Produced by Dave Amos in sunny San Luis Obispo, California. Edited by Ryan Alva in Los Angeles, California. Audio by Eric Schneider in cloudy Cleveland, Ohio. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.
What happens after a city removes a freeway?City Beautiful2021-06-18 | The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/citybeautiful07210
Produced by Dave Amos in sunny San Luis Obispo, California. Edited by Ryan Alva in Los Angeles, California. Audio by Eric Schneider in cloudy Cleveland, Ohio. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.Should Cities Ban Drive Thrus?City Beautiful2024-10-16 | Visit: https://aap.cornell.edu/JoinCRP to sign up for an info session. Learn more about getting a Bachelor's or Master's degree from Cornell University's Department of City and Regional Planning!
Drive thru lanes may be convenient, but some cities are labeling them as nuisances. They cause traffic, generate emissions, and can cause restaurants to abandon in-person dining. Should they be banned, or is that too far?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Romes Geography, ExplainedCity Beautiful2024-09-30 | Compare news coverage from diverse sources around the world on a transparent platform driven by data. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your Vantage subscription: https://ground.news/citybeautiful
Rome is called "The Eternal City" and with that much history, it can be a challenge to understand the geography and history of the city. This video breaks it all down, explaining why many of Rome's landmarks are where they are.
San Francisco opened the Salesforce Transit Center in 2019, and currently serves buses only. It does not connect to local transit trains and will not serve longer-distance trains until at least 2033. Does that make this station a failure? Or maybe it's forward-thinking?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Kyotos Geography, ExplainedCity Beautiful2024-08-31 | Compare news coverage from diverse sources around the world on a transparent platform driven by data. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your Vantage subscription: https://ground.news/citybeautiful
Kyoto is one of the most historic cities in Japan. Founded in the 8th Century, it boasts numerous shrines and temples. This video explores this history and geography of Kyoto.
Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo is considered the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world. Why is that particular intersection the busiest? It's a story involving transit-oriented development, a loyal dog, and international tourism.
Takaoka, F. (2020). Shibuya Crossing as a non-tourist site: Performative participation and re-staging. In Understanding Tourism Mobilities in Japan (pp. 158-169). Routledge.
Balsas, C. J. (2020). The Crisis of Successful Places–Shibuya’s Case. International Journal of Crisis Communication, 4(1), 1-10.
Reggiani, M. (2022). Urban regeneration strategies and place development in contemporary Tokyo: the case of Shibuya Station area. Journal of Place Management and Development, 15(1), 40-54.
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Why Tokyo Has the BEST Streets in the WorldCity Beautiful2024-07-31 | Compare news coverage from diverse sources around the world on a transparent platform driven by data. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your Vantage subscription: https://ground.news/citybeautiful
Tokyo's streets may look utilitarian, but their simple, no frills design makes them a joy to walk and bike on. This is made possible due to dense land uses and a populace that prefers transit to cars.
Special thanks to Christian Dimmer and Will Galloway!
Shared-use paths—paths designed for pedestrians and cyclists—could create safe and comfortable ways for people to move through the suburbs. Let's find out how they can be integrated into neighborhoods to maximize their positive effect.
Source: me and my research
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Tuesday Q&A Livestream: because why not?City Beautiful2024-07-10 | Let's chat! I recently returned from Tokyo and I'd love to talk about that!How to Fix Americas Worst StreetsCity Beautiful2024-06-14 | Receive 10% off anything on bellroy.com: bit.ly/48mPqJQ
Suburban arterial roads, sometimes known as "stroads," are some of the most dangerous streets in a city's network. Cars drive on them fast, and there is often limited facilities for those walking and on bikes. But they can be fixed!
Cul-de-sacs, loops, and separated subdivisions make it difficult for people to walk and bike in the suburbs. We've known this for decades. Have we improved our suburban street patterns in recent decades? I conducted a study to find out! I published the study in the Journal of Urban Morphology: journal.urbanform.org/index.php/jum/article/view/7826
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Is Europe Sprawling?City Beautiful2024-04-27 | Learn more about Cornell Urban Studies Summer Programs here: https://aap.cornell.edu/academics/crp/urban-studies-summer-programs
The United States is known for its sprawl, but what about Europe? Cities in Europe are sprawling, but differently than U.S. cities. How so? And what can they do about it?
Resources on this topic:
- Clifton, Kelly, et al. "Quantitative analysis of urban form: a multidisciplinary review." Journal of Urbanism 1.1 (2008): 17-45.
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.How to Remove a HighwayCity Beautiful2024-04-15 | Receive 10% off anything on bellroy.com: bit.ly/3LYgYNh
Highways are a blight on the urban landscape and are difficult to tear down. But there are some factors that can make a highway easier to tear down, and that's what this video is all about.
Some shopping malls have closed, but others remain full and thriving. Why? And can adaptive reuse breathe new life into dying malls while making them mixed use urban centers?
Most cities have streets that are in a grid pattern, cul-de-sacs, or organic jumble. But cities could be arranged as circles, in a radial-concentric configuration. In fact, there are examples throughout history of cities being designed this way. What are the advantages, and why aren't they more popular?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Can You Buy A City?City Beautiful2024-02-09 | Video Description: Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 30% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/citybeautiful
If you had enough money, could you buy an entire city? Or maybe just a small town? Is something really a city if one person owns all the property?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.How Much Should a Parking Space Cost?City Beautiful2024-01-20 | The first 500 people to use my link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare" https://skl.sh/citybeautiful01241
Which cities have the most expensive parking spaces, both on the street and in garages/lots? And what is the right price to charge for parking? This video answers those questions!
The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed central London. Several intrepid designers saw the rebuilding process as an opportunity to fix the old city's problems. None of these plans were ever adopted. Why?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Are Elevated or Underground Metro Systems Better?City Beautiful2023-12-05 | Get your $100 donation matched with Givewell! To claim your match, go to http://www.givewell.org/citybeautiful and don’t forget to select “YouTube” and “City Beautiful”. Thanks!
Chicago is one of the only cities in the world with elevated metro lines running through downtown. Why is that? Are underground lines better than above ground?
https://www.mylondon.news/news/zone-1-news/much-london-underground-actually-over-23421498#:~:text=That's because most of it,actually runs above the Overground
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Opening Pokemon Packs — Q & A Livestream!City Beautiful2023-11-28 | Let's talk about cities and open some Pokemon packs! Pidove is the most urban Pokemon (in my opinion) so I'm going to be opening packs and counting how many Pidoves I can find. In between packs, I'll take questions about cities, city planning, the channel, and more!Will Lagos be the first city to 100 million?City Beautiful2023-11-10 | Subscribe to Nebula and get $20 off at: go.nebula.tv/citybeautiful Watch this video on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/citybeautiful-will-lagos-be-the-first-city-to-100-million
Demographers believe that African cities will be some of the largest in the world by 2100, and soon after Lagos, Nigeria could cross the 100 million people barrier. Why Lagos? And what will it be like?
https://businessday.ng/maritime/article/four-new-deep-seaports-set-to-attract-investments/#:~:text=The four deep seaports are,Deep Seaport in Rivers State.
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Should I get a degree in city planning? Q & A Livestream!City Beautiful2023-11-02 | This is an opportunity to ask questions about what it's like to get a degree in city planning. It's led by me, Dave Amos, the producer of City Beautiful. In addition to my role as producer, I'm an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I also have three planning degrees and an architecture degrees, so degree advising comes naturally to me. Let's talk about it!Can We Fix Zoning By Tweaking a Few Numbers?City Beautiful2023-10-29 | Receive 10% off anything on bellroy.com: bit.ly/3LYgYNh
Zoning codes are often obscure and complicated. But if you change a few key parameters, you change things like residential density in the suburbs. This video demonstrates how those numbers shape our cities.
Most cities have streets with gridded, organic, or cul-de-sac patterns. Why don't they use hexagons? They can be tiled indefinitely and create safer intersections.
This video relied on this great article: Ben-Joseph, E., & Gordon, D. (2000). Hexagonal planning in theory and practice. Journal of Urban Design, 5(3), 237-265.
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Why Are Boston Streets So Confusing?City Beautiful2023-09-26 | Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 30% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/citybeautiful
Boston is notorious for its confusing street network. Why did it end up with one, when cities like New York and Philadelphia didn't?
Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses were influential in the destiny of New York City, and battled it out directly over the Lower Manhattan Expressway. This battle would come to define the fault lines of U.S. city planning.
Resources on this topic:
This is an excellent read for more information: Dory, J. (2018). Clash of urban philosophies: Moses versus Jacobs. Journal of Planning History, 17(1), 20-41.
Also: Scheper, G. L. (2008). A divergence of modernities: Jane Jacobs, Robert Moses, and the re-visioning of New York City. Community college humanities review, 28, 92-106. Chicago
Flint, A. (2009). Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs took on New York's master builder and transformed the American city. Random House. Chicago
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Billionaires Building New California City?City Beautiful2023-09-02 | For information from the group developing the city, see https://californiaforever.com.
There's obviously more to say about this project than I can in one minute. Here are some other articles about the project:
Vacant lots and underused parking lots can be redeveloped into housing, offices, shopping and more. When that happens, the environmental and social benefits are immense. This video is all about the policies that can make infill development possible.
This video was produced with the California Strategic Growth Council.
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Sully Israel in consultation with the SGC. Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Real Estate Development, ExplainedCity Beautiful2023-08-25 | Visit brilliant.org/citybeautiful to get started for free and get 20% off your annual subscription.
City planners don't build cities, real estate developers do. This video takes you through the real estate development process and all of its many challenges.
Arcologies—self-contained mega-cities—have appeared in Sim City, Bladerunner, and sci-fi novels. Where did this idea come from, and will we all be living in an Arcology someday?
Produced by Dave Amos, Hannah Woolsey, and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.The Most Expensive ZIP codes in the U.S.City Beautiful2023-08-03 | If you want to learn more about 90210, check out my recent video: youtube.com/watch?v=b8_NBbqYkMw
Beverly Hills is known in pop culture (Clueless, Real Housewives) as being a haven for the rich, famous, and influential. How did it get that way? Is it harder to plan a city full of gated homes?
Produced by Hannah Woolsey, Dave Amos, and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Hannah Woolsey and Dave Amos Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.A Complete History of ParisCity Beautiful2023-06-29 | Visit brilliant.org/citybeautiful to get started for free and get 20% off your annual subscription.
Paris is an amazing city with an incredible history. This video tracks that history year by year as it grew from a trading post on the outer reaches of the Roman Empire to the City of Light.
U.S. streets are often wide and meant primarily for cars. Many European cities have charming, narrow streets that give pedestrians priority. Can U.S. cities find ways to add these narrow streets into our existing networks? And what would they gain if they did?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Where was the first gayborhood in history?City Beautiful2023-06-06 | Second Pride Month short!The Rise of GayborhoodsCity Beautiful2023-06-01 | My first short in honor of Pride Month!Why are LAs new bus stops so controversial?City Beautiful2023-05-27 | Resources on this topic:
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Can we fix the suburbs?City Beautiful2023-05-20 | Subscribe to Nebula and get $20 off at: go.nebula.tv/citybeautiful Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/citybeautiful-can-we-fix-the-suburbs
The suburbs are boring, single use, car oriented, low density, and segregated. How can we solve these problems and turn them from a liability to an asset. Or is it not possible at all?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.Why Are College Towns So Great?City Beautiful2023-04-27 | Visit brilliant.org/citybeautiful to get started for free and get 20% off your annual subscription.
Many people have fond memories of the time they spent in small college towns in the United States, attending university. Many people want to live in them after they graduate. What makes a college town different than a regular small town, and why are they so desirable?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.How NIMBYs weaponize historic districtsCity Beautiful2023-04-14 | Subscribe to Nebula and get $20 off at: go.nebula.tv/citybeautiful Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: nebula.tv/videos/citybeautiful-how-nimbys-weaponize-historic-districts --- Watch Cynical Historian's video here: youtube.com/watch?v=zl_ATg8DQEY Special thanks to Michael Andersen of Sightline Institute --- I'm on Patreon! Consider supporting: patreon.com/citybeautiful --- Marking a building as historic can make a lot of sense, but it gets more complicated when cities try to mark an entire district as historic. And sometimes historic districts can be created not for the preservation of history, but for the preservation of demographics and property values. --- Resources on this topic:
Cities are a relatively new invention, by human standards. Why did Neolithic people 11,000 years ago decide to give up their nomadic, hunter-gatherer lives and start to settle? And what were these early cities like?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter. Trans rights.U.S. Zoning, ExplainedCity Beautiful2023-02-28 | Go to http://hensonshaving.com/citybeautiful and enter "CITYBEAUTIFUL" at checkout to get 100 free blades with your purchase. (Note: you must add both the 100 blade pack and the razor for the discount to apply.)
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.An Introduction to District Heating SystemsCity Beautiful2023-01-25 | Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this video! Get my exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/citybeautiful - it's risk-free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.
District heating is the process of heating buildings by capturing waste heat from a power plant through co-generation. That heat is transmitted via steam or hot water. Many cities in the world have used this system, and it's increasingly attractive when paired with low-carbon power sources. Is steam the technology of the future?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.Best cities in the world for parks?City Beautiful2023-01-24 | Here are the top five. For more, check out this video: youtube.com/watch?v=qnyikrFlGdUDoes Your City Have Enough Parks?City Beautiful2023-01-12 | Watch over 2,400 documentaries with Curiosity Stream for free for a month by signing up at http://curiositystream.com/citybeautiful and using the code, "citybeautiful" at checkout.
Some cities have lots of parks, some don’t have much. Is there a correct amount? How do planners plan for park space?
Check out my Nebula Original video on Central Park:
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.The Lifesaving Tech Drivers HateCity Beautiful2022-12-22 | Get your $100 donation matched with Givewell! To claim your match, go to http://www.givewell.org/citybeautiful and don’t forget to select “YouTube” and “City Beautiful”. Thanks!
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.The Pros and Cons of Airport TransitCity Beautiful2022-12-11 | Watch over 2,400 documentaries with Curiosity Stream for free for a month by signing up at http://curiositystream.com/citybeautiful and using the code, "citybeautiful" at checkout. Now 41% off, the best deal of the YEAR.
Transit lines to the airport seem like a big win, as even people who don't ride transit will take it to and from the airport. This is particularly true for business travelers. But do these lines also serve airport employees, and are they the best use of limited transit funding?
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios. Written by Dave Amos and Hannah Woolsey Select images and video from Getty Images. Black Lives Matter.How to Design a Great Street #shortsCity Beautiful2022-12-06 | I totally forgot I filmed this like two years ago. Enjoy!