As the Coronavirus has made profound changes to our lives, the crisis has paved the way for big ideas—particularly in real estate and our built urban environments. How might cities look without commutes and offices? What role can nature play in community building? How will our new luxury values—of open space, holistic quality of life, and wellness—be reflected in housing? Well before the pandemic, some companies set out to answer these questions. Kibbo, the van-living mobile community, is a prime example. 

In this episode of Brave New Real Estate, we’ll talk to Kibbo founder Colin O'Donnell. For less than the cost of a big-city studio apartment—1,000 dollars—Kibbo members are given access to community hubs in Ojai, Big Sur, Zion, and Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, as well as urban centers across the West Coast. Colin walks us through his company’s origins, why a background in technology lends itself to real estate, and how the Coronavirus might continue to impact how we live in the future—perhaps for the better.

0:01:39 Kibbo’s origins and the “Responsive City” concept 

00:09:19 Branding Kibbo, and building a #vanlife brand.

00:10:15 The difference between a smart and a responsive city

00:12:40 Making cities anywhere: new and old models

00:16:04 Marian Goodell’s lessons for Kibbo: Pop-up cities

00:19:08 How kids and families fit into the Kibbo model 

00:23:23 COVID-19’s impact on Kibbo 

00:25:58 Real estate functionality of Kibbo membership platforms 

00:29:14 O’Donnell’s tech background as an influence on Kibbo

00:34:13 In five years, what will success look like for Kibbo? 

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Brave New Real Estate is a new podcast series from Studio Sanderson showcasing the evolving narratives, challenges, and solutions that are going on around the way we work, live, shop, and play. 

If you’re a founder, leader, storyteller, or creator working in the built environment, this podcast will broaden your horizons and compel you to rethink how you design, staff, run and market your real estate projects and business. 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple, Google Play, Spotify, and Simplecast.