Journey With Purpose

We take a deep dive into the future of urban mobility, focusing on a groundbreaking initiative to support e-bike delivery workers and the public in New York City through a new Mobility Hub next to City Hall, with battery recharging, repair, and rest areas. Disclosure: We own common stock in Oonee through Republic Investors because we believe in non-car mobility. The purchase was made two (2) years...

Grappling with the challenge of integrating advanced technology into a historically sensitive area, a new walk sign indicator frustrates both the machine and Avery. It’s an irony of the excesses of the project requirements and necessary sensors to keep cars from killing people. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Sponsored by: Expedition Works Hi. We’re a full–service design cooperative...

Explore how New York City is tackling its dire housing shortage through a citywide incremental approach. We breakdown what’s in the City of Yes proposal, and listen to some critiques. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Episode Overview Purpose of Proposal: The “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” seeks to address New York City’s acute housing shortage by amending zoning and land use r...

Avery sees a future where parking meters serve a new purpose. While Paulina sees risk, Avery wants to challenge outdated city policies, to support more equitable futures. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Sponsored by: Expedition Works Hi. We’re a full–service design cooperative – let’s work together to make your journey with a purpose successful. Transcript  Entry. one fourteen two p...

As daylight fades, Avery navigates the intricacies of urban innovation and workplace politics, crafting a dual-design traffic light system for a district straddling tradition and autonomy LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Sponsored by: Expedition Works Hi. We’re a full–service design cooperative – let’s work together to make your journey with a purpose successful. Transcript  Entry. T...

The bid process was new, but the boomerang project was the type of high risk and high reward Avery was trained to tackle. Caution was prudent, but sometimes boredom pushes us to extremes. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify More posts about Avery §J4dz8: The Hydrant Avery §d78a5: The Drop Box Avery §2F20A: The Transmission Avery 001: The Exam Subscribe to the Newsletter This post came f...

Alexa Gonzalez shifts urban design from placemaking to placekeeping, emphasizing community voices and long-term engagement to reshape public spaces in ways that truly reflect and benefit those who use them. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify This episode pairs well with… Joanne Cheung – Cities Book of Play Cities are sites of aspirations and identities, and ‘play’ can be a means for fo...

Avery, a newcomer at the Highland Bureau, tackles the challenge of redesigning street-side collection boxes amidst a backdrop of technological advancements and bureaucratic hurdles. Navigating the complexities of off-chain operations and environmental sustainability, the boundaries of legality and technology blur, within the backdrop of isolating workplace politics. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple P...

Zoning has transformed everything from historic skylines to modern living, steering the growth of cities like New York and shaping the places we call home. Discover the hidden impact of zoning on your daily life: from the skyscrapers to the suburbs, learn how invisible lines shape our cities. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Sponsored by: Expedition Works Hi. We’re a full–service des...

Upon detecting an anomalous narrowband signal at 2296.481481 MHz the DSS tracking station supervisor initiated a comprehensive investigation. Collaborative analysis with White Sands Station and Guam confirmed the signal’s non-terrestrial origin. The transmission was decoded with a narrator describing a mysterious entity referred to as ‘The Box.’ This report encapsulates the findings and ongoing in...

From good fences, to good spaces, architect Peter Yi presents a reimagining of suburban space allowing people to customize their living and recreation space to meet their family’s needs. Single family zoning has been prevalent in 20th-century planning, shaping a large portion of the buildable land in the U.S. Peter Yi’s project, Courtyard Block, proposes a denser and community-focused urban design...

Avery was about to finish the Bureau exam, when the image popped up. And a new evolution would occur. A new place. A new set of onboarding docs and starting over. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Sponsored by: Expedition Works Hi. We’re a full–service design cooperative – let’s work together to make your journey with a purpose successful. Transcript  Entry. one twelve zero point six...

We explore the introduction of Link5G towers in NYC and the resulting public outcry. Learn about the technological advancements promised by 5G, the city’s rationale for these 35-foot structures, and the concerns over their impact on historic neighborhoods and the urban landscape. Engage with the complex interplay between progress and preservation in the city’s streets. We talk to Matt Butcher a li...

Memo Salazar from the Western Queens Community Land Trust discuss the formation and mission of the CLT, its role in combating gentrification, and the broader challenges of housing affordability in New York City. The conversation delves into the failed Amazon HQ2 project, the “City of Yes” rezoning initiative, and the importance of community engagement in urban development. While we didn’t agree on...

Adam Greenfield discusses Project Farevalue which aimed to solve an everyday problem transit riders face: confirm stored value on your transit card. The team produced a working prototype, but with a hazy patent landscape Greenfield decided to abandon Farevalue and his practice, to focus on showing what he believes the future should look like through teaching and writing. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Ap...

We explore the life and legacy of Philip Johnson through his iconic Glass House. Delving into Johnson’s multifaceted career, we reflect on Johnson’s profound impact on modern architecture, his controversial political past, and how these facets interplay with his architectural legacy. This episode navigates the complexities of his contributions within the context of his support of fascists, anti-se...

Dive into the world of Midcentury Modern architecture with the first episode of our two-part series, exploring the iconic Dr. Edith Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe. This episode unravels the complex story behind the creation of this architectural masterpiece, from Mies’s dramatic departure from Nazi Germany, leaving behind his family, to the protracted design and construction process that ev...

Matt Webb created an AI-powered poem clock as an exploration in both materials and Chat-GPT. It’s now a product you can back on Kickstarter. We speak with Matt about embodied sketching, product lessons from Little Printer, our to use Pathfinding to make decisions, and lessons on how to think about AI.

We speak with good friend and former colleague Erika Lee about being an independent graphic designer and launching a non-profit community-focused maker space in Hawai’i. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Show notes & links Our Space Hawaii & @ourspacehawaii Erika Lee Guest Bio Erika Lee, an independent designer and consultant, employs research, strategy, visual storytelling, a...

The King of Zoning is empowered to preempt and overrule local, county, and state zoning and land use in order to affirmatively further housing for all. Here are the king’s first ten proclamations. As of Right Zoning Mixed Use by Default No Parking Minimums Abolish Single Family Homes Diverse Housing Types More Ownership Models Transit Housing Bonus Car-free neighborhoods Public Housing No Setbacks...

Julian is one part of the team behind Near Future Laboratory , a design-led innovation practice, who invented design fiction as a thing and practice. When not designing and publishing books, podcasts, and doing consulting, he runs the Near Future Laboratory Discord , a Hypercollaborative where people come together to practice the craft of futuring and design fiction. We speak about how to balance...

In this episode we speak with Sam Starr, a cargo bike expert about what our cities might look like if we shift some (or a substantial amount) of our in-city freight traffic from giant potential trucks to cargo bikes. Listen to Episode 006 with Sandra Rothbard for more freight pod. LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Show notes & links Sam Starr on LinkedIn & Instagram Also liste...

Colin Kelly is one part of the NYC-based design firm Group Project , who won the competition for the new Better Bin , to replace the ubiquitous green wire mesh litter bins around New York City. We speak about the state of waste collection in NYC, the design ideas and the prototype process behind Better Bin, and what happens when a group of friends suddenly need to become a real company when they b...

Shaun Mosley is a Designer / Researcher at Nava Public Benefit Corporation. With eight years of experience in Product Design, he applies technology in order to create a more equitable society. As an active member of the civic tech community, Shaun fills his time pushing for prison abolition, mentoring new technologists through Code for Atlanta, and making Georgia the best state for Black people to...

In this episode we speak with freight expert Sandra Rothbard, who is an urban planner specializing in freight transportation. After working for public agencies in NYC on city logistics, disaster preparedness and solid waste management, she now supports public, private and non-profit organizations around the world as an independent consultant. She focuses on building sustainable, resilient and safe...