After Hours with Jamie Rubin: A Vital City Podcast

Jamie and Leila Bozorg, Executive Director For Housing and Secretary of the Charter Review Commission, analyze the ballot measure results: what it all means for building new housing stock in New York, why New Yorkers voted against "number six," and how these ballot measures will help Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani fulfill his affordable housing dreams.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

As we gear up for the mayoral election, Bill Lipton, the former Lead Organizer and Organizing Director of The Working Families Party, shares how the party in its early days defied the status quo, how he and his team learned to make effective change by working across party lines and how politicians at every level of government -- even the new mayor -- can prioritize affordability AND climate politics in the coming year.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

In 2019 the storied violence at Riker's Island was its way to being a thing of the past. Fast forward to today: not only is the jail still in full swing, but the violence, mismanagement and deaths at Rikers are perhaps worse than ever. The mayoral election is just two weeks away, and both Cuomo and Mamdani have shared their vision for the future of Rikers. Jamie talks to Liz Glazer, founder of Vital City, justice advisor under Mayor Bill DeBlasio and former federal prosecutor, to understand how we got here and what the Riker's might look like under a new administration.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

This year's mayoral election has the potential to fix the housing crisis in New York City. Of course, there are the candidates themselves, but more importantly, there are the ballot questions. Four out of the six questions, which were carefully written by The Charter Revision Commission,  aim to make housing more affordable and accessible throughout the entire city. Jamie sits down with Leila Bozorg, Secretary of the Commission and Executive Director of Housing for the Mayor's Office, to dissect these questions and help listeners decide how to vote. For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

For the past few weeks, rumors have surrounded Mayor Eric Adams and his potential resignation. Is he going to leave office early? Will he work for the Trump administration? Can his voter base really keep Mamdani from becoming the mayor of New York? Jamie and award-winning journalist and Executive Director of Citizens Union Grace Rauh pick apart these rumors and examine what this race says about the state of democracy in NYC. For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

Almost everyone agrees that New York City needs more housing — and that building housing here takes too long and costs too much. New York Magazine architecture critic Justin Davidson wants to remind us that one thing we shouldn't cut corners on is good design. Jamie and Justin talk about what architects really mean when they say “design,” and how good design and abundant housing are closely related.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

As debates rage on over how to make housing production cheaper, Cara Eckholm — formerly of Sidewalk Labs, modular growth company Nabr, and Cornell Tech — has her eyes on modular. Cara, who now runs the urban consultancy Eckholm Studios, sits down with Jamie to discuss what New York should do to — and what pitfalls we should avoid — to build good homes faster.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

In this episode, Jamie reflects on Trump’s Reconciliation Package – a.k.a. the “Big Beautiful Bill” – and, drawing on his expertise in climate policy and investment, predicts how the bill could pit the clean energy industry against America’s poor and working-class citizens.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

You couldn't have missed it — on Tuesday, June 25, state assembly member Zohran Mamdani won the New York primary, beating favored contender and former governor Andrew Cuomo by 12 points. Everyone and their mother has an explanation for what happened and what a Mamdani mayoral administration would look like. But none have quite the perspective of Bradley Tusk, political strategist and founder of Tusk Strategies. Prior to his current role, Bradley served as deputy governor of Illinois, campaign manager for Michael Bloomberg, and communications director for Chuck Schumer. Jamie and Bradley sit down to recap the race and share why they think Zohran Mamdani could succeed as mayor.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

A lot goes wrong in New York, and as New York City deputy mayor for operations from 2021-2025, Meera Joshi was responsible for fixing much of it. During her tenure during the Adams administration, Meera led nine agencies that cover all facets of New York City life — from trash to street cleaning to buildings. In this episode, she and Jamie go under the hood of what it looks like to manage an operation of 100,000+ city employees and what lessons she'll take with her to her next role.  For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

Harvard economist Ed Glaeser and Yale Law School state and local government law professor David Schleicher don’t always agree when it comes to New York politics, but on this mayoral election they do: among the 11 candidates in the crowded field, they insist, most aren’t saying much of anything. Jamie, Ed and David run down this cycle’s policy platforms — the most overplayed, the worst, and, somewhere in the mix, the ones that might just have a shot at doing a lot of good for New York City.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/. 

Why don't more businesspeople run for mayor of America's biggest city? Host Jamie Rubin and political commentator Ross Barkan discuss who's not on the ballot in the 2025 mayoral race and why. They analyze Mike Bloomberg's formula for political and managerial success while dissecting former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's comeback attempt. In a thought experiment, they game out exactly how a wealthy outsider might spend $100 million to capture City Hall in a wide-open race. And Barkan delivers a brutal assessment: The current mayor, he estimates, has a 5% chance of survival in what may be the most consequential election in decades.

City Council candidate Maya Kornberg, running in a district that's been represented by Bill de Blasio, Brad Lander and now Shahana Hanif, discusses her race — and what she thinks connects it to larger local and national trends. She argues that many constituents feel unheard — a problem she says she would address through mobile district offices and continuous engagement. She also argues that today's divisive political climate, while troubling, isn't unprecedented for American democracy.

Housing advocate and Open New York Executive Director Annemarie Gray argues that scarcity drives New York's housing crisis, and she and Jamie discuss how to make more building possible. Among the solutions Annemarie identifies are streamlining the land use review process (ULURP), upzoning neighborhoods, and leveraging partners in state government to put pressure on New York City. Annemarie advocates for balancing tenant protections with increased supply and discusses her organization's push for the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, which would allow religious organizations to build affordable housing on their underutilized properties. Mentioned:Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act (S3397 / A3647)For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

Nonprofit legal expert Sean Delany discusses unprecedented agreements between the Trump administration and major law firms, some of whom are pledging upwards of $100 million in pro bono services for administration-selected causes. Sean and Jamie discuss how these arrangements could divert critical legal resources for nonprofits that traditionally benefit from pro bono aid, and have a broader chilling effect the legal industry.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

A revealing conversation about power, politics and the future of New York City with Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. We dive deep into his campaign for city comptroller — an office responsible for managing $280 billion in pension funds, overseeing city contracts and providing crucial checks on mayoral power — and his vision for leveraging the office's substantial powers to tackle New York's affordability crisis. With Manhattan rents rising to an average of $5,300 monthly and vacancy rates at historic lows, Mark shares his strategy to finance desperately needed affordable housing through pension fund investments. Plus, he makes the case for universal childcare as a $2 billion investment that could transform family economics across the five boroughs. For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

In this podcast episode, American urban revitalization strategist Majora Carter critically examines the "nonprofit industrial complex", arguing that many social service organizations perpetuate systemic problems rather than solving them. She highlights how current nonprofit models often trap communities in poverty, using ineffective top-down approaches that prioritize maintaining the organization over creating meaningful change. Drawing from personal experience and broader research, she challenges listeners to reconsider how philanthropic efforts address social issues, advocating for more peer-based, community-driven interventions that genuinely empower marginalized populations. For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

While many of New York’s essential services are run through nonprofit contracts, 90% of City payments to those nonprofits were late last year. In response, many nonprofits are on the brink of closing their doors. There’s a structural problem: it’s hard to build unified nonprofit power because many nonprofits are small and can be quite different from each other. John MacIntosh has a solution — actually, several. As managing partner of SeaChange Capital Partners, he leads a team that provides a suite of affordable services to nonprofits, including business advisory and bespoke financing for the sector. On this episode of After Hours, Jamie and John talk about the work he is doing now to support nonprofits, and what the City and private players can do to support this sector that supports so many New Yorkers.“Winter is Coming,” John MacIntosh, Vital CityFor more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

Jamie started his career in state government as the head of the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, where he led the response to Hurricane Sandy. Only one episode in to After Hours, there is news big enough to warrant a break from usual programming. The Trump Administration has threatened to make major cuts from disaster recovery funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This grant comes in as FEMA is leaving and is responsible for making sure that communities can rebuild after crisis. Jamie shares his experience after Sandy and how damaging these cuts could be across the country.Mentioned:"Trump Team Plans Deep Cuts at Office That Funds Recovery From Big Disasters," Christopher Flavelle, The New York TimesFor more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.

Government procurement makes up 15% of global GDP. Despite its impact on almost every facet of how people live in cities, it is rarely a topic of research — the data is hard to access and the bureaucratic structures can be opaque. But Ed Glaeser thinks it is time we talk about it.  In New York City, procurement dollars often go to waste in inefficient funding processes. Why do we waste so many resources on procurement? (And why is the Second Avenue Subway still unfinished and over budget?) In part, Ed argues, it is because we New York is so afraid of corruption that we are hamstringing our own procedures.Ed, a Harvard economist, joins me to explain how this happened, what other cities we can learn from, and how we can improve in this episode of After Hours.Mentioned:“Transit Costs Project,” NYU Marron Institute“Public Procurement in Law and Practice,” by Erica Bosio, Simeon Djankov, Edward Glaeser, and Andrei Shleifer.For more solutions-oriented thinking on urban life, visit the Vital City website at https://www.vitalcitynyc.org/.