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 controls - The ideas behind the YIMBY movement - Housing, affordability, and displacement - Whether abundance creates belonging - Rethinking suburbs and neighborhood identity - What makes a place feel like home