#34 Coby Lefkowitz: Building Optimism - Rethinking Cities, Architecture, and the Future of Urban Design
Description
What if our cities weren’t just places we lived, but places that made us feel alive? In this episode, we welcome back Coby, an urban planner, developer, and author of Building Optimism, to talk about how we can move beyond pessimism and reclaim the built environment. We dive into the philosophy of traditional urbanism versus traditional architecture, how to balance art and economics in development, and why optimism in city building isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s already happening.
Coby shares how his latest project integrates affordability, beauty, and human-scale design, and why zoning reform is beginning to shift the landscape of American cities. We discuss why preservation alone isn't enough, how small developers can create lasting impact, and why the best cities aren’t built overnight—they evolve, adapt, and improve over time. If you’ve ever wondered why some places feel right and others don’t, or how we can design spaces that actually serve human beings, this episode is for you.
TAKEAWAYS
Great places aren’t about height or style but about how spaces are formed. Streets, plazas, and courtyards dictate how we experience a city more than the aesthetics of individual buildings.
Traditional architecture isn’t about copying the past; it’s about principles that create beauty, durability, and livability across cultures and time periods.
Keeping historic buildings is important, but we should also be building new ones that are worthy of being preserved in the future. Fear of losing the past shouldn’t stop us from creating great new places.
The best cities have a mix of housing that allows people of different income levels to live side by side. Segregating wealth or poverty harms economic mobility and community vitality.
The hardest part of building great places isn’t the architecture—it’s getting the financing. Small-scale, human-centered development struggles to compete with big box projects, but that can change with the right approach.
Building better cities isn’t a fantasy—it’s already happening in pockets across North America. The real challenge is scaling those successes and proving that beautiful, walkable, thriving communities can be the norm, not the exception.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Exploring Urban Beauty: A Vision for Cities
01:32 The Intersection of Urban Planning and Development
03:58 The Journey to Writing 'Building Optimism'
10:02 The Current State of Urbanism: A Turning Point
18:41 Traditional Urbanism vs. Architecture: Finding Balance
22:59 The Role of Preservation in Modern Urbanism
38:20 Creating a Living Tradition in Architecture
44:06 Exploring Kingston's Urban Fabric
51:04 Innovative Infill Housing Solutions
58:13 The Importance of Diverse Housing Options
01:06:56 Creating Integrated Communities
01:12:12 The Role of Capital in Urban Development
CONNECT WITH COBY
X: https://x.com/Cobylefko?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Website: https://cobylefkowitz.com
Substack: https://ourbuiltenvironment.substack.com/p/a-call-to-build-a-better-world
MENTIONED RESOURCES
Coby’s Book:
https://www.amazon.com/Building-Optimism-World-Looks-Better/dp/B0DJV2WLXR/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=Q3
Patrick Sharkey’s Trapped in Place: https://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Place-Neighborhoods-Progress-Equality/dp/0226924254
Samuel Hughes’ Article: Making Architecture Easy: https://worksinprogress.co/issue/making-architecture-easy/
CONNECT WITH AUSTIN TUNNELL
Newsletter:https://playbook.buildingculture.com/
https://www.instagram.com/austintunnell/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-tunnell-2a41894a/
https://twitter.com/AustinTunnell
CONNECT WITH BUILDING CULTURE
https://www.buildingculture.com/
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https://twitter.com/build_culture
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SPONSORS
Thank you so much to the sponsors of The Building Culture Podcast!
Sierra Pacific Windows: https://www.sierrapacificwindows.com/
One Source Windows: https://onesourcewindows.com/
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