good traffic.

Brad Biehl
  • 5.0 (20)
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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. 4d ago

    117 / Place as process, not product / with Ben Donsky

    Ben Donsky — Principal at Agora Partners — is in good traffic this week from Staten Island, New York to discuss placemaking as a process, not a product. Agora Partners guides real estate developers, foundations, and government agencies through the planning, activation, and long-term operation of public space projects nationwide — including Klyde Warren Park in Dallas and Providence’s District Park. We also touch on: Why “authenticity” is a word Ben tries to avoid, and what building organic cultural connection looks like instead. How Cary, North Carolina rebranded its identity around a new downtown park. Providence’s 195 redevelopment district and the rise of District Park. Triangulation as both a transportation concept and a public-space design tool. Running a 14-mile pedestrian safety audit on a volunteer budget. Free, non-technical tools — QGIS, city open-data portals — for building a data-backed case to City Hall. Why the Staten Island Ferry might be the best commute in New York City. Timeline: 00:00 Ben Donsky is in good traffic. 06:03 Defining placemaking: a process, not a product. 08:21 Why placemaking work lives inside a city’s economic development arm. 15:33 Treating open space as a citywide system: lessons from Boston and Atlanta. 18:18 Working with developers, and winning them over with data instead of promises. 21:21 Building organic cultural authenticity, and why public officials resist community engagement too. 25:40 Regional case studies: San Francisco, Chicago, Minneapolis, Cary NC, and Providence’s District Park. 34:35 Triangulation as a placemaking design tool (callback to Ep. 116, “Summer of Triangulation”). 38:48 Programming as economic development, and the line between organic and “astroturfed.” 41:41 Local stakeholders and precedents, such as Klyde Warren Park. 48:46 Grassroots data collection on a volunteer budget: Ben's Staten Island pedestrian audit. 57:38 The favorite-commute question, and the case for the Staten Island Ferry. Further context: ⁠Agora Partners.⁠ ⁠Ben Donsky’s bio at Agora Partners.⁠ ⁠Klyde Warren Park precedent.⁠

  2. Aug 3

    116 / Summer of triangulation.

    Back from a July break full of walking, observing, and listening in Portland, Oregon. Avid pedestrian, burgeoning transit user, performing arts educator, actor (and Brad's fiancé) Aly Marchant is back on the show, too, reflecting on the practice of triangulation — understanding movement as not just A to B or A to C, but also the relationships between points B and C — and how doing this in your city helps in identifying the strengths and shortcomings of an infrastructure system. We also touch on: Rediscovering childhood geography as an adult. Hub-and-spoke vs. grid transit systems. District identity. Portland's Tilikum Crossing bridge as a transit investment. Division Street and Southeast neighborhoods. Mount Tabor. Why stumbling into things is how American lifestyles are shifted. Swimming-accessible water. The value of navigating alone, together. Timeline: 00:00 Back from summer break in Portland. 04:35 Growing up somewhere but not knowing downtown well. 05:24 The concept of triangulation through walking. 08:47 Hub-and-spoke transit vs. grid connectivity. 10:16 Columbus Arena District example. 12:18 Portland's Tilikum Crossing bridge example. 16:54 Why a dedicated transit bridge matters for city resilience. 21:10 FX2 bus and Division Street route. 25:31 Mount Tabor walk from 50th. 27:08 Neighborhoods, stormwater management, water access. 29:22 Brad's favorite commute: light rail plus exploration. 30:33 Wrapping up and back next week with guests.

  3. Jul 2

    115 / Getting policy to actually build / with Amy Tomasso

    Amy Tomasso — Policy + Partnerships at Ivory Innovations — is in good traffic this week from Salt Lake City for a walkthrough of the Ivory Prize: a $1.5 million annual award celebrating housing innovation across policy, finance, construction, and design. Ivory Innovations operates as a nonprofit foundation connected to Utah's largest homebuilder, meaning that their awards fund housing solutions that scale tangibly. We also touch on: Amy's leadership in Vermont's Homes for All toolkit and pre-approved plan sets. Why off-site construction keeps failing (and how to fix it). The gap between policy wins and housing starts. Salt Lake City's missing middle zoning reforms. Philanthropic capital as an alternative to traditional grants. Why developer-public sector collaboration happens in some places and not others. The 2026 Ivory Prize Summit in Tempe, Arizona. Timeline: 00:00 Intro. 02:16 Amy Tomasso and the Ivory Prize. 04:35 Founded 2018 by Clark Ivory and his daughter Abby. 05:29 Nonprofit foundation rooted in a homebuilder's perspective. 06:34 200+ innovators in the portfolio, $1.5 million dispersed. 07:14 Early winners: Portland's Residential Infill Project, Villa Homes. 08:47 Boston Acquisition Fund and Philadelphia housing programs. 10:16 Why the East Coast and West Coast show different innovation patterns. 11:33 Colorado's state-level support for off-site manufacturing. 12:43 Amy's path from urbanism to housing work in Vermont. 16:54 Homes for All toolkit: design guide, infill case studies. 21:10 Pre-approved plan sets for statewide housing production. 25:31 Vermont's collaborative approach with developers and regulators. 28:27 Applying policy in Utah: Salt Lake City's missing middle districts. 31:15 The gap between policy and actual housing starts. 34:12 Philanthropic Capital Playbook launching in November. 37:00 Operating foundation model as an alternative financing tool. 40:15 Patient capital and subordinated debt approaches. 43:03 2026 Ivory Prize Summit in Tempe, Arizona at ASU. 46:33 Off-site construction manufacturers: why they fail and how to succeed. 49:21 Production homebuilder convening around policy innovation. 52:39 Why venture capital may not be the best source for housing. 55:12 Liberty Wells: affordable housing infill in Salt Lake City. 57:37 Proactive lot splitting for future homeownership conversion. 59:35 The Philanthropic Capital Playbook goes public November. 1:01:23 Salt Lake City's expansion housing options vote in October. 1:03:02 Oversupply in multifamily rentals, still need for homeownership opportunities. 1:05:26 The favorite commute: The Avenues to University of Utah. 1:07:38 Wrapping up and part two teaser. Further context: Ivory Innovations. The 2026 Ivory Prize Summit in Tempe, Arizona. Follow Amy's work.

    115 / Getting policy to actually build / with Amy Tomasso

  4. Jun 24

    114 / The American family rowhome / with Bobby Fijan

    Bobby Fijan — founder of The American Housing Corporation — is in good traffic this week for a conversation on rowhomes as the ideal American family housing typology, why density and family-friendliness aren't contradictory, and how to communicate housing solutions to folks in the States. We also touch on: Philadelphia's multi-generational neighborhoods. Brooklyn Heights, Highland Park, and Brookline as proof points. Rowhomes in local varieties across Charleston, San Francisco, Boston. Saint Albans Street's shared garden model. Communicating density through examples people already love. Finding political consensus before naming solutions. Cottage courts and shared courtyards. Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood as template. Timeline: 00:00 Intro. 02:16 Bobby Fijan and why rowhomes matter. 04:35 Living in Philadelphia and falling in love with the typology. 05:29 South Philly as multi-generational, working class. 06:34 Rowhomes in different local varieties. 07:14 Saint Albans Street and shared gardens. 08:47 Rowhomes as recognizably American. 10:16 Using real examples of places people know and like. 11:03 Brooklyn Heights and neighborhoods everyone admires. 12:12 Highland Park Dallas and Brookline Boston. 13:39 Dense housing designed for families, done well. 16:54 Rowhomes aren't cheap—they're designed for families. 21:10 The American Housing Corporation mission. 25:31 Meeting people where they are politically. 28:27 Finding shared goals before naming solutions. 31:15 The favorite commute: 17th and Walnut downtown. 35:54 Block and a half to preschool, four blocks to church. 40:15 Knowing individual coffee shops and their specialties. 43:03 The squash club in Horace Trumbauer building. 46:33 Indoor pool, martinis, and discovering new interests. 49:21 Airport access as part of the equation. 52:39 10th and Lombard cottage court model. 54:16 Wrapping up. Further context: The American Housing Corporation. Follow Bobby, on X.

  5. Jun 10

    113 / Bike parking blunders.

    In Portland for the summer and reflecting once more on the most underrated piece of bike infrastructure: parking. While we rightfully obsess over bike lanes and protected paths, we ignore the fact that transportation sits parked 95% of the time. This quick-hit episode breaks down what makes a good rack, why installation matters, and why bike parking is actually a gateway to widening bike culture. We also touch on: The Portland standard for staple racks. Spacing and positioning failures. U-lock strategies against tire theft. Testing neighborhood bikeability through their racks. Why Shabazz Stuart and others center parking in the conversation. The difference between leisure cycling and transportation cycling. Friction points that keep people in cars. Timeline: 00:00 Intro. 02:16 In Portland for the summer, thinking about design details. 02:45 Mid-block crosswalks as a litmus test for pedestrian priority. 04:48 99% of bike infrastructure talk focuses on movement between A and B. 05:40 The problem: bikes are parked 95% of the time. 07:24 We spend almost no time talking about bike parking. 08:47 Every friction point is someone choosing to drive instead. 10:26 Bike racks in Portland, Columbus, Dallas, Phoenix. 12:08 Staple racks as the gold standard. 12:28 U-lock technique: through frame, tire, and rack. 13:15 Installation guides aren't being followed. 13:49 Real example: moving truck blocking the rack access. 14:54 Bike parking as a public realm and urban design question. 16:29 Wrapping up. Links: On Portland's bike staple racks.

  6. May 27

    112 / Middle housing university / with Alkarim Devani

    Alkarim Devani — developer and founder of mddl — is in good traffic this week for a conversation on how Canada's housing realities compare/contrast with that of the U.S., and how we can better prepare developers to address our continental crisis. Timeline: 00:00 Alkarim Devani is in good traffic. 02:47 Canada's housing crisis. 04:36 Cities not sharing solutions with each other. 05:14 The competitive silence in real estate development. 05:51 Al's background as a developer in Calgary. 06:43 The Plus 15 downtown system and its failures. 07:31 Downtown office conversions and retrofitting. 08:23 Starting infill development with his brother. 09:14 From luxury duplexes to more attainable housing. 10:16 Realizing the market sucks and social impact matters. 11:33 Founding Roundsquare to bring families back. 12:43 The first fourplex proposal that no one had done. 13:39 Meeting resistance and finding city support. 16:54 Why missing middle isn't happening at scale. 25:31 The regulatory framework problem. 28:27 How to make economics work for missing middle. 31:15 Building at the right price point. 34:12 The slow-growth lesson from setbacks. 37:00 Sometimes you don't get the outcome you want. 40:15 Iterative change and incremental progress. 43:03 Solving for community impact. 46:33 A 350-square-foot cafe. 49:21 Revenue-sharing lease structures. 52:24 Building a heated vestibule for winter survival. 55:12 Doubling revenue per square foot through design. 56:01 The General Block and Village Ice Cream. 58:04 Why the right tenant anchor matters. 59:35 University District and the 99-year lease model. 1:01:23 Inglewood and Calgary's coffee culture. 1:03:02 The commute question and river path biking. 1:05:26 Wrapping up. Links: mddl. mddl U. Mddl, on Instagram.

    112 / Middle housing university / with Alkarim Devani

  7. May 15

    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.

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

  8. May 11

    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.

    110 / A walkable algorithm / with Paul Stout
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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
    118
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Brad Biehl
  • Show Website
    good traffic.

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