Episode 7: Brian Larkin

Flint native and city planner, Brian Larkin, has played various roles within Flint’s city government in recent years. During our conversation, he talks about how years of deferred maintenance, poor management systems, and the state’s habit of balancing its books on the backs of its cities created a tipping point in Flint that led to the city’s water crisis. Brian discusses the impacts of racist systems and perspectives on the built environment, noting the importance of adequately identifying and addressing how these systems perpetuate the unequal distribution of resources in cities.  Brian also expresses the need for capacity-building investments and policy interventions that can meet the challenges facing cash-strapped cities over the long-term.