Rephonic
Artwork for Blue City Blues
Homelessness
Trump Administration
Public Safety
Blue Cities
Seattle
New York City
San Francisco
New York City Public Schools
Education Reform
Media Credibility
Democratic Party
Objectivity In Journalism
Transit
Teachers Unions
Los Angeles
Addiction
Moral Clarity
Charter Schools
Involuntary Commitment
Donald Trump

Blue City Blues is a podcast that's about what's broken, what's working and what comes next in America's blue cities. Hosts David Hyde and Sandeep Kaushik bring on a smart guest each episode to dig into urban politics, governance and culture. Clear-eyed conversation for people who care about blue cities and are skeptical of easy orthodoxies. Blue cities, we argue, represent an urban archipelago, w... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes57Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NewsPoliticsNews Commentary

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Blue City Blues

Latest Episodes

What just happened in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, and why didn't former reality tv star and social media darling Spencer Pratt live up to the incessant, breathless hype (so sorry for your loss, X)? Now that it’s clear that incumbent Mayor Karen ... more

These days we associate the white working class with rural and small town red America, whereas big blue cities are perceived largely as the playgrounds of the educated and affluent. But it wasn’t all that long ago that the socioeconomics and demograp... more

In recent decades, no major American city can match the sharp ups and downs of Portland, Oregon. From a poor but pretty backwater burg of white gearheads and provincials in the 1980s, Portland underwent an exceedingly unlikely – and quite radical – t... more

For decades, a handful of legacy media outlets decided what counted as news, how to frame it, and who got to report it. Now trust has collapsed, The New York Times is selling cooking apps to stay alive, and there is no consensus regarding what's real... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Week In Review
Week In ReviewKUOW News and Information
Seattle Nice
Seattle NiceDavid Hyde, Erica Barnett, and Sandeep Kaushik
Booming
BoomingKUOW News and Information
Seattle Now
Seattle NowKUOW News and Information
The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion

Recent Guests

Nancy Rommelmann
Author and reporter for Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Reason, Atlantic; hosts Smoke Them If You Got Them
Independent journalist and author
Episode: Nancy Rommelmann on How Portland Traumatized Itself
Adam Penenberg
Prominent Blue City journalism professor at NYU, writer, editor, columnist, and film producer
New York University
Episode: The Death of the Gatekeeper: Adam Penenberg on Traditional Journalism's Identity Crisis
John Roderick
Former Seattle City Council candidate; indie rock musician; host of Omnibus and Roderick on the Line
The Long Winters; Omnibus; Roderick on the Line
Episode: John Roderick on the Decline – and Comeback? – of Urban Cool
David Rieff
Writer, war correspondent, cultural critic
Author of Desire and Fate
Episode: Preview: Why Is David Rieff a Cultural Pessimist about Blue America?
Richard Pildes
Law professor at NYU; expert on election law and constitutional government
New York University
Episode: Democracy Dies in Ineffectiveness with Richard Pildes
Halina Bennett
Reporter for Slow Boring, author of The Case for the Solid Bee City
Slow Boring
Episode: In Praise of “Solid B" Cities with Halina Bennet
Robert Gordon
Visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School; former senior official at the Biden and Obama administrations and NYC Department of Education
Harvard Kennedy School; former NYC/US government roles
Episode: Do Public Sector Unions Wield Too Much Power in Blue Cities?
Nicholas Bagley
Law professor at the University of Michigan; former chief legal counsel to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer
University of Michigan; former gubernatorial staff
Episode: Do Public Sector Unions Wield Too Much Power in Blue Cities?
Eboo Patel
Founder and president of Interfaith America, author
Interfaith America
Episode: Eboo Patel Says Blue America Needs to Rethink How We Do Diversity

Hosts

David Hyde
Host of Blue City Blues, guiding interview flow and framing discussions
Sandeep Kaushik
Co-host focusing on policy framing and interviewing; co-narrator

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 142 ratings
  • Thoughtful, unique

    I recently found Blue City Blues and really enjoy it. Good for anyone living in an urban environment who cares about cities and their future. Particularly since the pandemic city living has been a mixed of vibrancy with so many challenges. They dig in and have great guests.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    grilledcheesecake
    United Statesa month ago
  • Refreshing and inspiring

    As someone living in a deep blue city, who tends towards the middle of the political spectrum, I find this podcast refreshing and even inspiring. Sandeep and David are very fair to the cities they criticize, and solutions oriented in their analysis. I think they do it out of love and a genuine desire to see things improve. They even manage to balance the more minute analysis with the sort of fun-conversation-to-listen-in-on aspect that so many of us appreciate about podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MatthewArthurJohns
    United States2 months ago
  • Granular governance experience = insight but...

    At first, I loved this podcast for its guests with hands-on experience of urban, county, and state-level governance in blue-dominated or blue-leaning contexts. Yet some recent guests have lacked informative urban experience, instead harping on national culture wars. If this show's gonna mirror the new WaPo editorial page, count me out, Patreon!

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    newbelletrist
    United States2 months ago
  • Excellent…and so needed

    This show is a rare gem. I don’t know anything else quite like it. Intelligent interviews with smart people with real insights into how we can reform all cities, not just blue cities. Required listening for anyone living in a city who wants their city to work better.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    greg30577
    United States2 months ago
  • David Reiff

    The interview with David Reiff was excruciating: slow, monotonous, unnecessarily pedantic, and thoroughly depressing. Ugh.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    HelloOuThere
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests bring real-world insight, not just theory.
Hosts provide thoughtful, sometimes provocative, take on blue-city dynamics.
Audience values evidence-based, outcomes-focused dialogue.
Shows consistently presents nuanced discussions on urban policy and governance.

Top Politics Podcasts

Pod Save America
Pod Save AmericaPod Save America
Candace
CandaceCandace Owens
The MeidasTouch Podcast
The MeidasTouch PodcastMeidasTouch Network
Letters from an American
Letters from an AmericanHeather Cox Richardson
Ruthless Podcast
Ruthless PodcastJosh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan and John Ashbrook
Deadline: White House
Deadline: White HouseNicolle Wallace, MS NOW

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

John Roderick on the Decline – and Comeback? – of Urban Cool
Q: Can density help solve the housing and cultural questions in Seattle?
Density is essential to sustaining affordable housing and a vibrant arts ecosystem; without it, office zones remain empty or become playgrounds for the wealthy, while artists struggle to find live-work spaces.
John Roderick on the Decline – and Comeback? – of Urban Cool
Q: What makes a city feel like a great music town?
A city needs affordable spaces, a mix of venues and storefronts, and a policy environment that values artists as an economic and cultural driver, not just as a nuisance to be managed. Without affordable spaces and real support, great scenes wither even in affluent cities.
Democracy Dies in Ineffectiveness with Richard Pildes
Q: How do national electoral reforms influence local governance and urban policy delivery?
National reforms, such as unified primaries and ranked-choice voting, can produce more centrist representatives who can broker bipartisan deals, which in turn improves the ability of local governments to implement policy.
Democracy Dies in Ineffectiveness with Richard Pildes
Q: What practical reforms could blue city leaders adopt to improve governance at the local level?
Be upfront about obstacles like excessive participatory venues and veto points, then confront the interests behind them and push for changes that allow decisive action while retaining essential governance values.
In Praise of “Solid B" Cities with Halina Bennet
Q: What about nostalgia or cultural imagination—do smaller or mid-sized cities really offer the urban culture people want?
The discussion suggests that a thriving city culture can emerge in Solid B cities through accessible creative scenes and lower barriers to entry, arguing that people can find vibrant communities outside expensive superstar metros, sometimes with more opportunity for experimentation.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Blue City Blues

What is Blue City Blues about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful exploration of urban governance, policy innovation, and political dynamics in American blue cities. Episodes frequently center on practical reforms in housing, transit, policing, unions, and urban economics, often featuring policy researchers, city leaders, and journalists who illuminate how large metro areas tackle common challenges. Notable strengths include a mix of rigorous policy analysis and candid discussions about trade-offs, with a distinctive focus on outcomes-driven approaches and real-world experimentation in mid-to-large urban settings.

Where can I find podcast stats for Blue City Blues?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Blue City Blues. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Blue City Blues and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Blue City Blues get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Blue City Blues, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Blue City Blues?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Blue City Blues, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Blue City Blues have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Blue City Blues has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Blue City Blues?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Blue City Blues:

1. Week In Review
2. Seattle Nice
3. Booming
4. Seattle Now
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of Blue City Blues are there?

Blue City Blues launched 2 years ago and published 57 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Blue City Blues?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Blue City Blues?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Blue City Blues from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Blue City Blues?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Blue City Blues. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Blue City Blues?

Recent guests on Blue City Blues include:

1. Nancy Rommelmann
2. Adam Penenberg
3. John Roderick
4. David Rieff
5. Richard Pildes
6. Halina Bennett
7. Robert Gordon
8. Nicholas Bagley

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days