Go Cultivate!

We’ve reached the end of Go Cultivate! Season 3! To wrap us up, Kevin details the impacts that the suburban experiment has had on our country and asks the question: what does ‘quality of life’ really mean, and does an auto-centric lifestyle support these outcomes? After defining actionable steps to take in order to address the challenges posed by the suburban development pattern, Kevin emphasizes the importance of finding and connecting with other people and groups in your area to drive meaningful change at the local level. We believe that by working together, we can create more vibrant and inclusive communities that are built to last and benefit everyone. Stay updated with our newsletter!

In this episode we are sitting down with Matt Meals, the newest addition to Verdunity’s engineering team. He and Kevin discuss Matt’s journey to Verdunity, and his perspective on how land use fiscal analysis gives cities the education they need to plan for communities to take root, as well as how it empowers citizens to take active roles in shaping the future of their communities. Throughout the interview, Matthew emphasizes the importance of context and community in engineering and design, and shares how his passion for environmentalism and sustainable energy led him to where he is today. Matt Recommends:Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam

In this episode, AJ interviews Dr. Kaye Monk-Morgan and Shaun Rojas of the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) where Kaye is the President and CEO, and Shaun is the Senior Director of Civic Engagement. Their discussion emphasizes the importance of building a culture of civic leadership and engaging with community members to address their concerns and build stronger, healthier, and more prosperous communities. The conversation also touches on the idea that leadership is an activity rather than a title or position, and the need to develop skills and engage in activities that promote leadership. Kaye Monk-Morgan, KLC President and CEOA third-generation Kansan, Dr. Kaye Monk-Morgan is the president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), an internationally recognized center of excellence for leadership development and civic engagement. She previously served as the inaugural chief impact officer. Her work fosters civic leadership for stronger, healthier, and more prosperous communities in Kansas and beyond. Service and education have been hallmarks of Monk-Morgan’s personal and professional story for decades. Prior to her time at the KLC, Monk-Morgan dedicated her talents to higher education. Over 30 years, she served in roles ranging from residence hall director to Assistant Dean of Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and ultimately the Vice President for Strategic Engagement and Planning at Wichita State University. Her areas of responsibility varied over the years and included community and economic development, strategic planning, assessment and accreditation, and coordination of WSU’s First-Generation student services. Her longest appointment was as director of the TRIO Upward Bound Math Science program. An active community servant, Monk-Morgan has served on non-profit and corporate boards at the local, state, regional and national levels. She currently serves as a board member for: NXTUS, a non-profit that catalyzes startup ecosystems, The African American Museum of Kansas; and Emprise Bank. She is a trustee for the Wichita Land Bank; and advisor to the Ulrich Museum at Wichita State University.Shaun Rojas, Senior Director of Civic EngagementAs Senior Director of Civic Engagement at the Kansas Leadership Center, Shaun oversees the organization’s Civic Engagement Initiative tasked to equip Kansans in public life to build civic trust on the most pressing issues. Shaun works with the Civic Engagement Team to develop Tresources for those in elected and appointed office and partners with organizations who are facing a civic challenge. Starting at KLC as an intern in 2008, Shaun has been around the KLC block. Over the years, he has done everything from help support community leadership programs across the state to help Kansans have better conversations on divisive issues. Shaun’s dedication to help communities engage in better civic dialogue goes well beyond his role at KLC. He is the founder of the Young Latino Professionals of Wichita – which helps raise the profile and equip young professionals with leadership skills – and was a previous board member for the Association of Leadership Programs. In 2014, Shaun was named as Young Professional of Year for Wichita Urban Professionals. In 2016, he was named to the City of Wichita’s Citizen Review Board by the City Manager. Shaun also serves on the District Six Advisory Board for the City of Wichita. Press Coverage:Local Entreprenuership Pilot Programhttps://kansasleadershipcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Kauffman-Grant-Communities_FINAL.pdfHeartland Together Partnershiphttps://kansasleadershipcenter.org/kansas-leadership-center-launches-multi-state-listening-tour/ Resources:Kansas Leadership Center (KLC)https://kansasleadershipcenter.org/KLC’s Civic Missionhttps://youtu.be/jcMEWtUXVPgHeartland Together Projecthttps://kansasleadershipcenter.org/heartland-together/ Mentioned in this Episode:Create Campaign, Inc.https://www.createcampaignks.com/about-usThe Journal: A Civic Issues Magazinehttps://klcjournal.com/When Everyone Leads, by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBridehttps://kansasleadershipcenter.org/when-everyone-leads/Network Kansashttps://www.networkkansas.com/Center on Rural Innovationhttps://ruralinnovation.us/Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundationhttps://www.kauffman.org/

Time to roll out some new Meet the Verdooners episodes to introduce y'all to the newest members of our team! In this episode, Kevin sits down with Maddie Bonney, our new Planner, and they discuss her personal motivations for pursuing a career in planning, including her desire to improve quality of life and promote self-sustaining economic development. She explains how her values align with Verdunity's focus on fiscal health and local wealth, and they discuss the relationship between the design of our neighborhoods and the mental health of the people living there.  

Moving communities beyond status quo is hard. Entrenched practices in zoning, transportation planning, and road design have created places that are unsafe, unhealthy, and inequitable for many, while others who have benefitted from these systems staunchly defend them. In this episode, “Plangineers” Andy Boenau and Kevin Shepherd discuss how their careers evolved from engineering to planning to advocates for change in their respective roles today. They discuss why radical changes to traditional planning and engineering approaches are needed in order to create more inclusive, sustainable, and thriving places. Andy explains the benefits of using storytelling to communicate and simplify concepts to inspire change, as well as how to use online platforms and targeted posts on social media to communicate and test ideas. If you're searching for language and tools to nudge your community forward, Andy is an excellent resource.Andy Boenau is a storyteller disguised as an urban planner that wants to help create happy, healthy communities where we can safely ride bikes at night in dark clothes. He is a filmmaker, photographer, writer, and podcaster. Andy is the founder of Speakeasy Media LLC where he teaches people how to create memorable stories and is the producer of the podcast, How We Get Around. He's also the author of the Substack blog Urbanism Speakeasy where he shares simple truths about city planning & transportation to help you promote healthy infrastructure. Boenau has won awards for three short films, a podcast, and one of his books. His contributions to the design industry have also been acknowledged by Engineering News-Record (Top 20 Under 40, 2016) and Style Weekly (Top 40 Under 40, 2016). Andy is currently working on an upcoming documentary called White Collar Epidemic: Infrastructure is Crumbling our Minds and Bodies.https://www.andyboenau.comhttps://speakeasy.substack.com/https://twitter.com/Boenauhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/boenau/https://seedandspark.com/fund/white-collar-epidemic#story 

There are a number of bills working their way through this year’s session of the Texas Legislature that will impact cities’ ability to guide development in a manner that ensures fiscal sustainability and affordability. Proposed bills address topics like: annexation/deannexation; prohibiting cities from requiring development value and infrastructure costs as a factor in development approvals; reducing the minimum lot size; and allowing accessory dwelling units by right. One side of the conversation centers on those who want to preserve personal property rights and are opposed to higher density development via smaller lots and units. From the local government side, city officials are concerned about losing the ability to guide what gets built and the impact it will have on their ability to provide services to current and future residents and businesses. Suffice to say these are very important discussions and decisions that will have significant impacts. This discussion is not limited to Texas, either. Numerous other states are having similar debates as pressure to address growing affordability and infrastructure costs increases at the state and local level.In this episode, Kevin talks with two city management officials about which bills concern them and the unintended consequences that could result if they’re passed. Michael Kovacs, the City Manager of Fate, a fast growing suburb east of Dallas, and Tom Yantis, the Assistant City Manager of Taylor, a community outside Austin that recently landed one of the largest economic development deals in Texas with Samsung have been leaders in adjusting development processes to ensure their cities have the money they need to maintain quality services and infrastructure long-term while keeping housing and taxes affordable. Both cities received national awards for their Comprehensive Plans for embracing principles of fiscal sustainability. These two guys are extremely knowledgeable about how development impacts short and long-term costs and affordability, and how things “work” in Texas, so their input is worth listening to.Discussions in Austin are ongoing and votes will start happening very soon, so we wanted to get this episode out quickly so it can be shared to inform voters, lobbyists, and especially our representatives in Austin that are casting votes.-Don't forget to take part in our 2023 podcast survey!https://www.verdunity.com/2023survey

Rural communities are a focus for us here at Verdunity. In this episode, AJ interviews Julianna Dodson, Deputy Executive Director, and Radically Rural Director for the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship. Prior to her work with Hannah Grimes, she was primarily in the financial services industry (which according to her is a lot more vibrant and dynamic than one might imagine!) but has also taught English overseas, and runs her own small business on the side. Together they chat about how to transform these places for the better. You might be surprised to hear that rural communities face some of the same issues that bigger cities do – housing shortages, inability to find affordable child care – but they also face issues like the hollowing out of medical support systems that historically have been a part of the rural fabric. Julianna highlights how rural communities have attempted to recover from one financial crisis after the next and how they do that differently than cities.-If you have a spare minute, please take part in our 2023 podcast survey!https://www.verdunity.com/2023survey Press Coverage:Radically Rural 2023 Summithttps://www.radicallyrural.org/2023-summit/Radically Rural PitchFork Challengehttps://www.radicallyrural.org/pitchfork-challenge/The News Project – ‘Radically Rural’https://gnat-tv.org/the-news-project-radically-rural/Tight knit: Connection is critical for progress in rural entrepreneurial ecosystemshttps://www.kauffman.org/currents/connection-is-critical-rural-entrepreneurial-ecosystems/Radically Rural: Turning the Silver Tsunami into Goldhttps://dailyyonder.com/radically-rural-turning-the-silver-tsunami-into-gold/2020/01/06/In Little Keene, NH, Boosting Rural Economies and Entrepreneurshiphttps://www.forbes.com/sites/annefield/2019/08/22/in-little-keene-nh-boosting-rural-economies-and-entrepreneurship/?sh=455daadd7e98 Resources:Federal Resources for Rural Americahttps://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/community-strategies-group/rural-in-the-american-rescue-plan/The Rural Business Show, Episode 42: Radically Ruralhttps://www.ruralbusiness.com/episode-42-radically-rural/E&P Reports Vodcast, Episode 101: Focusing on Small-Town Americahttps://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-jmbbi-fde3064?utm_campaign=w_share_ep&utm_medium=dlink&utm_source=w_share2022 Radically Rural Summit Recaphttps://www.radicallyrural.org/2022-summit/Mentioned in This Episode:Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westoverhttps://bookshop.org/p/books/educated-a-memoir-tara-westover/15280731?ean=9780399590528

William Fulton is one of America’s most established thought leaders in urban planning. From 2014 to 2022, he served as Director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. Prior to moving to Houston, he served as Mayor of Ventura, CA and Director of Planning and Development for San Diego. He’s the author of multiple papers and books, including his most recent book Place and Prosperity, which is the focus of this episode. Kevin and Bill discuss Bill’s experience growing up in a factory town in New York, stepping into community planning and city leadership roles in California, and personal stories detailing how quality of life for he and his family has been impacted by the design of the different neighborhoods he’s lived in. Bill makes the case that building great places is fundamental to cultivating prosperity, and better cities emerge when the people who shape them think more broadly and intentionally about the places they are creating.Some of the topics covered include:How Bill defines “enduring prosperity” and why this is a goal cities should all be striving forQuality of life is based in large extent on how we experience the places around usWhy we need to look beyond our own homes to fulfill ourselves on a daily basis, and how he’s come to believe that “his town is his house”Examples from his experience growing up as a child in a pre-WW2 neighborhood in Upstate New York and as an adult seeking to get around without a car in Houston, and how mobility systems impact the look, safety, and development of citiesHow carsharing, Uber, scooters and e-bikes are supporting the transformation to more walkable citiesHow decisions get made in local government, and the importance of communication with community membersHow California’s Prop 13 property tax cap legislation impacted municipal finances, what worked, and what didn’tThe role infill and redevelopment in economic development and community buildingThree pieces of advice Bill has for people currently leading cities or aspiring to serve on their city councilBe sure to complete our quick annual podcast survey for a chance to win $50 to Amazon! These submissions help us steer Go Cultivate! in the right direction so we can better provide the content you want to see.LINKSWilliam Fulton (LinkedIn)Place and Prosperity Book (Atlantic Press)Place and Prosperity Book Talk (YouTube)Rice University’s Kinder Institute

Whether you're a long time follower of our Go Cultivate! podcast or just started listening, we'd love some feedback. This annual survey guides our team in creating content you actually want! As a thank you, all submissions will be entered into a drawing to win a $50 Amazon gift card - winner will be announced in our May 2nd podcast episode!  Link: verdunity.com/2023survey  

Melissa Milton-Pung is a Policy Research Labs program manager at the Michigan Municipal League. As a Federally-qualified architectural historian, her expertise is in place-based economic development initiatives, historic rehabilitation, and heritage tourism. She holds a BA in Public History from Western Michigan University and a Master of Historic Preservation from the University of Kentucky College of Architecture, where her research created the Commonwealth’s first historic property tax credit. Melissa is also adjunct faculty in Historic Preservation at Eastern Michigan University and a past president of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network (MHPN).Prior to joining the League in 2017, Melissa spent more than a decade as economic development & historic preservation project manager for Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor), and worked in cultural resource consulting.It's not enough to hope for better neighborhoods. Meaningful policy needs to be enacted to make better places possible. Melissa Milton-Pung and the Michigan Municipal League have been working to give advocates the tools they need to push for zoning and housing reform in Michigan. But the lessons they provide can be applied across the country.This particular episode covered a large number of fascinating articles and resources. Check them out below.Press Coverage:Plan by MML and MEDC could bring more housing options to communities quickerhttps://www.macombdaily.com/2022/10/15/plan-by-mml-and-medc-could-bring-more-housing-options-to-communities-quicker/September 22, 2022 Press Conference https://www.facebook.com/MMLeague/videos/758557258540932New partnership draws inspiration from catalog and kit homes to shore up state housing stockhttps://www.secondwavemedia.com/rural-innovation-exchange/devnews/Pattern-Book-Homes-22.aspxHousing experts lay out plan to encourage more infill housing across Michiganhttps://mibiz.com/sections/real-estate-development/housing-experts-lay-out-plan-to-encourage-more-infill-housing-across-michiganCNU Teams with Michigan Leaders on New Guide to Code Reformhttps://www.cnu.org/news/cnu-teams-michigan-leaders-new-guide-code-reformResources:Pattern Book Homes https://www.mml.org/pattern-book-homes/Houses by Mail: A Guide to Houses from Sears, Roebuck and Company by Katherine Cole Stevenson and H Ward Jandl, 1995https://bookshop.org/p/books/houses-by-mail-a-guide-to-houses-from-sears-roebuck-and-company-katherine-cole-stevenson/7295788?ean=9780471143949America’s Favorite Homes: Mail-Order Catalogues as a Guide to Popular Early 20th-Century Houses (ISBN: 0814320066) 1990United Way - The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Projecthttps://www.uwmich.org/alice-reportThe Project for Code Reform (CNU)https://www.cnu.org/our-projects/project-code-reformEnabling Better Places: Users’ Guide to Zoning Reformhttps://www.cnu.org/sites/default/files/PCR-9-15-18.pdfMichigan Statewide Housing Plan https://www.michigan.gov/mshda/developers/statewide-housing-planMichigan Association of Planning Zoning Reform Toolkit https://www.planningmi.org/zoning-reform-for-housingMichigan Association of Planninghttps://www.planningmi.org/Housing Michigan Coalition https://housingmichigan.weebly.com/RSMeans - Construction Cost Estimating Softwarehttps://www.rsmeans.com/