Guns, Hot Cities, Parks and Safety, Forest Management

Seeking a Way Forward on Gun Violence Guest: Peter Ambler, Executive Director, Giffords “Mentally-ill monsters” is how President Donald Trump described mass shooters in his address to the nation Monday. In comments to the reporters before boarding Air Force One to visit El Paso and Dayton on Wednesday, he reiterated that this is a problem of mental illness and that he supports background checks to prevent “mentally unstable people or people with rage or hate” from getting guns. The President also said he thinks there’s “very strong appetite” to get a background check law passed. That’s one of the measures backed by Giffords, a non-profit focused on preventing gun violence. Why Heat Waves Are Even Worse in Big Cities Guest: Nicholas Rajkovich, Assistant Professor of Architecture, University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning When the weather app on your phone says it’s 96 degrees, that may not be exactly true where you’re standing. If you’re under a tree in a park it’ll quite a bit cooler than standing in the middle of a parking lot at a strip mall. And cities, in general, tend to be several degrees hotter than outlying rural areas. As temperatures get hotter, some cities are rethinking how they deal with heat, including better design.  The Complicated Relationship Between City Parks and Crime Rates Guest: Lincoln Larson, Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions in the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, North Carolina State University If you have the choice between a park and an empty lot in your neighborhood, you’d choose a park, wouldn’t you? And if the choice was between a park or a business of some sort –you’d probably also choose the park. But somewhere in the back of your mind, would you be just a tiny bit worried that the park would become a magnet for drugs or homeless camping? A park can be a blessing or a curse for a neighborhood –depending on how well it’s designed and maintained. Apple Seed Guest: Sam Payne Sam brings his guitar and tells a summertime story from his fam