Coby is a co-founder and partner of Backyard, an innovative real estate development firm focused on building beautiful, sustainable, and walkable communities in California and New York. He is a leading writer within the worlds of urban planning and real estate, where he advocates for the principles of abundance, romantic pragmatism, and community dynamism, and the author of the recently published best selling book "Building Optimism." His work reaches hundreds of thousands of readers, and he is a frequent guest on leading podcasts within and without the industry. A graduate of the University of Virginia, Coby holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Environmental Planning, and a certificate from the McIntire School of Commerce.