urban planning

Responding to peak oil will require reshaping our communities. These two interviews, taped in September 2008 at the ASPO-USA conference, are with Megan Quinn Bachman of Community Solutions, and Bryn Davidson of Dynamic Cities Project. Episode 134.

In this episode of the KunstlerCast, James Howard Kunstler continues his walking tour of one city block in downtown Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a classic Main-street American town. Along the way, he visits a major urban infill project and the results of the urban renewal schemes of the 1960s. Episode 24.

James Howard Kunstler often describes Saratoga Springs N.Y. as a classic Main Street American town. In part one of this special program, we take to the streets of Saratoga to experience the sense of place in this small city. Kunstler brings us from the busy sidewalks along Broadway to a sidestreet leading to a major urban infill project. He explains the urban sensibilities of the 19th century structures, points out the boneheaded decisions of the 1960s one-story development, and the promising efforts of mid-1990s new urbanism. Episode 23.

Daniel Lerch, author of Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty, describes some of the short and long term challenges that peak oil will create for local governments. Peak oil will have very local repercussions, but prompt planning can take the edge off of some of the negative effects.

A KunstlerCast listener from San Francisco asks James Howard Kunstler to critique The Golden Gate City and to speak about some of the other places in America that Jim actually likes. Kunstler acknowledges that San Francisco does a lot of things right and addresses some of its flaws and poor choices. Episode 17.

James Howard Kunstler is one of the most vocal critics of modern urban planning. So it's only fair that in this show Jim fields some questions from the professional planning community. First off, the planners want to know how Jim answers to critics who challenge him on his lack of professional credentials in the planning and architecture fields. Next, a planning professor wants to know: what is the most important thing that cities can do to most improve the quality of the built environment? This show is the result of a special collaboration between The KunstlerCast and Planetizen, the online network for professional planners. With transcript.