Podcast 157: An Optimistic Reimagining of the City with Coby Lefkowitz
Making cities work, one block at a time, or the art of not building parking lots.
Table of Contents
In this episode, Dane Carlson sits down with Coby Lefkowitz, co-founder and partner at Backyard, a real estate development firm specializing in infill multifamily projects in walkable communities.
Coby shares insights from his book "Building Optimism: Why Our World Looks the Way it Does, and How to Make it Better" and discusses how communities can evolve through better development practices, emphasizing the importance of context-specific solutions and the integration of mixed-use spaces in urban planning.
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Actionable Takeaways
- Take tours of successful mixed-use developments to understand what works
- Avoid one-size-fits-all solutions; focus on context-specific development
- Consider integrating residential and commercial spaces in development plans
- Work on making communities more walkable and accessible
- Engage with smaller and medium-sized developers for more dynamic development
- Study successful pedestrian mall implementations and failures
- Focus on creating vibrant, integrated community spaces
- Understand local context before implementing development strategies
- Build relationships between economic developers and city officials
- Consider gradual implementation of mixed-use zoning reforms
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