In the Great Fight for Space
A few reminders before we jump in: 1) Hit reply with your own personal favs from your Space and 2) forward the email to friends to join in!
🗞 THE NEWSSTAND
(Hint: go Incognito to fight dem paywalls)
It is only May and the smear campaigns and fearmongering are in full force on both ends of the political spectrum. Republicans take to the Twittersphere calling foul-play in their latest attack on former President Obama with the trending #Obamagate. This latest “deep state” theory was kicked off by the president as he made calls for the former POTUS to stand before Congress on trial for accusations that the former administration acted illegally in its FBI case against Michael Flynn.
On the flip side, Republicans stand by the case that '“Obamagate” is not a conspiracy but rather a legitimate effort to highlight corruption of the former administration in its pursuit of a political opponent.
Yet, the tweets by Trump calling for South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to call on Obama to testify before Congress were quickly shot down as to not set a “bad precedent to compel a former president to come before the Congress.”
Meanwhile, presumed Democratic Presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has been hosting virtual tryouts this week for his potential VP running-mate this November.
The Trump administration this week also authorized additional funding toward the Defense Production Act in an effort to overhaul the country’s medical equipment stockpile then shortly after fired its point person Jennifer Santos.
Though it may be too little, too late, according to whistleblower Rick Bright who testified before Congress this week after being ousted by the Trump administration from his role heading vaccines in the federal government. Bright warns that the “window is closing to address this pandemic” claiming that our federal government lacks a comprehensive plan and the nation is set to face the ‘darkest winter in modern history.’
The middle-class is increasingly feeling the pressure of the effects of this virus as over 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past four weeks.
But don’t take my word for it get out and read up on these topics yourselves to make a consciously-informed decision. But do take that advice of former President Barack Obama this Fall and “vote.”
I highly encourage all of you to subscribe to this bi-partisan newsletter The Flip Side aimed at bridging the political divide in our country. 🇺🇸
🎧 WEEKLY MIXTAPE
This week in our headphones we have the latest album drop from hip-hop mogul Future on his High Off Life.
Over the past few years producer Jackson Stell, otherwise known as Big Wild, has risen to the top of the game in melodic electronic/dance sounds, and it is no surprise with tracks like his latest “Touch.”
Bringing a slightly more ambient and melodic electronic sound to the airwaves is a San Francisco-native and good friend of mine, Andrew Smith. He delivers his latest single “Midday Moon” under his moniker MÒZÂMBÎQÚE produced from his self-isolated apartment in his Amsterdam.
Born of soul royalty, Alex Isley is gifted with the same soulful voice her father Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers. You can experience it for yourself in her latest NPR Tiny Desk concert.
San Francisco-based alt-folk rock group Thao & The Get Down bring us a new eclectic mixture of distorted guitar riffs and scratchy vocals on latest album Temple.
Former singer/guitarist of The Drive-by Truckers, Jason Isbell, releases his newest album Something More Than Free mirroring sounds of Southern rock greats of the past like The Marshall Tucker Band and Lynard Skynard
On the pop side of the charts, we have a new album from electronic pop singer Charlie XCX with how i’m feeling now (yah no caps or punctation that’s how she does it so learn to love it.)
And for some sounds of the city, enjoy this playlist featuring ambient street noises from New York’s five boroughs.
📺 THE STREAM
This weekend tune into a nostalgic look at those epic teenage summers by streaming Outer Banks (Netflix)—a classic rivalry story between the haves (Kooks) and have-nots (Pogues). Follow this Goonies meets The O.C. tale as young teenage friends search for a hidden treasure and the truth behind the disappearance of the protagonist' John B’s father.
For a dramatic and entertaining look at the birth of the ‘silent majority’ that gave way to today’s ‘moral majority’ turn on Mrs. America. This Hulu series tells the story of female American neoconservative, Phyllis Schlafly, aka “the sweetheart of the silent majority,” who led the backlash against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.
In another story of mystery and adventure check out this Netflix thriller series about Zoe Walker who heads to Ibizia to chase down the mysterious disappearance of her brother in White Lines.
🍽 THE KITCHEN
Banana Bread
Ingredients
⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
¼ cup milk of choice
1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT baking powder; they aren’t the same!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 ¾ cups flour
½ cup mix-ins like chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, fresh banana slice (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
In a large bowl, beat the oil and honey together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then whisk in the mashed bananas and milk.
Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and whisk to blend. Stir in the flour, just until combined.
Pour the batter into a 9x5” greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for at least 10 minutes.
🥃 THE CABINET
This week for those of you who flocked to the suburbs or vacation properties, I invite you to enjoy a little taste of city life with the American classic, the Manhattan.
Manhattan
Ingredients
ice
2 parts whiskey
1 part sweet vermouth
1 to 2 dashes Angostura bitters
orange peel
real Maraschino cherries
Directions
Place ice in a cocktail shaker.
Add whiskey, vermouth, and bitters and stir
Rub the orange peel around the rim of the cocktail glass.
Strain the drink into the glass. Add 1 to 2 cherries. Sip and enjoy.
🎙FIRESIDE CHAT
I’ve spent a lot of time in the past couple of months thinking about the city that I live in and love so much, and if it will ever be the same. I know this is a bleak thought but it’s hard to not go there when every other piece of journalism you read speaks of the ‘new normal’ and mass exodus from urban areas. It’s hard to not get caught up in all of the hype with such unprecedented events and unknown changes coming our way. Many revert back to similar predictions we heard following events like 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, saying that city growth will finally come to a halt.
A small part of me gets excited thinking about an unknown future (and possibly a better one) in our cities. I think it stems from the same part of the brain that brought us the ‘burn things down’ mentality in our political climate these past 10 years.
Following the Great Recession, we saw millennials flock to cities in huge swaths out of necessity, as well as a newly inspired worldview that owning less and sharing more was the way to an urban utopia. The cities of the early 2010s were booming.
But things are never that easy to explain and typically result from more complex tailwinds and human forces. With a global event as widespread as the current pandemic, there are going to be many unknowns as well as unprecedented reactions from different groups in society.
Some will argue that the escapism and mass exodus (see chart) we are currently seeing from the more affluent members of society at this time will prove to be an ongoing trend in the coming years.
Though others highlight the resilience and advantage that dense urban cities will have following the initial effects of this pandemic. These include the same communal and shared resources that contributed to the rebuilding and restoration of cities in disasters of the past.
Then there are those that point to the graphs and data to argue that we have been experiencing a decline in major metro growth for the past several years leading up to this pandemic. They argue that this current situation coupled with trends in technology, the work from home culture, and the rising cost of living in major cities might just be the death of the city as we know it.
Yet despite these diverse and often conflicting assessments of how the real estate, and put more practically, society, will shape itself out, there seem to be several themes that point to the advancement of modern cities and sub-metros.
So, let’s dig into what’s really going on. Why have our nation’s largest metros been declining in population these past several years, and what can we expect to see in a post-COVID-19 world?
While the early 2010s were a period of rapid urbanization, the latter half of the decade saw a steep decline in urban growth as cities increasingly became too expensive for the non-rich to buy a home and start a family, forcing them to the suburbs and exurbs. This has been particularly true in cities like Los Angeles where housing shortages saw a 75 percent increase in prices since the end of the Great Recession, combined with higher-earning families purchasing up houses in these communities.
While major metros like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles saw a decline in growth, other non-traditional metros like Austin, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Phoneix saw major increases in migration. These smaller metros became increasingly more desirable to live in, as the ‘Brooklynization’ of cities makes its way across America (picture exposed brick, farm-to-table, pour-over coffee, and mixologists).
However, it should be noted that slower population growth as a whole is mostly due to less immigration, lower fertility rates, and an aging (read ‘dying’) population. And it is unlikely that the pandemic itself will drive down the long-term trend of urbanization across the country.
Without a question, these densely organized metros, and their regional connections with other metros and sub-metros, have contributed to the rapid spread of this virus. Though that is not to say that the rural areas are necessarily safer as we have seen rates in rural areas around America begin to increase. But despite the initial outbreak seen in major metros, these connected environments also enjoy the benefits of access to greater medical resources, naturally high levels of social connection by nature of living across the hall or outside the window from your neighbors, plus the added benefits of easily walkable neighborhoods and access to local parks. Not to mention that any notion of ‘herd immunity’ is most likely to be experienced in the cities before their suburban or rural counterparts. While the economy has taken a hit across the board, cities seem to also experience the economic benefit of increased local demand for delivery by restaurants and bars given the population density.
The impact on the restaurant industry in cities has added to community cohesion. As former patrons donate or make a considered effort to order takeout and groceries, restaurants and grocers themselves have begun to support their communities by contributing free meals to those most impacted by the loss of jobs and self-isolation. This form of social cohesion in densely populated urban areas is the exact thing that has helped cities recover in past disasters and will help cities survive this one as well. Cities are a demonstration of humanity existing and cohabitating with one another.
Over the years cities have been burned, flooded, starved, bombed, infested, and endured a great many other tragedies. Outside of a few examples such as Pompeii or Rust Belt cities following the Great Recession, the metropolis seems to always survive. These disasters are said to follow a predictable pattern of rescue, restoration, rebuilding, and remembrance. But the key is that rebuilding must occur.
We look to our city leaders and non-governmental players to participate in this process and ensure that this period of rescue does not go without innovation in cities. This is a chance to reduce our carbon footprint, create more livable communities, and correct the failures of our earlier urban planning failures. Our homes will hopefully become better suited for flexible working, include more outdoor spaces, and more functionality overall. Already we are seeing glimmers of hope with cities like Seattle, New York, and Chicago taking this opportunity to convert streets into pedestrian and cycling pathways.
Today you can view the United States as a collection of super metros connecting major cities and suburbs on each corner of the map. Two-thirds of the population live in these megapolitans which make up less than 20 percent of the nation’s geography. These regional economies will continue to grow as the population rises to 438 million by the year 2050. So, those folks looking to escape the cities will somehow find themselves existing within the megapolitan boundaries—whether it be the Great Lakes, Southern or Northern California, the Texas Triangle, or the Northeast. Disasters and diseases will come and go, yet our desire to live in close proximity with other humans will continue and we will restore and redesign our habitats to accommodate those desires, future-proofing our environments.
As the economies in these megapolitans bounce back quicker in comparison to their non-metro counterparts, people will look to move to closer proximity for jobs. This will create a greater need for affordable cities and homes.
Urban-dwellers will continue to enjoy those amenities of city living, including our world-renowned restaurants, public transportation, bustling nightlife, and some of the world’s top innovations in health and finance. For those who do make an exodus from the cities, let’s be honest they were itching to get back to the suburbs before this pandemic hit. Or they might just exist in that elite group of society that has the luxury of escaping to vacation homes when it is most suitable.
But remember, for all of the good that is highlighted in cities during this time, this pandemic also shines a spotlight on the inequalities and disparity between the most wealthy percentile and the rest of us plebians. It is not the city that is deadlier during the pandemic but rather the systemic issues that drive to poverty for the people living in them.
So, while Space Man sells off his multi-million dollar mansions across California in an effort to ‘own no house,’ the rest of us look for ways to buy affordable homes close to where we work and socialize. Though it might be time for some of us to hang up our city sneakers for the burbs, the rest of us will remain in the great metropolis seeking that opportunity to finally afford our first home or to simply continue renting while we save up for that vacation home in preparation for the next pandemic.
For now, we look to our humble but praised balconies, for outdoor space as we enjoy a freshly prepared cocktail delivered to our apartment via Uber Eats.
“To have a balcony during coronavirus is to enjoy fresh air without anxiety.”
The lessons of the 19th century taught us that cities are self-sustainable in massive health crises like pandemics. They led to greater improvement in public health measures, access to vaccinations, urban and sanitation planning, and the creation of outdoor spaces that reduce crowding and improve physical and mental health. This too is an opportunity for our cities to rebuild and improve.
Cities will persist as a place of cultural heritage, thriving innovation across all sectors, and a place for young people and families to build a better life. They are the perfect result of the democratic project.
“Everyone has the right to live in a great place, and the right to make the place where they already live better.”
—Placemaking Week, Wuhan, China 2018
We're in this together
#StayAtHome #HabituateInSpace