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.
Streetsblog USA
Talking Headways Podcast: Critiquing the Language of Planners
By Jeff Wood
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog Los Angeles
Dear Streetsblog Readers…
Even though we’re still a small team, Streetsblog L.A. punches above its weight in the depth, quality, and volume of its content.
December 23, 2025
Watch Nick Andert’s 2025 So Cal Transit Update Video
Get up to speed on what has been happening, and what transit riders can expect in the coming decades
December 22, 2025
SGV Connect 144: Annual AMA with Foothill Transit
It's the most wonderful podcast of the year
December 19, 2025
Friday Round-Up: Speed Cameras, River Path, Memorial Crosswalk, and More
Metro releases L.A. River path draft plan for comment, "large asphalt repair" video, crosswalk memorial, and speed camera programs coming soon to Glendale and Long Beach
December 19, 2025
