Coby Lefkowitz is back in good traffic. Amidst leading Backyard in developing housing in Southern California (and tweeting up a pleasant storm), Coby has written a new book.
Building optimism is available now. We get into it, in this conversation.



We discuss:
00:00 Building Optimism: the new book.
02:12 The genesis of the book.
05:42 Challenges and realities of American urban development.
10:27 Historical inspirations and modern applications.
17:13 A younger generation of developers.
26:40 Civics and urban planning in U.S. education.
28:41 Balancing optimism with realism.
33:42 Bridging city and rural perspectives.
34:14 Common goals.
35:09 Understanding density and development.
44:47 The human element in development.
50:05 Balancing growth and community concerns.
55:13 The role of specialists and community members.
59:46 Broader participation in urban planning.



For context:
The book.
Backyard (Coby's development firm).⁠



Connect with Coby:
On Twitter.



Connect with me, Brad:
On Instagram.
On TikTok.

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