Infinite Earth Radio – weekly conversations with leaders building smarter, more sustainable, and equitable communities

Topic:Yes in my back yard (YIMBY)Guest & Organization:Sonja Trauss is the founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Renters’ Federation – an unincorporated club of pro-building, pro-density renters. Born and raised by a labor and delivery nurse and legal aid attorney in Philadelphia, PA, Trauss learned at an early age the importance of representing the city’s most vulnerable populations.As an undergraduate at Temple University, she worked for the local Neighborhood Advisory Committee, where she first learned about the mechanics of municipal government. During the financial crisis, she worked as a paralegal for Philadelphia Legal Assistance, helping to defend low income homeowners from foreclosure. She earned her master’s degree in economics in 2011 at Washington University in St. Louis where she then relocated to the Bay Area. As a renter – in El Cerrito and West Oakland, and now in Soma (South of Mission) – she has experienced the Bay Area’s housing and transit issues.Trauss started the San Francisco Bay Area Renters’ Federation (SFBARF) in 2014 as a response to the anti-growth, anti-newcomer mindset driving housing prices higher in the Bay. Higher housing prices displace many of the most vulnerable long-term residents, making it harder for people to move there, and increase the cost of living for everyone. SFBARF has been nationally recognized as a pioneer in the YIMBY movement to densify our cities, and drive housing prices lower by increasing the number of available houses.Trauss is currently running for supervisor and aims to raise her son in a neighborhood that’s greener, denser, more pedestrian-friendly, inclusive and more welcoming for everyone, regardless of their origins or present condition.Resources:YIMBY ActionCalifornia Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund (CaRLA)Sonja Trauss for Supervisor 2018Local Government Commission 2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018

Topic:The dignifying power of designGuest & Organization:An architect by training, John Cary has devoted his career to expanding the practice of design for the public good. John’s first book was The Power of Pro Bono and his writing on design, philanthropy, and fatherhood has appeared in The New York Times, CNN, and numerous other publications. John works as an advisor to an array of foundations and nonprofits around the world and frequently curates and hosts events for TED, The Aspen Institute, and other entities. Deeply committed to diversifying the public stage, he is a founding partner in FRESH, a next-generation speaker’s bureau that represents young women and people of color. For seven years, John served as executive director of nonprofit Public Architecture, building the largest pro bono design program in the world, pledging tens of millions of dollars in donated services annually.Resources:Design for Good: A New Era of Architecture for Everyone by John CaryIsland Press Urban Resilience ProjectDownload the Island Press APP! Learn more about the APP here, and find it on Google Play and Apple App Store! 

Topic:Adapting to a changing climateGuest & Organization:Ellie Cohen, President and CEO of Point Blue Conservation Science since 1999, is a leader in catalyzing collaborative, nature-based solutions to climate change, habitat loss and other environmental challenges. She and Point Blue’s 160 scientists work with natural resource managers, ranchers, farmers, local governments and others to reduce the impacts of environmental change and develop climate-smart conservation approaches to benefit wildlife and people.Ellie is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Observer Organization representative for Point Blue. She is Immediate Past Chair and Steering Committee member of the CA Landscape Conservation Cooperative, an invited member of the SF Bay Area’s Resilient by Design Research Advisory Committee, and co-founder of the Bay Area Ecosystems Climate Change Consortium. Ellie was honored with the Bay Nature 2012 Environmental Hero Award for her climate change leadership.Ellie received her undergraduate degree in Botany with honors at Duke University and an MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government where she was honored with the first Robert F. Kennedy Public Service Award. She speaks regularly on the urgent need to include nature-based approaches in the climate change solutions toolbox.Learn More about Ellie and her work here.Jonathan Parfrey is the Executive Director and Founder of Climate Resolve, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, founded in 2010, that is dedicated to creating practical solutions to meet the climate challenge while making Southern California more livable and prosperous today and for generations to come by inspiring people at home, at work, and in government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, as well as prepare for climate change impacts.Climate Resolve is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, founded in 2010, that is dedicated to creating real, practical solutions to meet the climate challenge while building a better city for Angelenos. Their mission is to make Southern California more livable and prosperous today and for generations to come by inspiring people at home, at work, and in government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, as well as prepare for climate change impacts.Resources:Infinite Earth Radio Episode 096: Bonn Chance with Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned ScientistsCity Climate Planner from the World BankCity Climate Planner Certificate ProgramCarbon-Free City Handbook (a publication released at COP23 at the UN 2017 climate conference in Bonn, Germany that helps city staff implement climate policies and actions that resolutely place their communities on an aggressive path toward sustainable, low-carbon economies)Point Blue Conservation ScienceClimate ResolveLocal Government Commission 2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018

Topic:Strategies and tools for addressing racism personally and professionallyGuest & Organization:Dwayne S. Marsh serves as Vice President of Institutional and Sectoral Change at the new Race Forward. The new Race Forward is the union of two leading racial justice non-profit organizations: Race Forward and Center for Social Inclusion (CSI). He also serves Deputy Director of Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE), a core program of the new Race Forward.Prior to GARE/Race Forward, Marsh was, for six years, a senior advisor in the Office of Economic Resilience (OER) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. There, he helped advance sustainable planning and development through interagency partnerships, departmental transformation, and funding initiatives managed through OER. He was OER’s principal coordinator for a $250 million grant program and led the development of capacity building resources that reinforced the work of pioneering grantees in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Under his leadership, OER prioritized equity as a foundational principal for its planning and investment initiatives.Marsh brings to GARE/Race Forward his expertise and considerable experience in coalition building for regional equity and leadership development for policy change. He provides technical assistance and capacity building knowledge to equitable development initiatives that address continuing disparities in affordable housing, transportation investment, and environmental justice.Before HUD, Marsh spent a decade at PolicyLink, the national organization committed to economic and social equity. Before PolicyLink, he directed the FAITHS Initiative for eight years at The San Francisco Foundation, building a nationally renowned community development and capacity building program that continues to this day.Resources:Race ForwardGovernment Alliance on Race and EquityCenter for Social Inclusion (CSI)Local Government Commission 2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018

Topic:The state of rural regions and economies.Guest & Organization:Steve Frisch is President of Sierra Business Council and one of its founding members. Over the last 20 years, Sierra Business Council has leveraged more than $100 million of investment in the Sierra Nevada and its communities through community and public-private partnerships. Sierra Business Council also manages the Sierra Small Business Development Center focusing on advancing sustainable business practices and linking new and expanding businesses to climate mitigation and adaptation funding.Sierra Business Council pioneers and demonstrates innovative approaches and solutions to increase community vitality, economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social fairness in the Sierra Nevada. In the Sierra Nevada, change and challenge create opportunities. Through innovation, integrity, and respect, Sierra Business Council harnesses these opportunities by implementing projects that model proactive change. Their goal is a diverse, inventive, and sustainable region where the economy is vibrant, the land is thriving, and the communities offer opportunity for all. They act as steward leaders of the region, taking responsibility for the care and responsible management of our place, guided by the triple bottom line that considers the economy, environment, and community simultaneously.Resources:Infinite Earth Radio – Climate Adaptation Series with Steve Frisch and Jonathan Parfrey• Episode 36 – Part 1• Episode 37 – Part 2• Episode 38 – Part 3• Episode 39 – Part 4Infinite Earth Radio Episode 100 – The Future of Smart Growth with Matthew DalbeySierra Business CouncilLocal Government Commission 2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018

Topic:Celebrating our 100th episode by kicking off the conversation about the upcoming New Partners for Smart ConferenceGuest & Organization:Matthew Dalbey is the Director of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Sustainable Communities. The Office of Sustainable Communities (OSC) supports locally led, community-driven efforts to revitalize local economies and attain better environmental and human health outcomes. OSC collaborates with other EPA programs; federal agencies; regional, state, and local governments; and a broad array of nongovernmental and private-sector partners to help communities become stronger, healthier, and more livable. OSC helps to meet communities at their needs by collaborating with other agencies and programs to use federal resources effectively and efficiently and better leverage public and private investment. This work directly supports EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment, contributing to clean air, clean water and other important goals in communities all across the country.To help communities learn about and implement development strategies that protect human health and the environment, create economic opportunities, and provide attractive and affordable neighborhoods, the Office of Sustainable Communities:Provides technical assistance in response to community requests:Local Foods, Local Places;Healthy Places for Healthy People;Cool & Connected; Building Blocks;Greening America’s Communities; andGovernors’ Institute on Community Design.Produces tools, research, case studies and other information on a variety of topics.Shares examples of community strategies and projects that can be models for other places.Convenes diverse interests to encourage better growth and development.Resources:EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities EPA’s Strategic PlanLocal Government Commission 2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018

Topic:How wildfires will shape our futureGuest & Organization:Edward Struzik is an award-winning writer and photographer. His previous books include Firestorm, Future Arctic, Arctic Icons, and The Big Thaw, among others. A fellow at the Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, his numerous accolades include the prestigious Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy and the Sir Sandford Fleming Medal, awarded for outstanding contributions to the understanding of science. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.Learn More About Ed In Firestorm, journalist Edward Struzik visits scorched earth from Alaska to Maine, and introduces the scientists, firefighters, and resource managers making the case for a radically different approach to managing wildfire in the 21st century. Wildfires can no longer be treated as avoidable events because the risk and dangers are becoming too great and costly. Struzik weaves a heart-pumping narrative of science, economics, politics, and human determination and points to the ways that we, and the wilder inhabitants of the forests around our cities and towns, might yet flourish in an age of growing megafires.Resources:“Firestorm: How Wildfire Will Shape Our Future”Island Press Urban Resilience ProjectDownload the Island Press APP! Learn more about the APP here, and find it on Google Play and Apple App Store!

Topic:The role of sports in increasing social mobility and improving communitiesGuest & Organization:Lisa Wrightsman is the Regional Program Manager of Street Soccer USA Sacramento and the Founder and Coach of Sacramento Lady Salamanders. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication with a concentration in Digital Video from California State University, Sacramento. She was a member of the University’s NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer team and currently holds multiple program records as well as recognition as a member of the All-Decade team. After college she played over five years of semi professional soccer for the Elk Grove Pride.Today her passion for soccer is seen in her social entrepreneurship initiatives with Street Soccer USA; a nationwide non-profit that uses soccer to break the cycle of homelessness and domestic abuse. Lisa is the founder and current Director and Coach of Street Soccer USA’s Sacramento Lady Salamanders. She started this program in 2010 and has since seen tremendous results and growth of the program as it has proven to successfully reverse the effects of addiction and domestic violence in 92% of team participants. Street Soccer USA uses this team platform to create a training curriculum of job preparation, life skills, and other specialized services, ultimately connecting participants directly to jobs, education, and housing.Lisa was recognized in 2015, as one of Sacramento Business Journal’s top 40 Under 40 young professionals. She is a Senior Fellow of the Nehemiah Emerging Leader’s Program. Since 2010 Lisa has coached the USA Women’s Street Soccer team at the Homeless World Cup and in 2016 was selected as Women’s Coach of the Tournament. Most recently Lisa was selected as a 2016 Change-Maker by TEDx Sacramento where she shared her story of resilience, hope, and how to be a catalyst for changeResources:Interested in supporting Street Soccer USA? Click here to donate!Street Soccer USA Local Government Commission 2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018 

Topic:Making the connection between planning and public healthGuest & Organization:Anna Ricklin, AICP is manager of the American Planning Association’s (APA) Planning and Community Health Center, where she oversees applied research and place-based initiatives to advance health-oriented planning practice. She has a background in health impact assessment, active transportation planning, and cross-sector collaboration, as well as recent work in healthy planning metrics and comprehensive planning for health. Anna holds an MHS from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is based in Washington, DC.The Planning and Community Health Center leads the first nationwide program linking public health and planning practice. Community design directly effects human health. Development patterns, zoning, and land use impact walkability and transportation options, access to services, the availability of healthy foods, and vulnerability to hazards. Planners can help create places that offer choices for everyone to be healthy and safe. APA’s Planning and Community Health Center provides tools and technical support to members so they can integrate health into planning practice at all levels. Areas of focus include active living, healthy eating, and health in all planning policies. They implement their aims through applied research, place-based investment, and education.Resources:American Planning Association’s Planning and Community Health CenterMetrics for Planning Healthy CommunitiesLocal Government Commission2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference– February 1-3, 2018 

Topic:United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – 2017 COP 23 MeetingGuest & Organization:Alden Meyer is director of strategy and policy for the Union of Concerned Scientists and the director of its Washington, DC, office. He provides general oversight and strategic guidance for the organization’s advocacy on energy, transportation, agriculture, and arms control issues. Mr. Meyer is also the principal advocate for UCS on national and international policy responses to the threat of global climate change. In addition, he works extensively on renewable energy and electricity policy.Mr. Meyer has nearly 40 years of experience in energy and environmental policy at the state and national levels. He has testified before Congress on global warming and energy issues, and has authored numerous articles on climate change, energy policy, and electric utility and nuclear power issues for environmental and general interest publications. He has also served on several federal advisory panels, including the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s advisory board.Mr. Meyer is an expert on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, and the key design issues that will likely comprise the next global climate agreement, slated to be signed in 2015. Mr. Meyer has attended the climate negotiations since they first started in 1990 and his expertise has helped shape U.S. and UN policies.The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet’s most pressing problems. Joining with citizens across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.Learn More about Alden and the Union of Concerned ScientistsResources:COP 23 BonnClimate Action Business Association (CABA) Union of Concerned Scientists

Topic:The Connection Between Race and EnergyIn This Episode:[01:35] Guest Denise Fairchild is introduced.[02:12] Denise explains what energy democracy is and why it’s important.[05:31] How does energy shape our political system?[08:11] Denise talks about the ownership and distribution of energy.[11:03] Denise touches on how a community ownership of energy would work and gives examples of models.[17:01] Denise tells why production decentralization matters and if distributive production meets all of our needs.[21:22] What is the connection between race and energy?[24:30] Denise describes how confronting racial issues will drive a new energy democracy.[28:29] Denise mentions the parallels between fossil fuel interests and the struggle to end slavery.[30:48] Denise shares where people can go to buy her book.Guest and Organization:Denise Fairchild is president and CEO of Emerald Cities Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization of business, labor, and community groups dedicated to climate resilience strategies that produce environmental, economic, and equity outcomes. She is co-editor of the new book “Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions”.Take Away Quotes:“It’s interesting that we are really seeing the reason for economic democracy when we look at what’s going on in Puerto Rico right now. It is the prime example about how the burning of fossil fuel is leading to climate crisis, that’s led to the loss of life and property, showing that the fossil fuel economy, the extractive economy, not only impacted our environment but our economy.”“Our current economy, our dirty energy economy, is also impacting issues of equity. Dirty energy lifts up the racial inequality that exists in our current capitalist economy. Those that are most challenged by and vulnerable to the impacts of dirty energy are low-income people.”“Energy democracy’s addressing the challenges of a centralized monopoly over energy where profit matters more than planet and people.”“If you can put the source of energy on your rooftop or in a community, two or three miles from where energy’s going to be used, you’re going to save 20 or 30% more in terms of the cost of transmitting energy.”Resources:Emerald Cities Collaborative“Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions”Island Press Urban Resilience ProjectDownload the Island Press APP! Learn more about the APP here, and find it on Google Play and Apple App Store!

Topic:Making Urban Streets More Bicycle and Pedestrian FriendlyIn This Episode:[01:07] Guest Grace Kyung describes Trailnet.[01:16] Grace shares what motivated her to become a bicycle and pedestrian planner.[02:31] Grace tells what she’s learned and what we need to do to make communities more bikeable and pedestrian friendly.[05:18] Grace explains what traffic calming is.[06:25] Grace states how, at a local level, to start making communities more pedestrian friendly.[10:05] Grace addresses the obstacles to redesigning bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets.[14:42] Does St. Louis have a capital improvement plan that tells where the city will invest in infrastructure and when it will happen?[15:41] Grace continues with strategies for making communities more pedestrian friendly.[18:12] Grace tells where people can go to learn more about Trailnet.[18:24] Grace mentions how communities can learn about becoming more pedestrian and bike friendly.Guest and Organization:Grace Kyung is the Special Projects Director at Trailnet, a non-profit improving walking, bicycling, and transit as a way of life. Grace provides technical assistance on how to improve the built environment to increase accessibility for all ages and abilities throughout the state of Missouri. Grace enjoys the challenges and opportunities of using tactical urbanism approaches to engage and educate stakeholders about safer street designs. Grace is interested in using place-based approaches to create healthy equitable communities. Before moving to St. Louis, Grace received a Masters in Public Health and Masters in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. While a student, Grace ran a successful campaign to bring in a permanent funding source for bicycle-related projects at the university, led social justice campaigns, planned student service trips, and served on a local non-profit board. Grace serves as co-chair on the Healthy Communities Collaborative an interest group of the American Planning Association. She is focused on bridging the connection between public health and urban planning to address transportation and equity concerns. Grace enjoys conversations about how to create livable communities where people come first. Grace is a multi-modal commuter who loves riding her bike to find doughnuts and a good book to read.For more than 25 years, Trailnet has brought together friends, organizations and people from many communities to create positive change in the St. Louis bi-state region by encouraging healthy, active living. Trailnet works to improve the quality of life for our families, neighbors, and communities. Their work and their partnerships directly impact local citizens, schools, businesses, communities, and nonprofit agencies throughout their region.Take Away Quotes:“So with how we’ve built our cities, and especially within the city of St. Louis, our streets are just overbuilt. We just have really wide travel lanes, and it’s just what people have gotten used to, so more people don’t feel comfortable walking or biking outside because it’s not as safe.”“With the paradigm of how things have been, if we’re going to make actual shifts to address what the larger concerns are, we need to start looking at, from a community’s perspective, more of a grassroots level what’s going on with these communities, how are decisions made that the cities are built that way; and if we are trying to promote more walkable or bikeable infrastructure, is that through changing policies or is that how the city funds these sort of projects, and how do we work with the city in creating new structures?” “In St. Louis, we’ve been having these deeper-level discussions of talking about ways that we can work with the community to understand even what they want in the first...

Topic:Transforming a Community Through the Power of ArtIn This Episode:01:44 Guests Linda Steele and Roseann Weiss are introduced.02:44 Vernice shares her interest in place-making strategies through art and artistry.03:39 Roseann tells of the work that is happening in St. Louis.04:59 Linda tells of the work that is happening in Memphis.07:24 Linda shares her background.09:02 Roseann shares her background.11:32 Linda gives her thoughts on what her role is in building stronger, more vibrant communities.17:28 Roseann gives her thoughts regarding art and culture being the component that connects people in St. Louis.22:12 Roseann states if her work could be coupled with the urban vitality and ecology initiative in the Wells-Goodfellow community.26:01 Linda talks about whether reclaiming the arts, culture and blues-jazz-gospel history in Memphis is a driver for revitalization.28:27 Vernice shares her thoughts on the importance of capturing the history of the physical place where people live.29:27 Linda and Roseann provide the one policy that they would advocate for to advance community revitalization.29:49 Roseann states what an individual can do to contribute to the work that she’s doing.30:37 Linda states what an individual can do to contribute to the work that she’s doing.31:05 Linda shares what art and culture placemaking looks like 30 years from now.31:35 Roseann shares what art and culture placemaking looks like 30 years from now.32:27 Roseann identifies where listeners can go for more information.[32:40] Linda identifies where listeners can go for more information.Guest and Organization:Roseann Weiss is the Director of Artist and Community Initiatives for the Regional Arts Commission. The Regional Arts Commission leads, strengthens, and gives voice to a creative community where every citizen can be proud to live, work, and play in a world-class region. In short, we are proud of our St. Louis cultural identity and want to do whatever we can to grow, sustain, and promote that identity in the future. We are at the forefront of helping transform St. Louis into a more vibrant, creative, and economically thriving community through the arts – and want everyone to know just how special the creative community is within the region. Linda Steele is Founder & CEO of ArtUp, an innovative startup based in Memphis, Tennessee that uses arts, culture and design strategies to redevelop and revitalize disinvested communities. Linda spent 3 years incubating the work of ArtUp at local arts agency and United Arts Fund, ArtsMemphis including launching the game changing Fellows Program which has received the Robert E. Gard award from Americans for the Arts and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Linda has worked in various arts and cultural organizations including performing arts center, museums, and arts education organizations. Linda is a graduate of Amherst College where she has served as a Wade Fellow and Harvard University. Take Away Quotes:“About 20 years ago, we started something called the Community Arts Training Institute…we believe that it should be cross-sector, and that has been the beauty at the Regional Arts Commission of the CAT Institute in that it’s been cross-sector. So, we train not only artists of all disciplines, but we train their community partners as well—so, social workers, community activists, teachers, politicians, have all gone through the CAT...

Topic:Looking at the Past, Present, and Future of the Environmental Justice MovementIn This Episode:[02:06]&nbsp;Guest Peggy Shepard is introduced.[02:24]&nbsp;Peggy shares of her experience as a journalist.[06:34]&nbsp;Peggy relates how she made the transition from being in a political space to being in the environmental justice space.[08:25]&nbsp;Peggy gives her response to those who say that environmental and climate justice are new concepts.[09:30]&nbsp;Peggy states what the biggest environmental justice threats were in 1991 and what the threats are now.[10:25]&nbsp;Peggy informs us how racism is intertwined with environmental injustice.[12:22]&nbsp;Peggy tells if there has been progress in lessening the targeting and the disproportionate impact on populations of people of color from environmental threats.[13:53]&nbsp;Peggy describes the Northern Manhattan Climate Action Plan.[17:28]&nbsp;Peggy says if it was easier to get people’s attention about climate resilience issues after living through Superstorm Sandy.[19:18]&nbsp;Peggy identifies the political and social objectives that WE ACT is trying to accomplish.[23:47]&nbsp;Peggy elaborates on the power of speaking for ourselves.Guest and Organization:Peggy Shepard is co-founder and executive director of WE ACT For Environmental Justice and has a long history of organizing and engaging Northern Manhattan residents in community-based planning and campaigns to address environmental protection and environmental health policy locally and nationally. She has successfully combined grassroots organizing, environmental advocacy, and environmental health community-based participatory research to become a national leader in advancing environmental policy and the perspective of environmental justice in urban communities — to ensure that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment extends to all. Her work has received broad recognition: the Jane Jacobs Medal from the Rockefeller Foundation for Lifetime Achievement, the 10th Annual Heinz Award For the Environment, the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award from the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and an Honorary Sc.D from Smith College.Take Away Quotes:“That report [Toxic Waste and Race] has been reconfirmed around this country in so many other research studies. That race is the primary predictor of where a toxic waste facility is and that income is the secondary predictor.”“People really want energy security.&nbsp;They want to feel that they can help reduce greenhouse gasses by using alternative energy sources but also secure their energy future by being able to have a little more autonomy over energy—how they use it and what kind of energy they use.”“We are working from the ground up, and we know that community organizing is essential but that you can’t really organize a community to be empowered and advocate on their own without information.&nbsp;So we have a…nine-week environmental health and leadership training program that we put all of our members through…We’re making sure that they are informed about air pollution, water quality, children’s environmental health, toxics, climate change, energy, the whole host of issues that evolve to have importance at varying times in communities.”Resources:Island Press Urban Resilience ProjectWE ACT For Environmental JusticePeople Power: How Residents of Northern Manhattan are Creating an Energy RevolutionDownload the Island Press APP! Learn more about the APP <a href="https://islandpress.org/get-our-app"...

Topic:Disaster Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency for Smaller and Rural CommunitiesIn This Episode:[01:37]&nbsp;Guest Laura Clemons is introduced.[01:44]&nbsp;Laura tells how she became interested in community resiliency and disaster work.[02:50]&nbsp;Laura explains the difference between an advocate and an activist.[04:24]&nbsp;Laura describes how individuals may be able to help after a disaster.[07:36]&nbsp;Laura talks about how to mobilize people, before disaster hits, to develop a more resilient community.09:23&nbsp;Laura shares how to communicate to people that they have the ability to create networks of resiliency.14:13&nbsp;Laura states where people can go to learn about her diagnostic tool and her work.[18:59]&nbsp;Laura expresses how to intervene in the division between urban and rural.Co-Host:Kif Scheuer is the Climate Change Program Director at the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kif is a solution-oriented sustainability professional with a strong history of engaging diverse audiences in real-world climate protection efforts through innovative, market-focused research and analysis, creative program design, effective project implementation, and compelling public advocacy and education. In 2013 Kif organized the first California Adaptation Forum, which attracted over 800 attendees and served to kick start the statewide conversation on adaptation. Kif led the development and growth of one of the LGC’s key coalitions – the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation, a statewide network focused on addressing adaptation at the regional scale.Guest and Organization:Laura Clemons is the founder and CEO of Collaborative Communities Management Company, LLC, (CCMC) and serves as the company’s head project team leader. Ms. Clemons is a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty designation in Building Design and Construction and has been working in the sustainable built environment since 2008. She transitioned into disaster recovery after the devastating tornados of April 2011 and has combined her diverse background into being a foremost expert on resiliency.&nbsp;&nbsp;She has been working with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) since 2014 on a comprehensive approach to Hurricane Sandy recovery that is designed to protect over 350 acres of Sandy damaged NYCHA property from increasing climate change risks including storm surge, sea level rise and rain inundation. Her strategy for stormwater management is that it be achieved through creative land re-engineering to maximize perviousness and drainage while embracing Placemaking. Currently she is invested in helping flood ravaged communities across Texas and Louisiana rebuild in a safer, more sustainable way.&nbsp;CCMC is based in Austin, Texas but works with clients across the U.S. They provide a range of local constituencies with logistical support for environmentally sustainable and socially conscientious community revitalization in both pre- and post-disaster scenarios. CCMC serves in both a consultative and project management role ensuring that all project participants operate on budget and schedule and that the client gets a project with multiple co-benefits.CCMC was created because of the widely acknowledged need for hands-on, focused coordination of various groups involved in creating projects and programs that benefit communities. They approach holistic resiliency solutions through partnership building and collaboration. They have a sensitivity to diversity and inclusion with special attention paid to the most vulnerable populations.Take Away Quotes:“What I really focus on when I talk to people—whether it’s at conferences or it’s with clients that I meet with in a post-disaster...

Topic:It’s “Just” Rain: Weather Events Impacting Rural CommunitiesIn This Episode:02:41&nbsp;Laura explains the impacts of extreme weather on smaller rural communities.05:48&nbsp;Laura talks about some of the resources available to help small communities recover from a weather event.08:49&nbsp;Laura describes what a disaster declaration is.10:30&nbsp;Is the average number of federal disaster declarations increasing?14:36&nbsp;Laura shares some strategies that communities can use when a disaster hits.19:35&nbsp;How should weather events be integrated into planning?22:46&nbsp;How can communities learn about what they should do to be prepared?Co-Host:Kif Scheuer is the Climate Change Program Director at the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kif is a solution-oriented sustainability professional with a strong history of engaging diverse audiences in real-world climate protection efforts through innovative, market-focused research and analysis, creative program design, effective project implementation, and compelling public advocacy and education. In 2013 Kif organized the first California Adaptation Forum, which attracted over 800 attendees and served to kick start the statewide conversation on adaptation. Kif led the development and growth of one of the LGC’s key coalitions – the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation, a statewide network focused on addressing adaptation at the regional scale.Guest and Organization:Laura Clemons is the founder and CEO of Collaborative Communities Management Company, LLC, (CCMC) and serves as the company’s head project team leader. Ms. Clemons is a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty designation in Building Design and Construction and has been working in the sustainable built environment since 2008. She transitioned into disaster recovery after the devastating tornados of April 2011 and has combined her diverse background into being a foremost expert on resiliency.&nbsp;&nbsp;She has been working with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) since 2014 on a comprehensive approach to Hurricane Sandy recovery that is designed to protect over 350 acres of Sandy damaged NYCHA property from increasing climate change risks including storm surge, sea level rise and rain inundation. Her strategy for stormwater management is that it be achieved through creative land re-engineering to maximize perviousness and drainage while embracing Placemaking. Currently she is invested in helping flood ravaged communities across Texas and Louisiana rebuild in a safer, more sustainable way.&nbsp;CCMC is based in Austin, Texas but works with clients across the U.S. They provide a range of local constituencies with logistical support for environmentally sustainable and socially conscientious community revitalization in both pre- and post-disaster scenarios. CCMC serves in both a consultative and project management role ensuring that all project participants operate on budget and schedule and that the client gets a project with multiple co-benefits.CCMC was created because of the widely acknowledged need for hands-on, focused coordination of various groups involved in creating projects and programs that benefit communities. They approach holistic resiliency solutions through partnership building and collaboration. They have a sensitivity to diversity and inclusion with special attention paid to the most vulnerable populations.Take Away Quotes:“There’s a lot of philosophical discussion about climate change and climate adaptation, and when I go to conferences, I see a lot of people talking about Katrina and Sandy.&nbsp;It is very disappointing to me because I work in disaster recovery, and I see the events that are happening: we’re...

Topic:California’s Cap-and-Trade ProgramIn This Episode:[01:16]&nbsp;Guest Arjun Patney is introduced.[02:11]&nbsp;Arjun describes his work at the American Carbon Registry.[04:28]&nbsp;Arjun explains how the California carbon market works.[07:26]&nbsp;Arjun talks about what was exempt from the market.[08:42]&nbsp;Since California is a large exporter of agricultural product, did that have a part in the decision making?[09:22]&nbsp;Arjun gives his thoughts on why the agricultural sector is less regulated than the industrial sector.[09:56]&nbsp;Arjun talks about why there’s been less-than-expected revenue for various programs.[12:37]&nbsp;How can cap-and-trade legislation become a bipartisan issue?[15:29]&nbsp;Arjun states what was done in this legislation to address concerns about people who might bear burdens disproportionately.[17:46]&nbsp;Arjun touches on the future of carbon market legislation.&nbsp;Co-Host:Michael Green is the Executive Director of the Climate Action Business Association (CABA). He is also co-host here on Infinite Earth Radio. Michael is a seasoned advocate for climate policy and environmental action and has played strategic roles in several of the largest national, as well as international campaigns dedicated to fighting climate change. Since 2012, he has served as a representative to the United Nations focusing on international climate science and policy. As an activist, he has played strategic roles in several of the largest national, as well as international campaigns dedicated to fighting climate change. In his role at CABA, Michael manages staff and oversees the development of all program areas. He sits on the Board of Boston area non-profits as well as a policy advisor to national business associations on topics ranging from energy policy to climate adaptation. Michael is a Northeastern University graduate with degrees in international affairs and environmental studies, course work at the University of Edinburgh’s MSc Program in Environmental Protection and Management and Harvard Business School’s CORe Program.Climate Action Business Association (CABA) is a membership-based organization in Boston, Massachusetts, that helps businesses take targeted action on climate change. We provide our member businesses with the resources and tools needed to work within their business on sustainability efforts, political advocacy and building a community of shared values.Guest and Organization:Arjun Patney is the Policy Director of Winrock’s American Carbon Registry, which engages with regulators in California and other jurisdictions to help ensure that market-based climate change mitigation programs address the full range of emissions reduction opportunities. In this way, he advances greenhouse gas mitigation that delivers economic opportunities as well as environmental and social benefits. Patney’s diverse experience in the environmental field spans technical, policy and business spheres. Practical sustainability solutions have been the common thread of his work in the U.S. and Asia, whether he was negotiating carbon credit deals, implementing environmental management systems, engineering spill controls, or helping foreign clean tech companies enter Asian markets. Patney previously established the U.S. carbon trading desk at the multinational corporation Cargill and subsequently worked with USAID to advance international forest carbon markets. He received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.S. in environmental management and policy from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.Winrock has long recognized the threat posed by climate change. The American Carbon Registry (ACR),...

Topic:Incorporating Green Infrastructure into Street DesignIn This Episode:[01:57]&nbsp;Guest Corinne Kisner is introduced.[02:10]&nbsp;Corinne shares about the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).[02:33]&nbsp;Mike tells about Island Press and NACTO’s book, “The Urban Street Stormwater Guide”.[03:17]&nbsp;Corinne explains why sustainable stormwater management matters and why transportation officials should be concerned about stormwater management.[05:12]&nbsp;Corinne gives the benefits of using green stormwater infrastructure in street design.[06:49]&nbsp;Corinne comments on green stormwater systems making cities more desirable and more attractive places to live.[08:30]&nbsp;Corinne gives the characteristics of successful city projects.[11:03]&nbsp;Corinne shares the elements that help make green infrastructure work within a street design.13 :07&nbsp;Corinne states the challenges that cities face in stormwater street design.[14:02]&nbsp;What should be kept in mind when designing or implementing a stormwater street project?[15:08]&nbsp;Corinne talks about underserved communities using green infrastructure as a community-building, community-investment strategy.[17:16]&nbsp;Corinne shares whether there is a role for green stormwater infrastructure in areas that have a drier climate.[17:47]&nbsp;How can green infrastructure projects positively change a city’s growth and development?[19:06]&nbsp;Is green infrastructure more or less expensive than traditional infrastructure approaches?[20:35]&nbsp;Is “The Urban Street Stormwater Guide” currently available, and where can people go to buy the book?[21:25]&nbsp;Corinne discusses what needs to happen next to get more cities to implement green infrastructure as part of their normal course of business.Guest and Organization:Corinne Kisner is the Director of Programs at the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). In this role, she facilitates networks of peer cities working to build safe, sustainable transportation systems and equitable, active cities through better street design and transportation policy. Corinne directs the annual Designing Cities conference and facilitates city policy initiatives on issues such as Vision Zero, planning for automated vehicles, and integrating green stormwater infrastructure into multi-modal street design. Corinne also oversees NACTO’s communications, external partnerships, and leadership development program for city transportation officials.NACTO’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life.Follow Corinne and NACTO on TwitterTake Away Quotes: “NACTO is an association of 55 member cities and transit agencies across North America, formed to help exchange best practices and ideas in city transportation and raise the bar nationally to what city transportation can do in cities.”“We’ve been seeing cities across the country really thinking critically about the design of streets and how that plays in to city goals for sustainability and equity and access and really livable, vibrant cities.”“The network of cities that we work with are starting to think critically, too, about how streets play a role in the stormwater infrastructure, in the stormwater network within the city.&nbsp;Most streets are very impervious, meaning that water can’t absorb through the concrete or the asphalt into the ground, and so you just get enormous volumes of stormwater runoff running across streets and into storm drains.&nbsp;That really separates water from the natural cycle and causes water...

Topic:National Engagement Starts with Local EngagementIn This Episode:[01:18]&nbsp;Guest Mindy Romero is introduced.[02:14]&nbsp;Mindy shares if there’s a resurgence of civic engagement.[05:52]&nbsp;Mindy talks about whether there’s an opportunity to translate national engagement to local level engagement.[08:48]&nbsp;Mindy speaks about building trust with communities with local policymakers that aren’t demographically reflective.[12:26]&nbsp;Mindy shares if she’s seen strategies where communities have attempted to create more accessible pathways.[17:10]&nbsp;Mindy gives her thoughts on how trust plays into voter turnout and if there are strategies to increase voter turnout.[22:07]&nbsp;Mindy addresses how to measure the quality of the engagement.[27:08]&nbsp;Do events like what happened in Charlottesville make us stronger?[30:06]&nbsp;Mindy provides where listeners can find out more about her work.Co-Host:Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.Guest &amp; Organization:Photo by Eddie OstrowskiMindy Romero, Ph.D. is the founder and director of the UC Davis California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP).&nbsp;Romero is a political sociologist and holds a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Davis.&nbsp;Her research focuses on political behavior and race/ethnicity, and seeks to explain patterns of political underrepresentation.&nbsp;&nbsp;Romero has been invited to speak about civic engagement and political rights in numerous venues, testifying before the National Commission on Voting Rights and the California Legislature, among others.&nbsp;Her research has been cited in major news outlets, including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Politico and the Huffington Post.&nbsp;She has also been a frequent guest on National Public Radio, Capital Public Radio, and several other NPR-affiliated stations in California.&nbsp;She is a regular op-ed contributor to the Sacramento Bee.&nbsp;&nbsp;Romero works with a wide array of policymakers, elected officials, voter education groups and community advocates to strengthen political participation and representation.&nbsp;To this end, she has served on a number of boards and commissions.&nbsp;She is currently a member of the Public Policy Institute Statewide Survey Advisory Committee, President of the Board of the non-profit organization, Mutual Housing California, and Vice-Chair of the Social Services Commission for the City of Davis.The California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP) is a non-partisan civic engagement research and outreach initiative for the state of California and the U.S. Founded and directed by Mindy Romero, it is housed at the UC Davis Center for Regional Change. The CCEP provides data and analysis to inform public dialogue about representative governance. We believe that inclusive civic engagement can help overcome disparities in social and economic well-being, and can improve health, education and employment outcomes for all Californians. The CCEP has become a go-to source for electoral and civic engagement research, including the

Topic:Inviting People to Share Their StoriesIn This Episode:[01:26]&nbsp;Guests Sahdiyah Simpson and Sarah Hobson are introduced.[01:39]&nbsp;Sarah describes Community Allies, ethnodrama, and the STL Youth Smart Growth Leaders program.[04:40]&nbsp;Sahdiyah shares her experience with the STL Youth Smart Growth Leaders program.[05:59]&nbsp;Sahdiyah states what her topic was.[06:19]&nbsp;Sarah explains the mechanics of the program.[07:38]&nbsp;Sahdiyah talks about the time commitment required for the program.[08:47]&nbsp;Sarah provides how the program makes difficult conversations easier to have.[10:49]&nbsp;Sahdiyah gives her thoughts about the drama part of the program.[12:00]&nbsp;Are the drama performances used as a tool to help people understand what those in the program learned?[14:12]&nbsp;Sahdiyah tells about her school.[15:09]&nbsp;Why would this program be valuable in schools or communities that aren’t doing something like this?[18:18]&nbsp;Sarah states how people can learn more about her work.Guest and Organization:Dr. Sarah Hobson, founder and President of Community Allies, LLC. received her Ph.D. in Reading, Writing, and Literacy from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. She served as an Assistant Professor in Adolescence English Education at The State University of New York at Cortland where she taught courses in language acquisition, grammar, the teaching of writing, and digital literacies. She is currently teaching literacy assessment at the University of Missouri St. Louis.Educational institutions are products of systemic policies that for years have contributed to various discriminatory practices that affect youth and communities similarly and differently. Dr. Hobson’s ethnodramatic programming, researched for over 10 years, helps youth acquire sophisticated understandings of societal processes that hinder progress. Throughout the programming, youth gain communication skills that help them begin to interrupt these practices as they learn where and how they can advocate for themselves and others. Schools and communities in turn access new ways of learning from youth the ethical complexities they have inherited. As students use their research to teach others, administrators, teachers, parents, and communities access much-needed healing.Dr. Hobson’s ethnodrama programs are multi-faceted. They are the result of years of teaching and research and must be implemented with multi-dimensional educational knowledge and care. They require institutional support, staff support, careful collaborative research and documentation, and constant reflection and interrogation. When implemented with the right support and investment, they help transform institutionalized cultures, opening up new possibilities for teaching and learning that expand youth, teacher, and administrator agency and advocacy.Community Allies is available to school districts, educational leaders, administrators, teachers, parents, and students for short or long-term mentoring of educators in culturally relevant, student-centered curriculum enrichment. Our mentoring comes in a variety of formats primarily focused in two areas: professional development for administrators and teachers and after-school programs for students. We help you integrate student-centered real-world research into any grade, school-wide inquiry, or subject area.&nbsp;We help you increase student retention, academic and college and career success through dynamic, real-world literacy learning opportunities.Take Away Quotes: “The mission of Community Allies is to bring people together across the county and the city…as part of that program, I’ve done after-school programs focused on ethnodrama, which is a program around which students become youth leaders by collecting a variety of stories and using those stories...

Topic:Reusing and Revitalizing Retail SpacesIn This Episode:[02:57]&nbsp;Guest Michele Reeves is introduced.[04:03]&nbsp;Michele talks about the impact she’s seeing from the decline of retail.[06:52]&nbsp;Michele shares her thoughts about what to do with vacant retail spaces and what some of the obstacles are.[10:48]&nbsp;Michele addresses huge parking lots.[13:32]&nbsp;Michele expresses her thoughts regarding retail space based on sales tax revenue rather than need, and market studies.[18:16]&nbsp;Michele describes strategies to make community corridors a destination.[21:56]&nbsp;Michele shares what local businesses can do to have a more dynamic experience that can compete or complement e-commerce offerings.[28:54]&nbsp;Michele states how people can get in touch with her and her firm, Civilis Consultants.Co-host: Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.Guest and Organization:Michele E. Reeves is an urban strategist with significant private sector experience revitalizing districts.&nbsp;Her qualifications, derived from over 16 years of work in various facets of renewal, include facilitating public/private partnerships, marketing unknown or undesirable districts, pre-development consulting, siting manufacturing facilities, strategizing acquisitions and development with private sector investors, and creating retail leasing plans. Michele founded Civilis Consultants to assist mixed-use districts, small businesses, property owners, and public sector organizations to recognize and leverage their strengths, identify and accomplish economic development goals, and craft their unique stories to create compelling, multi-faceted brands. Michele has a bachelors degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.Follow Michele on TwitterTake Away Quotes: “It’s kind of funny.&nbsp;Even that phrase — ‘decline of retail’ — I would call it sort of a change in retail.&nbsp;And I think one of the things I would just say fundamentally about retail — there’s kind of a saying we have inside retail that retail is about reinvention, and that’s always true.&nbsp;Retail is always changing, and it’s always finding new avenues and expression for itself.”&nbsp;“I think the biggest impact that these changes in retail are having is that it’s leaving us — it’s a retail problem and a real estate problem because one of the biggest things it’s doing is leaving us with these really challenging land-use issues and a lot of vacant buildings that are, in some cases, difficult to reuse.”“A lot of times the biggest obstacle to reusing these spaces as mixes of different kinds of space, whether it’s church space — which is another common reuse of old Walmarts or Kmarts — or whether it’s manufacturing or light manufacturing, or wholesale, or Internet sales and distributorship, is mostly the zoning often stops these spaces from being something else.”“Everything that you do that’s brick and mortar, everything that is in person is really going to have to have fundamental elements of a really positive...

Topic:Planning and Creating Age-Friendly CommunitiesIn This Episode:[00:57]&nbsp;Co-host Paul Zykofsky and guests Kathy Sykes and Bill Armbruster are introduced.[01:24]&nbsp;Kathy shares why she’s interested in the field of aging and public health.[01:47]&nbsp;Bill discusses why he’s interested in the field of aging and public health.[02:56]&nbsp;Why is planning for an aging population so important?[04:43]&nbsp;What can we learn from the change in how communities have developed and from the past generation?[06:57]&nbsp;Kathy states what the USEPA’s interest is in this issue of an aging population.[07:49]&nbsp;What are some aspects of the issue of rural versus urban communities?[10:48]&nbsp;Does AARP or the USEPA have a guide for communities on how to think about, and what they should be doing, in terms of planning for an aging population?[14:05]&nbsp;Are there examples of places that have embraced planning for an aging population?[17:07]&nbsp;How does one get started in planning an age-friendly community?[20:36]&nbsp;How much could be saved in seniors’ health costs if age-friendly communities were created?&nbsp;Co-host:Paul Zykofsky directs the Local Government Commission’s (LGC) programs related to land use and transportation planning, community design, and health and the built environment. In the past 20 years, he has worked with over 300 communities to improve conditions for infill development, walking, bicycling, and transit. Mr. Zykofsky provides technical assistance to communities throughout the nation on issues related to smart growth, infill development, transit-oriented development, street and sidewalk design, health and the built environment, and public participation in the planning process. Mr. Zykofsky is a co-author of Building Livable Communities: A Policymaker’s Guide to Transit Oriented Development and Emergency Response: Traffic Calming and Traditional Neighborhood Streets. In 2006, Mr. Zykofsky co-wrote (with Dan Burden of Walkable Communities) the section on “walkability” in the American Planning Association’s Planning and Urban Design Standards.Guests and Organizations:Bill Armbruster manages the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities, which is a program within AARP Livable Communities. He has been with AARP since 2000, joining as an associate state director for AARP New York. In that role he served the upstate and western region of the Empire State and was responsible for the development, implementation and assessment for community outreach programming. That body of work included livable and age-friendly communities initiatives, partner development and grassroots volunteer organizing for a 30 county region both near and far from his Rochester home base. In addition to his work at AARP, Bill has extensive experience in corporate wellness programs, occupational rehabilitation and ergonomics, pain treatment and physical therapy.Kathy Sykes is Senior Advisor for Aging and Public Health at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Since 1983, Kathy has held policy positions in the U.S. Senate and Congress and in federal agencies: U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, with Congressman Obey and at the NIOSH within CDC and for almost 20 years at the Environmental Protection Agency, where she developed the Aging Initiative that focused on environmental health issues and the built environment. She also serves on Washington, D.C.’s the Mayor’s Age-Friendly Task Force. She is a fellow of the GSA and currently Chair of the Social Research Policy and Practice Section. Ms. Sykes holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration

Topic:Fresh Water, Climate Change, and Community ResilienceIn This Episode:[02:10]&nbsp;Guest Rebecca Wodder is introduced.[03:19]&nbsp;Rebecca expresses how the first Earth Day impacted her life and career path.[05:06]&nbsp;Rebecca tells if fresh water has always been the focus of her environmental career.[05:48]&nbsp;Rebecca talks about how water affects climate change.[09:18]&nbsp;Rebecca explains the degree to which our fresh-water supply is being threatened.[11:28]&nbsp;Rebecca describes the Clean Water Rule.[14:41]&nbsp;Rebecca shares which industries are most impacted by the 2015 Clean Water Rule.[16:26]&nbsp;Rebecca addresses natural capital and social capital.[18:33]&nbsp;Rebecca speaks about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina.[21:39]&nbsp;Rebecca states where people can learn more about her work (check out the Resources section below!).[23:10]&nbsp;Rebecca mentions the wisdom she would pass along to her younger self on Earth Day 1970.[25:52]&nbsp;Rebecca talks about whether she’s more hopeful now than she was in the past.Guest and Organization:Rebecca Wodder is a nationally known environmental leader whose conservation career began with the first Earth Day. As president of the national advocacy organization, American Rivers, from 1995 to 2011, she led the development of community-based solutions to freshwater challenges. From 2011 to 2013, she served as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior. Previously, Rebecca was Vice President at The Wilderness Society, and Legislative Assistant to Senator Gaylord Nelson. In 2010, she was named a Top 25 Outstanding Conservationists by Outdoor Life Magazine. In 2014, she received the James Compton Award from River Network. In her writing and speaking, Rebecca explores how communities can enhance their resilience to climate impacts via sustainable, equitable approaches to rivers and freshwater resources.&nbsp;She serves on the boards of River Network, the Potomac Conservancy, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Take Away Quotes:“When the first Earth Day came along…my high school chemistry teacher asked if I would organize this event for the community.&nbsp;We really didn’t know what it was supposed to be about, but we knew it was intended to engage people and help them recognize the environmental issues that were so prominent at the time…The first Earth Day was just a great event in my life because it showed me how I could&nbsp;combine my passion for making a difference with my academic interests in science and biology.”“Water is the way that we experience weather, and weather is the way we experience climate change in our daily lives.”“Ultimately, the reason that we have a blue planet, the reason there is life on this planet is because of water.&nbsp;It is the fundamental reason for life.”&nbsp;&nbsp;“One of the things that is so important about small streams is that they are the head waters, they are the sources of our drinking water, and something like one-third of all Americans get their drinking water—it starts with these small streams.”Resources:Fight the attempt to kill the Clean Water RuleThe Community Resilience Reader: Essential Resources for an Era of Upheaval&nbsp;Resilience Matters: Forging a Greener, Fairer Future for All&nbsp;(Free e-book!)River Network<a href="https://islandpress.org/urban-resilience-project"...

Topic:Innovative Solutions for Resilient Water ManagementIn This Episode:[02:43]&nbsp;Guest James Workman is introduced.[03:42]&nbsp;James talks about his book and what motivated him to travel to Africa.[07:13]&nbsp;James shares why he created programming based on what he saw in Africa.[08:50]&nbsp;James describes AquaShares.[11:51]&nbsp;What measures are people taking to reduce their water use?[13:37]&nbsp;James talks about AquaShares’ partners and the incentives for homeowners.[16:43]&nbsp;How many people have signed on to participate in the program?[19:07]&nbsp;James shares what success looks like for this program and for water resilience in general.[23:05]&nbsp;James states where people can go to learn more about AquaShares.Guest and Organization:James Workman creates conservation markets for water and marine life. He wrote the award-winning Heart of Dryness: How the Last Bushmen Can Help Us Endure the Coming Age of Permanent Drought, and is co-author with Amanda Leland of the forthcoming Sea Change: How Fishermen Are Irreversibly Restoring Life Offshore – and On. Workman studied at Yale &amp; Oxford, taught at Wesleyan &amp; Whitman, but his real education came blowing up dams, releasing wolves, restoring wildfires, guiding safaris, smuggling water to dissidents, breaking down in Africa’s Kalahari Desert, and becoming a dad. An investigative journalist, he served as White House appointee to U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, later joining the World Commission on Dams under Nelson Mandela. In San Francisco, he writes for Environmental Defense Fund, edits the International Water Association’s magazine, The Source, and is founder of AquaShares Inc., the world’s first online water savings market.Follow James Workman on TwitterTake Away Quotes: “A lot of problems, especially environmental problems, can be solved by regulation alone. You just say, okay, that factory over there is pouring its waste, its sewage, its pollution into the air, into the water; we’ve got to just put a cap on that, lock that. But what do you do with the 50,000 people who are all competing with each other for the same resource? And that’s the tragedy that…makes all, to me, conservation issues interesting.”“The approach of AquaShares is to give people a sense that they’re not just renting access to as much water as they want, as cheap as they want, but they have an ownership stake, that they’re stewards of that water that they save, and that they can profit from saving water, not just feel good about it.”“One of the biggest water users in every city is the city itself. There’s lots of water loss, in some cases, 10, 20, 30 percent, and while, for more than a decade or more, utilities have been pointing a finger at families and firms, saying, ‘You should save water, you should save water,’ utilities themselves had real no incentive to spend $100,000 to systematically find and fix their leaks, manage their water pressure, and address that, because it might only save a few thousand dollars’ worth of water.”“It’s a crazy business model for me, but success is when we go out of business; there’s no need for AquaShares anymore because everyone is autonomous, they’re using the bare-minimum water, there’s nothing left to trade, there’s no more water that can go towards a higher-value use.”Resources:AquaShares Smart Markets2018 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference – February 1-3, 2018

Topic:Creating Successful Communities Through Positive and Determined LeadershipIn This Episode:[02:36] Guest Mayor Rey Leon is introduced.[02:56] Mayor Leon describes his community.[05:54] Mayor Leon tells how long he’s been mayor.[07:16] Mayor Leon conveys what he would like to accomplish during his time as mayor.[19:20] Mayor Leon gives the status of three projects.[21:38] Mayor Leon identifies some of the challenges he faces as a mayor in a small community.Guest and Organization:Rey Leon is the Mayor of Huron, California. He was born in Fresno and raised in the Huron area.&nbsp;Mr. León is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley where he obtained a BA in Chicano Studies with an emphasis in public health.&nbsp;He is the founder and Executive Director of the San Joaquin Valley Latino Environmental Advancement &amp; Policy Project (Valley LEAP), a Latino Valley based environmental non-profit organization.&nbsp;Mr. León is based in Fresno for the Valley and focuses on environmental and transportation justice, air quality, climate change, energy, green jobs and community development.&nbsp;Mr. Leon has been working to ensure that environmental justice principles are advanced in the regions institutions and culture. Rey is founder of the San Joaquin Valley Regional Green Jobs Coalition which counts on 300+ members and co-founder of the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition.&nbsp;As Co-chair of CVAQ, Leon helped advance some of the greatest victories for air quality in the Valley including the ending of agriculture industry’s exemption from the clean air act and the placement of two public members, a doctor and a scientist, onto the region’s air pollution control district. Mr. León sits on various boards and committees including the Center on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT) and member of the California Air Resources Board Environmental Justice AB 32 Advisory Committee.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mr. León has been organizing in the Valley for the past twenty years and for the past eleven years has been advocating and successfully building coalitions, community capacity, advancing public policy; placement of the first PM 2.5 air quality monitor on the West Side of the Valley, systems change; developing the first ever environmental justice strategy and&nbsp;committees&nbsp;for both the&nbsp;San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the&nbsp;Fresno County Council of Governments. Most recently, Valley LEAP has completed an Environmental Justice Planning Project and Report for the farmworker community of Huron where over 30 projects to improve mobility, access and safety were identified.&nbsp;Through Valley LEAP, Rey continues to organize with the grassroots, grasstops, agencies and other partners to promote sustainable development, clean energy alternatives, green jobs and reduction of pollution &amp; GHG’s in concentrated clusters of poverty in the central San Joaquin Valley.&nbsp;Mr. Leon successfully works with Valley communities to achieve environmental and climate justice.Take Away Quotes:“Huron is a farm-worker city. It’s got the highest rate of Latinos for an incorporated city in the nation…And, of course, it’s a small community, around 7,000 on paper. I venture to say that there’s at least 10,000 residents. We, having an agricultural base and being a farm-worker community, we have a population that good amount of folks that are, I would say, economic refugees… It’s a community that speaks a good nine languages at least, which, to me, is amazing.”“[A plaza is] just a magical space where you’re able to bond with the rest of the folks in your community, some way, somehow. It’s where young men, young women meet their mates; it’s where entertainment is shared; it’s where farmers’ markets happen; it’s where you do some exercise out there; it’s just ’the’ place.”“The vision, the goal, my...

Topic:Carbon and the Paris AgreementIn This Episode:[03:10] Guest Tom Kerr is introduced.[03:26] Tom explains what the World Bank is.[05:00] Tom describes the kind of work that the climate change group does.[07:37] Tom talks about the changes he’s seen since Kim Yong became the World Bank’s president.[09:27] Tom speaks of his work at the IFC in engaging the private sector.[12:20] What has the response been to President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement?[14:11] Tom shares his thoughts on if there will be a ripple effect from the U.S. pulling out of the Agreement.[16:21] Tom talks about whether there is a financial-commitment hole that the U.S. will no longer fill with regard to developing countries.[18:43] Tom gives his thoughts about the upcoming bond talks and if ambition will be there.[21:27] Tom provides his sense of where the Trump administration is going to end up with regard to carbon.[22:39] Host Mike and co-host Michael discuss the Paris Agreement.[23:48] Mike states what he noticed this week in the news.[24:31] Michael identifies what he noticed this week in the news.[25:18] Mike and Michael discuss the economy of renewable energy and the Paris Agreement.Guest and Organization:Tom Kerr has worked for 20 years designing and implementing public/private efforts that transform markets for resource-efficient climate business solutions. He currently leads the IFC’s private sector climate policy engagement, which involves working with emerging economy governments and major corporations to develop investor- and climate-friendly national strategies; designing coalitions to advance carbon pricing and performance standards; and providing private sector input into international policy processes such as the G20 and the United Nations climate talks.Mr. Kerr was previously the director of climate change initiatives at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where he worked with international organizations, government leaders, and industry executives to advance practical solutions via platforms such as the G20, the United Nations, and the Forum’s Annual Meeting at Davos. While at the Forum, he designed and led the Green Growth Action Alliance, a public-private coalition launched at the 2012 G20 with over 60 leading companies developing solutions to unlock private investment for sustainable growth. From 2006-10, he worked in Paris for the International Energy Agency, leading the development of global reports, including the Technology Roadmap series, the flagship Energy Technology Perspectives publication, and the Clean Energy Progress Report.Mr. Kerr started his career with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, where he designed and launched a suite of innovative voluntary programs such as Energy STAR, Green Power, and methane programs that today continue to engage thousands of businesses to adopt clean, efficient technologies and practices.Take Away Quotes:“Where I sit is the IFC – the International Finance Corporation is the private-sector arm of the Bank, so we work in developing countries, lending to private-sector clients and helping them to find profit in development, and in my particular group, trying to find profit in climate business. So we work across the world and emerging markets to really try to tackle poverty—that’s the main mission; then, development—make it smarter; and then, in my case in particular, we try to make profits out of climate business.”“[Kim Yong, president of the World Bank] wanted to know what the current problem was, and once he found out, he got quite alarmed and made it a top priority for him personally and raised attention externally and also within the World Bank’s priorities. So, we’ve always been doing this, but he put an increased urgency behind it and really tried to push the...

Topic:Using Design to Create Positive ImpactsIn This Episode:[01:29] Guest Lynelle Cameron is introduced.[01:39] Lynelle describes Autodesk.[02:48] Lynelle shares her career journey.[04:06] Lynelle discusses Paul Hawken’s new book, Drawdown.[05:17] Lynelle tells about the Autodesk Foundation.[06:41] Lynelle defines the term “design.”[07:08] Lynelle talks about climate change through the lens of design.[09:58] Lynelle states how the Foundation provides support to companies and organizations.[14:03] Lynelle gives examples of organizations working domestically on issues of urban design and social and environmental justice.[15:44] Lynelle provides where people can learn more about Autodesk Foundation’s work.[16:07] Lynelle explains how investing at an intellectual-capital level has impacted Autodesk and its culture.[19:00] Lynelle speaks to the benefit of Autodesk employees’ ability to make a positive impact in the world.[20:57] What is the current state of corporate social responsibility and what is the outlook&nbsp;for sustainability and equity being a part of a business’ core mission?[22:40] Lynelle provides her thoughts on whether the current administration’s roll back of the climate progress that was made will have an impact on the business community.[24:05] Lynelle share how people who might benefit from the Autodesk Foundation’s programs can get more information.[25:17] Lynelle mentions whether there is an effort to share the lessons, or best practices, that have been learned.Guest &amp; Organization:Lynelle Cameron is president and CEO of the Autodesk Foundation and vice president of Sustainability at Autodesk. She established both to invest in and support people who are designing solutions to today’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. Under Cameron’s leadership, Autodesk created the Sustainability Workshop, an online learning platform for sustainable design that has reached over 2 million students and professionals worldwide, and launched two software donation programs: the Technology Impact program for nonprofit organizations and the Entrepreneur Impact program for early-stage clean-tech and social-impact companies around the world. Cameron has also led the company in setting ambitious science-based greenhouse-gas-reduction targets, committing to 100 percent renewable energy and integrated reporting. Since Cameron joined nine years ago, Autodesk has received numerous awards for sustainability leadership and innovation. A published author and regular speaker, Cameron has degrees from Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, and Middlebury College.Take Away Quotes:“Autodesk is a leading provider of 3D design software that is used to make quite literally anything on the planet. Whether you’re building a car, a highway, a building, or even a whole city, there’s a good chance that you use one of Autodesk’s products.”“The turning point for me was reading a book called ‘The Ecology of Commerce’&nbsp;by Paul Hawken, and that’s when I realized to really make the kind of transformative change that I was looking for, I needed to go work from within the private sector.”“We launched the Autodesk Foundation about three years ago, and we have historically as a company always given back to communities where we work. So the idea of philanthropy was not new for the company, although the actual foundation is … As a foundation, we invest in people and organizations who are using design to address, initially, a whole range of social and environmental challenges.”“Design is the creation, the idea, and then the actual making of anything, quite literally, on the planet…it’s all about imagining and creating things that, in our mind, are going to make the world a better place for billions of...

Topic:Adjusting to the Rapid Pace of ChangeIn This Episode:[02:20] Guest Carl Guardino is introduced.[03:03] Carl talks about what is being done to stay relevant in technology and innovation.[05:45] Carl describes what leaders can do to be resilient and to continue to come up with innovative ideas.[08:05] Carl informs us if this administration’s tax reform proposal is where we need to go in response to the changing economy.[09:06] Carl shares if this administration is more responsive in terms of listening to the business community.[12:34] How has congestion impacted business in Silicon Valley, and how have you responded?[16:34] How are you addressing the housing crisis, and how is it impacting local businesses?[18:40] Carl speaks about the region’s response to the evolving workforce.[21:41] Carl shares what cities can do to retain and attract businesses.[25:10] Carl describes what current leaders should do to prepare and what types of innovation are on the horizon.[27:21] Kate shares what caught her attention during Carl’s interview.[28:28] Mike supplies what caught his attention.[29:14] Kate mentions what she noticed this week in the news.[33:15] Mike talks about what he read this week in the news.Guest and Organization:Carl Guardino, one of Silicon Valley’s most distinguished business and community leaders, is the President and CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a public policy trade association that represents nearly 400 of Silicon Valley’s most respected employers.In February 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Guardino to a four-year term on the California Transportation Commission, and he has been reappointed twice by Governor Jerry Brown. Known throughout the region as a consensus builder, Guardino has championed a number of successful ballot measures, especially in the areas of transportation and housing.Guardino was born and raised in San Jose and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from San Jose State University, where he is a Distinguished Alumnus. Carl is married to Leslee Guardino. In their spare time, they compete in marathons, triathlons, and duathlons.Take Away Quotes:“What we try to explain to executives constantly is, we have a choice as executives: we can be engaged, or we can be enraged. And it’s much more productive and positive to actually be engaged with policymakers making incredibly difficult decisions in their difficult processes. And we, again, try to remind executives, if you’re just going to sit on the sidelines and be frustrated and wring your hands, not only are you not going to be successful in explaining to policymakers the ramifications of a product or services, but you are probably going to end up as dinner rather than at the dinner table when those decisions are made.”“It has been since 1986 — 31 years ago — since our federal government has made major changes in federal tax law. Thirty-one years ago. eBay didn’t exist, PayPal didn’t exist, Google didn’t exist, Facebook didn’t exist…Airbnb, Uber, and Lyft — none of those companies even existed, let alone a twinkling in our eye of the technologies that they would be creating, and the tax laws haven’t changed in a major way in this nation for three decades.”“In the Silicon Valley and Bay Area, when we ask individuals about the concerns they talk about in their living rooms, or we’re asking CEOs and senior officers about the concerns that they face as companies here in the region in their boardrooms, the common themes are the same, and they’re the flip side of the same coin: housing and traffic.”“When it comes to education, we always try to remember in Silicon Valley, it’s cradle through career; from the moment we’re born to the moment we retire, we have to focus on education.”Resources:<a...

Topic:The People’s Climate March, the Economy, and Policy MakingIn This Episode:[01:40] Vernice Miller Travis is introduced.[02:14] Vernice tells about the Climate March.[04:50] Vernice gives her thoughts regarding the amount of press coverage of the Climate March.[07:23] Vernice describes the impacts of the various recent marches.[10:55] Is there evidence of impact on the direction the government is taking?[12:13] Vernice shares if there will be a change for various groups who have overlapping agendas but who don’t work well together.[16:58] Are we doing enough to overcome “tribalism”? Or are we working with other “tribes” just because it’s expedient?[25:35] Mike speaks about the modern economy.[26:48] Vernice talks about the possibility of future climate marches.Co-Host/Guest:Infinite Earth Radio Co-host Vernice Miller Travis is a nationally recognized expert in brownfields redevelopment, community revitalization, collaborative problem solving, multi-stakeholder design and planning and environmental justice.Her interests have focused on economic and environmental restoration and the inclusion of low-income, people of color and indigenous communities in environmental and economic decision making at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels. Vernice enjoys listening to and singing gospel music, visiting her family in the Bahamas, traveling with her husband, and eating Maryland blue crabs and barbecue.Take Away Quotes:“There’s an initiative that is training young people, particularly young women of color, to run for elected office…it’s really to get a new generation of people engaged in the electoral process and to really put themselves out there, because a lot of the hard-core politics of our country, particularly the electoral national politics, have really rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and really pushed a lot of good people away from ever thinking that they may run for office. Whether it’s a local school board or a county council or a planning commission or, certainly, any higher office than that. People say, ‘I don’t want to be a part of that’ but if they’re not a part of that, you get folks in office, making decisions that actually adversely hurt people.”“You cannot continue to operate and try to affect national policy by representing the top 10% of wage earners and mostly affluent and middle-class white communities—those are not the only communities in the United States—and if you want to have broad-based impact, you’ve really got to reach a much broader, much deeper constituency that really is activating and doing things and trying to drive change in their local communities.”“We talk about shutting down coal-fired power plants, but I don’t hear any environmentalists talking about what happens to the people who work in the power plants, or who work feeding the stock digging the coal.”Resources:Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Topic:The Future of Cycling as a Mode of TransportationIn This Episode:[01:59] Guest Carlton Reid is introduced.[02:49] Carlton explains the history of the bike boom.[07:24] Carlton tells why there was a bike boom in the early ’70s.[09:18] Carlton talks about cycling as a mode of transportation, not just for recreation.[10:32] Carlton informs us of the degree to which bicycling is popular in the U.S.[13:07] Carlton addresses the percentage of modal sharing in the Netherlands compared to the U.S.[14:34] Carlton discusses having the bicycle infrastructure be more favored than the auto infrastructure.[19:58] Carlton mentions his support for cycleways.[22:05] Carlton gives his thoughts on the unpopularity of cycling among women, ethnic minorities, and the urban poor.[24:21] Carlton addresses Mike’s comment about the trend that may reverse the number of cars on the road and individual car ownership.[27:20] Carlton answers the question, what is the future of biking?Guest and Organization:Carlton Reid is executive editor of BikeBiz magazine and is writing a book about the recent history of roads. He is author of Roads Were Not Built For Cars and Bike Boom: The Unexpected Resurgence of Cycling. He also writes adventure travel articles for publications such as National Geographic Traveller and The Guardian – his forte is cycle touring. Founder and rider-manager of the first ever British mountain bike team – which competed in the World Championships in France in 1987 –Reid was inducted into the MBUK Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 2008, one of the first 20 inductees. He has ridden solo in the Sahara and Kalahari deserts and, from his mountain bike in 1994, he researched the first guidebook to Lebanon since the end of that country’s civil war.A digital native, Reid’s then one-man website BikeBiz.com tied for second with BBC.co.uk in theEuropean Online Journalism Awards of 2000. Working for the Bicycle Association of Great Britain he also commissioned the world’s first cycle-specific 3D satellite navigation, which has since been through a number of upgrades and can now direct cyclists on bike paths via beeps and wrist-buzzes on the Apple Watch.Take Away Quotes:“I would say the book is very much more interested in the advocacy side of cycling, the getting around as an everyday form of transport form of cycling, because at the end of the day, that’s actually what keeps cycling afloat.”“Cities who want to increase their cycling modal share have, pretty much, got to bite the bullet and restrict the use of motoring.”“It’s inescapable that many communities don’t see the bicycle as an aspirational form of transport; it’s very much the opposite of an aspirational form of transport. The white, hipster cycling thing is a thing because it’s genuinely a thing. Cycling, for some strange reason, now is this relatively middle-class, white activity.”Resources:Island Press Urban Resilience ProjectIsland Press – Bike BoomBike Biz Bike Boom

Topic:The State of Carbon PricingIn This Episode:[05:41] Michael shares what brought him to working on carbon pricing.[08:12] Michael addresses how people would feel the impact of a carbon tax.[10:38] How would putting a price on carbon play out?[12:17] Michael comments on the cost of carbon pricing.[13:19] How is carbon pricing implemented at the state level?[14:38] Is there a proposal in the state of Massachusetts to implement carbon pricing?[16:00] How close is Massachusetts to implementing the proposal?[17:18] Michael shares if other states or governmental entities have passed putting a price on carbon.[19:37] Michael states how close the vote was in the state of Washington.[20:26] Michael explains how British Columbia’s system works.[23:06] Michael talks about whether any of the proposals in Massachusetts are modeled after the one in British Columbia.[23:42] How does Massachusetts compare with other states in relation to passing carbon pricing?[25:08] Michael addresses the concern of making a state less competitive than others.[26:32] What is California’s stance on carbon pricing?[27:42] Michael gives his thoughts on where we’ll first get some form of carbon pricing.[29:50] Michael shares what he noticed this week in the news.[31:12] Mike tells what he noticed this week in the news.Guest/CoHost:Michael Green is the Executive Director of the Climate Action Business Association (CABA). He is also co-host here on Infinite Earth Radio. Michael is a seasoned advocate for climate policy and environmental action and has played strategic roles in several of the largest national, as well as international campaigns dedicated to fighting climate change. Since 2012, he has served as a representative to the United Nations focusing on international climate science and policy. As an activist, he has played strategic roles in several of the largest national, as well as international campaigns dedicated to fighting climate change. In his role at CABA, Michael manages staff and oversees the development of all program areas. He sits on the Board of Boston area non-profits as well as a policy advisor to national business associations on topics ranging from energy policy to climate adaptation. Michael is a Northeastern University graduate with degrees in international affairs and environmental studies, course work at the University of Edinburgh’s MSc Program in Environmental Protection and Management and Harvard Business School’s CORe Program.Organization:Climate Action Business Association (CABA) is a membership-based organization in Boston, Massachusetts, that helps businesses take targeted action on climate change. We provide our member businesses with the resources and tools needed to work within their business on sustainability efforts, political advocacy and building a community of shared values.Take Away Quotes:“My original goal, going into college, was that I wanted to be a forest ranger. I’m from upstate New York and really wanted to be working out and preserving our forests and the Adirondack mountains. As I learned more about the challenges of climate change, I realized that being way out in the woods wasn’t going to be enough to really protect our natural habitat.”“If people are starting to respond to a carbon tax because it’s already implemented, then, essentially, we’re losing the fight already because what it’s going to mean is it’s going to mean more expensive reliance on fossil fuels. So for those who are not able to make the transition, or are not willing to make the transition, they’re going to see an increase in cost.”“We’re also going to create huge market signals for renewable-energy development and financiers who are questioning whether or not these transition technologies and opportunities stand to gain financially...

Topic:Broadband Access in Rural CommunitiesIn This Episode:[02:04] Mike gives a recap of part 1 of the Broadband for All series.[03:53] Guest Cecilia Aguiar-Curry is introduced.[04:51] Cecilia talks about why the issue of broadband is important to her.[06:19] Cecilia explains the relationship between under-connected communities and Internet access.[07:55] Cecilia talks about AB-1665, the broadband-access bill.[10:42] Cecilia discusses federal-level discussions regarding infrastructure services in rural areas.[12:49] Cecilia expresses the role broadband plays in agriculture.[14:33] Cecilia shares the application she sees in helping people access state government in relation to smart-city applications and open-data portals.[16:10] Cecilia states her thoughts on how to continue innovation in smart technology, without leaving rural communities behind.[17:55] Cecilia addresses the decline of retail.[22:39] Kate shares what she noticed this week in the news.[25:54] Mike states what he noticed this week in the news.CoHost:Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.…Guest &amp; Organization:Cecilia Aguiar-Curry is an American politician who has been elected to the California State Assembly. She is a Democrat representing the 4th Assembly District, encompassing Wine Country and parts of the Sacramento Valley.Cecilia grew up in western Yolo County and has long served her community. After going to school and working in the Bay Area for several years, she moved back to her hometown of Winters where she almost immediately became active in the local community and a regional leader on several issues. She first served as planning commissioner and then was elected to the city council eventually serving as the first female mayor of Winters.While growing up, Cecilia was surrounded by agriculture. As a youth, she cut apricots in the packing shed and helped her father in the walnut orchards in the area. She is still involved in local agriculture to this day as she and her brothers own an 80-acre walnut orchard.Take Away Quotes:“It was really important for me to make sure that the families had the digital literacy training. I didn’t want anybody, ever, left behind, and I don’t think anybody in a rural community, as well as urban community, should be left behind and not be able to be part of the digital age.”“People always said, well, in a rural community, you don’t have, necessarily, an educated population to be able to take on this digital literacy. I say that’s wrong. And the problem is that you’re not exposed to these opportunities. So bringing this kind of education to the forefront in our schools, in our libraries, in our community, is really important to all of us — it helps with the economic development, it helps with telehealth, it helps with so many things.”“We wanted to make sure that the rural communities were connected, because it’s very easy to say the state of California, 95 percent of the people had Internet capabilities, but quite frankly, that 95 percent could be just taken up with the populations of the San Diegos, the Los Angeles’, the Silicon Valleys, the San Franciscos — the bigger communities — but rural communities weren’t included in...

Topic:Broadband Access Impacts Environment, Health, Agriculture, and JobsIn This Episode:[01:20] Co-host Kate Meis is introduced.[02:04] Kate talks about the Local Government Commission (LGC).[03:11] Kate shares the LGC’s upcoming events.[05:00] Kate introduces the next two podcast guests and what the podcast topics will be.[06:43] Mike mentions that access to broadband is a national issue.[07:56] Kate comments about how cutting some of the services in the infrastructure makes broadband access that much more important.[09:47] Guest Trish Kelly is introduced.[11:23] Trish tells how she became involved in the broadband-access issue.[12:18] Trish provides some statistics on who’s being left behind in the digital divide.[13:50] Trish defines the term “underserved”.[14:32] Trish talks about the demographic breakdown of underserved communities.[16:22] Trish shares the economic-development impacts of the rapid changes in the workforce.[19:11] Trish highlights the connection between broadband and the environment.[22:21] Trish comments on the use of technology in agriculture.[24:38] Trish states some steps to position communities for job opportunities.[27:07] What we should be asking from our community leaders?[29:34] Trish speaks to the accessibility of information and people feeling more connected in their community.[31:52] Trish tells how people can learn more about her work and Valley Vision.[32:46] Kate talks about what she noticed this week in the news.[36:42] Mike adds his thoughts to Kate’s observations from this week.CoHost:Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.…Guest &amp; Organization:Trish Kelly is the Managing Director of Valley Vision. Trish joined Valley Vision as Senior Vice President in 2014, having been involved with Valley Vision on several projects over the years. As a consultant, Trish has contributed to Valley Vision initiatives in such areas as regional food systems and agriculture, broadband, economic vitality, and quality of life indicators. She is managing Valley Vision’s agriculture and food system projects and the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium, and is supporting other Valley Vision regional leadership efforts. Trish has a passion for projects that provide strong research and accessible information as the basis for engaging community leaders, stakeholders and partner organizations in collaborative, solution-driven strategies that will ensure a Triple-Bottom Line for the region – with shared opportunity, environmental quality and economic prosperity for all.Valley Vision is a leadership organization dedicated to making the Sacramento region a great place to live, work, and recreate.Take Away Quotes:“In the 21st century, high-speed Internet access is no longer a luxury amenity but rather an essential service for homes and businesses in this interconnected world. No other technology has produced as much innovation, competition, and economic growth.”—Congressional letter to the new administration“I started this process more than 10 years ago. We were working with the governor’s cabinet, looking at issues that really impeded or affected rural economic vitality, and broadband kept coming

Topic:Incorporating Public Health Considerations in the Local Government Planning ProcessIn This Episode:[02:40] Co-host Paul Zykofsky is introduced.[02:48] Guests Miguel Vazquez and Erik Calloway are introduced.[03:10] Miguel tells how he came to be working on healthy-communities issues.[04:13] Erik tells how he came to be working on healthy-communities issues.[05:02] Erik describes ChangeLab Solutions.[05:41] Miguel describes the Riverside University Health System.[09:09] Miguel shares about the National Healthy Communities Platform.[09:44] Why is there a need for a National Healthy Communities Platform?[11:13] Erik evaluates the state of the healthy-communities movement.[12:25] Miguel gives his evaluation of the state of the healthy-communities movement.[13:42] Miguel identifies what he hopes will come out of the National Healthy Communities Platform.[15:04] Erik comments on the breakdowns of the social determinants of health.[15:51] Erik supplies his recommendations of how to get started to address the issues of the social determinants of health.[18:30] Miguel shares the challenges he thinks will be encountered as the healthy-communities movement is pushed forward.[20:45] Erik describes what he thinks the challenges will be.CoHost:Paul Zykofsky directs the Local Government Commission’s (LGC) programs related to land use and transportation planning, community design, and health and the built environment. In the past 20 years, he has worked with over 300 communities to improve conditions for infill development, walking, bicycling, and transit. Mr. Zykofsky provides technical assistance to communities throughout the nation on issues related to smart growth, infill development, transit-oriented development, street and sidewalk design, health and the built environment, and public participation in the planning process. Mr. Zykofsky is a co-author of Building Livable Communities: A Policymaker’s Guide to Transit Oriented Development and Emergency Response: Traffic Calming and Traditional Neighborhood Streets. In 2006, Mr. Zykofsky co-wrote (with Dan Burden of Walkable Communities) the section on “walkability” in the American Planning Association’s Planning and Urban Design Standards.Guests&nbsp;&amp; Organizations:As a senior planner at ChangeLab Solutions, Erik Calloway focuses on the links between the built environment and health. He conducts research, prepares strategies, and develops tools to help communities support healthy living and sustainability. Prior to joining ChangeLab Solutions, Erik worked for 13 years as an urban design consultant. He has led multidisciplinary teams on streetscape and public space design, district and corridor restructuring, city planning, neighborhood development, and downtown revitalization projects.Learn More About ErikMiguel Vazquez, currently serves as the Healthy Communities Planner for the Riverside University Health System-Public Health (RUHS-PH) (formerly known as Riverside County Department of Public Health) in California. Our work directly impacts the quality of life of 2.2 million people living in 28 cities and the unincorporated area of Riverside County. For the past five years, my leadership role has focused on the integration of planning and health through policy, programs and outreach.Learn More About Miguel’s Career Journey as a PlannerTake Away Quotes:“My journey has been kind of strange in a sense that

Topic:Coal, Coal-Fired Power Plants, and the Impacts on CommunitiesIn This Episode:[01:58] Mike shares information about Island Press and Infinite Earth Radio’s series on urban resilience.[03:18] Mike talks about the topic of today’s podcast.[05:15] Vernice identifies why the EPA has been focused on regulating the emissions from coal-fired power plants.[10:50] Guest Jacqueline Patterson is introduced.[11:31] Jacqueline defines the term “urban resiliency.”[12:49] Jacqueline shares what she thinks motivated the NAACP to create the energy and climate-justice program.[14:34] Jacqueline discusses the reactions to the NAACP beginning to take on environmental issues.[15:53] Jacqueline expresses whether there is a legal advantage to viewing environmental issues as civil-rights issues.[17:02] Jacqueline talks about the NAACP’s “Coal Blooded” report.[19:41] Jacqueline shares her thoughts on the seeming lack of conversation around the negative impacts on communities of color and people living near power plants.[21:30] Jacqueline discusses why uninterrupted energy service should be looked at as a civil-rights issue.[25:35] Jacqueline addresses how to alleviate the hardship for people who can’t pay their utility bill.[28:55] Jacqueline states what she’d like to see accomplished in the public-policy conversation.[31:14] Mike shares what he noticed this week in the news.[32:10] Vernice conveys what caught her attention this week in the news.Guest/Organization:Jacqueline Patterson is the Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program. Since 2007 Patterson has served as coordinator &amp; co-founder of Women of Color United. She has worked as a researcher, program manager, coordinator, advocate and activist working on women‘ s rights, violence against women, HIV&amp;AIDS, racial justice, economic justice, and environmental and climate justice. Patterson served as a Senior Women’ s Rights Policy Analyst for ActionAid where she integrated a women’ s rights lens for the issues of food rights, macroeconomics, and climate change as well as the intersection of violence against women and HIV &amp; AIDS.Environmental injustice, including the proliferation of climate change, has a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low-income communities in the United States and around the world. The NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program was created to support community leadership in addressing this human and civil rights issue.Take Away Quotes:“The reason that EPA was so focused on trying to regulate the emissions from coal-fired power plants is that those emissions create huge pollution issues that then create and trigger huge public-health challenges…the combustion of coal has a lot of adverse impacts.”“Resilience, I guess in any context…would be the ability of a community to withstand disturbances, basically, to life and living. And as we define resilience in our work as a civil- and human-rights organization, we look at the structural inequities that make certain communities more vulnerable—whether it’s disasters or sea-level rise or other types of shifts—and as we build resilience, it includes eliminating those vulnerabilities.”“Communities of color; low-income communities; women, to some extent; and other groups are being disproportionately impacted by the environmental injustices—whether it’s exposure to toxins, air pollution, water pollution, land contamination, etc.—to the effect that these communities do hold these pre-existing vulnerabilities that make them more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including sea-level rise, extreme weather events, shifts to the agricultural yields, etc.”“The price of poverty should never be death.”Resources:Island...

Topic:Putting a Price on CarbonIn This Episode:[01:37] Co-host Michael Green is introduced.[02:23] Mike and Michael talk about the series, “Years of Living Dangerously.”[04:50] Mike and Michael mention the Put a Price on It campaign.[06:44] Guest Camila Thorndike is introduced.[07:22] Camila shares the origin and goal of the Put a Price on It campaign.[08:39] Camila describes how the partnership with the “Years of Living Dangerously” team came about.[12:12] Camila reflects on carbon-pricing stories that she’s heard.[17:53] Camila expresses if celebrity involvement is an advantage in terms of communicating the climate-crisis message.[21:42] Camila shares her response to the question, “What can I do?”[26:30] Camila tells where people can go to connect with Our Climate and the Put a Price on It campaign.[28:33] Camila provides how she stays positive while dealing with climate-change issues.[32:06] Michael identifies what caught his eye this week in the news.[33:40] Mike talks about what caught his eye this week in the news.Guest:Camila Thorndike has been an environmental advocate and social entrepreneur for 10 years. At Whitman College, she led the largest campus club and founded a tri-college leadership network. After graduating with honors in 2010, Camila directed outreach for a regional urban planning project in Arizona; advanced green jobs for the mayor of D.C.; worked at the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution; and co-founded COAL, a nationwide musical theater project about fossil fuels. She is a Udall Scholar, Fellow of the Center for Diversity and the Environment, Sitka Fellow, Mic50 Awardee, and member of the 2016 class of the Young Climate Leaders Network.Organization:Our Climate mobilizes and empowers the generations most affected by climate change to pass inclusive, science-based climate policy through creative civic engagement.Take Away Quotes:“It takes a lot of education and encouragement to make sure that young people, especially, feel confident advocating for the policy, but once they’re hooked, it’s amazing what they’ve been pulling off.”“We’re finally getting more creative in how we bring people in, and there’s nothing more powerful than story. It’s not unique to the efforts around carbon pricing, but I think the climate and sustainability movements as a whole have really gotten the memo that you can’t just broadcast facts and figures and graphs and charts—it won’t resonate emotionally—and that when you don’t have that emotional link, then you can’t expect folks to prioritize this above their grocery list or paying the bills or whatever it might be.”“Something that young people everywhere need to realize is that you don’t wait until some magical moment—that you have this right title or the right position—to speak out on something that you care about. It is actually your youth and your perspective of being in the most imperiled generation and facing down the barrel of this gun that is the core message that will resonate and move the rest of society, and, in fact, if you don’t speak out, you’re missing this incredible opportunity which is going to fade with time.”“…more and more people are waking up and taking action, and I think that comes from refusing to take no as an answer and doing the hard work of honing your skills and your knowledge base and, again, making use of this precious time that we have when we’re alive on this earth to advance something that we believe in, whether or not we win. The victory is not guaranteed, but the effort is in your hands.”Resources:Our ClimateYears of Living Dangerously <a href="http://yearsoflivingdangerously.com/watch/"...

Topic:The Importance of PlayIn This Episode:[01:50] Aisha Alexander is introduced.[02:02] Aisha shares what KaBOOM! is.[02:40] Aisha provides why play opportunities are so important.[04:06] Aisha explains why access to play is an issue.[06:02] Aisha describes the Play Everywhere Challenge.[09:08] Aisha states how people can learn more about KaBOOM! and the Play Everywhere Challenge.[09:38] Mike comments how playspaces have dual benefits.[10:16] Aisha expresses how kids are indicator species for cities.Guest/Organization:…Aisha Alexander is a Director of External Affairs for KaBOOM!, where she leads efforts promote the creation of kid-friendly cities. She attended Hampton University, where she earned her BA in English and Early Childhood Education; and Temple University, earning a Master of Social Work, concentrating in Community and Policy Practice. Before joining KaBOOM!, she worked in municipal government, most recently for the City of Charlotte, where she managed the city’s neighborhood improvement programs. Aisha is an expert in community engagement, neighborhood quality of life and social sector innovation.……Take Away Quotes:“KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that’s committed to making sure that all kids have the access to the play opportunities they need to thrive.”“There’s lots of reasons that play is really important. Number one, we believe that play is a fundamental right of childhood; it is the work of children.”“We realized through our community-built playgrounds that we could not address the problem at scale, and so we worked with Ideas42, a behavioral research firm, to figure out what are the barriers to play, and when we looked at those barriers, we found out that what needs to happen to be able to give access to all kids is to really make play everywhere.”“We really wanted to have this Play Everywhere Challenge to help spur these types of ideas of how you can infuse play into everyday spaces where kids and families are already spending time.”Resources:Infinite Earth Radio Episode 053: Civil Rights and Access to Recreation and Open Space (Re-release) with Robert GarciaPlay Everywhere ChallengeThe Play Everywhere PlaybookKaBOOM

Topic:Expanding the Conversation of Community ResiliencyIn This Episode:[01:50] Co-host Kif Scheuer is introduced.[01:54] Guest John Zeanah is introduced.[02:05] John shares how he became involved in community resiliency[04:20] John explains what he thinks the word resiliency means.[05:31] John talks about how communities across and within jurisdictional boundaries are responding to resiliency.[09:58] John relates the kind of conversation that takes place within the community he works in.[14:40] John comments on energy-cost burdens and how costs are factored into response strategies.[18:09] Is resiliency is just another word for disaster preparedness?[20:29] John addresses how to have the conversation of investing money for the benefit of something that won’t happen, like a flood.[23:28] John identifies the pieces of his plan that will continue beyond the grant.[27:07] John mentions how people find more information and take a look at Shelby’s resilience plan.Guest/Organization:John Zeanah is the Deputy Director of the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. In this role, Mr. Zeanah assists the direction of planning functions including land use, comprehensive planning, sustainability and resilience, transportation, housing, and development services. Prior to this role, Mr. Zeanah served in the roles of program manager and administrator for the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability, coordinating various program areas including energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling, green infrastructure, and sustainable food systems.Recently, Mr. Zeanah led the development of the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan, a unified vision for a regional network of green space connecting across the Greater Memphis area, and Shelby County’s Greenprint for Resilience initiative, which received over $60 million in HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition. Mr. Zeanah holds a BA in Political Science from Rhodes College and a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Memphis.Take Away Quotes:“I think the evolution of resilience is pushing people to think beyond just, how do you bounce back from a flood, or how do you build back from a hurricane, but also as you’re building back, as you’re bouncing back, how are you doing that in a way that’s addressing so many of the social and economic issues that your community may face.”“I don’t know that the way that we’ve thought about disaster preparedness as a practice has taken in, at least to the degree that we’ve seen in the last few years around resilience, this concept of focusing on co-benefits, focusing on the multiple benefits, and ensuring that what we do around a preparedness initiative or project in a community has benefits throughout the year.”“My advice for any community out there is think about when you have a disaster, whether it’s a flood or something else, what are the systems that have to get in place to be able to prevent damage from happening? What are the cleanup efforts that have to take place? What’s the dollar value of those things?”Resources:Learn More about Shelby County’s Resilience EffortsResilient Shelby – Resilience PlanShelby County Planning and DevelopmentMid-South Regional Greenprint<a...

Topic:Sales Tax Issues and ImpactsIn This Episode:[02:27] Guests Bob Lewis, Jim Brasfield, and Sarah Coffin are introduced.[02:57] Jim shares why he’s interested in sales tax and distribution equity.[03:18] Bob tells why he’s interested in sales tax and distribution equity.[03:52] Bob talks about his role as Principal at Development Strategies.[04:13] Sarah speaks about why she’s interested in sales tax and distribution equity.[04:55] Bob gives his view of what sales tax distribution equity is.[06:13] Jim explains where sales tax money goes and what it pays for.[08:15] Sarah shares what the negatives of sales tax distribution are.[09:43] Bob speaks about how the sales tax system drives land-use decisions.[11:30] Who decides who is a point-of-sale city?[12:54] Mike speaks of the incentives for more commercial development than housing development.[13:51] Sarah comments about the zoning decisions made by local governments and the affordable-housing issue.[14:48] How do we fix the problem of poorer communities going to rich communities to shop and the rich communities taking the sales tax?[16:26] Is there any property tax sharing or is it just the sales tax?[17:31] Mike mentions the challenges of too many local governments and overlapping jurisdictions.[18:02] Bob adds to the conversation of sharing the costs.[18:55] Sarah reflects on how St. Louis County supports its cultural districts.[20:23] Are there any words of wisdom for other parts of the country that aren’t doing sales tax sharing?Guests/Organizations: Jim Brasfield is Emeritus Professor of Management at the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology at Webster University, and former Chair of the Department of Management for nineteen years. He has been on the faculty of Webster University since 1976. He has a Ph.D. in political science from Case Western Reserve University (1973) and MA in Political Science from St. Louis University. He was Mayor of the City of Crestwood from 1996 to 2002 and on the Crestwood Board of Alderman from 1978 to 2006. He has been President of the St. Louis County Municipal League and the President of the Board of the Greater St. Louis Health System Agency.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since 2000 he has been a member of the Government Relations Committee of the Gateway Chapter of the MS Society. He was President of the Webster University Faculty Senate from 2001 to 2007. Currently he is a member of the Municipal Parks Grant Commission and the Board of Directors of Voyce. He is a past President of the Organized Section on Health Politics and Policy of the American Political Science Association, and was Book Review Editor of the Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law from 2010 to 2016.&nbsp;&nbsp;In 2011 his book Health Policy: The Decade Ahead was published by Lynne Rienner Publishers.&nbsp;Learn more about Jim. Dr. Sarah Coffin is an associate professor of urban planning at Saint Louis University in the School of Social Work where she directs the masters in Urban Planning and Development Program. Trained as an urban planner, Dr. Coffin’s work focuses on the impacts of brownfields on weak market economies and examining the role that common development tools like tax increment financing and tax credits play in local economic development planning practice in these post-industrial regions. Her work draws on both primary and secondary data...

Topic:Making Sure All People Have Access to Affordable FoodIn This Episode:[02:16] Mike gives some background on the topic for today’s episode.[02:38] Julia Freedgood is introduced.[02:47] Julia tells about the American Farmland Trust.[03:08] Julia shares why farmland and food equity are important.[04:19] Julia explains what food equity is.[05:40] Julia talks about whether food insecurity is a real problem.[06:50] Julia reflects on what needs to be done to attack the problem of food insecurity.[09:08] Julia gives examples of communities that are making progress in the issue of food insecurity.[11:28] Julia provides information about resources on the Growing Food Connections website.[13:44] Julia shares how to access the Community Guide to Planning for Agriculture and Food Systems.[15:00] Julia identifies some of the issues that are creating an obstacle to food security and food equity.[19:45] Julia communicates what the average person can do to be supportive of more food security for other people.[23:23] Mike mentions the book “The New Grand Strategy.”Guest:Julia Freedgood is the Assistant Vice President of Programs for the American Farmland Trust and oversees federal, state and local program and policy efforts to support farmland protection and agricultural viability.Organization:American Farmland Trust is dedicated to preserving the nation’s farm and ranch land – and critical natural resources like soil and water. They also make sure to never forget that it is people – our family farmers and ranchers – who feed us and sustain America.Take Away Quotes:“The American Farmland Trust is a national nonprofit organization. We were founded in 1980 to protect farmland for farming, so our mission is to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land.”“For us, in the context of the project that I was talking about, which is a project American Farmland Trust is part of called Growing Food Connections, and the goal of that project is to strengthen community food systems by supporting small and midsize farmers who are growing food within their communities and regions, and also by improving food access, food security, or food equity. And so for the food-equity piece, we’re really looking at making sure that all people in a community have access to affordable food that’s culturally appropriate, the kind of food they’re familiar with and like to eat, and that it’s readily available.”“Fifty million people in the country are affected by food insecurity, and so that means lack of access to food on a regular basis. It doesn’t mean that they’re starving, necessarily, but it does mean that they don’t have food access every day, three meals a day, healthy food. It’s gotten a little bit better in the last few years, but it’s still worse than it was before the Great Recession, and it’s still a problem that we need to work on. And you find it especially in low-wealth communities and communities of color and rural communities.”“Through the project [Growing Food Connections], we studied what we call Communities of Innovation, and so these would be places across the country that have really addressed food-system issues through planning and policy and building partnerships and making investments.”Resources:American Farmland TrustFarmland Information CenterGrowing Food Connections“The New Grand Strategy”

Topic:Climate Change and Putting a Price on CarbonIn This Episode:[01:10] Carbon series co-host Michael Green is introduced.[01:40] Michael shares what he hopes to bring to this #carbon podcast series.[02:22] Mike shares his excitement for sustainability and equity at the sub-national level.[02:48] Michael tells about CABA’s (Climate Action Business Alliance) expansion efforts to help state-based networks.[03:31] Mike mentions the list of diverse topics that he and Michael have come up with for this new series and introduces what today’s episode will be about.[04:32] Michael conveys his thoughts regarding the Republican party’s view on climate change.[05:01] Mike describes the carbon tax proposal.[08:28] Catrina Rorke is introduced and talks about R Street.[10:44] Catrina elaborates on carbon pricing.[11:24] Michael agrees with carbon pricing and says that they will be talking about what to do with the revenue.[11:49] Catrina answers the question of whether carbon pricing and the idea of putting a market signal on an externality is a conservative idea.[13:06] Catrina speaks about the idea of a direct rebate to taxpayers.[14:37] Catrina explains how the R Street approach would work and if it would be fair to those who are paying taxes.[17:19] Catrina expresses her thoughts on putting a price on carbon.[19:12] Catrina shares if climate change is a populist-enough issue for the Republican party.[20:28] Catrina gives her insights of how effective a carbon tax would be.[24:53] Catrina comments on the increase of the carbon tax and how to ensure an environmental outcome from a price signal.[28:03] Michael discusses information on what he’s been following regarding sustainability, the future of climate change, and the outdoor-sports industry.[30:22] Mike talks about an article he read about the Alberta tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline.[32:24] Michael provides information about his interest in the pipeline.[32:54] Mike shares what he knows about ExxonMobil and supplies an issue with the tar sands.[33:33] Michael mentions that Canada is going to be putting a price on carbon.Guest:Catrina Rorke is senior fellow and energy policy director for the R Street Institute. She founded and leads the institute’s energy program, which works to clarify a well-defined and limited role for government in shaping decisions about infrastructure, wholesale and retail electricity, research and development, fuel choice and diversity, and climate adaptation and mitigation.Follow Catrina on TwitterOrganization:The R Street Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy research organization (“think tank”). Our mission is to engage in policy research and outreach to promote free markets and limited, effective government.Take Away Quotes:“As an organization that’s dedicated to conservative free-market principles, the carbon tax sort of checked the boxes, and so R Street has long advocated for a revenue-neutral form of a carbon price, especially one that includes preemption for regulatory programs that currently try to price carbon into the market.”“It’s certainly a conservative idea to use the lightest touch possible to correct a market failure. So, when you look at a role for government, as a conservative you don’t want government to expand beyond addressing substantive market failures, where the market isn’t addressing problems on its own. And climate change is a really perfect example of this. We know that there’s risk related to anthropogenic emissions, the market isn’t pricing that on its own, and so without the...

Topic:The Impact Domino Effect: From Neighborhoods to Cities to RegionsIn This Episode:[01:19] Rachel Deffenbaugh is introduced.[01:29] Rachel shares how she became involved in urban agriculture and why urban agriculture is important to her.[02:15] Rachel states what Gateway Greening is.[02:31] What is the difference between community gardening and urban agriculture?[03:19] How should urban agriculture be looked at in terms of it being a system within a community.=?[04:58] Rachel talks about why we should focus energy on urban agriculture.[07:25] Rachel shares her thoughts on the direct economic benefits of urban agriculture.[10:49] Mike comments that urban settings can make the food system more economically viable.[12:13] Rachel speaks about the consumer side of food.[13:11] Mike mentions the book The Two-Income Trap by Elizabeth Warren and talks about the other things in our economy that are more expensive than food.[14:16] Rachel talks about what Gateway Greening is doing to make St. Louis more of an urban agricultural place.[17:50] Rachel describes the goals and vision of Gateway Greening.[20:33] How can listeners support the work of Gateway Greening?[21:24] Rachel shares resources for those who do not live in the St. Louis area.Guest:Rachel Deffenbaugh managed the Gateway Greening Urban Farm for over 6 years, during which time she developed and implemented dynamic employment and therapeutic programming for individuals struggling with homelessness, mental illness, and/or addiction. She has a diverse background in sustainable agriculture and therapeutic horticulture. She recently transitioned to supervising the Therapeutic Horticulture program at the Missouri Botanical Garden.Organization:Gateway Greening isn’t just about gardens and plants. It’s about working together to create something beautiful — safer, more colorful neighborhoods for our children; food for the underprivileged and opportunities for the homeless; and a city that embodies our vision of sustainability and hope. Gateway Greening is a community of gardeners, neighbors, friends and volunteers. And we believe that by educating and empowering our community through gardening and urban agriculture, we can continue to grow St. Louis into the city we know it to be.Take Away Quotes:“For me, community gardening has a very localized effect. So it’ll be a garden in a neighborhood, or at a church, that is really focused on whatever community is connected to that garden, which is really significant and impactful for that community. Urban agriculture has a much bigger focus. Maybe it’s a whole city that is impacted by the programing and the produce that is grown there, or potentially even a whole region. So it’s really kind of the scale of what you’re working with.”“Urban agriculture can be easily integrated into any sort of community with intention behind it… in the case of where I work, it might look like a big—we have a two-and-a-half acre urban farm in downtown St. Louis; and we operate a lot of different programs and impact people struggling with homelessness; we bring in volunteers from all different walks of life, all different communities; we have a teen-employment program. So that’s a very centralized, kind of top-down approach to urban agriculture, which I don’t think is bad by any means, but there’s also the bottom-up approach that is out there as well.”“Another thing that urban agriculture can be if you’re a city planner or developer or something is tucking in agricultural elements into what you’re already doing. So if you’re redesigning the streetscape in some cute little neighborhood or something, rather than using...

Topic:People Taking Charge of Their Own CommunityIn This Episode:[01:20] Jane LaFleur is introduced.[01:28] Jane shares what interests her about community development and how she got involved in community-development work.[02:30] Jane provides some of the economic challenges.[03:33] Jane defines community wealth.[04:13] Jane states what “a barn-raising approach to community wealth” means.[06:06] Jane tells more about the Heart and Soul approach.[07:31] Jane mentions how long she’s been doing the Heart and Soul approach.[08:14] Jane gives a success story of the Heart and Soul approach.[11:14] Mike discusses the problem of getting people engaged in their communities.[11:41] Jane provides another success story of the Heart and Soul approach.[13:26] Mike states his thoughts about the disconnect between government and the people.[13:40] Jane informs that the Heart and Soul approach is about what communities can do for themselves.[15:00] Mike shares his view of what governance is.[15:48] Jane says how people can learn more about her work.[16:04] Jane speaks about the inclusiveness of the Heart and Soul process.[16:58] Mike clarifies which website to go to, depending on your state of residence.[17:33] Jane discusses whether community wealth is an economic-development process.[18:52] Mike mentions focusing on social capital.[19:32] Jane conveys that social capital is a part of asset-based planning and that businesses are attracted to a community that knows what its values are.Guest:Jane LaFleur is the Senior Program Director of Lift360, a state-wide organization that inspires leadership, builds stronger leaders, and equips those leaders to tackle the critical issues facing Maine. Lift360 works to strengthen leaders, organizations and communities through its work with cities and towns, non-profit organizations and community members. Jane served as the Executive Director of Friends of Midcoast Maine (FMM), a regional smart growth, planning and civic engagement organization for 13 years until joining Lift 360 in September 2016. She developed The Community Institute, a program of Friends of Midcoast Maine and has been named a coach and champion on the Orton Family Foundation Heart &amp; Soul planning program. Jane grew up in Lewiston, Maine and has been a city and regional planner since 1981. Her work has received the Maine Associations of Planners Plan of the year award in Damariscotta, Maine and in South Burlington Vermont and in 2015 she was named The Professional Planner of the Year by both the Maine Association of Planners and the Northern New England Chapter of APA. Jane is a sought after lecturer and trainer on planning and civic engagement topics at the local level as well as at national and state conferences including NNECAPA, APA, New Partners for Smart Growth, Community Matters, and MAP Annual Meetings. She has recently published an article in the “Communities and Banking” magazine of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston as well as other publications. Jane graduated from the University of Maine and received her master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University and lives within Camden, Maine.Organization:Lift360 focuses on leadership every day – for individuals, in organizations, and throughout communities.Their mission is to inspire leadership, build stronger leaders, and to equip those leaders to tackle the critical issues faced in Maine. That focus takes them into communities and boardrooms, reaching all sectors and all areas of the state. They deliver programs and services working side by side with organizational and community leaders. The impact of their work and the stories they hear from those they...

Topic:Spurring Community RevitalizationIn This Episode:[01:36] Co-host Kate Meis is introduced.[01:44] Guest Darin Dinsmore is introduced.[01:53] Darin shares how he ended up working on affordable-housing and infill-housing issues.[02:24] Darin explains what smart infill housing is.[02:50] Darin describes what infill and smart growth look like in rural communities like Truckee, California.[03:54] Darin provides information on his tiny-home project.[06:04] Darin discusses the zoning ordinance for the tiny-home project in Arizona.[06:50] Kate mentions that with the growing interest in tiny homes, local governments are having to figure out how to keep the zoning updated.[07:23] Mike comments on the dynamic of minimal residential house size and people who are living in hotel rooms.[08:11] Darin speaks about micro-units and single-room occupancy units.[08:46] Darin tells about the infill score and revitalization roadmap tool.[09:27] Darin states where people can go to take the infill-readiness test.[09:48] Darin describes the Crowdbrite tool.[11:25] Darin shares where people can go to access the Crowdbrite tool.[11:39] Darin mentions where the Crowdbrite tool is being used.[12:06] Darin supplies some of the things communities can do to be infill ready.[13:01] Mike adds to the discussion that there’s a public-approval issue.[13:24] Kate conveys that most Americans prefer smart growth.[13:33] Darin provides some of the challenges cities face in becoming infill ready.Co-Host:Kate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.&nbsp;Guest:Darin Dinsmore is an urban planner &amp; landscape architect with over 25 years of experience in community-based planning and design. He launched Crowdbrite in 2010 to bring plans to life and find solutions to improve civic engagement. His award-winning interactive online tools (www.crowdbrite.net) has helped more than 500k people design their city while leveraging more than $2.5b of new investment.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Crowdbrite team helps build the natural, social and financial capital to strengthen neighborhoods and revitalize communities.&nbsp;We were awarded app of the year 2016 by the Lincoln Land Institute with projects featured in Fast Company Magazine.To help create more sustainable and vibrant communities he launched a suite of SMART planning tools including www.infillscore.com and the Community Revitalization Program, used by more than 400 communities.&nbsp;In 2017 Darin is working to create new jobs and innovative housing&nbsp;solutions with a Tiny House demonstration project.Organization:Crowdbrite’s mission is to work with cities and developers to help build more affordable, vibrant and walkable communities. In the first 12 months since launch Crowdbite has 400+...

Topic:How community design impacts lives&nbsp;In This Episode:[01:31] Elizabeth Hartig is introduced.[01:40] Elizabeth shares how she became involved in planning for health issues.[02:23] Elizabeth tells about the American Planning Association (APA).[03:02] Are there specific objectives for the Plan4Health initiative?[04:08] Elizabeth discusses the degree to which community design impacts health versus access to healthcare.[05:05] How can we move to more healthy community design?[07:18] Elizabeth shares her thoughts on what needs to be done to get the healthy-community movement moving at a faster rate.[08:36] Elizabeth provides the degree to which her work focuses on communities that have a lower quality of health outcomes and what needs to be done for those communities to be healthier.[10:54] What needs to be done to get the people who are building communities to be more responsive to the urban, walkable community market demand.[12:37] Where can people learn more about Plan4Health?[13:53] Elizabeth provides the first steps to making healthier communities.[15:38] Mike and Elizabeth talk about the biggest mistakes planners make.[16:59] Elizabeth mentions if there is an expected end to the Plan4Health program or if it’s ongoing.Guest:Elizabeth Hartig joined the American Planning Association (APA) as a project coordinator for the Planning and Community Health Center in January 2015. Immediately prior, Elizabeth was a program officer with the Chicago Foundation for Women, leading the foundation’s volunteer grantmaking committee, managing the final evaluation plan for each proposal and supporting the foundation’s grantee community. Elizabeth received her master of arts in social administration from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration and has worked in a variety of direct service and administrative positions.&nbsp;&nbsp;.Organization:Plan4Health is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The American Planning Association’s Planning and Community Health Center is an awardee of the CDC’s National Implementation and Dissemination for Chronic Disease Prevention funding opportunity. Plan4Health is one community within the larger project — sharing lessons learned and expertise with the American Heart Association; the National Women, Infants, and Children; Society for Public Health Education; and Directors of Health Promotion and Education.Take Away Quotes:“My background is actually in social work, so I worked with a community foundation in Chicago, really thinking about how we can reach vulnerable populations, how we can support families and women and girls, and a lot of our work focused around places, so where people were and how that impacted their lives and their health and their choices. So when the opportunity to work with a Plan4Health project came up, I was really excited to take this to a deeper level and really think about how the design of our communities can impact our lives.”“APA is a membership organization. We have about 38,000 members across the country. Our members are working at all different levels, with local communities, in regions, really thinking about how we can create healthy, vibrant communities.”“APA was awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September of 2014, so we are in our second-and-a-half year of the project, and, really, the goal of the award and the goal of our overall project is to prevent chronic disease. So, how do we do that? We can make it easier to walk and bike and increase opportunities for physical activity, and we can also make it easier to get healthy food.”“I think a...

Topic:Sustainability and Economic Opportunity and InclusionIn This Episode:[01:24] Co-host Kif Scheuer is introduced.[01:32] Julie Seward is introduced.[01:40] Julie shares how she became interested in working in resiliency, sustainability, and community equity.[03:14] Julie describes the biggest successes and the biggest challenges in the smart-growth movement.[05:23] Julie speaks about the subtopics and interconnected terms of the smart-growth movement and if there’s confusion for the public.[06:47] Julie comments on who is involved in the smart-growth movement and the roles they play.[08:28] Julie addresses challenging issues that go beyond jurisdictional boundaries.[10:41] Julie states how to weave together thriving-economy areas and non-thriving-economy areas of the country.[14:37] Kif mentions the economic imbalance of coastal urban areas, valuable resources we have under a stressed climate, and the “makers and takers” of the environment.[15:35] Julie expresses her thoughts on the future leaders who may be able to help shape the future[16:50] Mike adds to the discussion his opinion that the biggest need is for people to have equitable opportunity to participate in the economy.[18:29] Julie responds with her perspective on economic inclusion, urban economies, and the inflection point.Co-Host:Kif Scheuer joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kif Scheuer is the Climate Change Program Director at the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kif is a solution-oriented sustainability professional with a strong history of engaging diverse audiences in real-world climate protection efforts through innovative, market-focused research and analysis, creative program design, effective project implementation, and compelling public advocacy and education. In 2013 Kif organized the first California Adaptation Forum, which attracted over 800 attendees and served to kick start the statewide conversation on adaptation. Kif led the development and growth of one of the LGC’s key coalitions – the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation, a statewide network focused on addressing adaptation at the regional scale.…Guest:Julie Seward is the Principal of Julia Seward Consulting. Julie is skilled at building the foundation for long-term initiatives and transforming strategies into actions. Her consulting work often involves finding solutions and promoting common goals and collaboration among highly diverse stakeholders. Julie’s particular areas of interest and experience include building sustainable communities through smart growth; creating and integrating state policy partnerships; and planning and orchestrating conferences and meetings that produce innovative outcomes.Organization:Julia Seward Consulting provides strategic planning, project management and implementation, and facilitation to national organizations, local, state, and regional governing bodies, community based organizations, foundations and consulting firms.Take Away Quotes:“The biggest success in the smart-growth movement, in fact, is there is a smart-growth movement that is understood, and smart growth is now a fairly accepted frame of reference for people. If you had asked people a decade ago what that means, certainly there are a core of people who would understand that, but many people would not have. I think there’s huge success and the…people that are involved in smart growth should really claim great credit for having really created something that has become a common word for people in the United States. Sustainability is now a part, I think, of the way most people think about the work they do—certainly not that way a decade ago—so I think in some ways that’s the greatest success is it’s become an integral part of the way people think about their...

TOPICServing Lower-Income Families Through Inclusionary HousingIN THIS EPISODE[01:13] Co-host Kate Meis is introduced.[01:21] Sasha Hauswald is introduced.[01:30] Sasha shares how she ended up working on affordable-housing issues.[02:21] Sasha talks about some of the tools cities are using to ensure there is a supply of affordable housing so families can stay together.[04:33] Sasha conveys her thoughts on challenges municipalities have with providing affordable housing.[05:10] Sasha explains inclusionary housing/zoning.[06:42] Sasha states if there’s an incentive to the developer to include inclusionary housing.[08:33] Sasha elaborates if the impact of housing affordability is long term or short term.[10:28] Sasha discusses how one has to think of inclusionary housing differently in stronger versus weaker up-and-coming markets.[16:13] Is there anything else, beyond incentives to developers, that can incentivize more housing creation?[20:04] Why should affordable housing matter for those who already have housing?[22:47] Sasha comments on how policy decisions can favor or disfavor certain people.[24:32] Sasha gives advice on how smaller communities can get involved in this conversation around affordable housing.[26:11] Mike mentions the importance for people to understand zoning and how zoning impacts housing prices.[27:20] Kate discusses the misalignment of the planning process with zoning codes.[28:20] Sasha shares how people can learn more about her work.CO-HOSTKate Meis joins the Infinite Earth Radio as the co-host for this episode. Kate Meis is the Executive Director of the Local Government Commission (LGC). Kate is a champion for local governments; a recognized leader in local climate change adaptation, mitigation and clean energy efforts; and an ardent coalition builder. She obtained a Masters of Science degree in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and has a Sociology Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sonoma.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;GUEST Prior to serving as Director of State and Local Policy at Grounded Solutions Network, Sasha was Senior Program Officer at Cornerstone Partnership, where she led Cornerstone’s inclusionary housing engagements and activities. Before that, Sasha worked in at the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development where she oversaw legislative affairs, strategic planning, and program evaluation projects as Public Policy manager.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ORGANIZATION Grounded Solutions Network is supporting strong communities from the ground up. We work nationally, connecting local experts with the networks, knowledge and support they need. Grounded Solutions Network helps promote housing solutions that will stay affordable for generations so communities can stabilize and strengthen their foundation, for good.&nbsp;Take Away Quotes“I started off working in foster care, and a lot of the kids who I was looking after in foster care were trying to be reunited with their families, but their parents were not able to find housing. So their parents are trapped in shelters, and the kids are trapped&nbsp;in foster care, and I just realized that it was sort of an underlying issue that was keeping families apart.”“[Kate] read a study that said that there isn’t a county anywhere in the nation that can fill all of its low-income-population need for affordable housing.”“Now, places are finding that they have...

TOPICA Successful Approach to Community ReinventionIN THIS EPISODE[01:14] Erik Pages is introduced.[01:39] Erik talks about how he ended up focusing his work in economic development and entrepreneurship.[02:27] Erik shares the keys to success of communities that have reinvented themselves.[03:38] Why is this approach to economic recovery not more widely used?[04:44] An example of a community that’s been successful with this kind of economic-recovery approach.[05:28] Erik describes what a place-based approach is.[06:17] An example from Coal Country that is taking the place-based approach.[07:14] Erik gives advice to those living in a community in need of reinventing itself.[08:04] Strategies for leveraging the entrepreneurial talent that’s found in every community.[09:12] Erik states how communities can make themselves more resilient to economic changes.[10:53] Erik tells if it’s possible to build an economy that will keep people’s jobs since technology is replacing some jobs.[12:25] Erik shares his thoughts on the Trump administration’s objective of creating more jobs through better trade deals and a better tax structure.[13:49] Erik speaks to whether the coal economy is coming back.[15:46] How can Coal Country make an easier transition to an alternative-energy economy?[17:20] Erik proposes a national-level policy to move our economy forward.[19:18] Erik shares if there is a need of a better system for re-training and job-transition programs.[19:55] Erik gives his suggestion that would allow easier and faster reinvention of communities.[20:43] Erik tells how people can learn more about his work and entrepreneurial economic development.GUEST Erik Pages is the President of EntreWorks Consulting, an economic development consulting and policy development firm focused on helping communities and organizations achieve their entrepreneurial potential.Learn More About ErikORGANIZATION Based in Arlington, VA, EntreWorks Consulting is an economic development consulting and policy development firm focused on helping communities, businesses, and organizations achieve their entrepreneurial potential. EntreWorks works with a diverse base of clients including state and local governments, Chambers of Commerce, business leaders, educational institutions, and non-profits. Since its founding, EntreWorks has worked with customers in forty states and overseas. EntreWorks Consulting works with communities, organizations, and civic leaders to design, implement, and promote innovative economic development strategies, policies, and programs. They help create and publicize the best of new thinking about community economic development. Their work is based on a belief that entrepreneurship in all its forms is the key to revitalizing our communities, ranging from the booming technology hot spots to distressed rural and urban communities.&nbsp;Take Away Quotes“I think I come at entrepreneurship from a slightly different perspective of most people. I’m not one of these people that adores Bill Gates or adores Steve Jobs. I’m interested in entrepreneurship because I think it’s an economic-development strategy that’s available to all communities, unlike some other, say, high-tech-development strategy. So that’s why I’m a big fan of entrepreneurship, and I think it’s an economic-development strategy that can fit in almost any kind of community.”“I do think that there’s a couple things that successful communities do. One is that they engage everybody in the community. It’s not just a handful of leaders doing it. The other thing—and this is...

TOPICThe Shift in Demand for Walkable Urban LivingIN THIS EPISODE[01:16] Daniel Parolek is introduced.[01:53] Daniel tells about when he first knew architecture and urban design were going to be what he would do for a living.[03:11] Daniel answers the question of, what is missing middle housing?[06:09] Daniel speaks of the transition to support housing that supports more walkable communities.[08:15] Daniel addresses if it’s possible to create a more diverse mix of housing options in communities that are already built out.[10:32] Daniel identifies how to adapt building codes to allow for a more diverse mix of housing.[12:59] Daniel talks about using floor-area ratio in a residential context.[14:16] Daniel gives his thoughts on the affordability benefits of missing middle housing.[16:09] Daniel discusses the good response builders and developers have had.[19:01] Daniel mentions if there’s been any work done on how a community’s finances are affected.[20:02] Daniel shares where people can learn more about his work and missing middle housing.GUEST Daniel Parolek is a nationally recognized thought leader in architecture, design, and urban planning, specifically in terms of creating livable, sustainable communities and buildings that reinforce them. He is the founder and a Principle at Opticos – an architectural and urban design firm located in Berkeley CA.Learn More About DanielORGANIZATION Opticos Design, Inc. is an award-winning multidisciplinary design firm founded in Berkeley, CA, that specializes in creating great places by revitalizing old ones and creating new pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods and cities by designing well-crafted traditional and classical architecture. They are recognized nationally as leaders in their field and have won various awards for their diverse work. Their designs emphasize the creation of vibrant, sustainable communities, comfortable pedestrian environments, and memorable places that will withstand the test of time. Opticos was named to B Lab’s “2013 B Corp Best for the Workers List,” honoring the top 10% of all Certified B Corporations in the world that have made a positive impact on their workforce.Learn More About OpticosTake Away Quotes“…actually, I wrote an essay when I was in sixth grade about wanting to be an architect, so I guess it was maybe between growing up in a really great, sort of vibrant community and also being let loose on my grandfather’s farm and having lots of time to build lots of cool forts out of stacked hay bales and treehouses and such, sort of, ultimately, ended up me having a real interest and passion for it.”“[Missing Middle Housing] is the scale of housing in between single-family homes and sort of the four- and five-story apartment buildings, and it’s the duplex, it’s a fourplex, it’s a small-courtyard apartment or a bungalow court, that this range of housing types exist in every pre-1940’s neighborhood across the country. Some of them are usually mixed in with other, even, single-family homes, and they make up a really vibrant part of a community and provide housing choices in those places that they exist.”“We’ve also been having great conversations with builders, builder’s who’ve historically built mostly single-family homes, that are realizing that they need to shift and add these missing middle housing types to their portfolios to respond to the shift in demand. Even apartment builders are starting to look at this as well.”“What we find is a lot of our work is actually being hired by cities to go and fix their zoning codes, and a lot of times it entails writing a form-based code, which is just a different approach to it, and the

TOPICThe Inevitable Future of TransportationIN THIS EPISODE[01:10] Mike shares how to register for the 2017 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.[01:16] Mike describes the Infinite Earth Lab program and how to sign up.[02:17] Lisa Nisenson is introduced.[02:39] Ryan Snyder is introduced.[03:06] Ryan explains what an autonomous vehicle is.[03:54] Lisa gives her sense of what the timing is for autonomous vehicles to come and what the state of the technology is.[04:47] Ryan discusses autonomous technology and cab services.[06:13] Ryan shares his perspective that commercial vehicles will move first toward autonomous vehicles.[06:39] Lisa mentions that there are different phases for incorporating autonomous vehicles in society.[07:32] Ryan gives his view of potential implications in terms of infrastructure and community design.[08:53] Lisa shares her thoughts of potential implications in terms of infrastructure and community design.[10:08] Ryan and Lisa talk about the shape and size of autonomous vehicles.[12:15] Ryan and Lisa speak to lane size in relation to autonomous-vehicle size.[14:00] Lisa and Ryan discuss the benefits of moving to autonomous vehicles.[17:06] Lisa identifies some of the challenges in moving to autonomous vehicles.[17:39] Ryan states some additional challenges in moving to autonomous vehicles.[18:49] Mike discusses the inevitable job loss.[24:14] Ryan expresses what the transportation system looks like 30 years from now, and whether the technology and the vehicles work correctly.[25:00] Lisa adds her perspective on what the transportation system looks like 30 years from now.GUESTS/ORGANIZATIONS Lisa Nisenson has 20 years of experience and leadership in smart growth, sustainable development and civic engagement. She founded an award-winning tech startup, GreaterPlaces, will release a mobile app in May and is working with Alta Planning + Design to integrate technology into health, active communities.GreaterPlaces is an award-winning website, forthcoming mobile app and consulting firm. The demand for smart city + emerging transportation is growing, even as cities, suburbs &amp; towns invest more in walkable, bikeable and sustainable design. The mission of GreaterPlaces is to help you create a greater community by providing a visual, organized trove of placemaking and community planning solutions.Ryan Snyder is Principal with Transpo Group, a transportation planning and engineering firm that prepares sustainable transportation plans. Ryan is a widely known presenter, activist, and educator and has established himself as one of the forefront experts of the Complete Streets movement.Transpo Group is a specialty transportation planning and engineering services firm with offices in Washington, California, and the Middle East. Transpo plans and designs transportation systems for people — not just drivers of cars and trucks, but also the pedestrians and cyclists who share these systems. They create connected solutions that enable a sustainable tomorrow for communities of all sizes, and still get everyone safely where they need to go today. Their team of engineers, planners, and technical resources includes- a full range of skilled experts that have assisted clients with transportation planning and traffic engineering services since 1975.Take Away Quotes“There are, what we call, five levels of autonomous vehicles that have been identified. The first level is where you just have your basic sort of technology that we’ve had for years—for example, cruise control, and now we’re getting adaptive cruise control and lane assist and park assist. Level two is where you combine two of those together and can use them simultaneously. Level three is where the driver can let the car do the driving most of the time but...