Neighborhood Matters

What would a fair justice system look like?

I talk with Jessica Brand, executive director of the Wren Collective, about wrongful prosecutions and why America's uniquely punitive justice system hasn't resulted in greater safety. But what does the alternative look like?

Why aren't American apartments built for families?

In many American cities, the only alternative to single family houses are massive apartment complexes. Why aren't we building the beautiful, family-friendly apartments that we admire in Europe? Alicia Pederson of Courtyard Urbanist explains.

An undocumented American

Itzel Hernandez grew up like any other American kid in Red Bank, NJ. She only realized she was undocumented when applying to college. We talk about why anti-immigrant politics doesn't reflect how Americans actually feel about the immigrants who are their neighbors, coworkers, and friends.

AI-enabled urbanism

I talk with Kyle Vansice, founder of Cedar, an Austin-based startup that uses AI to help builders figure out what they can build on a given piece of land. We have a broader conversation about the damage done to American cities by 20th century planning and zoning.

How America is failing its elders

America is increasingly handing off care of our elders to private equity-backed longterm care facilities. Judy Karofsky, author of "Diselderly Conduct: The Flawed Business of Assisted Living and Hospice" says it's only going to get worse. We also reminisce on her colorful political life, including the time she was the ONLY woman mayor in Wisconsin (Middleton!) and why she enjoys living among young people in old age.