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Weekly show about the tragic comedy of suburban sprawl. Featuring James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of Nowhere. Primary Format : Talk Radio Language : English Also Listed as: City : Troy State/Province : NY Country : USA Region : NA User Tags: User Votes: RSS Feed Website People found this Podcast Searching for: View this Podcast on a Google Map. Podcast iTunes Link Text Only listing of KunstlerCast Podcasts Methings.com listings of KunstlerCast Podcasts If you like this podcast, you might also like:

KunstlerCast #167: AUDIO ONLY - Picturing Suburbia Originally broadcast April, 2008: When James Howard Kunstler isn't railing against suburban sprawl, he's painting it. Vincent van Gogh painted the peasant sleeping by the haystack because he was living in a landscape populated by people. Our landscape is populated by cars. So, as a sur la motif painter of our time, Jim's subjects include cars on the road, gas stations and the industrial ruins of America's manufacturing past. Making this landscape legible on the canvas is a challenge, but it ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #167: ENHANCED - Picturing Suburbia Enhanced version of April 2008 broadcast. When James Howard Kunstler isn't railing against suburban sprawl, he's painting it. Vincent van Gogh painted the peasant sleeping by the haystack because he was living in a landscape populated by people. Our landscape is populated by cars. So, as a sur la motif painter of our time, Jim's subjects include cars on the road, gas stations and the industrial ruins of America's manufacturing past. Making this landscape legible on the canvas is a challenge ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #166: Bicycle Sharing This week James Howard Kunstler gets a much needed break from podcasting, while Duncan speaks to a representative of B-Cycle, a bicycle sharing company with programs through the U.S. Afterwards, Duncan tours Madison, Wisconsin on bike with a local guide and Matt Dellinger, author of Interstate 69 and blogger for WNYC’s Transportation Nation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #165: Landscape Urbanism - Part 2 JHK continues his critique of Charles Waldheim's presentation on Landscape Urbanism, delivered at the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU 19). This episode also includes remarks by New Urbanist leader Andres Duany and a listener quesion from a conferencegoer. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #164: Landscape Urbanism - Part 1 In recent years there has been a growing debate between New Urbanism and Landscape Urbanism, a theory that argues the landscape, rather than architecture, is more capable of organizing the city and enhancing the urban experience. In this episode, JHK reacts to recent remarks by Harvard Prof. Charles Waldheim at the Congress for the New Urbanism on Landscape Urbanism. In particular, Kunstler will respond to Waldheim’s claims that New Urbanism places too much emphasis on neoclassicism w ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #163: Triumph of the City - Part 2 JHK continues his critique of Ed Glaeser's talk from recent Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU 19) and the ideas presented in his best-selling book Triumph of the City. Sponsor: Orion Magazine. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #162: Triumph of the City - Part 1 JHK Critiques Ed Glaeser's talk from recent Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU 19) and the ideas presented in his best-selling book Triumph of the City. Sponsor: Orion Magazine. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #161: Cities of the Future In a special cross promotion, Andrew Blechman of the Orion Magazine podcast interviews JHK about cities of the future. For the full interview, visit: http://www.orionmagazine.org/cities Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #160: Housing Bubble Update & Car Sharing JHK gives an update on the bursting housing bubble and the fate of car dependency in America. This episode includes a short interview with Sharon Feigon, CEO of I-Go Car Sharing, and Sonya Newenhouse, president of Community Car, two professionals in the car sharing industry. Sponsor: Bjorn Bergman who reminds listeners to eat local this summer! 651-276-8875 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #159: The Congress For the New Urbanism In the first of many installments to come, Duncan updates James Howard Kunstler on the recent Congress For the New Urbanism, held June 1-6, 2011 in Madison, Wisc. The Congress for the New Urbanism is a professional association of planners, architects, developers, political leaders and activists who are committed to revitalizing cities and curb the continuation of sprawl. During this show, we hear from: Andres Duany, New Urbanist architec; Ed Glaeser, Harvard economist & author; U.S. Rep ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #158: Americans Demand Walkable Neighborhoods... On today's episode JHK discusses a recent poll by the National Realtors Association which found that while many Americans claim they want to be able to walk to stores, restaurants and other urban amenities, they prefer to live in single family detached homes above all else. This seems to be a contradiction, but the arrangement could be possible through New Urbanist planning. Sponsor: http://cnu19.org Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #157: When McDonald's Comes to Town JHK and Duncan look at two new McDonald's projects in their home towns and touch upon some universal issues with regards to these types of developments appearing throughout North America. Using the comments on a local newspaper blog, they gague how members of the community are reacting and forming a public consensus. While some people in Troy are advocating for a heightened design, others are "violently complacent" about the standard issue Mickey D's as delivered to automobile strips around ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #156: Osama & The Middle East James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts about the caputure and destruction of Osama bin Laden and the future of U.S. relations in the Middle East. Sponsor: http://cnu19.org. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #155: AUDIO ONLY - Taking The Initiative JHK & Duncan explore North Central Troy NY with Billie-Jean Greene of the Uptown Initiative. Sponsor: http://cnu19.org Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #155: ENHANCED - Taking the Initiative  JHK & Duncan explore North Central Troy NY with Billie-Jean Greene of the Uptown Initiative. Sponsor: http://cnu19.org Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #154: Q & A with JHK JHK and Duncan visit The Sanctuary for Independent Media , an old church in North Central Troy NY which has been repurposed as community media space. After a public lecture, JHK takes questions from the audience on a variety of urban planning and energy topics. Sponsor: http://cnu19.org Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #153: 2010 U.S. Census Figures The 2010 U.S. Census figures have led to a newly empowered suburban electorate. But the figures also indicate that several major U.S. cities are increasing in population at their cores. JHK offers some analysis. Sponsor: The Congress for the New Urbanism CNU 19, http://cnu19.org Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #152: Is Peak Oil a Conspiracy Theory JHK has said many times that he's allergic to conspiracy theories. Yet his own ideas about peak oil sort of sound like a conspiracy theory since he believes that the U.S. government has a dependency-enabling relationship with the American public regarding our energy consumption habits and reality. JHK concedes that there may be a "soft conspiracy" at play. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #151: Energy Delusions James Howard Kunstler believes Americans and their leaders are lying to themselves about our current energy predicament. There is a tremendous body of fantasy about how much energy Americans can harvest from shale gas, shale oil, tar sands, running the American truck fleet on natural gas and other forms of alternative fuel for motoring. There is even one fantasy that an endless supply of abiotic oil is located in the earth’s core. Kunstler runs down the list and gives us the score. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #150: Suburban Sprawl in the Rustbelt James Howard Kunstler reacts to a recent article from Rustwire.com titled "Michigan CEO: Soul-Crushing Sprawl Killing Business." Kunstler believes that the diminishing returns of suburbia are becoming self-evident to people of all walks of life, and this piece of writing is yet another example. He also corrects some of his previous comments about Detroit and the Eminem Chrysler ad. At the end of the program, Duncan plays some music by Michigan-based band Frontier Ruckus from their album "De ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #149: Debauchery in the Student Ghettos JHK and Duncan apply an urbanist lens to a recent string of drunken St. Paddy's Parade Day riots in three U.S. cities: Newport, RI, Hoboken, NJ, and Albany, NY. Topics covered in this discussion include: monocultures, transient populations, the ghettoization of the generations, self-regulating social scenes, swarm behavior and social networking technology, Glenn Beck, open container laws in cities and The Broken Windows Theory. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #148: Disaster in Japan After the recent earthquake and tsunami, James Howard Kunstler believes that Japan may be propelled into a much different society very quickly -- one that somewhat resemble his World Made By Hand vision. But JHK thinks that using less fossil fuel and dexomplexifying their society might be a good thing for Japan as it may give them a headstart down the road that other complex societies like the U.S. are heading anyway. Sponsor: http://postpeakliving.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #147: Pigeons In this mini episode, Leisureville author Andrew Blechman talks with Jim and Duncan about pigeons, the fascinating subject of his other book Pigeons. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #146: Geriatopia Author Andrew Blechman discusses his book Leisureville, a tragicomic report on The Villages, America's largest planned retirement community. In this version of suburbia, everyone drives golf carts, no one works and children aren't allowed. Sponsor: PostPeakLiving.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #145: Listener Mailbag JHK and Duncan get caught up on questions from listener callers. Topics include post-petroleum education, the homogenization of America, Vancouver and light pollution. Sponsor: http://www.postpeakliving.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #144: American Jitney JHK discusses "slugging" and couch surfing and other casual self-organizing transportation and lodging systems that are emerging under new terms of existence in a less affluent USA. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #143: Imported From Detroit? JHK reacts to the Chrysler Superbowl commercial featuring rapper Eminem, titled "Imported From Detroit." This leads to a discussion of American insecurities and our unending need for pep rallies. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #142: Forecast 2011 James Howard Kunstler speaks about his annual forecast for 2011. Although there are a lot of people out there cheerleading for a "recovery," JHK believes it's time for a reset. He foresees food shortages, financial strain and political troubles ahead. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #141: Interstate 69 with Matt Dellinger James Howard Kunstler is joined in the studio by author Matt Dellinger to discuss his new book, INTERSTATE 69. Also known as "The NAFTA Highway," I-69 is a proposed 1,400-mile mega-highway linking Canada to Mexico via the American heartland. This special one-hour conversation covers the economic development schemes, history, culture, conspiracy theories and colorful characters behind the story of what might be the last great American highway. Matt Dellinger has written for The New Yorker, ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #140: Violent Rhetoric JHK reacts to the tragic shooting in Arizona. He reflects on gun ownership debate in the U.S. and his own conflicting thoughts about owning a gun himself. He discusses the power of violent rhetoric in our public discourse and evalutes his own use of strong language. He also muses on the built environment in Tuscon Arizona and what role it might have played in the tragedy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #139: Social Critic James Howard Kunstler talks about his literary influences, including H.L. Mencken, Tom Wolfe and Samuel Beckett. He also explains the role of the social critic and how he separates his critic persona from his own personality. Lastly he muses on what he might like his legacy to be. This conversation, all about writing, is background information for a forthcoming KunstlerCast book. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #138: A Christmas Orphan James Howard Kunstler discusses and reads from his novella, A Christmas Orphan -- the story of a young boy from the big city who runs away on Christmas Eve to small-town Vermont. JHK explains how this story deals with many of the issues he writes about in his nonfiction commentary on our living arrangements of the late 20th and 21st centuries. A Christmas Orphan is available for purchase at http://Northshire.com. Music used by permission of IODA Promonet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #137: Berkeley, San Fran, Passadena & Santa Monica JHK shares his thoughts on a recent visit to the San Francisco Bay Area and the greater Los Angeles region in the final chapter in his Witch of Hebron book tour. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #136: Perth, Australia James Howard Kunstler reports on his recent trip to Perth, Australia. He joins host Duncan Crary by telephone during a long layover at the LAX aiport on the return trip. Kunstler found Perth to be a very pleasant city with good urbanism and public transit. And in spite of an enthusiasm for suruban development, the center city is very dense. However, he believes Australians may be caught off guard by the coming geopolitical changes of the Long Emergency. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #135: Melbourne, AU Cont. James Howard Kunstler continues his discussion of Melbourne, Australia based on his recent visit to that country to speak at the VIC Urban conference. In this podcast, JHK touches upon the Australia housing bubble and the fate of suburiba there; the Australian economy, and geopolitical issues facing the Australia continent. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #134: Melbourne Australia Jim shares his observations of Melbourne, Australia based on his recent visit to that city to speak to the VIC Urban organization. Though he was impressed by the downtown, JHK says the areas outside Melbourne look a lot like the suburban areas of Southern California. One of his stops was Aurora, a so-called "green suburb" that failed to impress. Finally, JHK shares his adventures in the countryside beyond the Australian suburbs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #133 - The Tea Party JHK shares his thoughts on the recent U.S. midterm elections, the Tea Party, Jon Stewart's Rally for Sanity, and the problems of progressivisim. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #132:Travel Notes - Boulder & Minneapolis JHK shares his observations of Boulder, Colorado and Minneapolis, Minnesota--two cities that do not live up to their reputation for entirely different reasons. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #131: Portland, Oregon James Howard Kunstler discusses Portland, Oregon, an American city that did a lot of things right. Topics include: the urban growth boundary, architecture, transit and political attitudes. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #130: Seattle James Howard Kunstler shares his observations of Seattle based on his recent trip to that city. He believes that the Queen Anne Hill neighborhood gives one an idea of what the best of American urbanism can be, inspite of some clunky housing types. Though downtown is active and fairly pleasant, JHK has ominous feelings about the future of its many glass apartment towers. Kunstler also describes the Capitol Hill neighborhood, University District, Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. He talk ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #129: Gambling James Howard Kunstler examines the last ditch effort of some states to try to generate revenue through casinos. Kunstler believes gambling is a marginal activity that states should not be pushing into the mainstream. Also featured in this episode is a short clip from JHK's one hour interview on KBOO public radio in Portland, Ore. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #128: Travelogue - WA, LA, N.H. JHK checks in with Duncan via phone during the West Coast leg of his book tour for The Witch of Hebron. He shares his recent observations from visiting New Orleans; Portsmouth and Exeter, N.H.; and Bellingham, WA. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #127: The Tragedy of the Commons James Howard Kunstler explains the Tragedy of the Commons, as first described by Garrett Hardin in 1968, as how this philosophical theory relates to the public realm, suburbia, private property, commerce, environmentalism and concepts of freedom. This episode also includes a short radio story produced by MichiganNow.org featuring a walking tour by JHK in Bay City, Michigan. Special thanks to http://www.michigannow.org/ Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #126: The Disservice Industry & The Next Manhattan Project James Howard Kunstler joins Duncan by phone from his hotel room in New Orleans. Their conversation moves from Dearborn, Michigan to the failings of the airline industry, to Burlington, Vt., to the potential of Thorium, the so-called "green" nuclear energy source, to the Boomer generation's parting gift to future generations. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #125: Cassandra, A Thought Experiment Duncan asks JHK what he would say to the American people of 1946 if he had the means to travel back in time. What would Kunstler tell them about the suburban dream as promised to them? Would they listen? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast: Crazy Update from LA The KunstlerCast will return next week. Duncan was flown to LA at the last minute to appear on a daytime TV show. He also wandered into the midst of a real LA riot. He's fine and will return next week with JHK and lots of good fodder for the podcast. Thanks for your patience. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #124: The American Vacation James Howard Kunstler muses on The American Vacation and why the act of vacationing in American has become so stressful and unpleasant. He also shares his observations on Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, three states he visited during his own recent vacation. Kunstler doesn't believe that motor-based tourism will be around for much longer...and that's probably a good thing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #123: The Witch of Hebron Journalist/Author Peter Golden interviews James Howard Kunstler about The Witch of Hebron, the second novel in Kunstler's World Made By Hand series. Without giving away any major plot points, Golden explores the major themes in this Autumn story set in a world after the lights have flickered out and the oil has dried up. Topics include: the rule of law, the importance of ritual holidays, and the role of religion in a tight-knit community. In this novel, Kunstler has revealed more about the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast: The Witch of Hebron, Chapter Thirteen James Howard Kunstler reads Chapter 13 from his post-oil novel The Witch of Hebron (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010). Music: "Duck River," performed by Matt Brown. Used by permission. Available for purchase through 5-String Productions. http://www.5-string.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast: The Witch of Hebron, Chapter One James Howard Kunstler reads the first chapter of his post-oil novel The Witch of Hebron (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010). Music: "McCully's Waltz," performed by Ed Lowman & John Kirk, recorded specially for the World Made By Hand series. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast: The Witch of Hebron, Chapter Thirty-Eight Author James Howard Kunstler reads Chapter Thirty-Eight from his post-oil novel, The Witch of Hebron (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010). Music: "Sweet Rosey Cheeks," performed by Ed Lowman & John Kirk, recorded specially for the World Made By Hand series. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #122: A Grand Wobble James Howard Kunstler takes a look at the systematic failures of our finanical future and the efforts by the U.S. government to sustain the unsustainable. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #121: Modern Family Living James Howard Kunstler muses on the suburban family living arrangement--past, present, future. Points of discussion include: adult kids living at home, caring for seniors, living in closer proximity to family members. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #120: To Combat Sprawl A listener asks what other ways average folks can combat sprawl without becoming a professional urban planner. JHK shares the story of his personal choice in 1970s to leave the big city and consciously live in a small American town with a livable urban fabric. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #119: The Projects - Audio Only JHK explores a mostly abandoned low-income housing project in Duncan's neighborhood. Two of the three 9-story brick "vertical slums" are boarded up and abandoned. They come complete with their own "rape-o-matic" tunnel for pedestrians to travel under the bridge ramp that separates them. Kunstler says these "towers in a park" are based on the ideas of Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architect/planner whose "Radiant City" plans envisioned turning the right bank of Paris into a series of high r ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #119: Enhanced - The Projects JHK explores a mostly abandoned low-income housing project in Duncan's neighborhood. Two of the three 9-story brick "vertical slums" are boarded up and abandoned. They come complete with their own "rape-o-matic" tunnel for pedestrians to travel under the bridge ramp that separates them. Kunstler says these "towers in a park" are based on the ideas of Le Corbusier, the Swiss-French architect/planner whose "Radiant City" plans envisioned turning the right bank of Paris into a series of high ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast_118: A Great American Street: Audio-Only JHK and Duncan celebrate the Fourth of July by touring Uncle Sam's neighborhood. They stroll down Second Street in Troy NY, admiring the 19th century architecture along the way. Destinations include: Russell Sage College, the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #118: A Great American Street - Enhanced JHK and Duncan celebrate the Fourth of July by touring Uncle Sam's neighborhood. The stroll down Second Street in Troy NY, admiring the 19th century architecture along the way. Destinations include: Russel Sage College, the county court house and one of only two privately owned and maintained residential green squares in New York state (the other is the famous Gramercy Park in Manhattan). They speak to some workers laying a stone street by hand, and explore the alley in an exclusive neighbo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #117: Berlin James Howard Kunstler reports on his recent visit to Berlin, Germany...the one place where people know how to pronounce his name correctly. Thirteen years ago, James Howard Kunstler traveled to Berlin, Germany to research a chapter for his third nonfiction book, The City in Mind. On his recent trip, he discovered that the place has healed remarkably over the past decade. Of course he had to g ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #116: Deep Water Horizon JHK examines the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the fog of incomplete information that surrounds it. Kunstler sees this incident as further proof that the peak oil story is real. Now that the low hanging fruit of o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #115: Atlanta James Howard Kunstler shares his observations from a recent visit to Atlanta, Ga. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #114: Agrarian Urbanism James Howard Kunstler recently returned from the 18th Annual Congress for the New Urbanism. Agrarian urbanism was a hot topic among many New Urbanists at the Congress and in this episode Kunstler takes the time to explore the topic of food production in cities. Rising energy prices and poor growing weather may lead to global food shortages, but JHK believes that the idea of feeding the U.S. population with rooftop gardens and skyscraper terrariums is absurd. Gardening and even raising cert ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #114: Agrarian Urbanism James Howard Kunstler recently returned from the 18th Annual Congress for the New Urbanism. Agrarian urbanism was a hot topic among many New Urbanists at the Congress and in this episode Kunstler takes the time to explore the topic of food production in cities. Rising energy prices and poor growing weather may lead to global food shortages, but JHK believes that the idea of feeding the U.S. population with rooftop gardens and skyscraper terrariums is absurd. Gardening and even raising cert ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #113: Pit Bulls in the China Shop Using the example of a recent gimmick to allow dogs into the stores in downtown Saratoga Springs, James Howard Kunstler examines the topic of decorum in the public realm. JHK believes that Americans struggle with boundary issues and evaluating appropriate behavior, which may explain the increased presence of pet dogs in inappropriate venues. Vicious dogs, which have become the latest "urban" accessory, add an even more troubling dynamic to the streetscape. The situation gets worse when dog ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #113: Pit Bulls in the China Shop Using the example of a recent gimmick to allow dogs into the stores in downtown Saratoga Springs, James Howard Kunstler examines the topic of decorum in the public realm. JHK believes that Americans struggle with boundary issues and evaluating appropriate behavior, which may explain the increased presence of pet dogs in inappropriate venues. Vicious dogs, which have become the latest "urban" accessory, add an even more troubling dynamic to the streetscape. The situation gets worse when dog ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #112: The Politics of Place James Howard Kunstler examines the politics of place. Are the suburbs more conservative than cities? Why are people who try to conserve the historic fabric of their towns branded as radical liberals, while the agents of destruction in those towns call themselves "conservative?" What is the historical relationship between political ideas and the places where they originate from? JHK addresses these questions in today's episode. Sponsor: http://audiblepodcast.com/kunstler Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #112: The Politics of Place James Howard Kunstler examines the politics of place. Are the suburbs more conservative than cities? Why are people who try to conserve the historic fabric of their towns branded as radical liberals, while the agents of destruction in those towns call themselves "conservative?" What is the historical relationship between political ideas and the places where they originate from? JHK addresses these questions in today's episode. Sponsor: http://audiblepodcast.com/kunstler Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast 111: Brutalism James Howard Kunstler explains the origins of brutalism, the modernist architectural style that resulted in the horrible, poured concrete bunker-like buildings found all across the world. JHK explains why these concrete buildings age more rapidly, and less gracefully, than Roman concrete buildings. He also tells the story of how Hitler inspired (indirectly) these despotic structures. Specific examples of brutalist buildings discussed in this episode are: Boston City Hall, Troy City Hall, t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #111: Brutalism James Howard Kunstler explains the origins of brutalism, the modernist architectural style that resulted in the horrible, poured concrete bunker-like buildings found all across the world. JHK explains why these concrete buildings age more rapidly, and less gracefully, than Roman concrete buildings. He also tells the story of how Hitler inspired (indirectly) these despotic structures. Specific examples of brutalist buildings discussed in this episode are: Boston City Hall, Troy City Hall, t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #110: Human Scale James Howard Kunstler explains what it means to build to the human scale and how our modern built environment fails to do this. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #110: Human Scale James Howard Kunstler explains what it means to build to the human scale and how our modern built environment fails to do this. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #109: Rock and Roll <p> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #109: Rock and Roll <p> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-lat ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #108: The Virtual Realm vs. The Authentic James Howard Kunstler believes that the virtual is not an adequate replacement for the authentic. In spite of how appealing and ingenious we may find virtual life, it is not as good as real life. Kunstler calls the Internet "the world's most amazing distraction from reality that has ever been invented" and he notes that it appeared just at a time when we are in desperate need to attend to the major troubles facing our society. Online spaces now serve as our "third place," but that often occ ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #108: The Virtual Realm vs. The Authentic James Howard Kunstler believes that the virtual is not an adequate replacement for the authentic. In spite of how appealing and ingenious we may find virtual life, it is not as good as real life. Kunstler calls the Internet "the world's most amazing distraction from reality that has ever been invented" and he notes that it appeared just at a time when we are in desperate need to attend to the major troubles facing our society. Online spaces now serve as our "third place," but that often occ ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #107: Sprawl Defenders This conversation was recorded one day before James Howard Kunstler was scheduled to debate Randal O'Toole at Brown University in Providence, RI. O'Toole is a well-known advocate for the suburban living arrangement. Host Duncan Crary chats with JHK about the pro-suburbia arguments in preparation for the debate. JHK refutes some of the major arguments used by sprawl defenders, including the notions that sprawl is good because people choose it and that sprawl represents liberty. JHK also note ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #107: Sprawl Defenders This conversation was recorded one day before James Howard Kunstler was scheduled to debate Randal O'Toole at Brown University in Providence, RI. O'Toole is a well-known advocate for the suburban living arrangement. Host Duncan Crary chats with JHK about the pro-suburbia arguments in preparation for the debate. JHK refutes some of the major arguments used by sprawl defenders, including the notions that sprawl is good because people choose it and that sprawl represents liberty. JHK also note ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #106: Space Exploration As NASA prepares to retire its space shuttle program, James Howard Kunstler takes a few moments to muse on the past, present and future of space exploration. Personally, JHK is glad that our government is cutting funding for space exploration. He's not sure what the 20th Century fiesta of technology accomplished anyway. On the topic of space colonization, Kunstler says he fears that humans will make the rest of the universe as bad as Hackensack, New Jersey. He also touches upon the issues o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #106: Space Exploration As NASA prepares to retire its space shuttle program, James Howard Kunstler takes a few moments to muse on the past, present and future of space exploration. Personally, JHK is glad that our government is cutting funding for space exploration. He's not sure what the 20th Century fiesta of technology accomplished anyway. On the topic of space colonization, Kunstler says he fears that humans will make the rest of the universe as bad as Hackensack, New Jersey. He also touches upon the issues o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #105: Virtual Tour of Baltimore - Part 2 James Howard Kunstler continues his virtual "walking" tour/commentary of Baltimore, Maryland. In this tour, he inspects the light rail system, the water taxi and market place in historic Fell's Point neighborhood, and a new urbanist-influenced condo-harbor district. He concludes the tour at the Legg Mason building, a particularly bad skyscraper where JHK delivered a breakfast talk recently to a group of community stakeholders. Kunstler considers buildings like this to be a future liability ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #105: Virtual Tour of Baltimore - Part 2 James Howard Kunstler continues his virtual "walking" tour/commentary of Baltimore, Maryland. In this tour, he inspects the light rail system, the water taxi and market place in historic Fell's Point neighborhood, and a new urbanist-influenced condo-harbor district. He concludes the tour at the Legg Mason building, a particularly bad skyscraper where JHK delivered a breakfast talk recently to a group of community stakeholders. Kunstler considers buildings like this to be a future liability ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #104: Virtual Tour of Baltimore - Part 1 James Howard Kunstler sometimes thinks of Baltimore, Maryland as the poster child for how cities are going to contract in this country and around the world as we enter into a new energy era. In many ways, Kunstler says Baltimore is a very damaged city, but there are some parts of it that are quite interesting fun and heartening. During this episode, JHK gives a virtual tour of B'more using Google Street view. Before zooming in, however, he takes a moment to appreciate the geography of the C ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #104: Virtual Tour of Baltimore - Part 1 James Howard Kunstler sometimes thinks of Baltimore, Maryland as the poster child for how cities are going to contract in this country and around the world as we enter into a new energy era. In many ways, Kunstler says Baltimore is a very damaged city, but there are some parts of it that are quite interesting fun and heartening. During this episode, JHK gives a virtual tour of B'more using Google Street view. Before zooming in, however, he takes a moment to appreciate the geography of the C ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #103: Parking Militants and Hot Heads James Howard Kunstler is sometimes propelled into "mad dog mode" when speaking about the modern American landscape. But tempers fly on all sides of these urban policy debates. And there are many times when the only sane response is to be angry about what we've done to the North American landscape over the past 50 years. In this conversation, JHK explores the heightened emotions that erupt over the issue of parking in small cities and towns. Community leaders across the country still believe ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #103: Parking Militants and Hot Heads James Howard Kunstler is sometimes propelled into "mad dog mode" when speaking about the modern American landscape. But tempers fly on all sides of these urban policy debates. And there are many times when the only sane response is to be angry about what we've done to the North American landscape over the past 50 years. In this conversation, JHK explores the heightened emotions that erupt over the issue of parking in small cities and towns. Community leaders across the country still believe ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #102: Building the Future James Howard Kunstler believes that one way or another, we're going to end up living in a very different daily environment than the one we're used to. In this episode, he discusses the future of building materials. JHK doesn't believe that we'll continue to use the same "jive plastic" production home building materials and techniques in the future. He's been thinking a lot about how we're going to re-orient the building trades to use less exotic materials and fewer fabricat ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #102: Building the Future James Howard Kunstler believes that one way or another, we're going to end up living in a very different daily environment than the one we're used to. In this episode, he discusses the future of building materials. JHK doesn't believe that we'll continue to use the same "jive plastic" production home building materials and techniques in the future. He's been thinking a lot about how we're going to re-orient the building trades to use less exotic materials and fewer fabricated, mass-produced ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #101: Climate Change James Howard Kunstler answers a listener call about the relationship between climate change and peak oil. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #101: Climate Change James Howard Kunstler answers a listener call about the relationship between climate change and peak oil. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #100: Rochester NY James Howard Kunstler is pleasantly surprised by Rochester, N.Y., a small industrial city in the Great Lakes region. The first portion of this program features two of JHK's former classmates who share stories about Jim's college days. The bulk of the show includes a driving tour of Rochester NY with JHK. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #100: Rochester NY <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Lucida Grande"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso- ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #99: Big Slide Q & A James Howard Kunstler answers questions from cast members and the audience who attended the staged reading of "Big Slide," an original three-act by JHK. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #99: Big Slide Q & A James Howard Kunstler answers questions from cast members and the audience who attended the staged reading of "Big Slide," an original three-act by JHK. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #98: Big Slide - Acts 2, 3 On today's podcast, we present the conclusion of "Big Slide," an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack "great camp," this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d'etat has occurred in the White House and local ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #98: Big Slide - Acts 2, 3 On today's podcast, we present the conclusion of "Big Slide," an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack "great camp," this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d'etat has occurred in the Whit ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #97: Big Slide - Act 1 On today's podcast, we present the first act of "Big Slide," an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack "great camp," this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d'etat has occurred in the White ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #97: Big Slide - Act 1 On today's podcast, we present the first act of "Big Slide," an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack "great camp," this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d'etat has occurred in the White House and local ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #96: Road Trip James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary hit the open road to bring you these audio postcards from the NYS Thruway on their way to Rochester. To pass the time, they discuss the American experience of the road trip, the future of the small forlorn cities they pass along the way, the enterprise of downhill skiing, and how life in upstate New York has colored Kunstler's worldview as an author and commentator. Sponsor: Cultivatis, a full service land planning and consulting firm that integrates ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #96: Road Trip James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary hit the open road to bring you these audio postcards from the NYS Thruway on their way to Rochester. To pass the time, they discuss the American experience of the road trip, the future of the small forlorn cities they pass along the way, the enterprise of downhill skiing, and how life in upstate New York has colored Kunstler's worldview as an author and commentator. Sponsor: Cultivatis, a full service land planning and ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast: Preview 2010 JHK and Duncan have returned from their road trip to Rochester and they have tons of stories to tell. In this mini preview episode, you'll here some excerpts from their travels on the highway, around the city and in the theater during a staged reading of JHK's play "Big Slide." The KunstlerCast will return in full next week. Note: This podcast contains some cursewords. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast: Preview 2010 JHK and Duncan have returned from their road trip to Rochester and they have tons of stories to tell. In this mini preview episode, you'll here some excerpts from their travels on the highway, around the city and in the theater during a staged reading of JHK's play "Big Slide." The KunstlerCast will return in full next week. Note: This podcast contains some cursewords. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #95: Where We're At '09 James Howard Kunstler takes a moment to examine where we're at as a culture at the end of 2009. JHK shares his thought process leading up to his 2010 annual forecast. Topics include healthcare, economics and foreign affairs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #95: Where We're At '09 James Howard Kunstler takes a moment to examine where we're at as a culture at the end of 2009. JHK shares his thought process leading up to his 2010 annual forecast. Topics include healthcare, economics and foreign affairs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #94: Disneyfication of America James Howard Kunstler explains the story behind Disneyland, Disney World, and Walt Disney's legacy on the American built environment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #94: Disneyfication of America James Howard Kunstler explains the story behind Disneyland, Disney World, and Walt Disney's legacy on the American built environment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #93: College Campuses James Howard Kunstler discusses the built environment on the American college campus and how modernist ideas about architecture are programming young people to become cynical. Kunstler talks about some of the ugliest campuses in the country, as well as some of the best. Even some of the best beaux arts Ivy league campuses have been thrashed by starchitecture, parking lots, and "diversity monomania." Sponsor: PostPeakLiving.com [Note to rebroadcasters: This show contains one curs ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #93: College Campuses James Howard Kunstler discusses the built environment on the American college campus and how modernist ideas about architecture are programming young people to become cynical. Kunstler talks about some of the ugliest campuses in the country, as well as some of the best. Even some of the best beaux arts Ivy league campuses have been thrashed by starchitecture, parking lots, and "diversity monomania." Sponsor: PostPeakLiving.com [Note to re-broadcas ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #92: Long Emergency US Tour -Part 2 In this in part two of this discussion, James Howard Kunstler predicts how various regions of the United States will fare during the coming energy crisis that he anticipates. Kunstler refers to the coming crisis as "The Long Emergency." In this half of the discussion, Kunstler discusses: the Great Plains, the Upper Midwest, the Mid Atlantic and New England. He also talks about issues with fresh water scarcity. Sponsor: www.postpeakliving.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #92: Long Emergency US Tour -Part 2 In this in part two of this discussion, James Howard Kunstler predicts how various regions of the United States will fare during the coming energy crisis that he anticipates. Kunstler refers to the coming crisis as "The Long Emergency." In this half of the discussion, Kunstler discusses: the Great Plains, the Upper Midwest, the Mid Atlantic and New England. He also talks about issues with fresh water scarcity. Sponsor: www.postpeakliving.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #91: Long Emergency US Tour -Part 1 In this in installment, James Howard Kunstler predicts how various regions of the United States will fare during the coming energy crisis that he anticipates. Kunstler refers to the coming crisis as "The Long Emergency." In the first part of this discussion, Kunstler discusses: the Southern States, the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies. A listener caller reacts to the Happy Motoring podcast and Duncan closes the show with the Esso Happy Motoring song. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #91: Long Emergency US Tour -Part 1 In this in installment, James Howard Kunstler predicts how various regions of the United States will fare during the coming energy crisis that he anticipates. Kunstler refers to the coming crisis as "The Long Emergency." In the first part of this discussion, Kunstler discusses: the Southern States, the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies. A listener caller reacts to the Happy Motoring podcast and Duncan closes the show with the Esso Happy Motoring song. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #90: The Demise of Happy Motoring James Howard Kunstler believes that the Happy Motoring project is running out of time. Peak Oil and problems with alternative energy aren't the only issues facing future motorists. He thinks that car ownership will become less democratic in the future as cars become too expensive to buy without the current financing options. Kunstler dismisses Christopher Steiner's "$20 Per Gallon" book for assuming that an orderly procession of events will take us from $3 per gallon to $20 ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #90: The Demise of Happy Motoring James Howard Kunstler believes that the Happy Motoring project is running out of time. Peak Oil and problems with alternative energy aren't the only issues facing future motorists. He thinks that car ownership will become less democratic in the future as cars become too expensive to buy without the current financing options. Kunstler dismisses Christopher Steiner's "$20 Per Gallon" book for assuming that an orderly procession of events will take us from $3 per gallon to $20. The conversatio ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #89: Everyday Architecture James Howard Kunstler thinks that most modern buildings are not really architecture, they're just manufactured boxes. Whether it's suburban houses, or retail stores, the buildings of our everyday environment send the message that we don't care about ourselves or our surroundings. Kunstler tackles cartoon eateries, reflective glass office buildings, and otherwise good new urban buildings that lack proper ornamentation. We hear from a listener caller in Pittsburgh at the end ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #89: Everyday Architecture James Howard Kunstler thinks that most modern buildings are not really architecture, they're just manufactured boxes. Whether it's suburban houses, or retail stores, the buildings of our everyday environment send the message that we don't care about ourselves or our surroundings. Kunstler tackles cartoon eateries, reflective glass office buildings, and otherwise good new urban buildings that lack proper ornamentation. We hear from a listener caller in Pittsburgh at the end of the show. Not ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #88: In General James Howard Kunstler speaks about the role of generalists in a world of hyper specialists. Although hyper-specialists are experts in their narrow fields, their work is often disregardful of the larger picture. Traffic engineers, for example, can move huge numbers of cars extremely efficiently, using fine-tuned formulas for curve ratios and grades, but their final product often makes downtowns un-walkable for pedestrians. A sense of hyper-individualism in U.S. culture is a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #88: In General James Howard Kunstler speaks about the role of generalists in a world of hyper specialists. Although hyper-specialists are experts in their narrow fields, their work is often disregardful of the larger picture. Traffic engineers, for example, can move huge numbers of cars extremely efficiently, using fine-tuned formulas for curve ratios and grades, but their final product often makes downtowns un-walkable for pedestrians. A sense of hyper-individualism in U.S. culture is another obstacle t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #87: Boston James Howard Kunstler thinks Boston is one of the few healthy major cities left in the U.S. He says gentrification has been a good thing for the city. He is disappointed with the outcome of Boston's "big dig" project, though. When the city finally placed a major elevated expressway underground, Boston squandered a great opportunity to repair the street-and-block fabric that the highway had previously disrupted. Instead, so-called environmentalists succeeded in advocating for a half-assed, n ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #87: Boston James Howard Kunstler thinks Boston is one of the few healthy major cities left in the U.S. He says gentrification has been a good thing for the city. He is disappointed with the outcome of Boston's "big dig" project, though. When the city finally placed a major elevated expressway underground, Boston squandered a great opportunity to repair the street-and-block fabric that the highway had previously disrupted. Instead, so-called environmentalists succeeded in advocating fo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #86: The High Line James Howard Kunstler discusses two major projects that have recently turned 19th century railroad structures into parks: the High Line in lower Manhattan and the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The High Line is a unique park in New York City, built upon a former elevated rail line that used to bring trains through buildings. Although the High Line gives reprieve to New Yorkers, Kunstler finds it to be an accidental freak of urban nature. We would benefit more from the deliber ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #86: The High Line James Howard Kunstler discusses two major projects that have recently turned 19th century railroad structures into parks: the High Line in lower Manhattan and the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The High Line is a unique park in New York City, built upon a former elevated rail line that used to bring trains through buildings. Although the High Line gives reprieve to New Yorkers, Kunstler finds it to be an accidental freak of urban nature. We would benefit more from the deliber ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #85: Is NYC The Green Metropolis? Inspired by David Owen's book "Green Metropolis," James Howard Kunstler examines the idea of Manhattan as a "green" city. Kunstler believes that, during his lifetime, New York has never been in as good shape as it is now. But he also thinks it will never be in as good shape again. Financial and energy problems in the future may turn our newest skyscrapers into one-generation buildings, outlandish monuments built during the twilight of an empire. Of all the boroughs, Kunstle ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #85: Is NYC The Green Metropolis? Inspired by David Owen's book "Green Metropolis," James Howard Kunstler examines the idea of Manhattan as a "green" city. Kunstler believes that, during his lifetime, New York has never been in as good shape as it is now. But he also thinks it will never be in as good shape again. Financial and energy problems in the future may turn our newest skyscrapers into one-generation buildings, outlandish monuments built during the twilight of an empire. Of all the boroughs, Kunstler thinks Brooklyn ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast# 84: Urban Thinkers James Howard Kunstler believes that urban design will be the next big philosophical battle for the hearts and minds of Americans. One of the most important tasks we will face is determining the size, scale and shape of the 21st Century city. Kunstler says current cities are not scaled to the energy realities of the future. We must downscale, reform and de-automobilze our cities. Urban thinkers and urban planners will serve as our guides throughout that process. In this epis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast# 84: Urban Thinkers James Howard Kunstler believes that urban design will be the next big philosophical battle for the hearts and minds of Americans. One of the most important tasks we will face is determining the size, scale and shape of the 21st Century city. Kunstler says current cities are not scaled to the energy realities of the future. We must downscale, reform and de-automobilze our cities. Urban thinkers and urban planners will serve as our guides throughout that process. In this episode, Kunstler ret ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #83: Jane Jacobs Planetizen, an urban planning website and book publisher, recently conducted a poll about the Top 100 Urban Thinkers. Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, made #1 on the list. Kunstler explains the story and importance of Jacobs. He also recollects interviewing her in 2000. Although at the time Jacobs was writing a book about the coming energy crisis, Dark Age Ahead, Kunstler said she didn't seem interested in talking about "Long Emergency" is ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #83: Jane Jacobs Planetizen, an urban planning website and book publisher, recently conducted a poll about the Top 100 Urban Thinkers. Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, made #1 on the list. Kunstler explains the story and importance of Jacobs. He also recollects interviewing her in 2000. Although at the time Jacobs was writing a book about the coming energy crisis, Dark Age Ahead, Kunstler said she didn't seem interested in talking about "Long Emergency" issues during their ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #82: Food in a World Made By Hand In this week's episode, listener Frank Aragona of the Agroinnovations Podcast asks James Howard Kunstler to talk about the role of food in Jim's post-peak oil novel World Made By Hand. Although the characters in the novel must overcome many obstacles, the food that they eat is delicious in general and is a vast improvement to the current American diet. Aragona thinks that perhaps food is the triumphant element in the novel. Kunstler talks about how horrendous spectacl and t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #82: Food in a World Made By Hand In this week's episode, listener Frank Aragona of the Agroinnovations Podcast asks James Howard Kunstler to talk about the role of food in Jim's post-peak oil novel World Made By Hand. Although the characters in the novel must overcome many obstacles, the food that they eat is delicious in general and is a vast improvement to the current American diet. Aragona thinks that perhaps food is the triumphant element in the novel. Kunstler talks about how horrendous spectacl and the tragic results ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #81: Los Angeles James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts on Los Angeles, California after a recent visit to Tinseltown. The motoring infrastructure of Los Angeles stretches from horizon to horizon. It is a provisional civilization in which all is subordinate to the car. However, Kunstler believes Los Angeles is more urban than people assume. He was particularly surprised by the pleasant side streets of West Hollywood. But Kunstler wonders how well Los Angeles would fare after even a minor disruption to th ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #81: Los Angeles James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts on Los Angeles, California after a recent visit to Tinseltown. The motoring infrastructure of Los Angeles stretches from horizon to horizon. It is a provisional civilization in which all is subordinate to the car. However, Kunstler believes Los Angeles is more urban than people assume. He was particularly surprised by the pleasant side streets of West Hollywood. But Kunstler wonders how well Los Angeles would fare after even a minor ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #80: White and Green Rooftops Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, is advocating for people to paint their rooftops white in order to save on energy and to cut down on global warming. James Howard Kunstler reacts to this idea and also addresses the topic of rooftop gardens, or "green" roofs. This week's podcast is sponsored by New Society Publishers http://newsociety.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #80: White and Green Rooftops Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, is advocating for people to paint their rooftops white in order to save on energy and to cut down on global warming. James Howard Kunstler reacts to this idea and also addresses the topic of rooftop gardens, or "green" roofs. This week's podcast is sponsored by New Society Publishers http://newsociety.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #79: Packing for France A Listener caller asks James Howard Kunstler if now is a good time to emigrate from the U.S. to France. During his response, Kunstler poses the question: exactly what allegiance do you owe to your country if your country is making a foolish spectacle of itself? Kunstler explains why he himself has not packed his bags for Europe. And he covers the possibility of regional autonomy arising in the U.S. if various energy, climate, political and financial crises push us in that direction. Warnin ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #79: Packing for France A Listener caller asks James Howard Kunstler if now is a good time to emigrate from the U.S. to France. During his response, Kunstler poses the question: exactly what allegiance do you owe to your country if your country is making a foolish spectacle of itself? Kunstler explains why he himself has not packed his bags for Europe. And he covers the possibility of regional autonomy arising in the U.S. if various energy, climate, political and financial crises push us in that d ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #78: Litter & Pollution James Howard Kunstler says one reason why American cities are so dirty is because we do not have a firm agreement about how to treat the public realm in this country. He believes that people will literally trash a place that they don't like or respect. And a lot of American space is difficult to respect. While suburbia contains meticulously groomed private yards, the public highways are often lined with impressive amounts of trash on the shoulder. On a larger scale, many c ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #78: Litter & Pollution James Howard Kunstler says one reason why American cities are so dirty is because we do not have a firm agreement about how to treat the public realm in this country. He believes that people will literally trash a place that they don't like or respect. And a lot of American space is difficult to respect. While suburbia contains meticulously groomed private yards, the public highways are often lined with impressive amounts of trash on the shoulder. On a larger scale, many corporations treat ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #77: Idiocracy James Howard Kunstler believes that stupid Americans are exerting their political and cultural tyranny over the rest of us. No other society has produced a larger group of stupid people with as much money and means to express their thoughts, pleasures, ideas, biases, delights, and hatreds in things that can be broadcast, built or in some way imposed on other people. Those who object to this situation are called elitist, he says. JHK also explores the diminishing returns of information te ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #77: Idiocracy James Howard Kunstler believes that stupid Americans are exerting their political and cultural tyranny over the rest of us. No other society has produced a larger group of stupid people with as much money and means to express their thoughts, pleasures, ideas, biases, delights, and hatreds in things that can be broadcast, built or in some way imposed on other people. Those who object to this situation are called elitist, he says. JHK also explores the diminishing returns of information te ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #76: Man Caves A "man cave" discovered in a government complex made national news earlier this month. Eminent new urbanist planner Andres Duany was prompted to speak out in defense of the man cave and "male space" in general, which he sees as a disappearing habitat in modern America. James Howard Kunstler and host Duncan Crary listen to a recording of Duany's "The Dilemma of Male Space" and further explore the concept of male space. Not only does Kunstler believe that male space is disappearing in suburbi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #76: Man Caves A "man cave" discovered in a government complex made national news earlier this month. Eminent new urbanist planner Andres Duany was prompted to speak out in defense of the man cave and "male space" in general, which he sees as a disappearing habitat in modern America. James Howard Kunstler and host Duncan Crary listen to a recording of Duany's "The Dilemma of Male Space" and further explore the concept of male space. Not only does Kunstler believe that male space is disappearing in suburbi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #75: Jet Skis in the Wilderness Even during a recession, Americans are pouring into our nation's "wilderness areas" with jet skis and cigarette boats in tow. After returning home from a visit to the Adirondack Mountains of New York, James Howard Kunstler serves up some thoughts on the gas guzzling toys we use to get off on in nature. Although we have a residual memory of what the American wilderness used to be like before World War II, the reality of our "nature areas" today is much different. Plastic weenie stands, i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #75: Jet Skis in the Wilderness Even during a recession, Americans are pouring into our nation's "wilderness areas" with jet skis and cigarette boats in tow. After returning home from a visit to the Adirondack Mountains of New York, James Howard Kunstler serves up some thoughts on the gas guzzling toys we use to get off on in nature. Although we have a residual memory of what the American wilderness used to be like before World War II, the reality of our "nature areas" today is much different. Plastic weenie stands, i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #74: Electric Society James Howard Kunstler explores the possibility of transitioning our society from fossil fuels to one that runs on electricity. This discussion is based on ideas presented in an episode of NOVA titled "Car of the Future" (Season 33, Episode 3). This episode of the KunstlerCast is sponsored by The Stakeholders, Inc. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #74: Electric Society James Howard Kunstler explores the possibility of transitioning our society from fossil fuels to one that runs on electricity. This discussion is based on ideas presented in an episode of NOVA titled "Car of the Future" (Season 33, Episode 3). This episode of the KunstlerCast is sponsored by The Stakeholders, Inc. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #73: The Horse Latitudes of Our Economy James Howard Kunstler believes that the consumer credit economy is over and that we are now moving on to the next phase of the U.S. economy. Kunstler provides some historical context on our current global economy and muses on the relationship between over-complexity and diminishing returns, which he believes is the "hallmark of all civilizations that come to grief." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #73: The Horse Latitudes of Our Economy James Howard Kunstler believes that the consumer credit economy is over and that we are now moving on to the next phase of the U.S. economy. Kunstler provides some historical context on our current global economy and muses on the relationship between over-complexity and diminishing returns, which he believes is the "hallmark of all civilizations that come to grief." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #72: Sprawling to Obesity This May, the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics confirmed that the design of U.S. communities (i.e. car-dependent suburbia) negatively affects the health of children (i.e. makes them obese). James Howard Kunstler explores the relationship between suburban sprawl and the declining health of Americans. SPONSORSHIP INFO: This week's sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Use "KunstlerCast" as y ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #72: Sprawling to Obesity This May, the Committee on Environmental Health of the American Academy of Pediatrics confirmed that the design of U.S. communities (i.e. car-dependent suburbia) negatively affects the health of children (i.e. makes them obese). James Howard Kunstler explores the relationship between suburban sprawl and the declining health of Americans. SPONSORSHIP INFO: This week's sponsor is PostPeakLiving.com, offering online courses that prepare you for the post peak oil world. Use "KunstlerCast" as y ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #71: Doomers James Howard Kunstler and other commentators are often called "doomers" for their seemingly bleak outlook for modern society after the peak of oil production. Kunstler gives a brief introduction to other "doomer" authors, including Dmitri Orlov, John Michal Greer, Jay Hanson, and James Lovelock. Though Kunstler rejects the doomer label, he does believe that we are involved in a human system that needs to be severely pruned. He believes that resurrection and redemption ar ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #71: Doomers James Howard Kunstler and other commentators are often called "doomers" for their seemingly bleak outlook for modern society after the peak of oil production. Kunstler gives a brief introduction to other "doomer" authors, including Dmitri Orlov, John Michal Greer, Jay Hanson, and James Lovelock. Though Kunstler rejects the doomer label, he does believe that we are involved in a human system that needs to be severely pruned. He believes that resurrection and redemption ar ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast Grunt: Jacko James Howard Kunstler joins host Duncan Crary for a quick KunstlerCast "grunt" to react to the recent death of pop star Michael Jackson. Kunstler thinks Michael Jackson represents many of the bad choices that America made about itself and also its difficulty in telling the truth about it. To read Kunstler's recent obituary for Jackson, visit http://kunstler.com/blog. The KunstlerCast will return in full next Thursday on July 16. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast Grunt: Jacko James Howard Kunstler joins host Duncan Crary for a quick KunstlerCast "grunt" to react to the recent death of pop star Michael Jackson. Kunstler thinks Michael Jackson represents many of the bad choices that America made about itself and also its difficulty in telling the truth about it. To read Kunstler's recent obituary for Jackson, visit http://kunstler.com/blog. The KunstlerCast will return in full next Thursday on July 16. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #70: Commercial and Corporate Art in Public James Howard Kunstler takes a look at various types of public artwork on display in Troy NY, a small American city. Kunstler notes that many public murals in America attempt to put a human face in places where people are noticeably absent. He notices that 20th century commercial advertisements painted on building exteriors exhibit more skill than most 21st century "art." He analyzes a painted steel, corporate sculpture that adorns the public face of glass box corporate building. He also dis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #70: Commercial and Corporate Art in Public James Howard Kunstler takes a look at various types of public artwork on display in Troy NY, a small American city. Kunstler notes that many public murals in America attempt to put a human face in places where people are noticeably absent. He notices that 20th century commercial advertisements painted on building exteriors exhibit more skill than most 21st century "art." He analyzes a painted steel, corporate sculpture that adorns the public face of glass box corporate building. He also dis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #69: Public Art and Public Eyesores James Howard Kunstler discusses public art in our cities and towns. Modern public art often lacks artistry and is an ironic representation of our 21st century junk empire. But Kunstler says we don't need any more irony. We need a dignified public realm. Instead of engaging amateurs and children to splash paint on the blank walls of publicly facing buildings, we need to stop creating blank walls in the first place. Even the skilled work of professional muralists often results in little more ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #69: Public Art and Public Eyesores James Howard Kunstler discusses public art in our cities and towns. Modern public art often lacks artistry and is an ironic representation of our 21st century junk empire. But Kunstler says we don't need any more irony. We need a dignified public realm. Instead of engaging amateurs and children to splash paint on the blank walls of publicly facing buildings, we need to stop creating blank walls in the first place. Even the skilled work of professional muralists often results in little more ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #68: Historic Preservation James Howard Kunstler addresses some issues regarding historic preservation. Kunstler supports historic preservation, because adaptive reuse is part of what makes the great European cities so rewarding to be in. According to Kunstler, the historic preservation movement really ramped up in the U.S. after the destruction of Penn Station in New York City. At times the historic preservation movement has gotten hysterical to save any scrap of anything built before WWII. But Kunstler believes tha ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #68: Historic Preservation James Howard Kunstler addresses some issues regarding historic preservation. Kunstler supports historic preservation, because adaptive reuse is part of what makes the great European cities so rewarding to be in. According to Kunstler, the historic preservation movement really ramped up in the U.S. after the destruction of Penn Station in New York City. At times the historic preservation movement has gotten hysterical to save any scrap of anything built before WWII. But Kunstler believes tha ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #67: Jaime Correa - The 40 Percent Plan New Urbanist Planner and Author Jaime Correa speaks about urban planning in the peak oil era. KunstlerCast Host Duncan Crary recorded Correa's talk on May 28 at the Albany Roundtable in Albany, N.Y. Correa speaks about how the end of cheap oil will affect communities in the future. He describes his peak oil action plan, which he calls The 40 Percent Plan. As urban communities begin to contract in the future, Correa has some ideas about what people need to do to successfully prepare for the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #67: Jaime Correa - The 40 Percent Plan New Urbanist Planner and Author Jaime Correa speaks about urban planning in the peak oil era. KunstlerCast Host Duncan Crary recorded Correa's talk on May 28 at the Albany Roundtable in Albany, N.Y. Correa speaks about how the end of cheap oil will affect communities in the future. He describes his peak oil action plan, which he calls The 40 Percent Plan. As urban communities begin to contract in the future, Correa has some ideas about what people need to do to successfully ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #66: New Listener Orientation James Howard Kunstler and host Duncan Crary take a moment to welcome new listeners and explain what the KunstlerCast is about. Kunstler gives a brief overview of topics covered in this program series and explains why these topics are important. Crary explains how and where to listen to the podcast. The program ends with two listener calls responding to the recent show about Detroit. NOTE: The KunstlerCast will take next week off and will resume on June 11. In the meantime, you can listen to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #66: New Listener Orientation James Howard Kunstler and host Duncan Crary take a moment to welcome new listeners and explain what the KunstlerCast is about. Kunstler gives a brief overview of topics covered in this program series and explains why these topics are important. Crary explains how and where to listen to the podcast. The program ends with two listener calls responding to the recent show about Detroit. NOTE: The KunstlerCast will take next week off and will resume on June 11. In the meantime, you can listen to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #65: Virtual Tour of Detroit At the suggestion of a listener caller, James Howard Kunstler gives a virtual walking tour of Detroit, Michigan using Google Street View. Google Street View is an interactive photographic map that allows users to view photographs of streets and buildings in many cities throughout the world. Users can follow along with this program using the embedded Google Street View windows in the show notes for this episode at http://kunstlercast.com. During this "walking" tour, Kunstler examines the Mic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #65: Virtual Tour of Detroit At the suggestion of a listener caller, James Howard Kunstler gives a virtual walking tour of Detroit, Michigan using Google Street View. Google Street View is an interactive photographic map that allows users to view photographs of streets and buildings in many cities throughout the world. Users can follow along with this program using the embedded Google Street View windows in the show notes for this episode at http://kunstlercast.com. During this "walking" tour, Kunstler examines the Mic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #64: Contracting Cities & Urban Chickens James Howard Kunstler talks about two former industrial cities undergoing massive contractions: Flint, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio . The local governments in both cities have adopted policies to manage the contraction to reduce public safety issues caused by large abandoned areas within their borders. Kunstler then responds to a listener call from suburban Chicago about the prospects of farming in the post-cheap oil suburbs. The conversation then turns to the future of fo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #64: Contracting Cities & Urban Chickens James Howard Kunstler talks about two former industrial cities undergoing massive contractions: Flint, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio . The local governments in both cities have adopted policies to manage the contraction to reduce public safety issues caused by large abandoned areas within their borders. Kunstler then responds to a listener call from suburban Chicago about the prospects of farming in the post-cheap oil suburbs. The conversation then turns to the future of former city farms. ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #63: Obama's High Speed Rail Corridors James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener call about the 10 "high speed" rail corridors the Obama administration is seeking to restore in the U.S. The phrase high-speed rail is a little misleading, though, because what Obama is looking to do with rail in this country is actually just bring it back up to "Bulgarian" standards. These passenger rail upgrades and restorations will service trains that travel around 100 miles per hour, not nearly as fast as the high speed trains in Europe or ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #63: Obama's High Speed Rail Corridors James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener call about the 10 "high speed" rail corridors the Obama administration is seeking to restore in the U.S. The phrase high-speed rail is a little misleading, though, because what Obama is looking to do with rail in this country is actually just bring it back up to "Bulgarian" standards. These passenger rail upgrades and restorations will service trains that travel around 100 miles per hour, not nearly as fast as the high speed tra ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Swine Flu and Pirates James Howard Kunstler talks about the recent outbreak of swine flu and the increased attention to modern-day pirates. Several bloggers have noted some similarities between current headlines and the scenario in Kunstler's novel, World Made By Hand, in which a severe economic downturn is followed by a deadly Mexican flu epidemic. A few years ago, Kunstler took some heat from critics for his chapter in The Long Emergency that addressed the potential threat of Asian pirates in the Pacific North ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #62: Swine Flu and Pirates James Howard Kunstler talks about the recent outbreak of swine flu and the increased attention to modern-day pirates. Several bloggers have noted some similarities between current headlines and the scenario in Kunstler's novel, World Made By Hand, in which a severe economic downturn is followed by a deadly Mexican flu epidemic. A few years ago, Kunstler took some heat from critics for his chapter in The Long Emergency that addressed the potential threat of Asian pirates in ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #61: Getting to Work Host Duncan Crary has been taking James Howard Kunstler's ideas about water transport seriously. This Spring, Duncan is bringing back passenger riverboat commuting service to the Hudson River in Albany. On May 13, Duncan is hosting a day where people can commute to and from work on board the Dutch Apple between the cities of Albany and Troy NY. Kunstler talks with Duncan about this project. People take ferries to work every day in other regions and it's a rewarding experience that can be re ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #61: Getting to Work Host Duncan Crary has been taking James Howard Kunstler's ideas about water transport seriously. This Spring, Duncan is bringing back passenger riverboat commuting service to the Hudson River in Albany. On May 13, Duncan is hosting a day where people can commute to and from work on board the Dutch Apple between the cities of Albany and Troy NY. Kunstler talks with Duncan about this project. People take ferries to work every day in other regions and it's a rewarding experien ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #60: Bad Behavior and Urban Policing James Howard Kunstler often advocates for a return to urban living arrangements. But urban living often bring residents into close proximity to bad behavior. The situation can be especially frightening when people inhabit cities that aren't fully repopulated yet. Suburban style "car cop" policing causes additional problems because car culture can foster bad behavior from the police themselves. Kunstler believes that police on foot and horse would lead to more productive policing and would a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #60: Bad Behavior and Urban Policing James Howard Kunstler often advocates for a return to urban living arrangements. But urban living often bring residents into close proximity to bad behavior. The situation can be especially frightening when people inhabit cities that aren't fully repopulated yet. Suburban style "car cop" policing causes additional problems because car culture can foster bad behavior from the police themselves. Kunstler believes that police on foot and horse would lead to more productive pol ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #59: The Role of Bicycles James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener who doesn't understand why Jim sounds kind of down on bicycle transportation. Kunstler clarifies his position on bicycles -- he's a big supporter of bicycle use, but he doesn't know if Americans will support bicycle projects with so many highways and bridges in disrepair. While places like Amsterdam have excellent bicycle facilities that are integrated into their urban fabric, Kunstler believes the most successful bicycle facilit ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KustlerCast #59: The Role of Bicycles James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener who doesn't understand why Jim sounds kind of down on bicycle transportation. Kunstler clarifies his position on bicycles -- he's a big supporter of bicycle use, but he doesn't know if Americans will support bicycle projects with so many highways and bridges in disrepair. While places like Amsterdam have excellent bicycle facilities that are integrated into their urban fabric, Kunstler believes the most successful bicycle facilities in the U.S. a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #58: New Urbanism in South Africa James Howard Kunstler reports on two recent trips he took. First he talks about his appearance at the annual Aspen Institute Environmental Forum, where talk of alternative fuel, and other ways to keep our happy motoring scene running, dominated the talks about peak oil. For the remainder of this program Kunstler reports on his recent trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he inspected a 35-acre new urbanist neighborhood project. Kunstler describes his urban planning and cultural observat ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #58: New Urbanism in South Africa James Howard Kunstler reports on two recent trips he took. First he talks about his appearance at the annual Aspen Institute Environmental Forum, where talk of alternative fuel, and other ways to keep our happy motoring scene running, dominated the talks about peak oil. For the remainder of this program Kunstler reports on his recent trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he inspected a 35-acre new urbanist neighborhood project. Kunstler describes his urban planning and cultural observat ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #57: New Orleans Follow up In this short podcast, James Howard Kunstler returns briefly to the topic of New Orleans. This time he discusses the future of the Port of New Orleans. In the second half of this program, we hear from listeners around the country. One listener from New Orleans doesn't think Jim gave her city a fair shake. She says New Orleans is everything new urbanists want in a community -- street cars, walkable streets and places worth caring about -- except it's old urbanism, not new urbanism. Other lis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #57: New Orleans Follow up In this short podcast, James Howard Kunstler returns briefly to the topic of New Orleans. This time he discusses the future of the Port of New Orleans. In the second half of this program, we hear from listeners around the country. One listener from New Orleans doesn't think Jim gave her city a fair shake. She says New Orleans is everything new urbanists want in a community -- street cars, walkable streets and places worth caring about -- except it's old urbanism, not new urbanism. Other lis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #56: Virtual Walking Tour of Paris At the suggestion of a listener caller, James Howard Kunstler gives a virtual walking tour of Paris, France using Google Street View. Google Street View is an interactive photographic map that allows users to view photographs of streets and buildings in many cities throughout the world. Users can follow along with this program using the embedded Google Street View windows in the episode notes for show #56 at KunstlerCast.com. Music provided by IODA Promonet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #56: Virtual Walking Tour of Paris At the suggestion of a listener caller, James Howard Kunstler gives a virtual walking tour of Paris, France using Google Street View. Google Street View is an interactive photographic map that allows users to view photographs of streets and buildings in many cities throughout the world. Users can follow along with this program using the embedded Google Street View windows in the episode notes for show #56 at KunstlerCast.com. Music provided by IODA Promonet. ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #55: Meaningful Work in a New Economy At the suggestion of a listener, James Howard Kunstler muses on the future of animal powered transportation in the future. He briefly describes the systems required to maintain a horse-drawn transportation system. The conversation leads to a discussion about finding meaningful work in the new economy. Kunstler believes that as the old economy dwindles, there will be many opportunities for local entrepreneurs to create useful work in their communities. The discussion also covers the struggl ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #55: Meaningful Work in a New Economy At the suggestion of a listener, James Howard Kunstler muses on the future of animal powered transportation in the future. He briefly describes the systems required to maintain a horse-drawn transportation system. The conversation leads to a discussion about finding meaningful work in the new economy. Kunstler believes that as the old economy dwindles, there will be many opportunities for local entrepreneurs to create useful work in their communities. The discussion also c ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #54: Retooling Suburbia James Howard Kunstler explores the topic of building traditional town centers in suburbia, where town centers are typically absent. Though it may be possible to retrofit the suburbs, Kunstler doesn't believe that Americans will have the money to remake some of the worst suburbs into more traditional, mixed-use neighborhoods...even if they wanted to in the first place. As more and more suburbanites find themselves unemployed, some of the more isolated housing subdivisions a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #54: Retooling Suburbia James Howard Kunstler explores the topic of building traditional town centers in suburbia, where town centers are typically absent. Though it may be possible to retrofit the suburbs, Kunstler doesn't believe that Americans will have the money to remake some of the worst suburbs into more traditional, mixed-use neighborhoods...even if they wanted to in the first place. As more and more suburbanites find themselves unemployed, some of the more isolated housing subdivisions are simply being a ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #53: Incomprehensible Buildings A listener asks James Howard Kunstler to react to the Feb. 9 fire that destroyed a Beijing building by Dutch starchitect Rem Koolhaas. Kunstler believes many famous architects, including Koolhaas, often strive to confound people in order to appear supernaturally brilliant. It's all in the service of grandiosity and narcissism, though. Rather than attempting to disturb our expectations, architects should strive to give us buildings that are neurologically comprehensible and that satisfy our ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #53: Incomprehensible Buildings A listener asks James Howard Kunstler to react to the Feb. 9 fire that destroyed a Beijing building by Dutch starchitect Rem Koolhaas. Kunstler believes many famous architects, including Koolhaas, often strive to confound people in order to appear supernaturally brilliant. It's all in the service of grandiosity and narcissism, though. Rather than attempting to disturb our expectations, architects should strive to give us buildings that are neurologically comprehensible and that satisfy our ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #52: Rebuilding New Orleans James Howard Kunstler discusses the issue of rebuilding New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Legal disputes, government inefficiency and suburban mindsets have stood in the way of constructing traditional neighborhoods in New Orleans. While the charming urban fabric of the French Quarter and the Garden District still remains, Kunstler believes that New Orleans is likely to be a much smaller city than it was in the 20th century. Much of the cultural programming that emerged in the poorer nei ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #52: Rebuilding New Orleans James Howard Kunstler discusses the issue of rebuilding New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Legal disputes, government inefficiency and suburban mindsets have stood in the way of constructing traditional neighborhoods in New Orleans. While the charming urban fabric of the French Quarter and the Garden District still remains, Kunstler believes that New Orleans is likely to be a much smaller city than it was in the 20th century. Much of the cultural programming that emerged in the poorer nei ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #51: Seaside Revisited James Howard Kunstler is back from a visit to the American South. He reports on two New Urbanist developments outside of Montgomery, Alabama. In many ways Kunstler believes that the new urbanist model of building 400-acre âtraditional neighborhoodsâ out in the green fields of suburbia is over. He explains the relationship between new urbanism, suburbanism and just plain old urbanism. Kunstlerâs journey also took him to revisit Seaside, Florida, one of the most famous new urbanist project ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #51: Seaside Revisited James Howard Kunstler is back from a visit to the American South. He reports on two New Urbanist developments outside of Montgomery, Alabama. In many ways Kunstler believes that the new urbanist model of building 400-acre “traditional neighborhoods” out in the green fields of suburbia is over. He explains the relationship between new urbanism, suburbanism and just plain old urbanism. Kunstler’s journey also took him to revisit Seaside, Florida, one of the most famous new urbanist proj ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #49: After the Plastic Fiesta Many everyday items in our lives are made from petroleum byproducts like plastic. But James Howard Kunstler believes that the rising costs of petroleum will change our relationship to plastic products. In the future, people might actually start repairing items rather than just throwing them away. While on the topic of plastic, Kunstler takes on one of the staples of suburban life: vinyl siding. In particular, he explains why vinyl siding sucks so much. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #49: After the Plastic Fiesta Many everyday items in our lives are made from petroleum byproducts like plastic. But James Howard Kunstler believes that the rising costs of petroleum will change our relationship to plastic products. In the future, people might actually start repairing items rather than just throwing them away. While on the topic of plastic, Kunstler takes on one of the staples of suburban life: vinyl siding. In particular, he explains why vinyl siding sucks so much. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #48: From Suburbia to Peak Oil James Howard Kunstler tells the story of how he came to learn about peak oil while writing about suburban sprawl. Topics include The Yom Kippur War, The Hubbert's Curve, the New Urbanists and the strong relationship between suburban sprawl and diminishing supplies of cheap fossil fuel. Kunstler explains the chronology and relationship between all four of his nonfiction books. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #48: From Suburbia to Peak Oil James Howard Kunstler tells the story of how he came to learn about peak oil while writing about suburban sprawl. Topics include The Yom Kippur War, The Hubbert's Curve, the New Urbanists and the strong relationship between suburban sprawl and diminishing supplies of cheap fossil fuel. Kunstler explains the chronology and relationship between all four of his nonfiction books. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #47: Credit Crisis James Howard Kunstler believes the credit orgy that was the background and basis for our era is over. It will become increasingly harder to lend money into existence and Americans will probably have to pay as they go with what they have. Kunstler explores the historical relationship between credit and the creation of suburbia. But he does not know how our current credit problems will stimulate people to change the physical arrangements of their lives. He assumes, however, that Americans wil ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #47: Credit Crisis James Howard Kunstler believes the credit orgy that was the background and basis for our era is over. It will become increasingly harder to lend money into existence and Americans will probably have to pay as they go with what they have. Kunstler explores the historical relationship between credit and the creation of suburbia. But he does not know how our current credit problems will stimulate people to change the physical arrangements of their lives. He assumes, however, that Americans wil ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #46: Highway to Hell A listener caller asks James Howard Kunstler about President-elect Barack Obama's massive proposed stimulus package, which will probably be used to rebuild America's highways. Along with the auto industry bailout, Kunstler thinks this major proposed investment in our highway infrastructure may be a last ditch effort to sustain the unsustainable. Americans have invested so much of their wealth and identity into their happy motoring suburban commuter system for daily life that they cannot ima ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #46: Highway to Hell A listener caller asks James Howard Kunstler about President-elect Barack Obama's massive proposed stimulus package, which will probably be used to rebuild America's highways. Along with the auto industry bailout, Kunstler thinks this major proposed investment in our highway infrastructure may be a last ditch effort to sustain the unsustainable. Americans have invested so much of their wealth and identity into their happy motoring suburban commuter system for daily life that they cannot ima ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #45: JHK's Resolution for 2009 In this abbreviated edition, James Howard Kunstler shares his New Yearâs resolutions for 2009. He also sets some personal goals for finishing the sequel to his post oil novel, World Made by Hand, and gives some details on what that book will be about. For the rest of this short show Duncan answers some listener questions about the podcast. Info about music at KunstlerCast.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #45: JHK's Resolution for 2009 In this abbreviated edition, James Howard Kunstler shares his New Year’s resolutions for 2009. He also sets some personal goals for finishing the sequel to his post oil novel, World Made by Hand, and gives some details on what that book will be about. For the rest of this short show Duncan answers some listener questions about the podcast. Info about music at KunstlerCast.com Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #44: Forecast 2009 - Remembering Y2K Every year James Howard Kunstler publishes his annual forecast on his popular blog. For this installment of the KunstlerCast, Jim gives us a sneak preview of some of his predictions for 2009. Topics in this show include: phony baloney money, new economies, home deliveries, oil shortages and price increases. Kunstler also talks about his 1999 predictions and thoughts about Y2K. Released: Dec. 25, 2008 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #44: Forecast 2009 - Remembering Y2K Every year James Howard Kunstler publishes his annual forecast on his popular blog. For this installment of the KunstlerCast, Jim gives us a sneak preview of some of his predictions for 2009. Topics in this show include: phony baloney money, new economies, home deliveries, oil shortages and price increases. Kunstler also talks about his 1999 predictions and thoughts about Y2K. Released: Dec. 25, ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #43: Missing Teeth in the Urban Fabric James Howard Kunstler explains the negative effects that empty building lots have on the urban streetscape. These empty spaces or "missing teeth" are dead zones that are repellent to pedestrians. But, at the moment, our car crazy society prefers to keep those dead zones for surface parking rather than to infill them with good urban buildings. During the second half of the program Kunstler speaks face-to-face with Troy, N.Y. Mayor Harry Tutunjian about what to do with the empty space that wi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #43: Missing Teeth in the Urban Fabric James Howard Kunstler explains the negative effects that empty building lots have on the urban streetscape. These empty spaces or "missing teeth" are dead zones that are repellent to pedestrians. But, at the moment, our car crazy society prefers to keep those dead zones for surface parking rather than to infill them with good urban buildings. During the second half of the program Kunstler speaks face-to-face with Troy, N.Y. Mayor Harry Tutunjian about what to do with the empty space that wi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #42: Victorian Stroll James Howard Kunstler joins host Duncan Crary for the Victorian Stroll in downtown Troy, NY. During this annual event, the city evicts the automobile from the streets and 21st century people discover how pleasurable it is to explore this 19th century urban fabric on foot. Kunstler believes events like this are rehearsal for the times ahead when Americans will be forced to re-inhabit their small cities and classic main-street towns. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #42: Victorian Stroll James Howard Kunstler joins host Duncan Crary for the Victorian Stroll in downtown Troy, NY. During this annual event, the city evicts the automobile from the streets and 21st century people discover how pleasurable it is to explore this 19th century urban fabric on foot. Kunstler believes events like this are rehearsal for the times ahead when Americans will be forced to re-inhabit their small cities and classic main-street towns. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #41: Private Property James Howard Kunstler says the notion that Americans have a long tradition of being able to do whatever they want with their land is a fallacy. This false notion is really just the result of a propaganda campaign by the promoters of suburban sprawl and the real estate industry. In reality, there is a whole corpus of responsibilities, obligations and duties that come with land ownership in America that simply can't be ignored. Kunstler compares American attitudes toward community ownership w ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #41: Private Property James Howard Kunstler says the notion that Americans have a long tradition of being able to do whatever they want with their land is a fallacy. This false notion is really just the result of a propaganda campaign by the promoters of suburban sprawl and the real estate industry. In reality, there is a whole corpus of responsibilities, obligations and duties that come with land ownership in America that simply can't be ignored. Kunstler compares American attitudes toward comm ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #39: Water Transit The Future of North American Shipping James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener question about the future of water transportation in North America. There is a fabulous inland waterway system in North America that is going to become very important again. But, if we want to remain serious about trade in this country we are going to have to rebuild the infrastructure for water and rail transportation. All of those waterfronts where we've been building theme parks, condominium clusters and ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #39: Water Transit The Future of North American Shipping James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener question about the future of water transportation in North America. There is a fabulous inland waterway system in North America that is going to become very important again. But, if we want to remain serious about trade in this country we are going to have to rebuild the infrastructure for water and rail transportation. All of those waterfronts where we've been building theme ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #38: Obama JHK Reacts to the Election of Barack Obama James Howard Kunstler shares his feelings about President-elect Barack Obama. For now Jim is hopeful that Mr. Obama can set a good example for decent behavior as he takes the helm of a functionally bankrupt government. In order to reform the systems of daily life that have to be fixed, it's important that Obama tells the truth to American people. Jim also addresses the high speed rail bond that passed in California. Lastly, a listener in Japan ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #38: Obama JHK Reacts to the Election of Barack Obama James Howard Kunstler shares his feelings about President-elect Barack Obama. For now Jim is hopeful that Mr. Obama can set a good example for decent behavior as he takes the helm of a functionally bankrupt government. In order to reform the systems of daily life that have to be fixed, it's important that Obama tells the truth to American people. Jim also addresses the high speed rail bond that passed in California ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #37: Impotent Politics James Howard Kunstler muses on the increasing irrelevance of the two political parties in America. Neither party seems to be truly facing our energy predicament and the coming obsolescence of suburbia. Yet this is with the complete connivance of the voting public, which is too heavily invested in the status quo. Music featured in this episode courtesy of iodaPromonet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #37: Impotent Politics James Howard Kunstler muses on the increasing irrelevance of the two political parties in America. Neither party seems to be truly facing our energy predicament and the coming obsolescence of suburbia. Yet this is with the complete connivance of the voting public, which is too heavily invested in the status quo. Music featured in this episode courtesy of iodaPromonet. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #36: The City 1939 - Part 2 Video In this special video podcast edition of the KunstlerCast you can watch and listen to the second half of a commentary track that James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary recorded for a soon-to-be-released DVD called The Story of Sprawl. The DVD is being produced by Planetizen.com. Kunstler and Crary comment on The City a 1939 film with a narrative written by the great 20th century generalist Lewis Mumford. In part 2 of the film Mumford pitches the idea for "green cities," but ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #36: The City 1939 - Part 2 Video In this special video podcast edition of the KunstlerCast you can watch and listen to the second half of a commentary track that James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary recorded for a soon-to-be-released DVD called The Story of Sprawl. The DVD is being produced by Planetizen.com. Kunstler and Crary comment on The City a 1939 film with a narrative written by the great 20th century generalist Lewis Mumford. In part 2 of the film Mumford pitches the idea for "green cities," but these green citi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #35: The City 1939 - Part 1 Video In this special video podcast edition of the KunstlerCast you can watch and listen to a commentary track that James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary recorded for a soon-to-be-released DVD called The Story of Sprawl. The DVD is being produced by Planetizen.com. Kunstler and Crary comment on The City a 1939 film with a narrative written by the great 20th century generalist Lewis Mumford. In part 1 of the film, Mumford provides a nostalgic view of rural small-town American li ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #35: The City 1939 - Part 1 Video In this special video podcast edition of the KunstlerCast you can watch and listen to a commentary track that James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary recorded for a soon-to-be-released DVD called The Story of Sprawl. The DVD is being produced by Planetizen.com. Kunstler and Crary comment on The City a 1939 film with a narrative written by the great 20th century generalist Lewis Mumford. In part 1 of the film, Mumford provides a nostalgic view of rural small-town American life in contrast to ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #35: The City 1939 - Part 1 Audio Only This is the audio only version of KunstlerCast #35. There is a video podcast version of this episode as well.   In this special edition of the KunstlerCast, James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary recorded a commentary track for a soon-to-be-released DVD called The Story of Sprawl. The DVD is being produced by Planetizen.com. Kunstler and Crary comment on The City, a 1939 film with a narrative written by the great 20th century generalist ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #35: The City 1939 - Part 1 Audio Only This is the audio only version of KunstlerCast #35. There is a video podcast version of this episode as well.   In this special edition of the KunstlerCast, James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary recorded a commentary track for a soon-to-be-released DVD called The Story of Sprawl. The DVD is being produced by Planetizen.com. Kunstler and Crary comment on The City, a 1939 film with a narrative written by the great 20th century generalist Lewis Mumford. In part 1 of the film, Mumfo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #34: On Hope and Despair James Howard Kunstler is not a hope dispenser to passive consumers of hope. But ultimately he believes that life is moving into a more favorable phase, even if it will be difficult to get there. In this show Kunstler responds to a listener call about our moral responsibility to do the right thing and fix our country. He talks about the importance of cultivating joy in one's life and doing meaningful work. He also shares his thoughts on Sen. Barack Obama's hopeful message an ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #34: On Hope and Despair James Howard Kunstler is not a hope dispenser to passive consumers of hope. But ultimately he believes that life is moving into a more favorable phase, even if it will be difficult to get there. In this show Kunstler responds to a listener call about our moral responsibility to do the right thing and fix our country. He talks about the importance of cultivating joy in one's life and doing meaningful work. He also shares his thoughts on Sen. Barack Obama's hopeful message and discusses how h ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #33: The Great Bailout 2008 James Howard Kunstler comments on the Great Bailout of 2008 and how we got into the current financial crisis. As the U.S. manufacturing economy withered away, Americans sought to gain wealth by getting something from nothing through Ponzi scheme investment algorithms. By assuming liability of bad mortgages, Congress may be in position of attempting to prop up the value suburban houses. But Kunstler believes the housing values will continue to go down, no matter what happens ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #33: The Great Bailout 2008 James Howard Kunstler comments on the Great Bailout of 2008 and how we got into the current financial crisis. As the U.S. manufacturing economy withered away, Americans sought to gain wealth by getting something from nothing through Ponzi scheme investment algorithms. By assuming liability of bad mortgages, Congress may be in position of attempting to prop up the value suburban houses. But Kunstler believes the housing values will continue to go down, no matter what happens. And the truth i ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #29: Tattoos and the American Costume James Howard Kunstler addresses the proliferation of tattoos on the American main street. He thinks the fierce looking tattoos on young Americas are actually a sign of how deeply insecure we are as a nation. They're also a form of "non-conformist-just-like-you" consumerism. Jim also takes on the hip hop costuming that has invaded the mainstream and has made young men look like oversized babies and violent clowns.   Direct Download: KunstlerCast_29.mp3 ( 14 MB | 17 mins.) ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #29: Tattoos and the American Costume James Howard Kunstler addresses the proliferation of tattoos on the American main street. He thinks the fierce looking tattoos on young Americas are actually a sign of how deeply insecure we are as a nation. They're also a form of "non-conformist-just-like-you" consumerism. Jim also takes on the hip hop costuming that has invaded the mainstream and has made young men look like oversized babies and violent clowns.   Direct Down ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #28: The Pickens Plan This July, oilman T. Boone Pickens told Congress that James Howard Kunstler is worth listening to and that he's right on about the mistakes we've made in America regarding our use of cheap oil. In this program, Kunstler discusses the "Pickens Plan" to use wind energy and natural gas to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil. Other topics include Shai Agassi's Better Place plan to make electric cars viable. Kunstler also answers a listener's question about purchasing a new car. ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #28: The Pickens Plan This July, oilman T. Boone Pickens told Congress that James Howard Kunstler is worth listening to and that he's right on about the mistakes we've made in America regarding our use of cheap oil. In this program, Kunstler discusses the "Pickens Plan" to use wind energy and natural gas to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil. Other topics include Shai Agassi's Better Place plan to make electric cars viable. Kunstler also answers a listener's question about purcha ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #27: Anti-urban Bias This installment attempts to explore America's anti-urban bias. Topics include: environmentalists and the human habitat, suburban style housing projects in the ghetto, white flight, and Ralph Kramden's apartment in The Honeymooners tv show. James Howard Kunstler also gives advice to those of us who are required to visit the burbs to see our families. [Note: one curse word.] Direct Download: KunstlerCast_27.mp3 ( 18 MB | 26:00 mins.) Discuss this episode Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #27: Anti-urban Bias This installment attempts to explore America's anti-urban bias. Topics include: environmentalists and the human habitat, suburban style housing projects in the ghetto, white flight, and Ralph Kramden's apartment in The Honeymooners tv show. James Howard Kunstler also gives advice to those of us who are required to visit the burbs to see our families. [Note: one curse word.] Direct Download: KunstlerCast_27.mp3 ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #26: From Hippies to Yuppies How did the granola crunching nature-loving hippies of the 1960s become the gas guzzling, McMansion dwelling, suburban yuppies of today? James Howard Kunstler reflects on his own generation. Kunstler also shares some of his own groovy stories from the Age of Aquarius. [Note: This episode mentions sex, recreational drug use, and includes some curse words.] Learn about our theme music, join our mailing list and discuss this show at www.kunstlercast.com Direct Download: KunstlerCast_2 ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #26: From Hippies to Yuppies How did the granola crunching nature-loving hippies of the 1960s become the gas guzzling, McMansion dwelling, suburban yuppies of today? James Howard Kunstler reflects on his own generation. Kunstler also shares some of his own groovy stories from the Age of Aquarius. [Note: This episode mentions sex, recreational drug use, and includes some curse words.] Learn about our theme music, join our mailing list and discuss this show at www.kunstler ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #25: Frederick Law Olmsted and the American Park Frederick Law Olmsted is most noted for designing Central Park in Manhattan. His method of landscape design now serves as the main model for how we design parks in America. But James Howard Kunstler believes that our ongoing attempts to replicate the Olmsted park have created many urban parks with serious shortcomings. Kunstler also warns listeners not to ask for "green space" in their towns because "green space" is an abstraction. Instead he urges people to learn the vo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #25: Frederick Law Olmsted and the American Park Frederick Law Olmsted is most noted for designing Central Park in Manhattan. His method of landscape design now serves as the main model for how we design parks in America. But James Howard Kunstler believes that our ongoing attempts to replicate the Olmsted park have created many urban parks with serious shortcomings. Kunstler also warns listeners not to ask for "green space" in their ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #24: One City Block - Part 2 James Howard Kunstler continues his walking tour of one city block in downtown Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a classic Main-street American town. We resume the tour on the corner of Division Street and Railroad Place, where a major urban infill project has produced a brand new urban street that is well defined on both sides by five-story high buildings, with dignified frontages, ground-level retail space and apartments above. Kunstler points out some architectural problems and weird transition ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #24: One City Block - Part 2 James Howard Kunstler continues his walking tour of one city block in downtown Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a classic Main-street American town. We resume the tour on the corner of Division Street and Railroad Place, where a major urban infill project has produced a brand new urban street that is well defined on both sides by five-story high buildings, with dignified frontages, ground-level retail ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #23: One City Block - Part I James Howard Kunstler often describes Saratoga Springs N.Y. as a classic Main Street American town. In part one of this special program, we take to the streets of Saratoga to experience the sense of place in this small city. Kunstler brings us from the busy sidewalks along Broadway to a sidestreet leading to a major urban infill project. He explains the urban sensibilities of the 19th century structures, points out the boneheaded decisions of the 1960s one-story development, and the promisi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #23: One City Block - Part I James Howard Kunstler often describes Saratoga Springs N.Y. as a classic Main Street American town. In part one of this special program, we take to the streets of Saratoga to experience the sense of place in this small city. Kunstler brings us from the busy sidewalks along Broadway to a sidestreet leading to a major urban infill project. He explains the urban sensibilities of the 19th century structures, points out the boneheaded decisions of the 1960s one-story development ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #22: Handicap Access James Howard Kunstler explores the consequences of handicap access laws and codes, and how they have unintentionally promoted suburban sprawl throughout much of America. In many instances, developers feel it's easier and cheaper to just build one-story buildings rather than multi-story handicap accessible buildings. These laws can also discourage the retrofitting of second and third story retail space in old "Main Street" buildings as well. So while handicap access codes may make ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #22: Handicap Access James Howard Kunstler explores the consequences of handicap access laws and codes, and how they have unintentionally promoted suburban sprawl throughout much of America. In many instances, developers feel it's easier and cheaper to just build one-story buildings rather than multi-story handicap accessible buildings. These laws can also discourage the retrofitting of second and third story retail space in old "Main Street" buildings as well. So while handicap acces ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #19: Wishful Thinking Religious activists are praying at Washington DC gas stations for cheaper fuel. James Howard Kunstler says that type of neurotic behavior isn't much different than the behavior of cargo cults in the South Pacific. The concept of getting something for nothing is widely accepted by American culture, and religion, too. But Jim feels spirituality in America might one day evolve into something worthy of more respect than the Jiminy Cricket, consumerist culture of today's suburban mega churches. ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #19: Wishful Thinking Religious activists are praying at Washington DC gas stations for cheaper fuel. James Howard Kunstler says that type of neurotic behavior isn't much different than the behavior of cargo cults in the South Pacific. The concept of getting something for nothing is widely accepted by American culture, and religion, too. But Jim feels spirituality in America might one day evolve into something worthy of more respect than the Jiminy Cricket, consumerist culture of today's suburban mega churches. ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #18: Pavement Asphalt has become the default paving solution in America. And it's helped turn even side streets into mini freeways. It's ugly, it's bad for the environment and it might not be so cheap in the near future as the price of petroleum-based products rises. In this show, James Howard Kunstler discusses the aesthetics, the qualities and the practicalities of other paving materials. Jim says the built environment in America is so full of empty gestures that the sidewalks end after only 60 feet. B ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #18: Pavement Asphalt has become the default paving solution in America. And it's helped turn even side streets into mini freeways. It's ugly, it's bad for the environment and it might not be so cheap in the near future as the price of petroleum-based products rises. In this show, James Howard Kunstler discusses the aesthetics, the qualities and the practicalities of other paving materials. Jim says the built environment in America is so full of empty gestures that the sidewalks end after only 60 feet. B ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #17: San Francisco A listener from San Francisco, who admits to suffering excessive civic pride for his hometown, asks James Howard Kunstler to critique The Golden Gate City and to speak about some of the other places in America that Jim actually likes. Kunstler acknowledges that San Francisco does a lot of things right. But it bends over for the car, and many of the streets are poorly detailed. He also warns that the city's plan to erect seven new skyscrapers is ill fated. We close the show ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #17: San Francisco A listener from San Francisco, who admits to suffering excessive civic pride for his hometown, asks James Howard Kunstler to critique The Golden Gate City and to speak about some of the other places in America that Jim actually likes. Kunstler acknowledges that San Francisco does a lot of things right. But it bends over for the car, and many of the streets are poorly detailed. He also warns that the city's plan to erect seven new skyscrapers is ill fated. We close the show with the seven or ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #16: Peak Oil New Zealand A listener from New Zealand asks JamesHoward Kunstler what peak oil holds in store for his island nation. The picture isn't pretty. Kunstler says the Kiwis better watch their backs. China, Japan and even Australia could all pose threats to New Zealand as they face shortages in the new energy future. At the end of the program, a cast of listeners sounds off. We hear from a black man in Queens who is not African-American, a former Long Island nanny, and an urban planner from Canada who as ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #16: Peak Oil New Zealand A listener from New Zealand asks JamesHoward Kunstler what peak oil holds in store for his island nation. The picture isn't pretty. Kunstler says the Kiwis better watch their backs. China, Japan and even Australia could all pose threats to New Zealand as they face shortages in the new energy future. At the end of the program, a cast of listeners sounds off. We hear from a black m ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #15: Reactivating Small Cities A listener from Canada asks if small cities will be willing and able to absorb more people after peak oil makes big city life problematic. James Howard Kunstler believes that many small cities across North America are waiting to be reactivated. These places would benefit from having more people living in them. But in order to prepare for returning populations, they will need to return to a much smaller increment of development. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Dire ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #15: Reactivating Small Cities A listener from Canada asks if small cities will be willing and able to absorb more people after peak oil makes big city life problematic. James Howard Kunstler believes that many small cities across North America are waiting to be reactivated. These places would benefit from having more people living in them. But in order to prepare for returning populations, they will need to return to a much smaller increment of development. (Info about program and theme music at Kunstle ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #13: Personal Transit & Green Buildings James Howard Kunstler takes questions on personal rapid transit, sustainable green buildings and the happy motoring program in America.  He also scolds us for us referring to ourselves as consumers. This show is the result of a special collaboration between The KunstlerCast and Planetizen, the online network for professional planners. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Direct Download (7.1 MB): KunstlerCast_13.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #13: Personal Transit & Green Buildings James Howard Kunstler takes questions on personal rapid transit, sustainable green buildings and the happy motoring program in America.  He also scolds us for us referring to ourselves as consumers. This show is the result of a special collaboration between The KunstlerCast and Planetizen, the online network for professional planners. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Direct Download ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast#12: Gentrification A listener from Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. wants to know about the ethics of gentrification. What happens to the poor people who get pushed out of the cities when wealthier people move in? James Howard Kunstler addresses how abnormal it is that American city centers are primarily inhabited by poor people. Jim and Duncan also touch upon the racial dimensions of gentrification. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Direct Download (7 MB): KunstlerCast_12.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast#12: Gentrification A listener from Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. wants to know about the ethics of gentrification. What happens to the poor people who get pushed out of the cities when wealthier people move in? James Howard Kunstler addresses how abnormal it is that American city centers are primarily inhabited by poor people. Jim and Duncan also touch upon the racial dimensions of gentrification. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Direc ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast#11: Picturing Suburbia When James Howard Kunstler isn't railing against suburban sprawl, he's painting it. Vincent van Gogh painted the peasant sleeping by the haystack because he was living in a landscape populated by people. Our landscape is populated by cars. So, as a sur la motif painter of our time, Jim's subjects include cars on the road, gas stations and the industrial ruins of America's manufacturing past. Making this landscape legible on the canvas is a challenge, but it's also dangerous! An angry manag ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast#11: Picturing Suburbia When James Howard Kunstler isn't railing against suburban sprawl, he's painting it. Vincent van Gogh painted the peasant sleeping by the haystack because he was living in a landscape populated by people. Our landscape is populated by cars. So, as a sur la motif painter of our time, Jim's subjects include cars on the road, gas stations and the industrial ruins of America's manufacturing past. Making this landscape legible on the canvas is a challenge, but it's also dangerous ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #10: Children of the Burbs Is raising children in suburbia a form of child abuse? What happens to developing people when public space is the berm between the Wal-Mart and the K-Mart? When school looks like a maximum security "facility"? When parents are chauffeurs? James Howard Kunstler addresses these topics and speaks of his own experiences growing up in the suburbs of Long Island and in Manhattan. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Direct Download (7 MB): KunstlerC ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #10: Children of the Burbs Is raising children in suburbia a form of child abuse? What happens to developing people when public space is the berm between the Wal-Mart and the K-Mart? When school looks like a maximum security "facility"? When parents are chauffeurs? James Howard Kunstler addresses these topics and speaks of his own experiences growing up in the suburbs of Long Island and in Manhattan. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #9: Urban Planning James Howard Kunstler is one of the most vocal critics of modern urban planning. So it's only fair that in this show Jim fields some questions from the professional planning community. First off, the planners want to know how Jim answers to critics who challenge him on his lack of professional credentials in the planning and architecture fields. Next, a planning professor wants to know: what is the most important thing that cities can do to most improve the quality of the built environment? ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #9: Urban Planning James Howard Kunstler is one of the most vocal critics of modern urban planning. So it's only fair that in this show Jim fields some questions from the professional planning community. First off, the planners want to know how Jim answers to critics who challenge him on his lack of professional credentials in the planning and architecture fields. Next, a planning professor wants to know: what is the most important thing that cities can do to most improve the quality of the b ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #8: The Glossary of Nowhere When James Howard Kunstler wrote The Geography of Nowhere, it was to give people "the vocabulary to understand what's wrong with the places they ought to know best." In this installment we run down a few choice Kunstlerisms, like "parking lagoons" , "nature Band-Aides" and "patriotic totems." Kunstler also tells us why the depressing topic of suburban sprawl is also really funny. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #8: The Glossary of Nowhere When James Howard Kunstler wrote The Geography of Nowhere, it was to give people "the vocabulary to understand what's wrong with the places they ought to know best." In this installment we run down a few choice Kunstlerisms, like "parking lagoons" , "nature Band-Aides" and "patriotic totems." Kunstler also tells us why the depressing topic of suburban sprawl is also really funny. (Info about program and theme music at ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #7: Fate of Flagstaff&Hydrogen Cars A listener from Flagstaff, Ariz. wants to know what fate awaits his town in the post oil future. The verdict from Jim? At least it's not Phoenix, but most of Flagstaff looks like the service road around Newark Airport. The caller also asks about the new Honda hydrogen fuel cell car, which reminds Jim to bash so-called environmentalist Amory Lovins' fantasy to keep the motoring scene going at all costs. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) Direct Down ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #7: Fate of Flagstaff & Hydrogen Cars A listener from Flagstaff, Ariz. wants to know what fate awaits his town in the post oil future. The verdict from Jim? At least it's not Phoenix, but most of Flagstaff looks like the service road around Newark Airport. The caller also asks about the new Honda hydrogen fuel cell car, which reminds Jim to bash so-called environmentalist Amory Lovins' fantasy to keep the motoring scene going at all costs. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com) ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #6: Zoning Ya seen one town in America ya seen 'em all. But that's because they're all mandated to look that way! James Howard Kunstler tells the tragic story of zoning codes in the United States. At one time, zoning was a rational response to unpleasant conditions of the newly emerging industrial city. But the fanatical level to which zoning became worshiped by public officials has reduced urban planning from an art form to the mere administration of curb cuts, signage and statistical analysis ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #6: Zoning Ya seen one town in America ya seen 'em all. But that's because they're all mandated to look that way! James Howard Kunstler tells the tragic story of zoning codes in the United States. At one time, zoning was a rational response to unpleasant conditions of the newly emerging industrial city. But the fanatical level to which zoning became worshiped by public officials has reduced urban planning from an art form to the mere administration of ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #5: Starchitects How and why did Seattle build that hideous new public library? asks one listener from that city. James Howard Kunstler tells us how cities get hoodwinked into a status fashion contest to have a museum or library built by one of the celebrity architects of the day. Rem Koolhass, Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman and others are deliberately designing these disastrous, anxiety-inducing mothership UFOs in order to mystify people into thinking they're supernaturally brilliant. And then we're stuck wit ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #5: Starchitects How and why did Seattle build that hideous new public library? asks one listener from that city. James Howard Kunstler tells us how cities get hoodwinked into a status fashion contest to have a museum or library built by one of the celebrity architects of the day. Rem Koolhass, Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman and others are deliberately designing these disastrous, anxiety-inducing mothership UFOs in order to mystify people into thinking they're supernaturally brilliant. And then we're stuck wit ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #4: Parking Garages A listener from Columbus, Ohio shares the bad news about two proposed downtown parking garages. Even though James Howard Kunstler thinks the happy motoring scene in America is on the way out, he explains how to design a better parking garage with first-floor retail, a central lightwell and taller ceilings. The Europeans have a better solution, though: the car club.(Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download (6.9MB): KunstlerCast_04.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #4: Parking Garages A listener from Columbus, Ohio shares the bad news about two proposed downtown parking garages. Even though James Howard Kunstler thinks the happy motoring scene in America is on the way out, he explains how to design a better parking garage with first-floor retail, a central lightwell and taller ceilings. The Europeans have a better solution, though: the car club.(Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download (6.9MB): KunstlerCast_04.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #3: World Made By Hand James Howard Kunstler reads from World Made By Hand, his new novel based on the post-oil future.  Published by The Atlantic Monthly Press, World Made By Hand is set in upstate New York in the not distant future. It is a fictional account of the ideas based in Kunstler's nonfiction book, The Long Emergency. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download (7.2MB):KunstlerCast_03.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #3: World Made By Hand James Howard Kunstler reads from World Made By Hand, his new novel based on the post-oil future.  Published by The Atlantic Monthly Press, World Made By Hand is set in upstate New York in the not distant future. It is a fictional account of the ideas based in Kunstler's nonfiction book, The Long Emergency. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download (7.2MB):KunstlerCast_03.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #2: Small Cities & Towns James Howard Kunstler describes the impending end of cheap oil, which he calls The Long Emergency. Suburbia is a living arrangement with no future. Things are going to get pretty gnarly in the big cities, too. But small cities, that exist at a scale that can be rebuilt, are the places of the future. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download: KunstlerCast_02.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #2: Small Cities & Towns James Howard Kunstler describes the impending end of cheap oil, which he calls The Long Emergency. Suburbia is a living arrangement with no future. Things are going to get pretty gnarly in the big cities, too. But small cities, that exist at a scale that can be rebuilt, are the places of the future. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download: KunstlerCast_02.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #1: Drugstores James Howard Kunstler rips on drugstores: the one-story, junk food- dispensing boxes that masquerade as buildings on America's street corners. Topics include: monocultural zoning; big retail vs. mom & pop; separating the business programming from the container that it comes in; and the destiny of these awful structures after the cheap oil fiesta is over. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download: KunstlerCast ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website KunstlerCast #1: Drugstores James Howard Kunstler rips on drugstores: the one-story, junk food- dispensing boxes that masquerade as buildings on America's street corners. Topics include: monocultural zoning; big retail vs. mom & pop; separating the business programming from the container that it comes in; and the destiny of these awful structures after the cheap oil fiesta is over. (Info about program and theme music at KunstlerCast.com)Direct Download: KunstlerCast_01.mp3 Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website