Episode 2029: How to House America?
How to deal the American crisis of homelessness? Late last year, Kevin Adler, the San Francisco based homeless activist and author of When We Walk By, came on the show to argue that we should all personally interact with the unhoused. Alexander Gorlin, an award winning architect, and Victoria Newhouse, an architectural historian, look at the problem in a more traditionally top-down manner. Co-editors of the new Housing the Nation: Social Equity, Architecture and the Future of Affordable Housing, their focus is on building more affordable homes for the unhoused, financed both through the public and private sectors. In contrast with Kevin Adler, who wants us to befriend the homeless, the upperclass Manhattanites Gorlin and Newhouse see the solution in conventionally political rather than personal terms. Neither of them see the problem as one of the American capitalist system itself which might not be surprising since they are both products and beneficiaries of this system.
Alexander Gorlin is an architect, scholar, critic, and a leader in the design of affordable housing. Alexander Gorlin Architects are the recipients of the 2023 Best Downstate Residence of the Year award from the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH).Victoria Newhouse is author of Rizzoli’s Parks of the 21st Century: Reinvented Landscapes, Reclaimed Territories.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
Trump-Epstein: Jason Pack on the Axis of Disorder
Stuck, Stuck, Stuck, Stuck: Maya Kornberg on Congress as a Four-Alarm Fire
No, It's Not Only Social Media: Ross Greene on Why Our Kids Aren't Okay
Fresh Hell at 3 AM: Peter Bale on the View of America From Down Under
Different Minds Are Great: David Oppenheimer on the Diversity Principle
The Silicon Gods Must Have Their Blood: How Public Venture Capital Might Kill Venture Capitalism
The Dangerous Myth of Neutrality Brian Soucek on Why Universities Should Take Sides
Progressive Populism Prevails: Charles Derber on How to Fight the Oligarchy
He Was Somebody: David Masciotra Remembers Jesse Jackson
Books Are Dying (Again): Bethanne Patrick on the Enshittification of the Book Biz
Protesting the Protesters: Bruce Robbins on the Protests over Vietnam, Gaza and Minneapolis
Mercy Costs Money: Emily Galvin Almanza on the Price of Criminal Justice in America
Two Years Till We're Cooked: The Death of White Collar Work and Other Human Things