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Brad Biehl
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A workshop for American urban design and urban planning. Join a prolific collective of city and neighborhood staples as we look to better brand American urbanism. New conversations, each week.

  1. 111 / Is data center NIMBYism uniting the populace? / with Avani Adhikari

    22 HRS AGO

    111 / Is data center NIMBYism uniting the populace? / with Avani Adhikari

    Avani Adhikari — head of insights at GatherGov — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about mapping America's data center development pipeline, what happens when you analyze millions of hours of municipal meeting recordings, and the most controversial topics in local government. As cities hear proposals they don't fully understand and residents voice opposition to infrastructure they've never encountered before, Avani's work sits at the intersection of technology, and civic engagement. Avani walks through how GatherGov listens to and analyzes meetings from over 7,800 jurisdictions to extract entitlements data and assess development risk. She explains the sharp uptick in data center construction spending since 2022 — a timeline that directly correlates with ChatGPT and large language models — and breaks down why these projects spark such intense community opposition despite their often-invisible presence. From water usage concerns to property value fears to fundamental questions about who benefits from AI infrastructure, the conversation explores how communication gaps between tech companies and residents create friction that could be avoided. She also discusses why the Northeast consistently shows up as the most civically engaged region in her data, the challenge of making complex information accessible, and what it means to be a tech optimist working on projects that generate genuine controversy. Timeline: 00:00 Avani Adhikari and GatherGov. 02:47 Mapping the development pipeline of America. 04:36 Entitlements data as early project signals. 05:14 Analyzing 7800+ jurisdictions' public meetings. 05:51 Extracting patterns from millions of hours of recordings. 06:43 Data centers as a recent fascination. 07:31 Nuclear energy as another controversial asset class. 08:23 How often these topics show up in council meetings. 09:14 Monthly construction spending jumped in 2022. 10:16 ChatGPT and data center discourse correlation. 11:33 Community opposition to data centers. 12:43 Water usage and environmental concerns. 16:54 Property value fears and NIMBY dynamics. 21:10 Communication gaps between tech companies and residents. 25:31 Why transparency matters more than people think. 28:27 The tech optimist perspective on controversial projects. 31:15 Who benefits from AI infrastructure? 34:12 Making complex data accessible through storytelling. 37:00 Personal interest in civic tech applications. 40:15 The most civically engaged regions in America. 43:03 Northeast towns showing up constantly in the data. 46:33 Small New England towns and per capita engagement. 49:21 Where to follow GatherGov's work. 52:24 Newsletter and LinkedIn posts. 55:12 Upcoming white paper on data centers. 56:01 The commute question. 58:04 Living in Tokyo as a teenager. 59:35 Hour-long train commute to school. 1:00:25 Reading books and buying snacks on the way. 1:01:23 Wrapping up. Links: On data centers, from GatherGov. GatherGov homebase. Follow Avani, on LinkedIn.

    51 min
  2. 110 / A walkable algorithm / with Paul Stout

    5D AGO

    110 / A walkable algorithm / with Paul Stout

    Paul Stout — urbanist creator and landscape designer — is back in good traffic this week for a conversation about making urbanism foundational, why the most successful design work often goes unnoticed, and what it takes to translate complex spatial ideas into social media messages that resonate. After a content hiatus and returning with videos that've caught fire, Paul reflects on how the standardized suburban American experience creates a massively untapped audience waiting to discover their daily frustrations have names — and sometimes solutions. Timeline: 00:00 Paul Stout returns to the show. 02:47 Back making videos on Instagram after time away. 03:35 Making urbanism accessible. 04:21 The suburban teen Bloomberg CityLab article. 05:12 Why the standardized US experience creates relatability. 06:36 Building a precedent library for video content. 08:23 Reading and being interested for years. 09:14 Reverse engineering for people with no education on the topic. 10:16 The Central Park "they just left it as is" misconception. 11:33 Every square inch of Central Park is planned and maintained. 12:43 You don't know what you don't know. 13:39 Why landscape architecture is ripe for storytelling. 16:54 The best work goes unnoticed when it feels natural. 21:10 Showcasing expensive neighborhoods. 25:31 Learning to see the world differently. 28:27 Parks that receive less funding than Central Park. 31:15 People still love their local park despite underfunding. 34:12 The sleeper pick: Inwood Hill Park. 37:00 Topography making you forget you're in a city. 40:15 The commute question returns. 43:03 Best commute ever: biking to University of Salzburg. 46:33 Fully separated bike infrastructure next to a river with Alps backdrop. 49:21 Why Salzburg might not be on your TripAdvisor list. 52:24 No map shows architecturally interesting spaces within cities. 55:12 Ryan Johnson's advice: go to the oldest part of town. 56:01 The tightest streets and most walkable areas. 58:04 Urban renewal contrast near historic districts. 59:35 Wrapping up and following Paul's work. Links: Follow Paul, on Instagram. Follow Paul, on TikTok. Follow Paul, on YouTube.

    39 min
  3. 109 / The missing middle of our food infrastructure / with Caitlin Taylor

    MAY 5

    109 / The missing middle of our food infrastructure / with Caitlin Taylor

    Caitlin Taylor — architect, farmer, and founder of Midcourse Design & Development — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about the missing middle of America's food system, and why architects need to understand farming, supply chains, and retail, en route to rebuilding regional infrastructure. We also touch on: Why architects rarely work on food infrastructure. The lived experience of running a certified organic farm. How Mass Design Group shaped her practice model. The missing middle between industrial and direct-to-consumer. Why most food businesses operate despite the built environment, not because of it. Regional processing as the bottleneck. Fiddleheads co-op in New London, Connecticut as an exemplar. Why independently owned grocery stores are so rare. Grocery store layout and fresh versus shelf-stable ratios. Projects coming soon that will demonstrate the Midcourse model. Timeline: 00:00 Caitlin Taylor is in good traffic. 05:35 The multidisciplinary studio model. 07:24 Weaving architecture, operations, planning, and finance. 08:02 How Caitlin started Midcourse. 08:39 Being both an architect and a farmer. 09:31 Living on a certified organic farm. 10:19 The food world as a small, networked community. 11:11 Only architect in a room of farmers, only farmer in a room of architects. 12:02 When the realization happened. 13:04 Husband becoming a farmer while Caitlin was in grad school. 13:39 The wacky idea that food system architecture mattered. 14:21 Joining Mass Design Group in 2016. 14:41 Founding the Food Systems Design Lab. 16:59 Testing what role architecture plays in regional food systems. 20:53 Why Caitlin left Mass to start Midcourse. 25:31 The missing middle of food infrastructure. 31:15 Processing, storage, distribution, aggregation. 37:00 Why regional infrastructure disappeared. 43:03 Globalized consolidation and economies of scale. 49:21 Making regional systems economically viable. 55:12 How architects can help food businesses. 56:01 Grocery stores as museums of regional food. 56:48 Seasonal eating and living with the seasons. 57:17 Fresh versus packaged shelf ratios. 58:04 Where to see this in action. 58:27 Fiddleheads co-op in New London, Connecticut. 59:35 Independently owned cooperative grocery stores. 1:00:25 Why co-ops are so rare and often fail. 1:01:23 The commute question. 1:01:55 200 feet from kitchen to farm wash station. 1:03:02 Wrapping up. Links: More on Midcourse.

    1h 3m
  4. 108 / The single-family starter home trap / with Tahra Hoops

    APR 25

    108 / The single-family starter home trap / with Tahra Hoops

    Tahra Hoops — director of economic analysis at the Chamber of Progress and writer of The Rebuild — is back in good traffic this week for a conversation about financial nihilism, what happens when an entire generation stops believing homeownership is possible, and why the definition of "starter home" desperately needs an update. As Gen-Z watches record spending on concerts and short-term consumption coexist with near complete abandonment of long-term financial planning, Tahra breaks down the policy failures that created this mess, as well as the middle housing opportunities sitting right in front of us. And, how the politics of the likes of both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Moreno are missing the moment in producing tangible housing policy solutions. The conversation dives into California's condo construction defect laws — arcane legislation that makes it financially impossible for developers to build the middle housing units that could actually serve as starter homes for young people. From townhomes to small condos, the housing types that used to be entry points into ownership have virtually disappeared, leaving renters stuck between unaffordable single-family homes and corporate-owned apartment buildings with no path to equity. We also touch on: The boomer economy and lack of investment in young generations. Why people spend $6,000 on Coachella but can't imagine owning a home. How fintech enables short-term consumption while destroying long-term planning. What a starter home actually means today. The Cost of Living Blueprint report. Why better Democrats need to enter the California governor race. City council as the sweet spot for policy wonks. Banning millennial gray hardwood floors. Timeline: 00:00 Intro. 07:44 Tahra Hoops returns to the show. 08:03 What prompted the starter home piece. 08:38 The boomer economy and lack of youth investment. 09:37 Gen Z one versus Gen Z two split. 10:16 Financial nihilism and scaling back. 10:41 Evolving the starter home conversation. 11:01 What is a starter home anymore? 11:36 Coachella spending versus housing realities. 12:19 Short-term consumption and long-term collapse. 13:07 California condo defect laws. 14:55 Why developers won't build condos. 18:11 The missing middle housing shortage. 22:26 Starter homes as typologies other than single-family. 27:02 Financing and construction cost barriers. 32:15 Rethinking what ownership looks like. 37:43 Policy solutions beyond zoning reform. 43:16 The Cost of Living Blueprint report. 47:52 California governor race and runoff dynamics. 53:33 State level politics as Parks and Rec documentary. 54:30 City council as policy wonk sweet spot. 56:41 Boomers love progress until it moves next door. 58:07 Design and sneaking units past NIMBYs. 58:51 Landscape architecture consultation requirements. 59:42 Millennial gray hardwood floor ban proposal. 1:00:51 The Rebuild newsletter and upcoming work. 1:01:48 Wrapping up. Read more: A Starter Home is Whatever We Want it to Be. Subscribe to The Rebuild. Chamber of Progress Cost Of Living Policy Blueprint for 2026 Midterms. Follow: Tahra, on X.

    1h 3m
  5. 107 / Streets as a microcosm of democracy / with Ben Wolf

    APR 17

    107 / Streets as a microcosm of democracy / with Ben Wolf

    Ben Wolf — cinematographer and director of the documentary Changing Lanes — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about using a Brooklyn bike lane project as a lens for understanding democracy, infrastructure, and why America feels politically stuck. As the documentary begins its theatrical release in Los Angeles and prepares to stream on major platforms, Ben reflects on what local stories can teach national audiences and why good information matters more than ever. We also touch on: How the pandemic created space to pursue creative projects. Cycling's transformation from outsider activity to mainstream. Why streets are a proxy for bigger political problems. Mayors Bloomberg, Adams, and Mamdani's approaches to bike infrastructure and street safety. Renters versus owners in infrastructure debates. Car commercials as propaganda for the status quo. Why there's no equivalent marketing for walking and biking. Film festival reception and upcoming theatrical release. Sicily hill towns where streets have stairs, and walking ten minutes to the piazza for coffee. Timeline: 00:00 Ben Wolf and Changing Lanes. 07:23 Three years following a street redesign story. 08:15 The pandemic as catalyst for directing. 09:07 Wanting to explore local transportation and politics. 09:41 Streets as illustrations of democracy. 10:09 The locked public meeting. 11:12 Finding the spine of the story. 11:45 Housing debates bleeding into street fights. 13:58 Renters versus owners and credibility claims. 16:54 The broader political paralysis theme. 16:01 Mamdani election and optimism for change. 17:55 Bloomberg and Janette Sadik-Khan's rapid change era. 19:39 Mayor Eric Adams' record. 21:10 Why compromise feels impossible. 26:21 Corporate car propaganda versus reality. 30:48 Generations of automotive marketing. 36:34 The counter-narrative we don't get. 42:25 Making local stories nationally relevant. 43:06 The problem of bad information. 44:10 Car companies as propaganda experts. 44:51 Documentaries as counter to corporate messaging. 45:55 Theatrical release and streaming plans. 46:47 Hosting screenings in your city. 47:48 LA as the most car-centric place. 48:08 Using Olympics as catalyst for change. 48:33 The commute question. 48:53 A vacation house in Sicily. 49:22 Everything within a ten-minute walk. 49:38 Wrapping up. Further context: Where to view the film, upcoming. Hosting a screening.

    51 min

  6. APR 6

    106 / Field notes from Oslo, Stockholm, & Copenhagen.

    Back stateside after a week in Scandinavia, and ready to share some field notes! Rather than just repeating what urbanists already know about Nordic bike infrastructure and cafe culture, we'll walk through the specific design choices that make these cities work, the surprising ways they differ from each other, and the sobering reality that even the best examples aren't perfect. For Americans dissatisfied but optimistic about what their cities could become, this audio offers part blueprint, part reality check. We start in Oslo, on to Stockholm, then Copenhagen. We also touch on: Why Oslo defers to pedestrians at every turn. Density without excessive height. Taking skis on the metro to the slopes from city center. Stockholm's Pittsburgh-like topography with bright buildings. Comparing car presence across Scandinavian cities. Copenhagen's bike rush hour. Simple gathering spots. How infrastructure enables social vibrancy. What US cities can learn from imperfect examples with common frictions. Timeline: 00:00 Back from Scandinavia with quick takeaways. 03:37 Oslo: the safest pedestrian experience ever. 04:49 Speed limits never over 25 mph. 05:11 Building heights: 3-6 stories, palatable density. 06:26 Instant pedestrian signals at every crossing. 07:14 Taking skis on the metro to the slopes. 07:37 Stockholm: the most intriguing pedestrian experience. 08:12 The archipelago geography and constant water views. 09:01 Pittsburgh comparison. 11:34 Stockholm as the most car-present Nordic city. 13:28 Copenhagen: the bike capital reality check. 16:45 Bike rush hour on Friday. 18:22 Time-competitive transportation alternatives. 20:37 Head on a swivel: navigating heavy bike traffic. 22:06 Different speeds creating friction and attention. 24:03 Building heights comparable to Stockholm. 24:30 Surprisingly narrow sidewalks in many places. 25:54 The most vibrant social environment ever witnessed. 26:47 Window ledges as seating and gathering spots. 27:32 How little it takes to facilitate social vibrancy. 28:00 Wrapping up.

    28 min
  7. 105 / Cities bet on millennials, but forgot they'd have kids / with Rachel Booth

    MAR 14

    105 / Cities bet on millennials, but forgot they'd have kids / with Rachel Booth

    Rachel Booth — U.S. social policy writer at Vox — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about what happens when cities bet on millennials but forget they eventually have kids, why upzoning alone won't solve the family-sized housing shortage, and how to tell complex urban stories to audiences who need them most. As someone who has covered housing and homelessness for 15 years and is now 38.5 weeks pregnant while living in D.C. as a renter, Rachel brings both professional expertise and deeply personal stakes to the question of whether cities can actually work for families. Rachel walks through her Vox reporting on the stark reality facing urban America: large urban counties lost roughly 8% of their under-five population between 2020 and 2024, and in New York City, families with kids under six left at twice the rate of everyone else. She explains why even in cities that have successfully upzoned and increased housing production, the economics of development overwhelmingly produce studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments rather than the three- and four-bedroom units families need. The conversation shifts to Vox's approach to accessibility—how to make wonky housing policy compelling without dumbing it down—and Rachel's work on an upcoming book project that explores these themes further. From the challenge of translating podcasts into audiobooks to why transcript availability has changed journalism, the episode weaves between urbanism and the evolving media landscape that shapes how these ideas spread. We also touch on: Why vacancy rates don't tell the full housing story. The diversity cities lose when families leave. The economics of why developers don't build family-sized units. How Vox makes complex topics accessible. The tension between accessibility and depth. Rachel's book project and the audiobook problem. Why YouTube remains a question mark for writers. Baltimore to D.C. on the MARC train. Walking 40 minutes to the Vox office. Timeline: 00:00 Rachel Booth from Vox. 02:47 Cities and families as political common ground. 03:28 Rachel's November piece on millennials and families. 04:03 38.5 weeks pregnant and renting in D.C. 04:32 The second piece on family-sized housing. 05:07 Why upzoning produces studios and one-bedrooms. 05:46 Vacancy rates versus housing types. 07:14 Large urban counties lost 8% of under-five population. 07:40 NYC families leaving at twice the rate. 09:22 The diversity cities lose without families. 12:18 Why developers don't build three-bedroom units. 16:34 Construction costs and unit mix economics. 21:45 Policy levers beyond upzoning. 26:12 How Vox approaches accessibility. 31:58 Making wonky topics compelling without dumbing down. 37:24 The tension between depth and accessibility. 42:19 Rachel's book project on housing. 46:33 The audiobook versus podcast problem. 49:40 Why conversations work better than monologues. 52:12 YouTube as the big question mark. 53:27 Podcast transcripts and journalism research. 55:46 AI applications for podcasts. 56:41 The commute question. 57:07 Walking 40 minutes to the Vox office. 57:24 Baltimore to D.C. on the MARC train. 58:22 Wrapping up. Further context: Rachel's article: Cities made a bet on millennials — but forgot one key thing. Rachel's recent works. @rcobooth on Twitter. @rcobooth, on Instagram.

    59 min
  8. 104 / Large-scale architecture's role & responsibility in urbanism / with Forth Bagley

    MAR 5

    104 / Large-scale architecture's role & responsibility in urbanism / with Forth Bagley

    Forth Bagley — Principal Architect at KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox) — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about designing at scale, threading the needle between progressive design and commercial realities, and why tall buildings owe a responsibility to the cities they define. As an architect involved in transforming places from Covent Garden, to Changi Airport, to Hudson Yards, to Central Hong Kong, Forth brings a strong perspective on what it takes to actually get ambitious projects built, and what happens when iconic architecture becomes the backdrop for everything — good and bad — in a city. Forth walks through how KPF finds itself embedded in neighborhoods for decades, often through clients who follow them across continents — like the developer who hired them in Hong Kong, then brought them to Covent Garden in London to upgrade what had become a tourist trap into a lifestyle destination for everyday Londoners. He explains how Hudson Yards, the largest private development in North American history, required building over active rail lines, threading complicated funding mechanisms, and pulling back architectural ambition at the right moments to ensure the project could actually get built and generate the tax revenue New York desperately needed. The conversation touches on Bill Pedersen's theory that tall buildings become the church spires of modern cities — responsible not just to owners but to skylines, wayfinding, and civic identity — and the uncomfortable reality that a decade-long project can launch in 2008 and emerge into a completely different world of Uber, Amazon deliveries, and viral photography. We also touch on: Why built precedent matters more than renderings. Threading the needle between pushing boundaries and staying on budget. Half of all designs ending up on the cutting room floor. Tall buildings as wayfinding tools and civic markers. Architecture as public relations and its downsides. Why Hudson Yards saved New York from deeper fiscal crisis. Austin's Waterline and green terraces. Hong Kong's seamless infrastructure. Timeline:00:00 Intro.02:24 Introducing Forth Bagley from KPF.02:47 The architect's perspective on the show.03:12 KPF's mission: elevating basic building blocks.03:47 From single buildings to neighborhoods over 50 years.04:09 How KPF gets hired for major projects.05:12 Covent Garden: from Hong Kong client to London.06:34 Upgrading a tourist trap for everyday Londoners.07:19 Hudson Yards: largest private development in North America.08:47 Building over active rail lines.09:12 The West Side as a net negative on tax rolls.10:33 Why built precedent matters.11:55 Threading the needle between ambition and reality.13:22 Half of designs end up on the floor.14:38 The difference between getting built and not.18:45 Bill Pedersen's theory of tall building responsibility.21:17 Tall buildings as church spires and civic markers.24:33 Looking different from different points of view.26:58 The responsibility to the skyline.31:42 Hudson Yards and the iPhone problem.34:19 Starting in 2008, emerging into a different world.38:27 Hudson Yards and New York's tax revenue crisis.41:53 Public school kids educated because of the project.44:14 Architecture as public relations problem.45:02 When iconic buildings become protest backdrops.46:21 Making buildings harmonious with existing skylines.47:07 Hudson Yards preventing fiscal disaster.47:51 Austin's Waterline and green terraces.48:14 The commute question.48:51 JFK to Hong Kong W hotel without stepping outside.49:42 Hong Kong's seamless infrastructure systems.50:02 Wrapping up. Further context: KPF's work. On Instagram.

    50 min
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About

A workshop for American urban design and urban planning. Join a prolific collective of city and neighborhood staples as we look to better brand American urbanism. New conversations, each week.

Information

  • Creator
    Brad Biehl
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Brad Biehl
  • Show Website
    good traffic.

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