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Realtopia - Real Estate for Teens: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Naomi Cohen
Hello everyone! My name is Naomi Cohen and I created Realtopia; the first podcast about real estate for teenagers by teenagers. Each episode will introduce you to someone amazing from the industry— from an interior designer who's transforming ugly spaces into lively homes, to an investor who's building dream houses. They'll share their stories, tips, and, of course, their secrets.So, whether you're here to explore a future job in real estate or just for some fun facts to impress your friends, there's something in Realtopia for everyone! 🚀
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 6 days ago22 min
Episode 17: Ethan Kent (PlacemakingX) — How Placemaking Creates Belonging
What turns a space into a place — and can belonging actually be designed? Naomi sits down with Ethan Kent, Executive Director and co-founder of PlacemakingX, a global network of more than 1,500 placemakers in over 85 countries. Before that, Ethan spent more than 20 years at Project for Public Spaces and has worked in and studied places across more than 1,000 cities around the world. From the cheap beach chairs that helped transform Times Square to markets, main streets, and neighborhood gathering places, Ethan explains why great places are built around purpose, meaning, and people — not just architecture. They discuss why sociability may be the most important measure of a public space, why cities should aim to be lovable rather than simply livable, and why successful placemaking starts with life first, then space, then buildings. In this episode:What turns a space into a placeHow beach chairs helped transform Times SquareWhy sociability matters more than beautiful designThe Power of 10 and why people need reasons to stayWhy “lovable” may matter more than “livable”Place-led development vs. “place taking”Why physical design can create the potential for belonging, but not belonging itselfWhy teenagers have been designed out of many citiesA conversation about how people shape places — and how places, in turn, shape community. Realtopia is hosted by Naomi Cohen.
- Aug 9, 202619 min
Episode 16: Charles Montgomery (Author) — Happy Cities, Trust & the Design of Belonging
Can the places we live actually make us trust each other more?Naomi sits down with Charles Montgomery — journalist, author of Happy City, founder of Happy Cities, and author of the new book The Trust Experiments: Rebuilding Connection in a World Designed to Divide Us.More than a decade after Happy City, Charles explores how cities shape not just our happiness, but our relationships with one another — and why housing, public spaces, screens, transportation, and even the people we encounter every day can influence whether we feel connected or alone.In this episode:• How cities shape happiness and belonging• Why affordability affects connection• Density, housing and the right social scale• How screens and cities can deepen isolation• Why public spaces can build social trust• How young people can help reshape their citiesA conversation about a simple but powerful idea: the places we build shape the relationships we build.
- Jun 22, 202624 min
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
- Jun 8, 202628 min
Episode 14: Prof. Greg Clark (Advisor to 400+ Cities) — Cracking the DNA of Great Cities
Why does one city feel instantly recognizable while another could be almost anywhere? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Professor Greg Clark — advisor to more than 400 cities across six continents, author, and co-host of The DNA of Cities — to explore what gives places their identity and why the most successful cities of the future may not be the ones that grow fastest, but the ones that become more fully themselves. Together, they unpack the idea of a city’s DNA — the combination of inherited geography, historical choices, culture, institutions, and new adaptations that shape how places evolve. The conversation moves from global competition to local belonging, asking a bigger question: How do we build cities people can actually imagine staying in? In this episode:The DNA of a city: endowed, inherited, and acquired traitsWhy global sameness is the great risk to citiesTurin and the cities that defy their reputationBuilding a belonging index: social capital and the social contractAffordability vs. global competitiveness and the case for 50% affordable housingClimate, AI, and the just transition
- Jun 8, 202620 min
Episode 13: Dr. Toby Israel (Founder of Design Psychology) — Decoding the Hidden Psychology of Home
Why do some spaces instantly feel right — while others never quite do? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Dr. Toby Israel — environmental psychologist, founder of Design Psychology, and author of Some Place Like Home and Designing Women's Lives — to explore how our earliest experiences of place quietly shape the homes we choose, the spaces we create, and even what makes us feel like we belong. Together, they unpack the idea of an environmental autobiography: the hidden story of childhood places, family environments, and memories that can still influence our design choices decades later. Instead of asking what makes a place beautiful, this conversation asks a different question: what makes a place feel like yours? In this episode:What Design Psychology is — and why psychology can become the primary design toolEnvironmental autobiography and the idea of an environmental family treeWhy people often recreate — or reject — the homes they grew up inHow unconscious place memories shape layouts, colors, and objectsWhether Pinterest, algorithms, and AI are disconnecting us from real preferencesHow renters can still personalize temporary spacesWhat traditional “belonging” metrics may miss about emotional experience of placeWhy two people can experience the exact same place completely differently
- Apr 24, 202621 min
Episode 12: Prof. Marc Norman (Associate Dean of NYU Schack) — Solving the Homeownership Crisis
What if the housing crisis isn’t just about prices — but about a century of rules that quietly erased some of the most affordable ways people used to live? In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi speaks with Professor Marc Norman, Associate Dean of NYU Schack, about what’s broken in the housing system — and what it would take to fix it. Marc explains why affordable housing is often misunderstood, how postwar zoning rules made duplexes, fourplexes, and other “missing middle” housing nearly illegal, and why those choices helped shape today’s homeownership crisis. They explore new ideas like neighborhood REITs, community wealth building, and shared ownership models that could broaden access to real estate wealth. The conversation also examines gentrification and displacement, the role of community development finance, why affordability and beauty are not a trade-off, and how reforms like California upzoning and New York’s City of Yes may be reopening possibilities. One of the episode’s most original moments comes when Naomi asks Marc what a Belonging Index might include — leading to a discussion about walkability, freedom from car dependence, and whether a neighborhood gives people real choices as life changes. They close with a message for younger generations who feel locked out of ownership: housing is not only shaped by markets, but by people who show up. They discuss:• The hidden history behind the homeownership crisis• Missing-middle housing and zoning reform• Neighborhood REITs, co-ops, and community wealth building• Gentrification, displacement, and protecting vulnerable residents• Walkability, belonging, and the idea of a Belonging Index• Why civic engagement can shape what gets built
- Apr 9, 202624 min
Episode 11: Dr. Colin Ellard (University of Waterloo, Author) — The Psychology of Home
In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi sits down with Dr. Colin Ellard, professor at the University of Waterloo and author of Places of the Heart, to explore how the spaces around us shape our emotions, behavior, and sense of belonging. From city streets to living rooms, Dr. Ellard explains how our environment directly impacts our brains—sometimes in ways we don’t even notice. The conversation dives into the science of psychogeography, revealing how design choices like building facades, density, and access to nature can influence mood, stress, and even long-term health.They discuss:What psychogeography is and how scientists measure our reactions to spaceWhy “blank” buildings can create boredom and affect mental healthWhat truly makes a place feel like home beyond just physical designHow housing types—from high-rises to neighborhoods—shape connection and lonelinessThe role of autonomy and personal space, especially for teenagersHow to measure belonging through real-world indicators of community
- Apr 9, 202626 min
Episode 10: Majora Carter (Princeton University, TED Speaker) — Regenerative Cities
In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi speaks with Majora Carter about urban revitalization, environmental justice, and what it takes to build communities where residents can stay and thrive.Drawing from her experience in the South Bronx, Majora shares a powerful perspective on rebuilding neighborhoods from within. The conversation explores how perception shapes opportunity, the difference between regenerative and extractive development, and why creating real economic pathways within communities is essential.They discuss:What urban revitalization looks like when it truly improves people’s livesThe difference between regenerative and extractive developmentHow perception influences investment and opportunity in neighborhoodsWhy “third spaces” are critical for building community and belongingStrategies to support underserved communities without driving displacementThe importance of mixed-income neighborhoods and deconcentrating povertyThis episode offers a thoughtful look at the future of cities—not just how they are built, but how they function, who they serve, and what it means to create places where people truly belong.This episode offers a thoughtful look at the future of cities—not just how they are built, but how they function, who they serve, and what it means to create places where people truly belong.
About Realtopia - Real Estate for Teens
Hello everyone! My name is Naomi Cohen and I created Realtopia; the first podcast about real estate for teenagers by teenagers. Each episode will introduce you to someone amazing from the industry— from an interior designer who's transforming ugly spaces into lively homes, to an investor who's building dream houses. They'll share their stories, tips, and, of course, their secrets.So, whether you're here to explore a future job in real estate or just for some fun facts to impress your friends, there's something in Realtopia for everyone! 🚀
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