Category Archives: Zoning

Robert Stark interviews Peter Nimitz about LA

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Beverly Hills, Black Lives Matter, Brno, Calexit, California, China, Cities, Class, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, Czech Republic, demographics, Diversity, Donald Trump, Economics, education, Elections, energy, Environment, gentrification, Global Warming, Hollywood, Immigration, income inequality, India, Iran, Islam, Joe Biden, Los Angeles, Mass Transit, Mexico, Middle Class, Mormonism, Moscow, Nagorno-Karabakh War, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Peter Nimitz, Pilleater, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Republican Party, Russia, Skyscrapers, social capital, technology, Ukraine, Urbanism, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to San Fernando Valley based commentator, Peter Nimitz about the demographics, culture, economy and politics of the Los Angeles region from the perspective of a transplant. Check out Peter’s interview about the Russian Revolution and follow him on Twitter.

Topics:

LA’s class structure
City-Data Forum thread on demographic trends of the past decade by city
Immigrant groups in the LA region, including from Mexico, China, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Armenia, various European nations, and more recent community from Uzbekistan
Industry in LA, including entertainment, aerospace, tech, and shipping
Unique LA tropes/archetypes
Contrasting communities that have strong patronage networks with those that are more atomized
Poll on hypothetical proposal to base immigration on a local level
America’s neo-tribal future
The Double Horseshoe Theory of Class Politics and how that impacts how different demographic groups align politically
Crucial California issues of housing (YIMBYism), energy, water, and infrastructure being neglected by a one party state focused on national issues and a GOP that’s out of touch with younger voters and urban concerns
The degree to which LA’s post pandemic exodus and urban decay is overhyped
New urban development in LA (ex. futuristic complex planned in Beverly Hills) and metro expansions
The debate about education reform,

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram,  Stark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson


Round Table Discussion on Urbanist Trends for the 2020s

Adam Mayer, aesthetics, Architecture, California, Cities, coronavirus, Culture, DECAY, Economics, John C. Portman Jr, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Malls, Mass Transit, New Urbanism, New York, Oregon, Portland, Postmodernism, Reno, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, Urbanism, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark is joined with San Francisco based architect, Adam Mayer, and Oregon based urbanist commentator, D E C A Y, to discuss urbanist trends that we can expect to see as a result of the pandemic and economic transformation this year.

Topics:

Whether the outdoor dining trend is permanent
The Retail apocalypse, with a decline in small businesses and foot traffic
The remote work exodus and The Rise of Work-From-Home Towns
How the urban exodus could be beneficial for the creative class
Interior Urbanism as a reaction to urban decay
Why we will see less skyscrapers and mega projects in the 2020s
The new suburbanism: learning from past mistakes by Retrofitting Suburbia
Ski Lodge urbanism: rustic charm with urban amenities
The Missing Middle trend
The need for pragmatic zoning reform, political polarization of the issue, and why YIMBYs sometimes push too far
Dead malls being re-purposed(ex. Horton Plaza)
Why Every City Feels the Same Now: Glass-and-steel monoliths replaced local architecture
Whether we’ll see a shift away from 2010s minimalism towards a regional kitsch aesthetic(ex. Rustic Industrial)
Building fire resilient communities
Whether mass transit will remain viable and Kamala Harris’ husband’s involvement in a NIMBY lawsuit to stop the subway under Beverly Hills
Conclusion that we will see a population and economic shift to 2nd tier cities but not the total demise of cities
Adam’s upcoming blog on missing middle infill

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter,  Instagram, and Stark Truth TV


Robert Stark talks about the symbolic vs. material causes of our Nation’s political turmoil

2020 Riots, aesthetics, Alt Center, American Culture, Architecture, Baby Boomers, Bernie Sanders, Black Lives Matter, capitalism, censorship, Cities, Class, Corporations, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, income inequality, Joe Biden, Joel Kotkin, Leftism, Los Angeles, Marxism, materialism, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Middle Class, Millennials, Morality, Neoliberalism, New Urbanism, New York, Political Correctness, Politics, Race Relations, Radical Center, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, social capital, Socialism, Suburbia, SWPL, Urbanism, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark is joined with Matt Pegan to discuss issues relating to Robert’s Unz Review article, The Real Wealth Gap:
The intergenerational wealth gap, the housing crisis, and how “BLM vs. MAGA” poisons the discussion on every issue.

Topics:

The material vs. symbolic factors of our current political turmoil
The material based critique of woke ideology and limitations of a purely material based outlook
Comparing data on the racial wealth gap with the generational wealth gap
Millennials’ screwed economic status, the appeal of Bernie’s campaign, and an overall failure to invest in future generations
More on the motivation of corporate support for woke causes
The iconoclastic nature of neoliberalism to erase history and conceal power
Political symbolism in architecture(ex. statues, skyscrapers, single family homes, and public spaces)
Christopher Lasch’s The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy
Fox News host Lara Logan compares up-zoning to agenda of Antifa
Woke urbanist thought vs. the material benefits of YIMBY polices for millennials
Whether this new generation of urban flight to the suburbs will sustain the power of Woke neoliberalism

 

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram


Robert Stark interviews Rich Houck

1980's, aesthetics, American Culture, Animal Cruelty, animals, Archeofuturism, Architecture, arcology, Art, Cities, Class, Communism, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, demographics, Diversity, Economics, education, Environment, Fascism, Futurism, gentrification, Historic Preservation, Immigration, income inequality, Japanese Culture, Journey to Vapor Island, Los Angeles, Malls, Mental illness, Nationalism, Neoliberalism, Neon, New Urbanism, New York, Philadelphia, Photography, Political Correctness, Politics, Psychology, Retro Futurism, Rich Houck, Robert Putnam, San Francisco, Skyscrapers, social capital, Social Isolation, social trust, Toronto, Traditionalism, Urbanism, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Rich Houck about urbanism, aesthetics, and the need for social capital. Rich is a recent law school grad and you can check out his blog on Patreon and his Twitter account.

Topics:

Rich’s interest in photography
Rich’s patronage of independent artists
Interest in both traditional and Retro-Futurist aesthetics
Neon nationalism: reclaiming the future we should have had
80s nostalgia: the 80s as a going away party
The Last Mall Rat OR The Decline and Transformation of The American Mall
The importance of communal spaces, whether it’s Interior Urbanism or a traditional village space
How urban planning models and density relate to social cohesion
Does Diversity Create Distrust?
Crime prevention through environmental design and A New Way of Understanding ‘Eyes on the Street‘ 
Impression of San Francisco, how it could have been an American Paris with a uniquely American European aesthetic
The spring COVID-19 took from me
How the pandemic is exposing a wide range of problems from open borders to factory farming
Robert’s novel Journey to Vapor Island’s lesson about taking the best from all sides
Symbolism of the Neon-Raccoon

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark & Brandon Adamsom talk about Predictions for the 2020’s

aesthetics, Alt Center, American Culture, Andrew Yang, Architecture, arcology, automation, Basic Income, Brandon Adamson, Culture, DECAY, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Elections, Futurism, Globalization, Hipsters, Immigration, Imperialism, income inequality, Iran, Mass Transit, Media, Middle Class, Middle East, Millennials, Oligarchy, Overpopulation, Political Correctness, Political Parties, Politics, technology, The Black Pill, Urbanism, Utopia, War, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Brandon Adamson discuss their predictions for the next decade. Check out Brandon’s predictions on Twitter.

Topics:

The conflict with Iran, low probability of outright war, but continuation of foreign policy status quo under Trump
Prediction that Trump won’t be re-elected due to demographic change and lack of energy among intelligent online activists
Prediction that woke culture will become even more insane
Prediction that people won’t wake up in numbers to enact any significant change and in fact will get used to a lower standard of living
Woke urbanist vs. NIMBYs, and regular millennials getting screwed from both sides
The gig economy
The home delivery trend and it’s impact on urbanism
Micro apartments
Retrofitting Dead and Dying Suburban Malls
Self-contained cities
Decay’s urbanist predictions on Twitter
The stagnation of pop culture and how hipster culture has been superficially absorbed into pop culture
America existing in name only, with loyalty to tribes rather than abstract idea of America
The importance of being part of a small elite group rather than winning over the masses
American refugees will become a thing

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Mark Mollineaux about Georgism & Urbanism

aesthetics, Architecture, Class, Disneyland, Economics, Georgism, income inequality, Mark Mollineaux, Mass Transit, Middle Class, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Suburbia, Taxation, Urbanism, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Mark Mollineaux about Georgist economic theory and its implications on urbanism. Mark is the host of The Henry George Program hosted by Stanford University’s Radio. Follow the show on Twitter.

Topics:

Ideological roots of Georgist thought
Georgist view on property ownership
How to better incentivize efficient land usage
How Georgism can facilitate better urbanism and prevent sprawl
The difference between a land value tax and general property tax
How a land value tax relates to zoning regulation
Concerns for land foreclosures
The issue of the middle class being forced to invest all their income into real estate
The Singapore Land Authority
The concept of having a local currency tied to the cost of living
Bay Area Housing Crisis
Disneyland as an urban model

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks about Andrew Yang and the Post-Nationalist Future

Alt Center, Alternative Right, American Culture, Andrew Yang, Architecture, Asia, Asian Culture, automation, Basic Income, capitalism, China, Cities, Class, Conservatives, Corporations, Culture, decentralization, democracy, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Elections, Immigration, Incels, income inequality, Leftism, Liberalism, Mass Democracy, Matthew Pegas, Mental illness, Middle Class, Morality, Nationalism, NEETs, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Oligarchy, Personality Types, Political Correctness, Politics, Psychology, Race Relations, social capital, Social Isolation, Suburbia, Takimag, Urbanism, Wealth, welfare state, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas talk about Robert’s Takimag article Andrew Yang and the Post-Nationalist Future

Topics:

Yang’s objective is not to dismantle neo-liberalism but rather create a more humane version of it
Potential for cross pollination between right and left Yang supporters towards a dissident center
Trump’s failed last chance for American nationalism
Future political paradigm of neo-tribalism vs. enforced loyalty to mass society
How a UBI will lead to the formation of neo-tribes
Political campaigns as neuro-tribes
Pursuing one’s group interest as a minority in a Post-American future
How a UBI treats everyone equally, bypasses the middleman, and a step towards smart socialism
Unlike both capitalism and socialism, UBI is the only solution that is viable in an atomized society
How a social safety net combined with freedom of association is the only thing that can hold this nation together
Whether a UBI will solve issues such as declining birthrates and the sex recession
Yang Claims Universal Income Can Curb the Racism of His White Nationalist Fans
The personality of the technocratic engineer vs the lawyer in politics
Yang’s view of politics based on an understanding of psychology and human nature
Yang’s comment predicting anti-Asian violence which was taken out of context by conservatives
Materialist vs. idealist views on the roots of group-group violence
The UBI’s impact on class dynamics and danger of a neo-feudalist technocracy
Rethinking the American dream in terms of alternatives to the suburban home such as an arcology or self contained city
Whether smart socialism and urban renewal need a strong centralized state

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Marcus Ruiz Evans of Yes California

American Culture, Calexit, California, Cities, Conservatives, Conspiracy Theories, Culture, Donald Trump, Economics, Elections, Immigration, Imperialism, income inequality, Kamala Harris, Liberalism, Marcus Ruiz Evans, Mass Transit, Middle Class, Oligarchy, overdevelopment, Police State, Politics, Russia, Secessionism, Silicon Valley, Tulsi Gabbard, Urbanism, War, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marcus Ruiz Evans is President and Founder of Yes California, an initiative for California Secession. Check out Yes California on Twitter and Facebook.

Topics:

Robert and Marcus’ radio background on AM1680 and conspiracy theories about conservatives being behind Calexit
Marcus as one of the first to popularize California secession in his book California’s Next Century
The financial burden of the United States on California
California values
The impact of the election of Trump on Calexit and why he will win re-election
The Russian conspiracy theory about Calexit and anti-establishment candidate Tulsi Gabbard
Examples of California acting as an independent nation
The concern of California becoming a one party nation and the need for an alternative party such as the California National Party
Who moves to California? The wealthier and better educated, mostly
The housing crisis, need for infill growth rather than sprawl, and importance of investing in infrastructure
Immigration policy
The tech oligarchy and need for regulation
The legal precedent of secession and likelihood of America allowing it

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks about Andrew Yang’s Campaign for President

Alt Center, Alternative Left, Alternative Right, American Culture, Andrew Yang, Architecture, Art, automation, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, Brandon Adamson, capitalism, conformity, Conservatives, Corporations, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Elections, Freedom of Speech, Immigration, income inequality, Liberalism, Malls, Matthew Pegas, Memes, Nationalism, NEETs, Neoliberalism, Politics, Radical Center, Silicon Valley, social capital, Social Isolation, Social Justice Warriors, Suburbia, Tulsi Gabbard, Urbanism, Vaporwave, Wealth, welfare state, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, Matthew Pegas, and Brandon Adamson discuss Andrew Yang’s campaign for president in 2020.

Topics:

Brandon’s articles Yang Time! and Yangster’s Paradise
Brandon’s past support for Tulsi Gabbard and why Bernie Sanders is no longer the anti-establishment candidate
Andrew Yang’s unconventional coalition of Dissident Rightest, Radical Centrist, NEETs, Bernie Bros, and Leftist
Reasons for Trump supporters turning to Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang’s identity neutral agenda and context of comments on White demographic decline
Automation as inevitable and something we must adapt to
Trickle Up Economics in contrast to failed Trickle Down Economics
The importance of a basic income for artist and innovators
How a basic income will enable people to liberate themselves from society
Human centered capitalism that creates measurements around people
Whether the basic income will change the debate on immigration
Regulating Tech Companies to protect free speech
The Mall Act and Zoning issues

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island


Urbanist Lessons from Trip to the Southwest

aesthetics, American Culture, Architecture, arcology, Art Deco, California, capitalism, Cities, Class, Consumerism, Corporations, Culture, demographics, Disneyland, Donald Trump, Economics, Futurism, Grand Canyon, Hipsters, Historic Preservation, History, Las Vegas, Matthew Pegas, Mid-Century Modern, Middle Class, Mormonism, Neoliberalism, Neon, Photography, Politics, Postmodernism, Retro Futurism, Skyscrapers, social capital, social trust, Suburbia, Travel, Urbanism, Utah, Utopia, Wilderness, Zion National Park, Zoning

Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas discuss their trip last fall to Las Vegas(Vegas Strip and Downtown), The Grand Canyon, and Zion.

Topics:

Las Vegas as the quintessential Post Modernist City
Creating an other wordy aura that does not exist in mundane consumerism
Creating something noble or grandiose out of consumerism
Las Vegas as an economic rather than geographic concept
Nothing permanent because architecture only survives if profitable
Vintage Vegas and Neon Signage
Irony of historic preservationist dismissing architecture of value because it is a product of capitalism
The pros and cons of private zoning
Casino Resorts functioning as an arcology or self contained city
Theme parks as models for urbanism
The potential for an urban alternative to over priced West Coast Cities
St. George Utah, sprawl layout, and high trust homogeneous middle class demographic
Alt-Urbanist solutions that seek to recreate those attributes in an urban setting
Southern Utah and Northern Arizona as one of the most scenic and geologically diverse regions in the world

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island