67 / Building optimism... & housing / with Coby Lefkowitz

Coby Lefkowitz is back in good traffic. Amidst leading Backyard in developing housing in Southern California (and tweeting up a pleasant storm), Coby has written a new book. Building optimism is available now. We get into it, in this conversation. We discuss: 00:00 Building Optimism: the new book. 02:12 The genesis of the book. 05:42 Challenges and realities of American urban development. 10:27 Historical inspirations and modern applications. 17:13 A younger generation of developers. 26:40 Civics and urban planning in U.S. education. 28:41 Balancing optimism with realism. 33:42 Bridging city and rural perspectives. 34:14 Common goals. 35:09 Understanding density and development. 44:47 The human element in development. 50:05 Balancing growth and community concerns. 55:13 The role of specialists and community members. 59:46 Broader participation in urban planning. For context: The book. Backyard (Coby's development firm).⁠ Connect with Coby: On Twitter. Connect with me, Brad: On Instagram. On TikTok.