Polis: A Show About Cities Subject Radio

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.