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A Tiny Plot

Using broken refrigerators, mattresses, and dishwashers, residents of Union Point Park barricade their tent city. And they fight for an extraordinary idea: their own plot of land, where they could live in community and set their own rules.A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Host and Reporter Shaina Shealy takes listeners inside an encampment in Oakland for an against-all-odds story about scarcity, community, and the complexity of building something new from the margins of a broken system. What happens when people who’ve been shut out of a system that has failed them decide to take the lead? Disaster, and unexpected beauty. Huge love & thanks to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your worlds with us at Snap Judgment!

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 16, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 6

    Burned

    The group from Union Point moves into their new homes on the tiny plot of land near Lake Merritt. They run their own security and decide who comes into their space. But then, on a Monday morning in March, we hear devastating news…A fire burns through the plot of land on E12th. Is this the end of the experiment, or will the group keep building?This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. Thank you to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your story with us.Hosted and produced by Shaina ShealyEdited by Anna SussmanOriginal music by Renzo Gorrio, engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge Executive Producers: Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich. Special thanks: Jen Chien, Catherine Winter, the City of Oakland, Sweetie at the Travel Inn, Ryan Finnegan, Will Craft, JP Dobrin, Thomas Brouns, Sukey Lewis, Alistair Boone, The Street Spirit, KQED legal, and Ott House Audio.Episode 5 of 5. Listen to the entire series now! 

  2. 5

    Rocked

    Mama D, President Matt, and the rest of the group are finally seeing their experiment in co-governance take shape. They built their security sheds and saw their tiny homes for the first time. But when Nino Parker stepped onto the sidewalk in a neck brace, on crutches, it was clear that the group was about to face a whole new level of chaos.  This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. Thank you to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your story with us.A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios.Hosted and produced by Shaina ShealyEdited by Anna SussmanOriginal music by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot, engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller Director of Production: Marisa DodgeExecutive Producers: Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich

  3. 4

    The Fence

    Mama D sees that the future of the experiment is up to her and what she decides: Lead the group to the plot of land offered by the city, hope and pray for a magical new plot, or disband the group and dissolve the experiment. Following weeks of indecision, Mama D makes a choice. And while everyone from the group was hard at work to turn their dream into reality, they didn’t seem to notice a major problem with the setup. A fault line of sorts.  This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. Big thanks to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your worlds with us.A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios.Hosted and produced by Shaina ShealyEdited by Anna SussmanOriginal music by Renzo Gorrio, engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot.Director of Production: Marisa DodgeExecutive Producers: Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich 

  4. 3

    Moving Camp

    The standoff between Public Works and the group from Union Point Park ends with a handshake -- a deal to build a new kind of housing community funded by the city where homeless residents make their own rules. But right away, the civility of this agreement seems to break down. And after months of waiting, the group from Union Point Park finally gets a plot of land on E12th Street for their radical experiment. But there’s a big problem with the land. It's something that leaves the future of this experiment in limbo.This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Big thanks to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your worlds with us.Hosted and produced by Shaina ShealyEdited by Anna SussmanOriginal music by Renzo GorrioEngineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller  Artwork: Teo DucotDirector of Production: Marisa DodgeExecutive Producers: Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich

  5. 2

    The Barricade

    Using broken refrigerators, mattresses and dishwashers, residents of Union Point Park barricade their tent-city. And they fight for an extraordinary idea: their own plot of land from the city, where they could live in community and set their own rules, on their own terms.A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Host and Reporter Shaina Shealy takes listeners inside an encampment in Oakland for an against-all-odds story about scarcity, community, and the complexity of building something new from the margins of a broken system. What happens when people who’ve been shut out of a system that has failed them decide to take the lead? Disaster, and unexpected beauty. This episode contains strong language & graphic imagery. Please take care while listening. Huge love & thanks to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your worlds with us.Hosted and produced by Shaina Shealy. Edited by Anna Sussman, Original music by Renzo Gorrio, engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Executive Producers: Glynn Washington and Mark Ristich. Special thanks: Jen Chien, Catherine Winter, the City of Oakland, Sweetie at the Travel Inn, Ryan Finnegan, Will Craft, JP Dobrin, Thomas Brouns, Sukey Lewis, Alistair Boone, The Street Spirit, KQED legal, and Ott House Audio.

  6. 1

    Trailer

    It's barricades vs. bobcats, tents vs. tiny homes, and a team of people fighting to stay together. Listen to a radical experiment in freedom that puts an entire city under the microscope…"A Tiny Plot” is a new series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Producer Shaina Shealy embedded with a group of people in an encampment in Oakland at a park called Union Point. They were ordered to disperse, running out of time, but they were bound together by an extraordinary new idea: their own living space where they can set their own rules. Over five episodes, we learn the story of Mama D, Papa Eddie, President Matt, and more. They invite listeners in to witness high-stakes decisions, devastating failures, and wild successes.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Using broken refrigerators, mattresses, and dishwashers, residents of Union Point Park barricade their tent city. And they fight for an extraordinary idea: their own plot of land, where they could live in community and set their own rules.A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios. Host and Reporter Shaina Shealy takes listeners inside an encampment in Oakland for an against-all-odds story about scarcity, community, and the complexity of building something new from the margins of a broken system. What happens when people who’ve been shut out of a system that has failed them decide to take the lead? Disaster, and unexpected beauty. Huge love & thanks to the entire cast from A Tiny Plot for sharing your worlds with us at Snap Judgment!

HOSTED BY

Snap Judgment

Produced by KQED Snap Studios and PRX

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does A Tiny Plot have?

A Tiny Plot currently has 6 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is A Tiny Plot about?

Using broken refrigerators, mattresses, and dishwashers, residents of Union Point Park barricade their tent city. And they fight for an extraordinary idea: their own plot of land, where they could live in community and set their own rules.A Tiny Plot is a new 5-part series from KQED’s Snap Studios....

How often does A Tiny Plot release new episodes?

A Tiny Plot has 6 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to A Tiny Plot?

You can listen to A Tiny Plot on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts A Tiny Plot?

A Tiny Plot is created and hosted by Snap Judgment.
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