Building Better Cities

Kate Gasparro - Urban Development & Sustainable Infrastructure Expert

Welcome to Building Better Cities, the podcast where we explore the evolving landscape of urban development and the crucial role that infrastructure and real estate investments play in shaping our communities.

  1. Why Local Developers Matter More Than Ever with Jim Heid

    1d ago

    Why Local Developers Matter More Than Ever with Jim Heid

    For generations, cities were built by the people who lived in them. That's why so many of our most beloved neighborhoods feel like quilted fabrics of architectural styles, mixed uses, interwoven public spaces, and human-scale details. These vibrant neighborhoods weren't delivered all at once through a single master plan — they emerged gradually through incremental urban development, one building, one block, one local investment at a time. But somewhere along the way, building small became harder. Harder for local developers and entrepreneurs to shape the places they live. Harder for neighborhoods to evolve incrementally. And easier for growth to be defined only by scale. Today, many communities say they want more housing, more walkable neighborhoods, more local character, and more vibrant main streets. But too often, the systems shaping urban development and city projects only make room for the biggest players and the largest deals — leaving small-scale, sustainable development on the sidelines. So what would it look like to reopen the door to small-scale urban development? In this episode, host Kate Gasparro sits down with Jim Heid — founder of Building Small, developer, strategist, and author of Building Small. Jim has spent years championing a different approach to growth: human-scale projects, adaptive reuse, local ownership, and the idea that smaller developments can create outsized impact on neighborhoods and local economies. Together, Kate and Jim explore what "building small" actually means, why today's development system favors scale, the barriers small builders and lenders face, and what developers, planners, urbanists, real estate professionals, and everyday city lovers can do to help create more vibrant, sustainable neighborhoods in their own communities. Resources:  Building Small: Tools for Doing Development Different (Jim Heid) Small Scale Forums (Jim Heid) Where did all the small developers go? (Strong Towns) Why small developers are getting squeezewd out of the housing market (Coby Lefkowitz) The challenges facing small or emeging housing developers and strategies to overcome them (Urban Institute) The lost art of small-scale development (Jim Kumon, Incremental Development Alliance) How 'Developer' became such a dirty word (NY Times) Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here. Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    41 min

  2. May 13

    How San Diego rewired California housing incentives with Colin Parent

    For generations, California has approached housing growth through a familiar playbook: long planning processes, neighborhood-by-neighborhood debates, and major reforms that often struggle to deliver homes at scale. But every so often, an incentive structure quietly changes the system. In this episode of Building Better Cities, we explore one of those policies: California’s Density Bonus Law, and the findings from Circulate Planning and Policy’s new “Win-Win Bonus” report on how this tool has become one of the state’s most effective drivers of housing production and urban development. Colin Parent, Executive Director of Circulate Planning and Policy and a key architect of California’s expanded Bonus Law joins host Kate Gasparro to discuss Bonus Law's success. Colin previously worked under Governor Jerry Brown at the California Department of Housing and Community Development, where he helped shape statewide housing policy during a period of major change following the dissolution of redevelopment agencies. Together, Kate and Colin discuss how Bonus Law evolved from a rarely used statute into a central housing production tool, now accounting for a significant share of multifamily housing approvals in California. We also examine how San Diego became an early testing ground for reform, how local innovation scaled into state policy, and why incentive-based approaches can sometimes outperform more traditional regulatory strategies. Beyond the mechanics, this conversation explores broader questions of housing affordability, urban infrastructure, and coalition-building: what it takes to align public and private interests—and where even successful policies may still leave gaps, particularly for middle-income households. Whether you work in planning, development, public policy, or simply care about the future of housing affordability, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how a local experiment became statewide policy—and what it signals for the next generation of housing and infrastructure reform. Resources: Bonus tracks- your musical experience into understanding bonus law (Circulate Planning and Policy) California's density bonus is a 'win-win' for developers and affordable housing (Planetizen) San Diego housing density bonus is spurring affordable units (SmartCitiesDive) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    35 min

  3. Apr 29

    What makes a better city? Inside LEED’s urban framework with Dr. Vatsal Bhatt

    How do you measure whether a city is actually getting better? Most people know LEED as the gold standard for green buildings. But cities are more than buildings—they’re systems made up of housing, transportation, public space, infrastructure, resilience, health, and opportunity. In this episode of Building Better Cities, Kate Gasparro sits down with Dr. Vatsal Bhatt, Vice President at the U.S. Green Building Council and global lead for LEED for Cities and Communities, to explore how one of the world’s most recognized sustainability frameworks has expanded from buildings to the scale of neighborhoods, communities, and entire cities. They discuss why LEED for Cities and Communities was created, how it differs from traditional building certifications, and why an outcomes-driven, data-centered approach matters when cities are trying to balance growth, equity, climate goals, and quality of life. The conversation also explores a bigger question: do rating systems simply recognize good projects—or can they actually change how communities are planned, governed, and built? Whether you’re a developer, planner, policymaker, or someone who simply cares about the future of your community, this episode offers a fresh framework for thinking about what it really means to build better cities. Resources: St Paul's The Heights redevelopment hearns LEED Platinum precertification (REJournals) onMain- Dayton's Innovation District (onMain) The masterplan of MIND - the Milan Innovation District (Mario Cucinella Architects) Siemensstadt 2.0: Research and industry closely linked (Brain City Berlin) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    32 min

  4. Apr 16

    Funding city infrastructure at the ballot box: what Nashville got right with Amanda Wall Vandegrift

    Transit ballot measures are often seen as a long shot — especially when affordability is top of mind and voters are being asked to raise their own taxes. But in November 2024, 66% of Nashville voters said yes to Choose How You Move, a half-penny sales tax funding $3.1 billion in transit expansion, sidewalk construction, and urban infrastructure improvements across Davidson County. So what made it work — and what can other cities learn heading into the 2026 midterm elections? In November 2024, sixty-six percent of Nashville voters approved Choose How You Move — a half-penny sales tax funding $3.1 billion in transit expansion, sidewalk construction, and urban infrastructure improvements across Davidson County.  So what changed? In this episode of Building Better Cities, host Kate Gasparro sits down with Amanda Wall Vandergrift, Deputy CEO of WeGo Public Transit, to unpack the specific messaging, coalition-building, and program design strategies that moved two-thirds of voters to raise their own taxes. In this episode, we discuss: How Nashville flipped the narrative from "fix transit" to "give us more of what's already working" — and why that distinction mattersWhy framing the program around sidewalks, signals, service, and safety resonated more than flashy urban development projectsThe one strategic mistake Amanda sees transit agencies repeat when taking infrastructure programs to the ballot boxWhat cities pursuing sustainable development, urban regeneration, and voter-approved transportation investment should be doing right now ahead of November 2026This episode is essential listening for local leaders, city planners, transit advocates, and real estate investors betting on transit-oriented infrastructure. Resources: 5 strategies to help transit ballot measures succeed (SmartCitiesDive) Transit Wins Big Again in Local Electrions Across America (StreetsBlog USA) Nashville among wave of successful 2024 transit votes nationwide (Tenessee Lookout) 80% of Public Transit Measures Passed in 2025 Elections (Planetizen) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    33 min

  5. Apr 1

    Part 1: Why zoning reform isn't solving the housing crisis with Yonah Freemark

    Upzoning is often pitched as the silver bullet for the housing crisis — change the rules, let developers build, and supply will bring prices down. But the reality is a lot more complicated. In this episode, host Kate Gasparro sit down with Yonah Freemark to unpack what the research actually tells us about the relationship between zoning reform and housing production across U.S. cities. Yonah is a principal research associate at the Urban Institute, where he leads the practice area on Fair Housing, Land Use, and Transportation and directs the Land Use Lab. He holds a PhD in urban studies and master's degrees in city planning and transportation from MIT, and his research on zoning, affordable housing, and urban development has been published in the Journal of the American Planning Association, Housing Policy Debate, and Urban Affairs Review, among others. He's also the founder of The Transport Politic, one of the most widely cited independent platforms tracking transit infrastructure investment in the U.S. and globally.  In this episode, we discuss: Why upzoning doesn't guarantee housing gets built — and the market conditions that actually drive development How land values absorb the gains from rezoning before construction ever happens The role of interest rates, developer equity, and financial feasibility in urban housing production Why no single land use policy will solve the housing crisis, and what a more complete urban planning toolkit looks likeThis is part one of a two-part series on how zoning, housing supply, and transportation infrastructure are shaping the future of American cities. In the next episode, we bring in Sam Sklar of Exasperated Infrastructure to explore how transit investment, city building, and mobility policy connect to the land use conversation. Resources: Upzoning Chicago: Impacts of a Zoning Reform on Property Values and Housing Construction (Urban Affairs Review) Downzoning Chicago: How Local Land Use Policy has Reduced Houisng Construction and Reinforced Segregation (Urban Findings) America Has a Housing Shortage. Zoning Changes Near Transit Could Help. (Urban Institute) Unifying Upzoning with Affordable Housing Production Strategies (Urban Institute) Austin's Surge of New Housing Construction Drove Down Rents (Pew) Dallas in Booming- Except for its downtown (Wall Street Journal) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    23 min

  6. Apr 1

    Part 2: Why transit investment is really a city building decision with Yonah Freemark and Sam Sklar

    You pay rent or a mortgage every month and you know exactly what that costs. But how much are you spending just to get where you need to go? For a lot of Americans, transportation is the hidden cost of where they live — and it's a cost that's baked into the way we've built our cities. In part two of this series, Yonah Freemark of the Urban Institute stays with us and we're joined by Sam Sklar — the writer, consultant, and advocate behind Exasperated Infrastructures — to explore the deep connection between public transit investment, urban land use policy, and how cities grow. Sam brings experience across urban planning, sustainable infrastructure consulting, and transit advocacy, and his platform has become a go-to voice on what it actually takes to build more equitable, people-centered transportation systems in American cities. In this episode, we discuss: Why transportation infrastructure is land use — and how the space cities dedicate to roads and highways shapes what's possible for housing density, walkable communities, and sustainable urban development Why transit oriented development alone won't save struggling transit agenciesOur March Madness bracket of transit investments reshaping American cities This is part two of a two-part series on how zoning reform, housing supply, and transportation infrastructure investment are shaping the future of sustainable, equitable American cities. Catch part one to hear Yonah Freemark break down why upzoning alone won't solve the housing crisis. Resources: The Bay Area Considers the Unthinkable: Life Without BART (NYTimes) The Smart Enough City (Ben Green) Virginia DOT's Smart Scale approch to allocating tax dollars (VA DOT) Queenslink: Connecting Communities with Rails & Trails (Queenslink) Western Avenue alders revived Chicago's BRT dream (StreetsBlog Chicago) After decades of dreaming, delays, LA's Wilshire subway to Beverly Hills to open in May (LA Times) How the Interborough Express Could Transform New York (NYTimes) Build the Roosevelt Blvd Subway (Blvd Subway) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    26 min

  7. Mar 18

    Why mayors can't solve the housing crisis alone with Michael Tubbs

    Building better cities requires getting the relationship between cities, counties, and the state right. And few people understand that dynamic better than someone who's lived on both sides of it. In this episode of Building Better Cities, host Kate Gasparro sits down with Michael Tubbs — former Mayor of Stockton, Special Advisor to Governor Newsom, and candidate for Lieutenant Governor — to unpack who's actually responsible for solving California's housing crisis. From leading a city through bankruptcy recovery to launching the nation's first mayor-led guaranteed income pilot, Tubbs brings a rare perspective on what it takes to drive urban development when power is split between city hall and the state capitol. He's also been a vocal advocate for SB 79 and CEQA reform, testifying before the state legislature in support of legislation that would make it easier to build housing near transit and reduce the regulatory delays that drive up costs. The conversation covers how state legislation is reshaping local land use and zoning to unlock housing supply and how the relationship between cities and the state determines whether sustainable cities get built — or stalled. Tubbs also shares his vision for using university-owned land to produce housing at scale, his proposals for a California public bank and data dividend, and why transit-oriented development is essential to meeting the state's climate and sustainable infrastructure goals. If you care about housing policy, urban development, sustainable cities, or the future of California, this is essential listening. Resources: 3 years ago, Stockton, was bankrupt. Now it's trying out a basic income. (Vox) Michael Tubbs: What does it take to transform a struggling city? (NPR) Mayors for a Guaranteed Income Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration Analysis (University of Pennsylvania) CA program giving $500 no-strings-attached stipends pays off, study finds (NPR) Hey Alaskans, it's time to file for your Permanent Fund Divident (Alaska Public Media) CA Governor Gavin Newsom proposes a "data dividend" for state residents (Vox) CA's push to clear homeless encampments (Governing) Riverside Council rejects $20M state grant for affordable housing project (The Riverside Record) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    32 min

  8. Mar 4

    From extraction to regeneration: place-based development in Appalachia with Steven Baumgartner

    For decades, communities across Appalachia have watched jobs disappear, resources drain, and local wealth flow outward. But in Morganton, North Carolina, a nonprofit called The Industrial Commons has been quietly rewriting that story — building cooperative businesses, training workers, and keeping wealth rooted in place through circular textile manufacturing and community-owned enterprise. In this episode, host Kate Gasparro sits down with Steven Baumgartner, founder of Baumgartner Urban Systems Strategy (BUSS), to explore how place-based, values-driven urban development can transform even the most disinvested communities. Drawing on two decades of experience at global firms, Steven brings a systems thinker's lens to one of the most compelling sustainable city development stories in the country. Together, Kate and Steven unpack what it really means to translate a mission into a place, why decentralized sustainable infrastructure outperforms the heavy systems we've relied on for generations, and how the circular economy model pioneered by The Industrial Commons offers a replicable blueprint for equitable, regenerative development. Resources: This Southern Appalachian town uses co-ops to build new communities around old industries (resilience) An Appalachian Model for Regenerating Place-Based, Community Wealth (Next City) How Corporate Greed Keep Appalachia Underdeveloped (Columbia Political Review) New industries, new jobs needed to boost Burke economy (The Paper) The Industrial Commons breaks ground on transformative Innovation Campus (eTextile Communications) The loss of manufacturing once devastated Morganton. Now, it's witnessing a revival (The Charlotte Observer) Send us Fan Mail Thanks for listening to Building Better Cities! If you'd like to stay connected, don't forget to Subscribe and Follow. You can find all our archived newsletters and podcasts right here.  Want to get in touch? Just email the team at kate@buildingbettercities.com.

    33 min
See All (39)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Welcome to Building Better Cities, the podcast where we explore the evolving landscape of urban development and the crucial role that infrastructure and real estate investments play in shaping our communities.

Information

  • Creator
    Kate Gasparro - Urban Development & Sustainable Infrastructure Expert
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kate Gasparro - Urban Development & Sustainable Infrastructure Expert
  • Show Website
    Building Better Cities

You Might Also Like