Polis: A Show About Cities

Subject Radio
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Places & Travel

Hosted by Benjamin Ulrey and Jon Roberts, Polis is a fortnightly discussion examining the impact of our urban environment on everything from politics and economics to our diets and health. Come join our conversation as we think through what we want from the cities we live in and the part they play in shaping each of us.

Episodes

  1. 11/05/2018

    011: E-Scooters And Bike Sharing: Future Of Transit or Public Nuisance?

    Ben and Jon talk about the recent phenomena of bike sharing programs and E-scooters. These new modes of transport have taken the cities of the world by storm causing all sorts of unexpected outcomes. Our hosts get into their personal experiences with these systems the potential revolution in transport that they presage as well as the serious concerns they have with the direction of this progress. Mentioned in the Episode: Irish Dockless Bikes - Bleeper Bikes First Dockless Bikes in China - OFO and Mo Bike American Dockless Bikes - Lime Bike Paris Velib Program Major Scooter Company - Bird E-Scooters Biggest Docked Bike Firm in North America - Motivate Bikes

    011: E-Scooters And Bike Sharing: Future Of Transit or Public Nuisance?

  2. 08/06/2018

    010: Los Angeles

    A show about cities should explore concrete examples and case studies in urban growth and development. To that end this we our hosts begin a series of City profiles with Jon’s hometown: Los Angeles. They discuss the city’s history, present, and future as well as some of the unique attributes of the place and what it’s like to live there. Mentioned in the Episode: US Census: Los Angeles statistics Los Angeles Metro Usage Metro Map and Instructions LA Compared with Other Places Los Angeles Walkability LA's High Population Density

    010: Los Angeles

  3. 07/09/2018

    009: Megaprojects, Are They Worth It?

    Megaprojects, they’re the biggest and most impactful manifestation of infrastructure and urban policy on Earth. Our hosts have a discussion trying to define these projects and break down examples of the financial disasters and engineering wonders they create. They then evaluate this method of investment exploring if there’s a better way to build world class infrastructure and if these enormous investments are truly worth it. Listen to this Episode and Learn: About the drawbacks of enormous projects Examples of how megaprojects work Where and when megaprojects are the best course Mentioned in the Episode: CORRECTION: Netherlands has reclaimed 17% of their land from the sea Alaskan Bridge To Nowhere Toll Bridge To The Isle Of Skye The Chunnel (connects Britain and France) Three Gorges Dam (one of the world’s largest, in China) United States Interstate Brazilian World Cup Spending Brazilian Olympic Spending Paris Olympics Bid Video Los Angeles Olympics Bid Video Barcelona’s Olympic Revival Athens’ Olympic Debts Xiongan: A New City Near Beijing Malaysia’s planned “Forest City” Dutch Delta Works Ten-t European Train Networks Brenner Tunnel - Austria to Italy Gotthard Base Tunnel - Switzerland The Big Dig California High Speed Rail Hong Kong’s Transport Funding

    009: Megaprojects, Are They Worth It?

  4. 06/29/2018

    008: Airbnb And The Global Housing Crisis

    Ben and Jon discuss the impact of AirBnB on cities around the world, how some cities are responding, and the broader implications on both urban housing policy and travel markets. Listen to this Episode and Learn: The difficulties AirBnB creates for cities Possible fixes for problems with AirBnB Other factors that impact housing crises Mentioned in the Episode: @PolisPodcast AirBnB Citylab Article on Barcelona and AirBnB Couchsurfing HomeAway HouseSitters Housing exchanges London Green Belt Twitter: @PolisPodcast Facebook: @PolisPodcast

    008: Airbnb And The Global Housing Crisis

  5. 06/10/2018

    007: Walkable City Part 2

    Walkable Cities by Jeff Speck Ben and Jon dive into second half of Walkable City by Jeff Speck. They examine the 10 steps of walkability and the four subsections: the Useful Walk, Safe Walk, Comfortable Walk, and the Interesting Walk. They apply these to cities they’ve spent time in and talk about the process of implementing the policies involved with these kinds of reforms. Structure of the book: Prologue: The general theory of walkability (what is it?) Why walkability (How walking improves wealth, health, and the environment) The 10 steps of walkability (How to design for walkability) Mentioned in the Episode: Induced Demand Bus Rapid Transit Streetcars Rube Goldberg Baron Von Haussmann

    007: Walkable City Part 2

  6. 05/27/2018

    006: Walkable City Part 1

    Walkable Cities by Jeff Speck Ben and Jon discuss the book Walkable City by Jeff Speck. They talk about why you might want to read the book and the first two sections that cover the general theory of walkability and why walkability is so central to the functioning of a great city. Structure of the book: Prologue: The general theory of walkability (what is it?) Why walkability (How walking improves wealth, health, and the environment) The 10 steps of walkability (How to design for walkability) Mentioned in the Episode: Our Episode On Ideal Cities Walkable Cities by Jeff Speck

    006: Walkable City Part 1

  7. 05/01/2018

    005: Autonomous Vehicles Will Reshape Cities

    Ben and Jon discuss the looming arrival of autonomous vehicles. They go through what they’re likely to look like, how they’ll first arrive, and how they may reshape the world’s cities. They also touch on how these advances will impact investments in public transit. Mentioned in the Episode: Uber Pool Uber in London Cadillac Subscription Induced Demand Congestion Charges London Congestion Pricing Uber - First Death From An AV NEXT EPISODE: Walkable City - Jeff Speck

    005: Autonomous Vehicles Will Reshape Cities

  8. 04/17/2018

    004: What The Best Cities Do Right

    Jon and Ben discuss some of the best cities on earth and what they get right. They look at what these cities have in common and the importance of green space and street life.  They then describe what an ideal city might look like if we built it from scratch today. Listen to this Episode and Learn:Which cities we rate highly The most important aspects of cities What an ideal city could l Mentioned in the Episode:Cities: (population) Paris (2.2 million) Amsterdam (800k) Munich (1.5 million) Singapore (5.6 million) New York (8.5 million) Tokyo (13 million) San Francisco (860k) Jerusalem (800k) Rabat (570k) Shuks - small markets Bus Rapid Transit Road Diets Uber Bike sharing Zipcar - car sharing OFO Bike MoBike

    004: What The Best Cities Do Right

  9. 04/03/2018

    003: The Emergence Of Modern Cities

    Ben and Jon discuss the when, how, and why modern cities emerged.  They go into many of the key technologies that facilitated this transition and their externalities, both good and bad.  They then talk about some technologies that have shaped cities in the last thirty years and examine what challenges lie before cities in the coming decades. Listen to this Episode and Learn:Why modern cities emerged after the 1850’s What technologies have shaped cities in recent decades What challenges cities face in the coming years Mentioned in the Episode:1850’s London Cholera Outbreak History of Sewers China’s investment in trains Singapore’s longtime leader: Lee Kuan Yew Air conditioner invented in 1902, widespread adoption in late 1960’s Gondolas in South America La Paz’s Gondolas Bogota’s Gondolas NY Roosevelt Island Tramway USA Violent Crime Peaked in 1980’s Homicides have declined worldwide since 1990 California Public Transit Upzoning Bill: SB-827 London Green Belt Polis 001 (the sorting effect)

    003: The Emergence Of Modern Cities

  10. 03/17/2018

    002: How Permanent Settlements Changed The Human Experience

    Ben and Jon talk through the origins of cities, where and why they started and what advantages they brought to early people.  They also discuss the impacts good and bad of shifting into an agricultural and settled society. They touch on the power dynamics created by the creation of property and how people’s lives change when moving into an urban setting for the first time.   Listen to this Episode and Learn:What caused the growth of the first cities The downsides of early civilization What moving into a city means for newcomers

    002: How Permanent Settlements Changed The Human Experience

  11. 03/02/2018

    Polis 001: A Show About Cities

    Ben and Jon discuss why they’re starting a podcast all about cities, some of the important questions we should be asking about the places we live, and how they first got interested in the topic.  Then they wander off down a tangent about benches, trees, and hostile architecture.   Listen to this Episode and Learn:  The main topics of the Polis podcast The backgrounds of Ben and Jon Important questions we should all ask about our cities

    Polis 001: A Show About Cities
  • 11 Episodes

About

Hosted by Benjamin Ulrey and Jon Roberts, Polis is a fortnightly discussion examining the impact of our urban environment on everything from politics and economics to our diets and health. Come join our conversation as we think through what we want from the cities we live in and the part they play in shaping each of us.

Information