Jeff Speck is an unlikely disruptor. He is an urban planner, which is probably also the least likely candidate for a conversation about disruption. In the podcast we explore three things he and others in his field are working to disrupt. No city has become great by trying to solve a parking problem. So he is disrupting the idea that addressing traffic and parking will help to make for a great city. Much of his work is make cities walkable. Jeff is the author of the book, “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time”. He argues that we know how to make cities livable and walkable, but it is often difficult to convince decision-makers to mobilize the resources that help make cities walkable. On the show, we explore how built form often determines the quality of life within cities.
During the podcast, we focus a lot on how so of his work involves educating clients. Many of the approaches to improving walkability in cities is counter intuitive. There is considerable evidence that creating narrow roads actually reduces traffic in cities. We cover a lot in the podcast and mention many other City Planners who are doing very interesting. See the links below to for more information.
Links
Jeff Speck: http://jeffspeck.com/
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU): https://www.cnu.org/
Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk http://www.dpz.com/
Sea Side project: http://www.dpz.com/Projects/7903
Brent Toderian: http://www.toderianurbanworks.com/
Strong Towns podcast: https://www.strongtowns.org/podcast/
National Endowment for the Arts: https://www.arts.gov/
Mayors’ Institute on City Design: http://www.micd.org/
This podcast was recorded at the Imperial Pub in the heart of Toronto.
Music provided by Clint Harewood you contact him via email, Facebook or LinkedIn. Email – clint.harewood (at) gmail.com