How Progressives Ruin Cities (w/ Vishaan Chakrabarti)

Urbanist, architect, and professor Vishaan Chakrabarti joins us to explain how the f*** cities got so expensive — and, while we’re at it, ugly. Vishaan is both a doer and a thinker — he’s the founder and creative director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism as well as a writer of books, talker of TEDs, and a collaborator of journalists (see: "Not Your Car"). In this conversation, we dig into the affordability crisis, why Progressives keep running cities into the ground, and what we need to do to have better cities — and lives.  Check out our ‘Inscrutable’ newsletter for thoughts and rants. To support us and gain access to exclusive content, consider becoming a paid member of Uncertain on Substack. Follow @UncertainPod on your social media of choice. On the agenda: -Prelude [0:00-7:05] -The Uncertainty Newsletter! [7:06-8:29] -A History of Housing: The Arms Race and Race [8:30-22:27] -Bubblegum, shoestring, and vicious circles [22:28-27:31] -The many ramifications of Reagan [27:32-34:28] -When cities became safe and sexy [34:29-43:48] -Progressive cities' misguided policies [43:49-47:49] -The absurdity and cruelty of San Francisco (see: Nellie Bowles’ “How SF Became a Failed City”) [47:50-52:53] -The aftermath of Jane Jacobs [52:54-1:00:40] -Community engagement conundrums [1:00:41-1:11:48] -On gentrification, cars, and future urbanites [1:11:49-1:20:37] -The national vs. the urbanist conversation [1:20:38-1:26:14] -NYC vs. SF [1:26:15-1:36:01] -Why are cities so depressing? [1:36:02-1:44:34] -Blindspots [1:44:35-1:47:22] Uncertain Things is hosted and produced by Adaam James Levin-Areddy and Vanessa M. Quirk. For more doomsday rumination, subscribe to: uncertain.substack.com. Get full access to Uncertain Things at uncertain.substack.com/subscribe