In the realm of historic preservation, key discussions do not often center around policy, social relevance, and the emotional connections people forge with historical places. These themes are at the heart of a recent Booked on Planning podcast episode featuring Jeremy Wells, author of "Managing the Magic of Old Places: Crafting Public Policies for People-Centered Historic Preservation." Intangible Historic Preservation The discussion delves into the societal and psychological

In the latest episode of the Booked On Planning podcast, hosts Stephanie Rouse and Jennifer Hyatt welcome author Amy Hetletvedt to discuss her thought-provoking book, "Preserving With Purpose: Re-Imagining Buildings for Community Benefit." This conversation delves into Levitt's innovative approaches to historical preservation, particularly around the idea of reimagining how communities can benefit from existing structures. Hetletvedt introduces her classification of three app

In our latest episode we interview zoning attorney and author Donald Elliott about his book An Even Better Way to Zone: Achieving More Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Communities. Elliott’s work comes alongside other recent zoning books covered on the show, including M. Nolan Gray's Arbitrary Lines (arguing for getting rid of zoning) and Sarah Bronin’s Key to the City, his approach aligning with reforming zoning rather than eliminating it. Elliott explains that his ear

There’s regionalism as we all learned in planning school led by Louis Mumford at the Regional Planning Association of America (RPAA) and then there’s southern regionalism that Howard W. Odum and his Institute for Research in Social Science (IRSS) led from the University of North Carolina. The history of the southern regionalists was largely overlooked until Stephen Ramos published “Folk Engineering: Planning Southern Regionalism.” Sadly, Stephen passed away shortly after publ

Planning for the future can feel overwhelming, yet essential. The American Planning Association's (APA) 2026 Trend Report offers planners foresight into upcoming trends that could shape our world. In our latest episode, we talked with Petra Hurtado, APA’s Chief Foresight and Knowledge Officer, to delve into these trends. The Importance of Being Proactive As trends like artificial intelligence (AI), transportation, and housing continue to evolve, Hurtado emphasizes the need fo

In the latest episode of the Booked On Planning podcast, hosts Stephanie Rouse and Jennifer Hiatt sat down with author and developer Jamie Madden to discuss his new book, Bittersweet Lane: Creating Home(s) in the American Affordable Housing Crisis . Part memoir and part educational guide, the book offers a rare look at the housing crisis from someone who grew up in affordable housing and now spends his career building it. A Multi-Dimensional Perspective on Development Madden’

This episode of Booked On Planning features a conversation with author Mark Dunkelman about his book, "Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring It Back". Dunkelman explains the origins of American progressivism as a response to the upheaval created by railroads and national-scale economic power, outlining two competing impulses within the movement: a Jeffersonian push to break up big institutions and return power to smaller, local actors, and a Hamiltonian push

In the latest episode of Booked on Planning, we dive deep into the ideas and themes behind Zahra Ebrahim's fascinating book, "Messy Cities: Why We Can't Plan Everything." This collection of essays explores the multifaceted concept of messiness in urban environments, challenging our typical notions of order and chaos. Throughout the conversation with Zahra, we uncover how this messiness often serves as a testament to a city's diversity and vibrancy. Understanding Messiness in

Cities rarely break all at once; more often they fray through policy choices that seem technical, neutral, even benevolent. Our conversation with historian Emily Lieb traces how Baltimore’s “Road to Nowhere” never reached a ribbon cutting yet still carved deep wounds into Rosemont, a Black middle-class neighborhood. The damage began with a pencil stroke: a highway alignment shifted in the late 1950s to run through Rosemont just as school board actions accelerated racial trans