Episode 15: Nolan Gray (Research Director, California YIMBY) — How Zoning Shapes Cities, Housing, and Belonging

What if the reason your neighborhood looks the way it does — who lives there, what gets built, and how expensive it feels — isn't random?

In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Nolan Gray — city planner, Research Director at California YIMBY, and author of Arbitrary Lines — to unpack the invisible rules shaping our cities.

Together, they explore one of the biggest questions facing this generation: if we build more housing, do people actually feel more connected to where they live?

In this episode:

What zoning really controlsThe ideas behind the YIMBY movementHousing, affordability, and displacementWhether abundance creates belongingRethinking suburbs and neighborhood identityWhat makes a place feel like home