Best Michael Eliason Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 104: Why We Don't Build Condos with Muhammad Alameldin (Incentives Series pt. 7) 1:07:48

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8d ago1:07:48

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Why do many U.S. states build so few condos? Muhammad Alameldin explains the role of construction defect liability laws — and how to fix them. This is part 7 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Show notes: Alameldin, M., & Karlinsky, S. (2024). Construction Defect Liability in California: How Reform Could Increase Affordable H…

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Ep 103: Fire Safety in Multifamily Housing with Alex Horowitz (Incentives Series pt. 6) 59:24

23d ago59:24

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In which types of homes are people safest from fires? Alex Horowitz shares research showing that multifamily is safer than single-family housing, newer homes are much safer than older homes, and that a single stairwell’s just as good as two. This is part 6 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Show notes: Rodnyansky, S., Horowit…

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Ep 102: Minimum Standards vs. Affordability with Benjamin Schneider (Incentives Series pt. 5) 55:33

1M ago55:33

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We’ve been grappling with trade-offs between stricter building codes and declining affordability for over 100 years. Benjamin Schneider helps us trace the history. This is part 5 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Show notes: Schneider, B. (2025). The Unfinished Metropolis: Igniting the City-Building Revolution. Island Press.…

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Ep 101: Beyond Zoning with John Zeanah and Andre D. Jones (Incentives Series pt. 4) 1:10:15

2M ago1:10:15

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Your city just legalized “missing middle” housing in its zoning code… now what? With Memphis, Tennessee, as a case study, John Zeanah and Andre D. Jones discuss the hidden non-zoning barriers to developing small apartment buildings — and how to lower them. This is part 4 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Show notes: Zeanah, …

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Ep 100: The Big 100!! Listener Questions, (Re-)Meet the Hosts, and Book Club 1:28:19

2M ago1:28:19

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The hosts gather to celebrate the 100th episode of UCLA Housing Voice. We also answer listener questions and announce the first book for our book club. Show notes: Appelbaum, Y. (2025). Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity. Penguin Random House. Appelbaum, Y. (2025 February 10). How Progressives Froz…

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Ep 99: The ‘International’ Code Council with Jesse Zwick (Incentives Series pt. 3) 43:54

3M ago43:54

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North American buildings are built different — literally. Councilmember Jesse Zwick explains how the organization behind our unusual standards is built to fail, and he makes the case for a new approach. This is part 3 of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Show notes: Zwick, J. (2025). Out of Code: The Hidden Costs of US Building…

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Ep 98: Elevators with Stephen Smith (Incentives Series pt. 2) 1:15:24

3M ago1:15:24

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Elevators in the U.S. and Canada cost 3–5 times as much as elevators in other high-income countries. Stephen Smith explains why and how our well-intentioned elevator standards make cities less safe and accessible. This is part two of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Show notes: Smith, S. (2024). Elevators. Center for Building …

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Ep 97: Single-Stair Buildings and Eco-Districts with Michael Eliason (Incentives Series pt. 1) 1:23:25

4M ago1:23:25

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This is the first episode of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Michael Eliason shares insights from his book, Building for People, on building code reforms and eco-district redevelopment projects throughout Europe. Show notes: Eliason, M. (2024). Building for People: Designing Livable, Affordable, Low-Carbon Communities. Island…

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Ep 96: Direct-to-Tenant Rent Assistance with Vincent Reina 1:10:08

4M ago1:10:08

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Housing vouchers provide critical assistance to low-income renters, but roughly 40% of vouchers go unused, in part due to difficulty finding landlords to accept them. Vincent Reina shares findings from a pilot program that instead gives cash assistance directly to tenants. Abstract: This article examines a new rental assistance program in Philadelp…

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A few announcements! 3:07

4M ago3:07

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Our next interview will be out soon. In the meantime, we're asking for listener questions for a special recording celebrating our 100th episode)(!!), and ideas for a UCLA Housing Voice book club. Send 'em to [email protected] UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

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Ep 95: Low-Rise Multifamily with Tobias Peter 1:05:47

5M ago1:05:47

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Seattle’s low-rise multifamily zones have produced more than 20,000 townhomes over the past 30 years. Tobias Peter discusses the impacts on affordability, homeownership, and more — including lessons for other cities. Show notes: Peter, T., Pinto, E., & Tracy, J. (2025). Low-Rise Multifamily and Housing Supply: A Case Study of Seattle. Journal of Ho…

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Encore Episode: Housing Vouchers with Rob Collinson 1:09:36

5M ago1:09:36

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Episode Summary: Every year, more than two million low-income households receive rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program, a federal program that helps renters afford housing on the private market. Currently, only about one-quarter of those eligible for vouchers receive them due to lack of program funding, though Democrats and t…

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Ep 94: Ride-hailing for People with Disabilities with Abigail Cochran (Road Scholars pt. 4) 1:05:18

6M ago1:05:18

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For people with disabilities, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft can be a lifeline or a pain — or both. Abigail Cochran shares what she learned from individuals with disabilities about what’s working and what’s not. Show Notes: Cochran, A. L. (2022). How and why do people with disabilities use app-based ridehailing? Case Studies on Transport …

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Ep 93: Equity Requirements in US Shared Micromobility Programs with Anne Brown (Road Scholars pt. 3) 1:04:36

7M ago1:04:36

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Shared micromobility programs offering scooters and bikes have exploded across the US in recent years, but the benefits haven't been shared evenly. Anne Brown joins to discuss the equity goals and mandates cities are requiring of operators, and which seem to be most effective. Show Notes: Brown, A., & Howell, A. (2024). Mobility for the people: Equ…

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Ep 92: How Housing Influences Transportation Choices with Adam Millard-Ball (Road Scholars pt. 2) 50:16

7M ago50:16

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Do people drive less because they live in buildings that don’t provide parking, or do they live in buildings that don’t provide parking because they drive less? That question has huge implications for how we build and rebuild our cities, yet researchers have struggled for decades to answer it conclusively. UCLA professor Adam Millard-Ball joins us …

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Ep 91: Neighborhood Change and Transit Ridership with Mike Manville (Road Scholars pt. 1) 51:40

8M ago51:40

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Many studies have looked at the effects of new transit infrastructure on housing prices, gentrification, and other neighborhood changes. But how does housing policy — specifically rising rents and worsening affordability — affect transit? Mike Manville takes the guest seat in the first episode of our four-part series on transportation research: Roa…

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Ep 90: How to Evaluate Zoning Reforms with Aaron Barrall pt. 2 1:04:34

8M ago1:04:34

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When a city proposes zoning changes, how do you know whether they’ll be effective? Aaron Barrall shares how we approached the problem in Los Angeles, with lessons for similar upzoning efforts around the world. This is the second episode in a two-part conversation. Show notes: Barrall, A., & Phillips, S. (2024). CHIPing In: Evaluating the effects of…

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Road Scholars Trailer 0:59

9M ago0:59

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By UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

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Ep 89: How to Evaluate Zoning Reforms with Aaron Barrall pt. 1 1:03:57

9M ago1:03:57

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When a city proposes zoning changes, how do you know whether they’ll be effective? Aaron Barrall shares how we approached the problem in Los Angeles, with lessons for similar upzoning efforts around the world. This is the first episode in a two-part conversation. Show notes: Barrall, A., & Phillips, S. (2024). CHIPing In: Evaluating the effects of …

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Ep 88: Improving Voucher Outcomes with Dionissi Aliprantis 1:07:57

9M ago1:07:57

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Helping people move to higher-opportunity neighborhoods requires knowing which neighborhoods are actually better. Are we any good at it? Dionissi Aliprantis shares his research on measuring neighborhood opportunity and the rent assistance program features that could meaningfully reduce racial segregation. Show notes: Aliprantis, D., Martin, H., & T…

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Ep 87: Rental Voucher Lease-Up Rates with Sarah Strochak 49:25

10M ago49:25

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Housing Choice vouchers help lower-income tenants pay rent, yet only about 60% of issued vouchers result in a successful lease-up. Sarah Strochak joins to share how lease-up rates vary for different groups and markets, and how reforming voucher policies could improve the lease-up process and get more people into affordable homes. Show notes: Ellen,…

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Ep 86: Where the Hood At? with Mike Lens 1:17:01

10M ago1:17:01

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How have conditions changed since 1970 in neighborhoods where Black residents are the largest racial or ethnic group? Mike Lens wrote a whole book on the subject: Where the Hood At? Fifty Years of Change in Black Neighborhoods. He takes the guest mic to share what he learned. Book summary: Substantial gaps exist between Black Americans and other ra…

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Ep 85: Wildfires, Displacement and Housing Prices with Hannah Hennighausen 58:57

11M ago58:57

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On January 7th, the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in Los Angeles, killing dozens of people, displacing tens of thousands, and destroying more than 15,000 structures. What will this mean for housing affordability in the already-strained region? Hannah Hennighausen joins to share her research on the 2018 Camp Fire's effect on housing prices and m…

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Ep 84: A Review of Rent Control Research with Konstantin Kholodilin 1:06:25

11M ago1:06:25

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Rent control is one of the most hotly debated housing policies, and also one of the most researched. Konstantin Kholodilin reviewed over 200 rent control studies, dating back decades and spanning six continents, and he joins us to give an overview of their results. Show notes: Kholodilin, K. A. (2024). Rent control effects through the lens of empir…

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Encore Episode: Family-Friendly Urbanism with Louis Thomas 1:07:15

1y ago1:07:15

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In most of the U.S., cities are for singles, roommates, and childless couples, and the suburbs are for raising kids. That’s not true of much of the rest of the world, and perhaps the nearest example of family-friendly urbanism can be found just a few miles to the north, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver’s under-15 population fell by one per…

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Ep 83: Local Effects of Upzoning with Simon Büchler and Elena Lutz 1:01:15

1y ago1:01:15

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Urban upzonings have been rare across the world, and many of the most significant occurred only in the past 5–10 years or less. One exception is the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, where cities and towns have been relaxing land use restrictions for over 25 years. Simon Büchler and Elena Lutz share their research on the long-term effects of these ref…

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Ep 82: Lessons From the UK Housing Shortage with Anthony Breach 1:03:14

1y ago1:03:14

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What happens to housing quality and affordability when any proposed development can be vetoed? Can the public sector reliably deliver most of the housing that people need? If it can, should it? Ant Breach shares insights from the Centre for Cities’ report on the United Kingdom’s homebuilding crisis. Show notes: Watling, S., & Breach, A. (2023). The…

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Ep 81: How New Zealand Passed Its Ambitious Zoning Reforms with Eleanor West 1:10:55

1y ago1:10:55

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In a previous episode we discussed Auckland’s unprecedented upzoning and its effect on housing production and land prices. This time we’re joined by Eleanor West to talk about the political, social, and economic conditions that made the reforms possible — not only in Auckland, but across New Zealand. Show notes: West, E. (2024). Up-zoning New Zeala…

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Ep 80: Inclusionary Housing Goes International with Anna Granath Hansson 58:38

1y ago58:38

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Inclusionary zoning policies are commonly used to produce affordable housing and “social mix” in the U.S., but what about in Europe, where public housing and strong social welfare programs have historically met those needs? Anna Granath Hansson shares research on emerging inclusionary housing policies in the Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway…

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Ep 79: Who Pays For Inclusionary Zoning with Shane Phillips 1:07:20

1y ago1:07:20

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Inclusionary zoning policies use the market to produce affordable housing, but nothing comes for free. So who pays? Shane takes the guest seat to discuss his analysis of IZ in Los Angeles, making the case that it’s not developers or high-income renters who bear the cost, but all renters — poor, middle income, and wealthy alike. Show notes: Phillips…

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Encore Episode: Inclusionary Zoning with Emily Hamilton 1:05:34

1y ago1:05:34

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Cities have lived with exclusionary zoning for decades, if not generations. Is inclusionary zoning the answer? Inclusionary zoning, or IZ, requires developers to set aside a share of units in new buildings for low- or moderate-income households, seeking to increase the supply of affordable homes and integrate neighborhoods racially and socioeconomi…

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Encore Episode: Market-Rate Development and Neighborhood Rents with Evan Mast 46:53

1+ y ago46:53

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We’ve long known that building more homes helps keep prices in check at the regional or metro area level, but what about the house down the street? Evan Mast shares two research studies that shed light on this important and controversial question. Originally aired in 2021. Updated show notes. Show notes: Mast, E. (2023). JUE Insight: The effect of …

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Ep 78: Building Height and Construction Costs with Anthony Orlando 1:03:46

1+ y ago1:03:46

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Building taller lets us fit more homes on valuable urban land, but more homes doesn’t necessarily mean more affordable. Anthony Orlando joins to share his research on why taller isn’t always better — and the circumstances where it definitely is. Show notes: Eriksen, M. D., & Orlando, A. W. (2022). Returns to scale in residential construction: The m…

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Ep 77: Upzoning With Strings Attached with Jacob Krimmel and Maxence Valentin 1:00:06

1+ y ago1:00:06

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Changing zoning rules to allow taller and denser buildings may cause land values to go up, and public officials may try to “capture” this added value by requiring affordable units in new developments. But what happens when costs and benefits are out of balance? Seattle offers a cautionary tale. Show notes: Krimmel, J., & Wang, B. (2023). Upzoning W…

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Ep 76: How Housing Supply Responds to Rising Demand with Nathaniel Baum-Snow 1:05:03

1+ y ago1:05:03

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When the demand for housing rises, which kinds of neighborhoods respond by building more homes, and which just get more expensive? Nathaniel Baum-Snow joins to discuss his research on the different responses of urban, suburban, and exurban neighborhoods, and the many forms “supply” can take. Show notes: Baum-Snow, N., & Han, L. (2024). The Microgeo…

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Ep 75: Segregating the Built Environment with Ann Owens 1:00:11

1+ y ago1:00:11

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We often talk about residential segregation by race or income, but we rarely explore it in the literal sense — as in segregation of residences: of one kind of housing from another. Ann Owens joins to discuss her research on how segregation manifests itself in our built environment in cities and neighborhoods across the U.S. Show notes: Owens, A. (2…

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29: El Salvador, Bitcoin Circular Economy, and Entrepreneurship with Michael Ruiz 1:04:33

1+ y ago1:04:33

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In this episode, I spoke with entrepreneur and writer Michael Ruiz. Michael has been a long-time Bitcoin proponent who raised concerns years ago about the lack of a Bitcoin circular economy and capture by large financial interests. When El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender, Michael decided to visit and is now moving to the country while building m…

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Ep 74: Racial (and Spatial) Disparities in Rental Assistance with Andrew Fenelon 53:07

1+ y ago53:07

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Black households make up a disproportionate share of rent assistance recipients. Andrew Fenelon discusses how a “two-tiered approach to housing support" favoring white homeowners helped create the disparity. Show notes: Fenelon, A. (2024). Race, housing policy, and the demographic and spatial structure of modern housing programs: Who receives renta…

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28: Crypto Confidential with Nat Eliason 1:31:18

1+ y ago1:31:18

1:31:18

In this episode, I spoke with my good friend (and podcast co-host at Made You Think!) Nat Eliason. His book Crypto Confidential is about his journey into the world of crypto and is one of the best narrative non-fiction books I've ever read. We discussed Nat's crypto experience, his journey as a writer, fiction vs non-fiction, health, and of course …

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Ep 73: French For-Profit Social Housing Developers with Julie Pollard 1:07:05

1+ y ago1:07:05

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Before the 2000s, French real estate developers were prohibited from building social housing. Today, they build more than half of it. Julie Pollard shares how two seemingly unrelated policies came together to make this rapid shift possible. Show notes: Pollard, J. (2023). The political conditions of the rise of real-estate developers in French hous…

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Ep 72: Notes on Tokyo’s Housing, Land Use, and Urban Planning with Shane Phillips 1:00:32

1+ y ago1:00:32

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In this episode, Shane combines insights from a recent trip to Tokyo with official data on housing production, affordability, land use policy, and more. Show notes: Twitter thread of photos and observations during my trip. Episode 16 of the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast with Jiro Yoshida, on Japanese Housing Policy Japanese population by prefecture. J…

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Ursula Goodenough: Science and the Sacred 53:24

1+ y ago53:24

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"Cultural understandings can be very rapid, they can also be sometimes very resistant to change, which is part of the problem, but the evolution of culture is something we can and should think about in a very different way from biological evolution, which takes a long time--and the fact that cultural evolution can turn on a dime can be very encoura…

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Ep 71: How China Created a Housing Market with Lan Deng 1:08:06

1+ y ago1:08:06

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Each year, more money is invested in China's housing market than any other. Lan Deng shares how the market was shaped and the heavy role the government still plays, and what housing in China looks like today. Show notes: Deng, L., & Chen, J. (2019). Market development, state intervention, and the dynamics of new housing investment in China. Journal…

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Just Me: The Spring Creek Project lecture 35:42

1+ y ago35:42

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This week I have something a little different. I was asked to take part in the Collective Climate Action lecture series for the Spring Creek Project at Oregon State University. These are the same folks who asked me to do a keynote five years ago, which turned into the essay that's in the wonderful book All We Can Save. I struggled with this one, as…

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Encore Episode: Japanese Housing Policy with Jiro Yoshida 1:03:02

1+ y ago1:03:02

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For this episode, we take a trip to Tokyo to learn from the successes and shortcomings of Japanese housing policy. Known for high rates of production — Tokyo builds five times more housing than California, per capita — and relatively affordable housing, Japan also struggles with poor maintenance and rapid degradation of its buildings. Professor Jir…

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Michael Eliason: What Our Cities Could Look Like 1:12:06

1+ y ago1:12:06

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"If we had a climate leader like Anne Hidalgo, the Pike/Pine network itself, going from Capitol Hill, which is dense enough to support its own pedestrian zone and car-free streets, could be car-free or mostly car-free down to the water, there'd be this wonderful green interchange between Capitol Hill and downtown and there's really wonderful opport…

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Ep 70: Overcoming Resistance to Density with David Kaufmann and Michael Wicki 1:11:38

1+ y ago1:11:38

1:11:38

What makes people more or less supportive of dense housing in their communities? David Kaufmann and Michael Wicki surveyed 12,000 residents in six of the largest U.S. and European cities to find out. Show notes: Wicki, M., Hofer, K., & Kaufmann, D. (2022). Planning instruments enhance the acceptance of urban densification. Proceedings of the Nation…

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Ep 69: Low-Income Housing and 'Crowd Out' with Michael Eriksen 57:23

1+ y ago57:23

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Subsidized affordable housing development reduces costs for lower-income households directly. It also reduces costs indirectly, by increasing the overall supply of housing — or does it? Michael Eriksen joins to discuss the issue of “crowd out” in affordable housing production. Show notes: Eriksen, M. D., & Rosenthal, S. S. (2010). Crowd out effects…

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27: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons with Kris Newby 1:06:29

2y ago1:06:29

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In this episode, I spoke with Kris Newby, the author of Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons. You may be skeptical about the premise of this book but I promise there is a lot more here than a baseless conspiracy theory. Kris has top tier technical credentials and spent a large chunk of her career at Stanford. Much of he…

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Ep 68: Summarizing the Research on Homelessness with Janey Rountree (Pathways Home pt. 8) 1:08:25

2y ago1:08:25

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In this final installment of the Pathways Home series on homelessness policy and research, we discuss lessons and key takeaways from the previous seven episodes with our UCLA colleague, Janey Rountree. Show notes: Click here to find all eight episodes of the Pathways Home limited series on homelessness. Blackwell, B., & Santillano, R. (2023). Do Ti…