The Second Studio Podcast: Interview with Andrés Duany

The Second Studio (formerly The Midnight Charette) is an explicit podcast about design, architecture, and the everyday. Hosted by Architects David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, it features different creative professionals in unscripted conversations that allow for thoughtful takes and personal discussions.

A variety of subjects are covered with honesty and humor: some episodes are interviews, while others are tips for fellow designers, reviews of buildings and other projects, or casual explorations of everyday life and design. The Second Studio is also available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.

This week David and Marina are joined by Architect Andrés Duany, FAIA, CNU, one of the founders of the Congress for the New Urbanism to discuss new urbanism; his appearance on the Tucker Carlson Fox show; the importance of understanding an audience; Seaside, Florida and how it embodies principles of new urbanism; the current state of architecture; and more.

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Highlights & Timestamps

Andrés’ appearance on the Tucker Carlson Show (00:00)

To actually be in front of four-and-a-half million people who think you’re trying to take the country over, now, that is cool! And that’s useful. So, yes, of course, I would accept [the invitation]. It’s exactly who we should be speaking to. It’s the people who think that we’re against them, and we’re actually not. (02:56)

The importance of understanding an audience (04:23)

If I don’t lose two-thirds of the audience before I’m done, I haven’t actually made anything or said anything of value. […] You have to lose two-thirds of the audience and that’s the best test you have [to see] that you’ve actually said something that’s of tremendous value and innovation because people say, “No, no! This is not what I believe already. He’s so full of shit. It’s not what I read.” And so I fully intend to help you lose two-thirds of your audience. (19:26)

How Architecture is received by different people (21:09)

The story behind Seaside, Florida (37:31)

New Urbanism (50:53)

It’s an American pragmatic movement based at the scale of urbanism, about whatever works best in the long run. So our new urbanist communities are hybrids, all of them are hybrids. For example, they have streets that are the old way because they’re less expensive and they’re more pleasant and more walkable. They have an urban pattern which is much more mixed use. So the 50% of America who doesn’t drive—that includes children, the people who don’t have enough money to own a car, and the old people who don’t drive—they have access to everything [in new urbanism towns]. Right now [in most cities], only 50% of America does. It’s inaccessible. (51:42)

The relevancy of old urban concepts and theories (01:17:14)

Getting the opportunities to design urban-scale projects (01:34:22)

Check out The Second Studio Podcast’s previous editions.