Listen: How the YIMBYs won
My event with Anya Martin (with a brief cameo from Chris Curtis MP!)
On Tuesday evening I had the pleasure of hosting Anya Martin, former director of Yes-in-my-back-yard campaign group PricedOut, at my latest live event – which I mischievously titled “How the YIMBYs won”.
I’m very pleased to be able to share the recording of the first part of the evening on here too. I spoke to Anya about the scale of the housing crisis, and how it was that a relatively small movement was able to seize the political agenda, and change the conversation in Westminster. We got into the internal politics of the movement, how to manage the YIMBY coalition – and what still needs to change with the Planning Bill.
Plus! If that’s not all, the event was kicked off by surprise special guest Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North, who having already recently appeared on my podcast, apparently had not had enough of the O’Malley Content Universe – and gave a short, rousing speech, celebrating the success of what the YIMBYs have done, and explaining why right now is our moment.
So please do have a listen. I also recommend reading Anya’s brilliance pieces for Works in Progress, on what Houston is doing right – and on the bogeyman of gentrification.
And finally, I haven’t yet got my next event planned – life is busy! – but please do let me know in the comments if you have any ideas for future guests/topics that fit within my content wheelhouse, as I love doing these events. (If you came along last night – thanks again for coming!)
(Sorry for the delay on this week’s major essay, it has been that sort of week, but I’m hoping to have something out either tomorrow or over the weekend.)