This week, Robin Rather of Collective Strength joins the podcast to talk about missteps in the planning profession -- including how things go wrong with language. Robin shares how she got to thinking about urban issues and why she believes current planning practice is stuck in the 1990s. We discuss the often jargon-filled language the profession uses, taking a paragraph from Austin’s current zoning code rewrite to illustrate.
Podcast
Talking Headways Podcast: Critiquing the Language of Planners
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Advocates Push for Safety in Next Surface Transportation Reauthorization
A much-anticipated annual survey of state road safety laws called on federal lawmakers to back up their colleagues work.
Report: NYC is Undercounting The E-Bike Boom
A new study from an MIT grad student shows that e-bikes are the most popular vehicle for those using New York City's bike lanes.
Agenda 2026: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Left-Progressive Backers Mobilize for Faster Buses?
New York's new mayor must mobilize the coalition that got him elected if he wants to avoid his recent predecessors' failure to speed up buses.
Opinion: One Less Lane Ought To Fix It
Federal inaction means states must lead on reducing emissions — but their reluctance to reallocate road space for cars may doom climate goals.
Tuesday’s Headlines Fight Fire With Fire
Berkeley, Calif., is far from the only city where the fire department dictates transportation policy.





