#46 - Coby Lefkowitz, part III: Building Optimism

In this special episode, Bart Urban interviews Ruben about the launch of their new course: The Aesthetic City Academy!They discuss: What the course is all aboutWho's it for (and who it isn't for)How it should help fill a gap in education, by teaching a about the timeless principles of good urban designThe problems with current architectural education What we can expect from this course in the futureand much, much more!Want access? Use promo code 'podcast10' to get 10% off!Click the following link for more information:https://aesthetic-city-academy.thinkific.com/products/courses/aesthetic-city-academy ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/

Aaron Lubeck is a designer, builder, and urbanist who’s spent over two decades shaping sustainable, walkable, and affordable communities, with a deep-rooted passion for the US South. He’s the founder of Southern Urbanism, a platform dedicated to reimagining city-building below the Mason-Dixon line, and the voice behind onHousing, a podcast and Substack where he tackles housing policy, zoning reform, and the art of incremental development. A restoration contractor by trade, he’s led groundbreaking projects like Durham’s first net-zero-energy home and pushed for zoning changes to bring back "missing middle" housing. His book Green Restorations reflects his commitment to blending historic preservation with modern sustainability, while his work with Southern Urbanism keeps him at the forefront of a regional renaissance in place-making.Find more information about Southern Urbanism and OnHousing here:https://www.southernurbanism.org/ https://www.aaronlubeck.com/ ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/We launched our course: https://aesthetic-city-academy.thinkific.com/products/courses/aesthetic-city-academyLove what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/

Chuck Marohn is a civil engineer, urban planner, and the founder of StrongTowns: an organization that has been shaking up the world of planning, development, and local governance with one powerful idea: that many of our cities, especially in North America, are financially insolvent by design.Through his books, lectures, and relentless advocacy, he’s exposed the hidden fragility of car-centric growth and championed a new, bottom-up approach to building places that are financially strong, resilient, and deeply human.Visit the StrongTowns website here: https://www.strongtowns.org Follow them on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@strongtowns Follow StrongTowns on X: https://x.com/StrongTownsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/strong_towns/ ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://the-aesthetic-city.kit.com/a2d41beb6f  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/

Kevin Klinkenberg is an urban designer, planner, and architect from Kansas City with over two decades of experience in creating walkable, human-centered communities. He’s the mind behind The Messy City, a blog and podcast where he explores the complexities of urban development, advocating for adaptability, local initiative, and practical solutions over rigid, top-down planning. He previously served as Executive Director of the Savannah Development and Renewal Authority, where he contributed to a downtown master plan for Savannah, Georgia.  A long-time advocate for New Urbanism, and writer of the book ‘Why I Walk’, he has worked across the U.S. blending idealism with pragmatism.Subscribe to Kevin's substack: https://kevinklinkenberg.substack.com Follow Kevin on X: https://x.com/kevinklink======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://www.aesthetic.city/the-academy Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/

Sabin Howard is a renowned sculptor and author, born in New York, who has emerged as a leading voice in modern classical sculpture. Trained in traditional techniques, he mastered the human form with the precision of the old masters, dedicating his career to large-scale public art. A co-author of The Art of Life, Howard now shares his expertise and critiques of contemporary art through various platforms. His most notable work, A Soldier’s Journey—a 60-foot-long, 25-ton bronze relief—anchors the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring soldiers’ experiences while championing timeless artistry and forgotten history.Visit his website: https://sabinhoward.com Follow Sabin on X: https://x.com/SabinHoward ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://theaestheticcity.com/aesthetic-city-academy/  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

Guy Courtois is a strategist-turned-visionary who is leading a true urban renaissance in France and worldwide, promoting more beautiful, livable cities. He worked with fashion consortium LVMH and later founded his own consultancy firm. Based in Meudon, France, he’s also a passionate art collector, tied to the impressive Collection Courtois. Today, he’s channeling his energy into making our cities more beautiful and livable. Recently he organized a successful congress in Le Plessis-Robinson, bringing together a large number of mayors, developers, and architects to guide France into a new urban renaissance. Find more info about his art collection here: https://www.collectioncourtois.com ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://theaestheticcity.com/aesthetic-city-academy/  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/

Coby Lefkowitz returns for his third appearance on The Aesthetic City Podcast. An urbanist, real estate developer, and writer based in New York, Coby is dedicated to crafting beautiful, walkable urban spaces. With his new book, Building Optimism: Why Our World Looks the Way it Does, and How to Make it Better, he explores the history of urban development and offers solutions for more humane cities. Coby continues to inspire with his vision for vibrant, timeless communities.Buy his book: Amazon (Physical and Kindle Editions): AmazonBarnes & Noble (Paperback): . Barnes & Noble Follow Coby on X: https://x.com/Cobylefko Read his articles on Medium: https://cobylefko.medium.com ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://theaestheticcity.com/aesthetic-city-academy/  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

Eldin Smajlović is an artist and author born in Pristina to parents from Srebrenica. He grew up in Sarajevo during Yugoslavia’s collapse where he witnessed the horrors of war. Later, he mastered geometry at art school and painting in the style of old masters. After he was expelled from the Academy of Sarajevo because of his outspoken views, including his defense of homosexuals, he moved to Sweden, learned the language, and studied at the Valand Academy. Now, through his YouTube channel The Immortal Art, he explores ancient art, history, and critiques postmodernism, advocating for timeless artistry. A published author, Eldin continues to celebrate traditional forms in a modern context.Find his channel on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheImmortalArtListen to his podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QcBGAyT39RuUrV1GAP3HF?si=bccb7014cee84ba8 Follow him on X: https://x.com/theimmortalart Join his Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheImmortalArtPodcast/about ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://theaestheticcity.com/aesthetic-city-academy/  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

Alicia Pederson, Ph.D., known as the Courtyard Urbanist is a passionate advocate for family-friendly cities. With a focus on traditional courtyard urbanism, she champions European-style courtyard blocks to keep young families thriving in urban centers like her home in Chicago’s Lincoln Square, where she lives with her husband and three children. Her insights have appeared in the Chicago Tribune and on YouTube, sparking conversations about sustainable, walkable communities.Follow Alicia on X: https://x.com/UrbanCourtyard ======== For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=trueWe are making an online course about urban planning! Join the waitlist here: https://theaestheticcity.com/aesthetic-city-academy/  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec

Léon Krier is a renowned Luxembourgian architect and urban planner, often hailed as the godfather of the New Urbanism and Traditional Urbanism movement. He has been a vocal critic of modernist architecture, advocating instead for a return to traditional, human-scale urban design. Krier's philosophy emphasizes walkable neighborhoods, a mix of housing types, and a harmonious blend of architectural styles that prioritize human interaction over vehicular dominance. One of Krier's most famous projects is Poundbury in England, a model town championed by King Charles, which embodies many of his urban principles. Additionally, Krier's influence can be seen in the design of Ciudad Cayalá in Guatemala, another testament to his vision of creating sustainable and livable urban spaces. His work, writings, and lectures have inspired a generation of architects and urban planners to rethink the way cities are designed and built. Do you want to know more about Léon Krier and his vision? Find his book 'The Architecture of Community' here: https://www.amazon.com/Architecture-Community-Leon-Krier/dp/1597265799 Online lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg6L0uMGIs4 Online lecture 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF7PkzgkaLE&t=122s ======== JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR OUR COURSE: https://the-aesthetic-city.ck.page/a2d41beb6f For more information on The Aesthetic City, find our website on https://theaestheticcity.com/ Love what we do? Become a patron! With your help we can grow this platform even further, make more content and hopefully achieve real, lasting impact for more beautiful cities worldwide. Visit our Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/the_aesthetic_city?fan_landing=true Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@the_aesthetic_city  Follow us on X: https://x.com/_Aesthetic_City Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.aesthetic.city/ Substack: https://theaestheticcity.substack.com/ Get access to the Aesthetic City Knowledge Base: https://theaestheticcity.lemonsqueezy.com/checkout/buy/18809486-2532-4d91-90fd-f5c62775adec