Transportation is a vital part of urban life, but its history in the United States is often one of division. In her book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, transportation expert Veronica O. Davis argues that the transportation systems we have today were never designed to be equitable.

In this quick 10 minute episode, we discuss the APA article In Defense of Local Zoning which holds up our 100 year old tradition of land regulation. Earlier this month we talked with author M. Nolan Gray on his recent book Arbitrary Lines which makes the bold statement that we should do away with zoning regulations.

Zoning is a fundamental part of urban planning, but what if it's the very thing holding our cities back? We discuss with M. Nolan Gray the provocative ideas in his book Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It.

One key tool discussed is the Plan Integration for Resilience Scorecard, developed as part of APA’s planning tools. It helps local governments evaluate how well different city or county plans are aligned with building resilience, identify gaps or conflicts, and better coordinate across departments.

Have you ever wondered what guides the development of your community, from where new homes are built to how new roads are planned? We discuss with David Rouse and Rocky Piro, authors of The Comprehensive Plan, about how the answer lies in a powerful, often-overlooked document.

This episode covers The New Econ 101, a 2015 collection of articles published by Next City that proposes innovative ways of doing economics in urban planning and community development. Instead of purely top‐down or profit‐driven models, the featured strategies lean toward more localized, participatory, and equitable approaches.

In a world of evolving challenges, urban planning is more critical than ever. We discuss with Matt Enice, author of City Forward how we can create cities that are more resilient, equitable, and livable for everyone.

Since 2015, the Island Press Urban Resilience Project (URP) has worked to imagine and inspire the sustainable, equitable, resilient cities of the future. The project brings together thought leaders with a broad range of expertise to generate and cross-pollinate ideas.

The idea of America as a "city on a hill" is a powerful, enduring metaphor, and in this episode, we explore the concept through an urban planning lens.