Cityspeak

Marwa Al-Sabouni: The Architecture of Peace

Marwa Al-Sabouni is an architect born, raised, and presently living in Syria. Despite the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Al-Sabouni chose to remain in her home country, a decision which has shaped her philosophy as an architect.Al-Sabouni explains how architecture can influence whether a society lives in peace or teeters toward conflict.

Brad Hargreaves: The Co-Living Movement

Living with roommates is no longer a lifestyle reserved for college students.In the last five years, as many as one in five individuals aged 40 and above lives with roommates, depending on the location.Capitalizing on this trend are companies like Common, a real estate developer and operator of so-called “co-living apartments.” Instead of renting out entire apartment units, co-living companies rent out individual rooms and allow tenants to share apartment common spaces such as living rooms and kitchens.Brad Hargreaves is the founder and erstwhile CEO of Common and joins to discuss this growing trend.

Emily Hamilton: Inclusionary Zoning and Its Exclusionary Effects

Inclusionary zoning is a policy born of good intentions.On its face, inclusionary zoning policies mandate that real estate developers allocate a certain percentage of new residential units to affordable housing. But do these policies achieve their intended aim?Emily Hamilton, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, argues that inclusionary zoning may not be so effective after all.

Viggy Ganapathy: If R2-D2 Delivered Pizza

Famed urbanist Jane Jacobs once compared the city sidewalk to a ballet, calling it a "complex order...always replete with new improvisations." Soon, this ballet will feature a new dancer: robots.Viggy Ganapathy is the head of government relations at Serve Robotics, a company designing small, four-wheeled robots that deliver food from local restaurants right to people's homes.

Alex Israel: The Shape of Parking to Come

Alex Israel is the CEO and founder of Metropolis, a mobility technology company that has set its sights on the one of the largest, but frequently overlooked fixtures of the modern city: parking.