Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Realtopia - Real Estate for Teens

Can something as personal as loving where you live actually be measured?

Naomi sits down with Dr. Katherine Loflin, known as The City Doctor and a pioneer of place science. At the Knight Foundation, Katherine led the Soul of the Community study with Gallup — three years of research across 26 communities and more than 40,000 interviews asking two deceptively simple questions: What makes people love where they live, and why does it matter? 

The results were remarkably consistent. The strongest drivers of attachment were not jobs, schools, or basic services, but three softer qualities: social offerings, aesthetics, and openness. And communities with higher attachment also showed stronger local economic growth. Katherine explains the behaviors behind that connection: people who love where they live tend to spend more time there, invest more locally, invite others in, buy homes, start businesses, and put down roots. 

Naomi and Katherine explore why something as emotional as feeling welcome can be influenced by very physical things — sidewalks, bike safety, transportation, affordability — and what Miami taught researchers about the gap between how a place actually performs and how people perceive it.

They also discuss why city rankings can never fully tell you where you will feel at home, how local history and storytelling can deepen attachment, how COVID changed the role of social connection, and why young people may need to “date” different places before deciding where they belong. 

In this episode:

• What the Soul of the Community study discovered about loving where you live
• Why social offerings, aesthetics, and openness matter so much
• How attachment can translate into local economic activity
• Why sidewalks, bike safety, and affordability can signal whether people are welcome
• What Miami revealed about perception versus reality
• Why a city can check every box and still not feel like home
• How stories and local history can create attachment
• What COVID taught us about social capital
• Why young people are “dating” their cities — and what might make them stay

A conversation about the science behind loving a place — and the limits of trying to capture that feeling in a number.

Realtopia is hosted by Naomi Cohen.

Can you learn to love where you live — or are some places simply a better fit than others?

Naomi sits down with Melody Warnick, journalist and author of This Is Where You Belong and If You Could Live Anywhere. After moving six times by her mid-30s, Melody arrived in Blacksburg, Virginia — and initially wanted to leave. Instead, she began experimenting with what researchers call place attachment: the feeling of being deeply at home where you live.

She tried walking more, buying local, meeting neighbors, volunteering, exploring nature, and becoming a regular at a local restaurant — an experiment that completely failed. Over time, those small efforts changed how she experienced her town.

Naomi and Melody explore why social connection, openness, and the way a place looks matter so much; why simply knowing your neighbors can create trust; and why sidewalks, cafés, parks, events, murals, and even front porches can create opportunities for belonging.

They also ask a harder question: how much of belonging comes from the place, and how much comes from what we choose to do with it? And if you could live anywhere, should you search for the “best” place — or the place that fits you best?

In this episode:

• What place attachment is — and why it matters
• The experiments that helped Melody learn to love Blacksburg
• Why knowing your neighbors builds trust and belonging
• How much belonging comes from you vs. the place itself
• Why murals, events, porches, and other “love notes” reveal attachment
• How to choose where to live when you really can live anywhere

A conversation about turning somewhere you live into somewhere that feels like home.
Realtopia is hosted by Naomi Cohen.

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 place
• How beach chairs helped transform Times Square
• Why sociability matters more than beautiful design
• The Power of 10 and why people need reasons to stay
• Why “lovable” may matter more than “livable”
• Place-led development vs. “place taking”
• Why physical design can create the potential for belonging, but not belonging itself
• Why teenagers have been designed out of many cities

A conversation about how people shape places — and how places, in turn, shape community. Realtopia is hosted by Naomi Cohen.

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 cities

A conversation about a simple but powerful idea: the places we build shape the relationships we build.

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

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 traits
• Why global sameness is the great risk to cities
• Turin and the cities that defy their reputation
• Building a belonging index: social capital and the social contract
• Affordability vs. global competitiveness and the case for 50% affordable housing
• Climate, AI, and the just transition

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 tool
• Environmental autobiography and the idea of an environmental family tree
• Why people often recreate — or reject — the homes they grew up in
• How unconscious place memories shape layouts, colors, and objects
• Whether Pinterest, algorithms, and AI are disconnecting us from real preferences
• How renters can still personalize temporary spaces
• What traditional “belonging” metrics may miss about emotional experience of place
• Why two people can experience the exact same place completely differently

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

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 space
• Why “blank” buildings can create boredom and affect mental health
• What truly makes a place feel like home beyond just physical design
• How housing types—from high-rises to neighborhoods—shape connection and loneliness
• The role of autonomy and personal space, especially for teenagers
• How to measure belonging through real-world indicators of community

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 lives
• The difference between regenerative and extractive development
• How perception influences investment and opportunity in neighborhoods
• Why “third spaces” are critical for building community and belonging
• Strategies to support underserved communities without driving displacement
• The importance of mixed-income neighborhoods and deconcentrating poverty

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.

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.

In this episode of Realtopia, Naomi speaks with Carlos Moreno, creator of the 15-minute city, about how cities can be redesigned around people, proximity, and everyday life.

From his early work in technology to his shift toward a more human-centered vision of cities, Carlos explains why the future of urban living depends less on infrastructure and more on accessibility, local services, and quality of life. The conversation explores how cities can address climate change, social inequality, and disconnection by rethinking how neighborhoods are organized.

They discuss:

• What the 15-minute city is and the problems it aims to solve
• Why proximity matters more than ownership in how people experience cities
• How cities can reduce car dependency and shift toward “happy proximity”
• The role of public spaces, local services, and walkability in building belonging
• Why zoning, habits, and political will are key barriers to change
• How different populations (kids, families, elderly) have different needs in urban planning
• The growing role of younger generations in reshaping cities and lifestyles

This episode offers a forward-looking perspective on the future of cities—one where time, access, and human connection are at the center of how we design and live in our neighborhoods.

What if you could invest in real estate the same way you buy shares in a company?

In this episode, I talk with Jerry Chu, founder of Lofty, about real estate tokenization — a new way of buying and owning property through digital shares.
We break down how it works, how it’s different from traditional real estate investing, and why some people believe it could make real estate more accessible to a wider group of investors. 
We also talk about the risks, the role of blockchain, and what still needs to happen for this to become more mainstream.

If you’ve ever wondered how technology might change the way people invest in property, this episode is a great place to start.

What if your home could move with you?

This week I'm talking to Eli Rouimi, founder of Plad Homes — a company that's completely rethinking how homes are designed, built, and owned.

We get into modular and prefab housing, and why it might be one of the most realistic solutions to the affordability crisis that nobody is talking about enough.

We dig into what a modular home actually is (and what people get wrong about them), whether you could someday own your home but lease the land and take it with you when you move, and what zoning laws are doing to slow all of this down.

Eli also talks about real projects where modular construction changed everything, where he thinks housing is headed in 20 to 30 years, and what teens interested in real estate or entrepreneurship should start learning now.

🎙️ Realtopia | Episode 7 | Season 2: The Blueprint for Tomorrow

What does it take to shape a skyline — and what responsibility comes with it?

This week I sat down with Kobi Karp, one of the most recognized architects in the world, whose projects span over $120 billion in iconic buildings across South Florida and beyond.

But this conversation goes way deeper than design. We talked about the housing affordability crisis and why it keeps getting worse. We got into AI and how it's already changing the way architects think about buildings. We debated zoning laws that might actually be making things worse, and we explored wild but realistic ideas — like modular homes you could own and take with you as your life changes.

Kobi also got real about what it was like when he was a teenager, what drives him, and what he hopes people say about his work long after the buildings are built.

If you've ever looked at a city and wondered why it looks the way it does — or whether it could be different — this episode is for you.

🎙️ Realtopia | Episode 6 | Season 2: The Blueprint for Tomorrow

Realtopia | Season 2 Trailer — "The Blueprint for Tomorrow"

Two years ago, I was a 12-year-old with a microphone and way too many questions about how houses got bought and sold. Now I'm in 9th grade — and honestly? The questions got bigger.

Housing is unaffordable. Cities are overcrowded. The planet is warming. And everyone keeps talking about these problems like teenagers aren't the ones who are going to have to actually solve them.
So this season, we're not just watching the market. We're here to disrupt it.

Season 2 of Realtopia is a completely new level. I'm sitting down with the real architects of tomorrow — people like world-renowned designer Kobi Karp and modular housing innovators Plad Homes — asking the hard questions that the industry isn't used to hearing from someone my age. Plus, I've got some surprises lined up that are going to challenge everything you think you know about buildings and cities.

We're going deep on the Home Affordability Crisis, zoning laws, sustainability, and what the City of Tomorrow actually needs to look like. Not to complain — but to build something better. If you're a teen trying to make sense of the economy, or a professional curious what the next generation is actually thinking… this is your show.

I'm Naomi. This is the new era of Realtopia. Season Two starts now — subscribe so you don't get left behind. 

🎙️ Realtopia | Season 2 | Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

In this Episode of Realtopia, we're diving into the exciting world of architecture. Our guest is Ruben Jimenez, architect and owner of R-Method. Ruben has over 25 years of experience in the Design and Architecture field, working in different firms in Los Angeles, California and in South East Florida, before founding his own studio. In this episode, Ruben tells us a lot about what it means to be an architect, his experience and stories and his best advice to become one!

Hello everyone. In today’s episode of Realtopia, I am interviewing Leon Azicri of Universal Group, a General Contractor, also called “Builder” in Miami. Leon is more than a contractor; he is also an engineer and understands a lot about what it takes to build different kinds of real estate buildings.
And the best part: he once built Jennifer Lopez's house!

In this episode, Leon tells us all about what it means to be a General Contractor and gives us his best insights.

Welcome back to Realtopia, the podcast for teenagers where we explore the real estate industry. Today, I’m happy to be joined by Michael Young, a real estate investor in Miami Beach, known for his luxury home developments and house renovations. Michael has a lot to teach us about how to buy land, build luxury houses and sell them! A great lesson on how to invest in real estate for all of us.

Welcome, Realtopians! Today, we're diving into the exciting world of real estate agencies with the amazing Jennifer Rosenfeld, a real estate agent with Sheridan Realty in Miami Beach. Jennifer tells us all about being a real estate agent and her experiences. She has a lot of interesting stories to tell and lots of good advice for us teenagers! I am sure you will be inspired!

In today’s episode of Realtopia, we dive into the world of interior design. 
Think about colors, textures, aesthetics but also functionality!
Our guest is Stephanie Perez from SHD Studio. She is a successful entrepreneur who designs dream houses in Miami. She is known for creating memorable, warm, loving spaces that reflect her clients personalities.

Realtopia is the first podcast about real estate for teenagers by teenagers! Each episode will introduce you to someone amazing from the industry—be it an interior designer who's transforming spaces into lively homes, or an investor who's building tiny apartments. 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!