The Debrief Podcast

Communities say they want growth — until it shows up on the agenda.

Urban planner, author, and former mayor Bill Fulton joins In Focus to explain why housing debates stall, why zoning reform won’t fix everything, and how changing work patterns are reshaping the role of place itself. Instead of technical jargon, this conversation breaks down the psychology and economics behind local opposition, affordability, and the future of small towns.

At the center of the discussion is a simple idea: The hardest part of solving the housing crisis isn’t regulation — it’s expectations.

Communities across the Finger Lakes and Upstate New York all say they need housing — but approvals still take months or years, small projects stall, and the shortage keeps growing.

This week on In Focus, I talk with Strong Towns Chief Technical Advisor Edward Erfurt about the gap between acknowledging the problem and actually fixing it. We discuss the “housing trap,” local regulatory friction, why so many projects require variances, and how incremental development could reshape neighborhoods without large-scale disruption. The conversation also explores the fiscal reality behind growth and why the future of affordability may depend less on large policy changes and more on local decision-making.

How's your town or village handling its future? On this episode of The Debrief - Jackie Augustine and Josh Durso talk about debates shaking out in the Finger Lakes around housing, population decline, how the tax burden will or won't be shared among those residents over time, and what communities are doing now.

Election season is over and in just a few weeks a new class of elected officials will take office across the Finger Lakes. While some will return for new terms, others will be taking on roles for the first time. Today Jackie Augustine and Josh Durso discuss the latest across the Finger Lakes, including implications of closely watched elections.

On the final episode of The Debrief this year – Josh Durso and Jackie Augustine sit down to talk about the biggest stories of 2024. They run down their list of the five biggest stories of the year, and look ahead to 2025 – putting together predictions for what residents should keep an eye on.

Jackie Augustine and Josh Durso are BACK in-studio this morning breaking down the biggest stories from the last month as budget season rolls forward for municipalities across the Finger Lakes. They’re talking about Geneva’s complex situation, how some communities have failed to adequately plan for the realities they now face in their most-important commercial corridors and what needs to happen to reverse the trend-line.

Today on the show hosts Jackie and Josh are talking about Geneva’s Community Engagement Coordinator position, which was eliminated with a lot of community concern, the closure of Wells College in Aurora, an update on the sale of two prominent properties in Seneca Falls, and Ontario County’s housing plan. They also discuss the down-ballot ramifications of the breaking news late-Sunday that President Joe Biden was ending his re-election bid.

On this episode of The Debrief Podcast hosts Josh Durso and Jackie Augustine talk about recent headlines across the Finger Lakes region - including the closure of the Geneva Movieplex, development of a Dunkin' franchise on a high-profile city corner, assessment concerns across the region, and continued housing access issues for low- and middle-income residents across the state.

What happens now that elections are over in the Finger Lakes region? Josh Durso and Jackie Augustine are here to break the results down following intense and close contests in Cayuga, Ontario, Seneca, and Wayne counties. They also talk about the recent election news in Wayne County where results were delayed by nearly an entire day due to a technical glitch. They also discuss recent headlines about Cayuga County Clerk-elect Brian Scanlan being ticketed for leaving the scene of an accident, the unexpected passing of Sodus Point Village Councilor-elect John Nesbitt, and Ontario Town Supervisor Frank Robusto Jr. being found with a loaded firearm attempting to go through TSA.

This week on the podcast Jackie Augustine and Josh Durso break down the biggest races across the Finger Lakes, the issues driving candidates and voters, as well as the undercurrents that have brought communities to present day. The two talk about competitive elections in Canandaigua, Geneva, and Seneca Falls, as well as county races in Cayuga and Ontario. Unprecedented housing issues, a desire from voters to see more economic development in communities across the region, and environmental issues like HABs and landfilling.