Four-Corners Wednesday: The Urbanist’s Edition May 21, 2025

For those who read zoning text amendments for fun and may be tempted to name their next pet ULURP.

(Oh! the joy of saying: ULURP, Sit! )

🔈 What I’m Listening to:

Jimmy Carter's "malaise" speech - "A Crisis of Confidence"

Both incredibly current, and very dated. Some profound truths, and something that seems irretrievably lost: the genuine desire to be a public servant. Carter may have been prescient. His reflectiveness is undoubtfully at odds with political messaging.

🤓 Concept I am learning to recognize:

The Salami Tactics

Described in The Authoritarian Playbook: “By using “salami tactics,” slicing away at democracy a sliver at a time, modern authoritarians still cement themselves in power, but they do so incrementally and gradually.”

⭐️ Person I Admire

Before “Housing First” was a TED Talk talking point, Mary Brosnahanwas out there saying the quiet part aloud: homelessness isn’t a character flaw, it’s a housing policy failure. Her new book, They Just Need to Get a Job, isn’t just myth-busting—it’s a moral reckoning for every politician. Her legacy reminds us that compassion without policy is performance. Her book is a must-read. If you want more, watch my conversation with Mary on Carte Blanche.

💻 What I’m Watching:

There's a mega climate problem with our megacities | All Hail The Planet

In this program recommended by Sandy Reyburn, Al-Jazeera's Ali Rae explains the ecological challenges of the mega-cities. Ali interviews urban planners from around the world — those still clinging to the quaint idea that cities should be livable — and documents what really happens when concrete, capital, and human need collide at scale.

✏️ Quote I’m Pondering:

“Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part.”
—John Lewis

Are we doing our part?

Until next week—stay tender where it matters, and unyielding where it counts.