Episodes

  • The History of Racism in Urban Planning

    The History of Racism in Urban Planning
    Nov 24 2020

    Welcome to Four Degrees to the Streets! In the first episode of the podcast, Nimo and Jasmine define urban planning and a brief history of racism in the United States. Press play to hear:

    • An analysis of the American Planning Association (APA) statement on Righting the Wrongs of Racial Inequality (published May 2020).
    • Are some of the most influential urban planners racist in their policies? Think Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs.
    • A breakdown of federal policy decisions that altered communities based on race. Specifically the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, the Federal Housing Administration Underwriting Manual, and racial zoning as a tool to segregate neighborhoods.

    Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.

    Or send us an email to connect with us!

    Resources:

    U.S. Census Bureau: The Great Migration

    The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

    APA Statement on Righting the Wrongs of Racial Inequality

    The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

    NPR: 'The Wrong Complexion For Protection.' How Race Shaped America's Roadways And Cities

    The Interstates and the Cities: Highways, Housing, and the Freeway Revolt

    The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

    From the Ground Up: Environmental Racism and the Rise of the Environmental Justice Movement
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Racism as a Public Health Crisis

    Racism as a Public Health Crisis
    Dec 12 2020
    In 2018, the American Public Health Association (APHA) declared law enforcement violence disproportionately affecting people of color and marginalized communities a public health issue. In 2020, following the killing of George Floyd and continued police violence during protests, APHA declared racism as a public health crisis. In this episode, Nimo and Jasmine consider the pros and cons of how states, cities, and counties responded to this declaration and the current state of public health amongst Black and Latinx people and lower-income neighborhoods. Press play to hear:An analysis of adopted resolutions and declarations of racism as a public health issue. There are over 50 from jurisdictions across the country!The leading causes of death in the United States by race. A breakdown of how road design, access to green spaces and groceries, pollution, and environmental racism can impact health outcomes.Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.Please rate and leave a review!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.Or send us an email to connect with us!Resources:Bloomberg CityLab: Dozens of Cities Dub Racism as a Public Health CrisisAPHA: Declarations of Racism as a Public Health IssueCDC: Health Equity - Office of Minority Health and Health EquityNYC Parks and RecreationThe Trust for Public Land - Park ServeUSDA: Food Access Research Atlas DocumentationLyftUp Grocery Access ProgramNYC Planning: FRESH Food StoresAmerican Lung Association: Disparities in the Impact of Air PollutionBlack + Urban: Signs of Environmental DiscriminationNIH: Storefront Cigarette Advertising Differs by Community Demographic ProfileBMJ: Evaluating the impact and equity of a tobacco-free pharmacy law on retailer density in New York City neighbourhoodsColumbia Public Health: Law Limiting Tobacco Sales in Pharmacies Could Exacerbate Neighborhood DisparitiesNYC Health: Ban on Tobacco Products in Pharmacies Goes into Effect in January
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    48 mins
  • Mental Health and the Built Environment

    Mental Health and the Built Environment
    Jan 5 2021

    Happy New Year! 2020, COVID-19, and stay at home orders affected mental health for many individuals. How do communities cope when their built environment does not support positive mental health outcomes from a planning perspective? This week we are joined by a special guest, Christie Holland of Gutted Fitness LLC. Gutted Fitness helps black individuals from urban areas make peace with their past, present, and future by providing and preserving safe spaces to be black. Christie uses her background in urban planning, policy, community outreach and engagement, and sales and marketing to lead thought-provoking conversations and action. Press play to hear:

    • An overview of positive and negative influences of the built environment on mental health.
    • Physical and mental health statistics for Black populations. How does data tell a story about the history of racial inequality and disinvestment in America?
    • Hood Politics and how planners can engage communities and meet residents where they are while building trust and meaningful relationships.

    Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.

    Or send us an email to connect with us!

    Resources:

    CDC: Designing and Building Healthy Places

    Gutted Fitness: Mental Health

    Exercise for Mental Health

    Housing environment and mental health outcomes: A levels of analysis perspective

    Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-being, and Sustainability

    CDC: Race, Ethnicity, and Age Trends in Persons Who Died from COVID-19

    NIH: Major Depression Statistics

    Mental Health America: Black and African American Communities and Mental Health

    Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

    Psychology Today: What Is Collective Trauma?

    Association of the Built Environment With Childhood Psychosocial Stress
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    52 mins
  • Policy Attempts to Remediate Injustice

    Policy Attempts to Remediate Injustice
    Jan 19 2021
    Remember episode 1? Nimo and Jas weighed in on federal policies that contributed to the history of racism in the United States. This week’s episode focuses on housing, environmental, and transportation policies that attempt to address past wrongdoings and injustices. These policies are not perfect and come with their own set of challenges; however, they created a foundation for equitable practices. Press play to hear the following attempted remedies:The Fair Housing Act, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), and Inclusionary Zoning practices in major cities.Title VI, Environmental Justice Executive Order 12898, and examples of local EJ policies.Urban Mass Transportation Act, creation of the Federal Transit Administration, and Complete Streets.Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.Or send us an email to connect with us!Resources:National Fair Housing: Making Every Neighborhood A Place Of OpportunityHUD: Inclusionary Zoning and Mixed-Income CommunitiesCity of Atlanta: Inclusionary Zoning NYC: Area Median Income - HPDCityHealth: Affordable Housing/Inclusionary ZoningNYC Zoning: District GuidesGov. Murphy (NJ) Announces $190 Million in Renovations for Newark Penn StationFederal Coordination Of Title VI And Environmental JusticeEnvironmental justice and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act: A critical crossroadsEPA: Title VI and Environmental JusticeNRDC: Local Policies for Environmental Justice: A National ScanGreen Zones Initiative - City of MinneapolisUSDOT: Understanding FTAUS Department of Transportation: BUILD GrantsFY 2020 BUILD AwardsNational Complete Streets CoalitionDangerous By Design 2019ProPublica: Walking While BlackSeattle Squeeze: People drove less, took transit, and biked more
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Black History, Community, and Planning

    Black History, Community, and Planning
    Feb 2 2021

    Four Degrees to the Streets is excited to celebrate Black History Month with two episodes that focus on Black history, community, and planning. This week, Nimo and Jas talk with Kristen Jeffers (she/her), also known as The Black Urbanist. Her multimedia platform highlights Black Queer Feminist Urbanist design, planning, and practice. Later this month, episode 6 will feature a panel of Black business owners from around the country! Press play to hear:

    • Reflections on the development of Black planners and policymakers throughout history using formal and informal education
    • Diversifying and expanding the AICP certification process
    • A look ahead at land-use planning development strategies in the Black community during the Biden Administration
    • 20-second hot takes on current planning trends like ride-sharing, Airbnb, etc.

    Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.

    Or send us an email to connect with us!

    Resources:

    The Black Urbanist Resources

    The Black Urbanist Patreon: newsletter, educational videos, resources

    Accredited Planning Program

    Wikipedia sites:

    Urban Planning

    List of urban theorists

    List of urban planners

    History of Slavery

    Benjamin Banneker

    Maggie L. Walker - First Black Woman to Own a Bank
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    53 mins
  • #SupportBlackBusiness

    #SupportBlackBusiness
    Feb 16 2021

    Four Degrees to the Streets is excited to celebrate Black History Month with two episodes that focus on Black history, community, and planning. This week's episode features a panel of Black business owners from around the country!

    Speakers include Kira Hibbert, based in Philadelphia, owner and partner at 3BL Developers, and real estate agent at Coldwell Banker Preferred.

    Basheera Agyeman, founder and owner of SheWrapz, a Ghanaian-American Muslim educator based in Baton Rouge.

    We also heard from Justis Pitt-Goodson (Founder/CEO) and Taha Shimou (COO/Head of Design) at BrownMill Company based in New Jersey.

    Press play to hear:

    • Statistics on minority-owned businesses and the significance of Black-owned businesses in the community.
    • Challenges for Black-owned businesses pre-COVID and present-day and how the speakers overcame them.
    • Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and its increased spotlight on supporting Black-owned business. From May 25 to July 1, 2020, there were 2.5 million searches for Black-owned businesses, an increase from only 35,000 searches over the same period in 2019 (an increase of 7,000%), according to a Yelp report highlighting changes in searches for the phrase ‘black-owned.’

    Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.


    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.

    Or send us an email to connect with us!


    Resources:

    Kira's Instagram: Philly Realtor Finds

    Basheera’s Instagram: SheWrapz

    Justis/Taha: BrownMill Instagram

    US Census Bureau: Annual Business Survey

    Brookings Institution: To expand the economy, invest in Black businesses

    National Bureau of Economic Research: Labor Demand in the time of COVID-19: Evidence from vacancy postings and UI claims

    Forbes: Support For Black-Owned Businesses Increases More Than 7,000%, Yelp Reports
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Sports and the City

    Sports and the City
    Mar 2 2021
    If there is one thing most of us can agree on, the professional sports industry is fueled by money. Fan-based revenue is one of the major sources of income, and they need a place to call home. This week Nimo and Jas investigated the impact of sports stadium construction deals on cities, specifically the San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium that opened in 2014. The average cost of an NFL stadium is $1.2 billion. Should local taxpayers and governments be responsible for paying for a portion of the costs? And is the perceived economic benefits of the stadium a valid argument why the public should chip in on the bill? Press play to hear:The sports economics literature on why or why not cities should invest in sports stadiums.History of the San Francisco 49ers team, locations, and impact compared to other NFL teams.A deep dive into the stadium deal between Santa Clara and the SF 49ers, including the initial ballot measure, project costs, and funding distribution by each party.Alternatives for funding and constructing sports stadiums with less public resources.Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.Or send us an email to connect with us!Resources:How are we funding professional sports stadiums? An overviewDo Economists Agree on Anything? Yes!The Economics of Sports Stadiums: Does public financing of sports stadiums create local economic growth, or just help billionaires improve their profit margin?Forbes: Sports Money: 2020 NFL ValuationsTruth in Accounting: Financial State of Cities 2020Bayview–Hunters Point, San FranciscoNational Building Museum: Documenting Crossroads: The Coronavirus in Poor, Minority CommunitiesGame On: 49ers Stadium Measure Wins Approval – NBC Bay AreaLevi's Stadium: 49ers happy, Santa Clara may be on the hookSanta Clara Stadium for the 49ers, Measure J (June 2010)Hidden Subsidies and the Public Ownership of Sports Facilities: The Case of Levi's Stadium in Santa ClaraSanta Clara Stadium Authority Financial ReportsWhat Can We Learn From Four Stadium Deals That Don't Suck?Is There a Better Public Financing Option for Building Stadiums?Gillette Stadium: A Family of Businesses
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • "Where the Money Reside"

    "Where the Money Reside"
    Mar 30 2021
    Happy Spring! This week we have a special treat. Nimo and Jas met up in DC for the first time since starting Four Degrees to the Streets to record this episode in-person. In addition to the audio recording, you can also watch this episode’s full visual recording on our Instagram. “Where the Money Reside” is all about how local governments develop their budget. The budget process determines implementation for policies, plans, and programs, which will naturally impact residents and their quality of life. Press play to hear: An overview of every fiscal year’s budget process: formulation, legislation, execution, and accountability.Examples of how cities can incorporate equity into the budget process and accountability reporting.Thank you for listening and tune in every-other Tuesday where Nimo and Jas keep it Four Degrees to the Streets.Watch the special in-person episode here.Watch the promotional video here.Special thanks to video producer/director @vibesbyjune.Filmed and recorded at CAMPspace content studio in Hyattsville, MD. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @the4degreespod.Or send us an email to connect with us!Resources:Step-by-Step Activities in the Budget ProcessBudget Preparation Procedures for Cities and TownsUrban Institute State and Local Finance InitiativeNYC Guidelines for Capital FundingWhat is the Local Government Annual Budget Process?An introductory guide to creating local budgetsAre Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports Useless?Strengthening Local Government Budgeting and AccountabilityBudget CyclesSeattle Racial Equity ToolkitSeattle and Baltimore: Peer City Exchange on Outcome Budgeting & Racial EquityCity of Austin Equity DashboardSan Antonio Equity Tool
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    28 mins