ITS040: Geography of Mysticism

In this last episode of Isn't That Spatial, we cover places that are believed to have some mystical powers/woo-woo significance based on geographic location.       This episode is dedicated to Sarah Wirtz.

Just in time for your summer road trip, we're talking about gas stations and their uncertain future as the world moves towards electric cars. Will they adapt to electrification or become relics operating on the fringes of society? And what will become of our beer caves? Imagine along with us!

On this episode, we·re discussing the 85-acre, $90M+ planned urban development located at the edges of Atlanta known as Cop City. We talk about the significance of the land it is being planned on, how it upends some VERY RECENT urban plans sponsored by the City of Atlanta, and what broader political and geographic components are at work here that have made Cop City so infamous on a national scale.     View our Show Notes and additional episodes at IsntThatSpatial.net! 

Mmmmm. The geography just doesn't get much more casual than this, folks. This episode is all about the geography of breakfast. And I, for one, could go for an extra side of casual this week. Where did the concept of the American breakfast even come from? Geography is the answer! Dig in as we discuss the origin of breakfast favorites from eggs to bagels to that Instagram-famous breakfast dish. And we're so excited to feature music from ITS composer (Daniel Kirschenbaum) Danger Field's new album, "Intuition"- available on Bandcamp and streaming platforms the world over. (We're loving the triumphant tone the title track is giving at the conclusion of this episode!)

On this episode, we dive into the pirates and the guerillas of radio and how they have used the spaces available to them - be it ships or public housing units - to find and create communities big and small around the radio dial.

The geography and politics of administering vaccine rollouts have always needed to be masterminded to be successful. With the current COVID-19 vaccine campaign underway, we discuss the geography of past and current inoculations efforts and what made them successful... or not.

Perhaps the biggest goal of urban planning and community development is creating a sense of place - a sense of belonging. But defining “belonging” can be tricky, and sometimes we’re better at defining what we avoid. On this episode, we discuss the subtle and not-so-subtle features in our environment that signal us to avoid. And then maybe we can start to get down to what makes us feel like we belong. Spoiler alert: What is a welcoming signal to one person can be a red flag to stay away to another. You can view the Show Notes + related content on our website at IsntThatSpatial.net!

Tactical Urbanism refers to projects done without permission from the local government or with any formal planning – it is DIY, low cost, and temporary. Tactical Urbanism is a tool anyone can use to get the public to pay attention to something the community needs, like more parks or bike lines, or even just to add some fun to the built environment. On this episode, we explore all kinds of Tactical Urbanism projects and find out who it’s for, its possibilities, and its limitations. Then, I interview Roger Cummings, co-founder of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Juxtaposition Arts, on the organization’s early adoption of Tactical Urbanism and how they’ve used it to engage community members that might otherwise be left out of the urban planning process. It’s a big, fun episode! You can view the Show Notes + related content on our website at IsntThatSpatial.net!

We often think of our cities and towns as their own entities in control of what they do, and for a good part history they have been. On this episode, we're going to look at how emerging tensions with states and the erosion of Local Control has been playing out in our communities and impacting spatial issues including the environment, economic development, and social issues. You can view the Show Notes of this episode and related content on our website at IsntThatSpatial.net!

There are countless miles of hidden tunnels under our feet that we don't really think about. In this episode of Isn't That Spatial, we're going underground to discover the tunnels - from the little-known to the downright mysterious - in our cities and towns. Who knows what's hiding down there! You can view our Show Notes + related content on our website at IsntThatSpatial.net!