Recent graduate Andrea Mauk is from the historic mining town of Clifton, Arizona, just a few miles from the largest copper mine in the United States. Like many rural communities it has an aging and deteriorating housing stock, and its workforce is increasingly priced out of homeownership. In this episode, Willa Seidenberg talks to Andrea about her thesis, Old and Improved: Exploring the Use of a Community Land Trust to Rehabilitate Historic Rural Housing. It explores whether a Community Land Trust (CLT) model could serve as a mechanism for preservation, affordability, and community empowerment in Clifton. We hear about the popularity of mining town tourism and how a CLT can be tailored to meet the housing needs of Clifton.

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On December 5, USC hosts the Soak It Up conference, exploring "landscape architecture’s leadership role in addressing critical urban flooding and water management." We thought it fitting to revisit our 2024 conversation with alumna Leslie Dinkin, who earned dual degrees in heritage conservation and landscape architecture. Her award-winning master’s thesis, Heritage in Practice: A Study of Two Urban Rivers, explores how and why the Los Angeles and San Antonio Rivers took such different courses in the development of their respective cities.

In addition to comparing their histories, Leslie walked nearly sixty miles along both rivers. She documented the experience through her written reflections and hundreds of photos by Rio (yes, Rio) Asch Phoenix. In the episode, she shares stories, insights, and part of her conversation with Char Miller, Director of Environmental Analysis and W. M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis and History at Pomona College.

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Much has changed since we spoke with alumna Dalia Mokayed in 2020 about her thesis, Heritage Conservation to Rebuild Cities After Crisis. Yet wars worldwide continue to decimate countries, communities, and cultures. In her thesis, Dalia examined her hometown of Aleppo, Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Years before the fall of Assad in 2024, Dalia shared her invaluable perspective on the effects of war on heritage and identity, and how heritage conservation can help cities and communities rebuild. Her optimistic take on a devastating situation still offers hope and inspiration.

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