x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Land Matters

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

A behind the scenes look at what makes cities tick. Whether financing infrastructure, adapting to climate change, or building more affordable housing, a big part of innovative solutions can be traced back to land.

All Episodes

14:01

Confronting extreme heat in Africa

Land Matters ·

2022/12/08

The mayor of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Yvonne Aki-Sawyer, explains her appointment of Africa’s first chief heat officer, fighting climate change with land use planning and planting a million trees, and an overhaul of the property tax system to ensure fiscal sustainability.

en

36:56

The Quest for Zoning Zen

Land Matters ·

2022/10/27

Zoning may not be something most people think about every day. But behind the scenes, local land use rules have been blocking affordable housing, hindering climate action, and exacerbating racial segregation, according to author M. Nolan Gray and Cornell University professor Sara Bronin.

en

23:35

Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín: We need to build new...

Land Matters ·

2022/09/23

Berkeley, California, is a classic case of a built-up city facing tensions over future development. In this candid interview, Mayor Jesse Arreguín talks about the need to make the city more affordable by clearing the way for new housing and discouraging speculation among owners sitting on vacant lots and properties.

en

18:30

Climate Journalists Consider the Land-Climate Connection

Land Matters ·

2022/08/24

Thirty journalists on the climate beat came to the Lincoln Institute recently to consider global warming’s impact on land, whether deforestation, inundation, or drought. The conclusion: new policies and practices in land use planning will be required to head off a worsening crisis. A full recap of the 2022 Journalists Forum is available here.

en

Climate Journalists Consider the Land-Climate Connection

Land Matters ·

2022/08/24

Thirty journalists on the climate beat came to the Lincoln Institute recently to consider global warming’s impact on land, whether deforestation, inundation, or drought. The conclusion: new policies and practices in land use planning will be required to head off a worsening crisis. A full recap of the 2022 Journalists Forum is available here.

en

30:32

A Force of Nature on Chicago’s South Side

Land Matters ·

2022/06/16

On the South Side of Chicago, Rev. Otis Moss III has led initiatives in green building and community empowerment that are having a ripple effect across the city and beyond. This interview follows his delivery of the keynote address for the Lincoln Institute’s 75th anniversary celebration.

en

19:11

Burlington, Vermont, Goes Bona Fide Green

Land Matters ·

2022/05/16

Burlington, Vermont – already sourcing 100 percent of its energy from renewables – is pledging to end all use of fossil fuels by 2030. Mayor Miro Weinberger says he has the political support to eliminate planet-warming emissions across all sectors.

en

18:25

Randall Woodfin and the realities of revitalization

Land Matters ·

2022/03/12

Randall Woodfin, Birmingham’s “millennial mayor” and rising star in Alabama politics, has launched an urban mechanic’s agenda for revitalizing that post-industrial city: restoring basic infrastructure on a block-by-block basis, setting up a command center so federal funds are spent wisely, and providing guaranteed income for single mothers.

en

13:02

Kara Swisher: What Big Tech Can do for Climate

Land Matters ·

2022/01/29

The big technology companies could do big things to address climate change, says Silicon Valley chronicler Kara Swisher, host of the “Sway” podcast at The New York Times. New inventions await in manufacturing, materials, batteries, growing food, sequestering carbon – and using artifical intelligence to understand climate data and land use changes.

en

17:58

How a Toad Might Guide a Better Climate Future

Land Matters ·

2021/12/21

The cane toad, introduced in Australia in the 1930s to control pests, quickly became a major problem itself – one of many examples of human interventions in natural systems that scientists should keep in mind while trying to tackle the climate crisis, says New Yorker staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future.

en

16:50

Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez, breaking new ground

Land Matters ·

2021/11/22

Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez talks about local climate action, land value capture for more equitable urban development, and the importance of supporting women in society, in an interview as she was en route to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.

en

14:08

Bruce Babbitt would like to add land and water to the...

Land Matters ·

2021/10/30

As world leaders descend on Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 climate summit, the critical role of land and water isn’t getting enough attention, says former Arizona Governor and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. The destruction of forests is spewing emissions and taking away natural carbon sinks. And dwindling water supplies – seen in real time in the looming crisis in the Colorado River Basin – demands immediate action, he says.

en

26:34

Addressing structural racism in urban planning

Land Matters ·

2021/09/28

City planners are emerging from behind the scenes to help address some of society’s most complex challenges, including building equity and fighting racism. This summer a coalition of planners came together to acknowledge past discrimination in urban development policies and commit to becoming “change agents” to help create more racially equitable communities. For links and resources discussed in this episode, please visit our show notes at

en

22:47

Land’s crucial role in fighting climate change

Land Matters ·

2021/08/12

In this summer of 2021, land is being ravaged. Wildfires burn in the western U.S., Canada and elsewhere, and the Amazon rainforest has been scorched so much for ranching and agriculture it now emits more carbon than it absorbs. Land conservation veteran Jim Levitt explains the central role of land, land management, and land conservation in confronting climate change, now and in the future.

en

21:14

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson reflects on equity and...

Land Matters ·

2021/05/28

Mayor Frank Jackson is happy about the myriad efforts to revitalize Cleveland – from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to the University Circle cultural center and the recent “innovation hub” activity in tech and life sciences. But as he finishes out his fourth and final term, Jackson says that the city’s ultimate success should be defined by one standard only – whether future regeneration is equitable for all. For links and resources, please visit our show notes at

en

14:55

Affordability on a fast track

Land Matters ·

2021/04/16

Home to global tech companies and a record number of millionaires, Cambridge, Massachusetts has been trying to make the city more accessible for all. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui talks about recent strategies, including an innovative affordable housing overlay that awards extra height and density and includes a streamlined permitting process for below market-rate residential projects. For links and resources discussed in this episode, please visit our show notes at

en

37:01

Finding Answers in Land

Land Matters ·

2021/03/30

As the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy marks its 75th anniversary, Board Chair Kathryn J. Lincoln and President George W. “Mac” McCarthy reflect on the past, present, and future of an organization that recognizes the central role of land in solving some of the world’s greatest challenges, from confronting climate change to making global cities better places for all.

en

21:36

Rising rents, families on the edge

Land Matters ·

2021/02/25

Rising rents are straining family budgets now more than ever, says NYU professor Ingrid Gould Ellen, co-author of the Lincoln Institute report “Through the Roof” – and the pandemic has both revealed and exacerbated the affordability crisis. Local governments should establish comprehensive plans to create more housing, she says, but action at the state and federal level will help as well.

en

19:44

Moving forward on climate

Land Matters ·

2021/01/22

In the first of the year’s shows marking the 75th anniversary of the Lincoln Institute, environmentalist and author Bill McKibben breaks down the actions of the incoming Biden administration to confront the climate crisis, from rejoining the Paris accord to halting the Keystone XL pipeline. Land use and land policy, he says, are critical components as the planet readies for inevitable impacts such as rising seas, which is expected to trigger massive migration.

en

27:54

Marking the End of 2020

Land Matters ·

2020/12/11

As the world prepares to bid farewell to 2020, taking stock of an unprecedented year involves both understanding the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic and looking ahead to what the future may hold. New York Times reporter Emily Badger and author Diana Lind reflect on the prospects for cities, housing, and transportation in the times ahead.

en

56 results