I asked this question before, but in honor of this episode's guest, I'm going to ask it again: Are there too many planners? Gisla Bush, also known as GiGi the Planner, and a self-described urban planning career promoter seems to think the answer is no and goes as far to say there aren't enough black planners especially.

We also talk about creating a personal brand encountering and overcoming ageism what she feels planners, especially those who want to work in the government sector, need to do.

Sometimes what makes you appreciate new spaces and places is moving around and making those places for your career. My guest this episode, Ashley Dash grew up in the South, but also traveled the world at an early age as a military brat and to visit family. After watching a video of hers where she talks about those moves I'm thrilled to feature her story on my show and talk about how that ties into black urbanism.

This episode I traveled to sit on the stoop of Stoop Law, Ari Theresa's community-based law firm. In this episode, we discussed his recent newsworthy turn, what kind of wealth communities really have, overcoming our childhood boredom and what he will always rep about being from D.C.

Learn more about Stoop Law at www.stooplaw.com and you can follow Ari on Facebook by searching his name Ari Theresa or on Instagram @aristotle.theresa

Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @blackurbanist

Dr. Ezike and I started our conversation with the usual "elevator pitch" introduction, then because I could, I wanted to talk about N.C. State University, where we both did our undergraduate studies, because I could and because this episode is coming out on the eve of me attending my cousin's commencement ceremony from N.C. State, and a lot of other folks's graduations as well.

Also, we discuss our towns where we grew up, the merits of Ann Arbor, Michigan where he did his graduate study, how D.C. is basically an adult college town, and not just for those who went to universities there and finally, we get back to the very important work he's doing right now, making sure all voices are heard and considered if and when we bring autonomous vehicles (a.k.a driverless cars) to the market.

You can find him @drrcezike on all the major socials (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), just like you can find me on all the major socials @blackurbanist.

And here's his more formal bio from the Union of Concerned Scientists and that blog post he mentioned on the show about new mobility and transportation equity, a report of his on transportation equity from his time at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and how the F.A.S.T Act will affect African-American communities.

Richard Ezike is the Mobility and Equity Kendall Science Fellow with the Clean Vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. His interests lie in the intersection of equity, accessibility, and providing opportunity for every person to a robust transportation system.

Prior to joining UCS, Dr. Ezike taught chemistry at Northern Virginia Community College, and served as a transportation fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, where he studied opportunities for improved access to transit for African Americans. Dr. Ezike has also worked as an environmental consultant and a patent analyst. His doctoral research focused on developing catalysts to reduce dangerous emissions of nitrogen oxides from diesel-powered cars. Additionally, he worked on developing catalysts to convert carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide to potential alternative fuels.

Dr. Ezike earned his B.S. in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University, and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan. He serves on the Riders Advisory Council of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and on several advisory committees for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

And finally the Brookings article on the future of work and the Center for Global Policy Solutions article on the same thing, but with a larger transportation focus.

We talk a lot in the industry about the sense of place. But what about the sense of home?

We sat in Nedra’s home in Atlanta, Atlanta proper, on the East side, and we talked about growing up southern, getting out and why we’ve come back to our homes.

Also, we touch on her inspiration for bikes, who gets to come home, The Chef and the Farmer, The Cooking Gene and food. Lots of food.

Learn more about Civil Bikes and participate in one of their Atlanta-based tours.

LaKeisha Henderson of Bike and Brunch Tours joins me this episode and we talk about cycling, childhood influences and how we've shaped our current career in design and planning.

Learn more about Bike and Brunch Tours, as well as register for the next tour by going to www.bikeandbrunchtours.com

Learn more about Lakeisha, as well as subscribe to my newsletter at www.theblackurbanist.com/podcasts.

You can find me @blackurbanist on Twitter and Instagram.

Join me this episode as I talk with another Baltimore friend, Taffy Gwitira, on food justice, transportation justice and real life on the African continent. And, yes, there are Wakandan elements to the actual continent of Africa and there have been for a while.

Learn more about the co-working space where I'm a resident (as of April 2018) and she's on the board of --http://www.baltimore.impacthub.net/

Learn more about the conference we attended together in Nashville and the National Complete Streets Coalition.--https://www.completestreetsconference.org/

When I recorded this episode with Jerome Horne, I knew this had to be my first new episode of the show in about 4 years.

We talked about identity, Baltimore, Indianapolis and music and you're welcome to listen in.

You can find the IndyGo Transit plan at https://www.indygo.net/transitplan/

Search for New Urbanist Memes for Transit Oriented Teens on Facebook, as well as Jerome Alexander Horne. He is also on Twitter @horne_jerome and @jahorne. I'm @blackurbanist on Twitter and Instagram.