t Know They Needed by Pete Saunders

It’s not just cities–suburbs and exurbs need to adopt and implement climate plans too by Megumi Tamura and Joseph W. Kane

Artwork:

Prosper, TX by Trong Nguyen, licensed through Adobe Stock.

Recorded on 7/10/2026

Prior to the rise of the automobile, streetcars were the dominant form of transportation in American cities from roughly 1900 to 1930. Realizing their economic potential, developers began building new master-planned communities along streetcar lines now known as “streetcar suburbs.” Featuring grid plans, mixed use development, and multimodal transportation, streetcar suburbs remain some of the most desirable places to live in the United States today. So why don’t we build more of them?

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by noting that many streetcar suburbs were once serviced by earlier forms of mass transit like horsecars and cable cars. They then discuss the common features of streetcar suburbs before suggesting that the last true “extant streetcar suburbs” can be found in Philadelphia and Boston. Shifting to “former streetcar suburbs,” they then explain why Los Angeles is the “streetcar suburb capital of America” and why Chicago’s streetcar suburbs of Evanston and Oak Park are overwhelmingly liberal. The episode concludes with a discussion about streetcars and transit-oriented development in the present day. 

Links:

Suburbs: A Very Short Introduction by Carl Abbott

Crabgrass Frontier: The Suburbanization of the United States by Kenneth T. Jackson

The Earliest Roots of the Suburban Experiment by Daniel Herriges

The Fascinating Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Streetcar Suburbs by Emma Newcombe

Suburban Streetcar Desire by Tina Trenkner

In Praise of Streetcar Suburbs by Pete Saunders

A Look Back at Chicago's Streetcar Era by Erica Gunderson

Why Did Chicago Stop Growing? By Edward McClelland

Welcome to Evanston, where woke never died

Railroad Suburbs: A Model For Suburban Redevelopment by Pete Saunders

Suburbs that don't Suck - Streetcar Suburbs - Not Just Bikes 

Why Chicago Suburbs Feel Like Cities - Architales

Segregation by Design - Philadeplhia

In Search of Walkable L.A.: How Defunct Electric Railways Could be Southern California's Salvation - Citynerd

Episode 37: Kennywood 

What Happened to Streetcar Suburbs? by George Dillard

Artwork:

By railfan 44 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/129679309@N05/26740034096/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54436537

Recorded on 7/3/2026