Municipal Equation Podcast

When a city's or town's governing board adopts a comprehensive plan -- a big document meant to guide or manage growth and other elements of the locality's future -- it's a pretty big deal. Sure, municipalities across North Carolina have them, with insistence from state law. But for an individual city or town, it's a tremendous feat to complete such an intensive product in its purpose and sensitivity for the community, requiring all kinds of self-awareness work, public involvement, math, predictions, visioneering (the "blue sky" versus the real and practical) and, of course, time investment. On this episode of Municipal Equation, the podcast from the North Carolina League of Municipalities about cities and towns and how we shape them, we talk with a number of officials about how they view and pursue comprehensive planning guides, and how that might be changing with time. Philosophies, ideas for public engagement and inclusion, and plenty of other takeaways make this episode a solid one in the ongoing conversation of ever-improving and protecting the places we call home. // Municipal Equation is a publication of the N.C. League of Municipalities, . Contact host/producer Ben Brown at . 

Recently, during a visit to North Carolina by municipal officials from the country of Moldova, they and fellow municipal officials from around Wake County discussed possible "sister city" arrangements, to learn from one another and possibly create mutual resource opportunties. But sister-city arrangements can form for a number of reasons. On this episode we look at the impacts of sister city arrangements in North Carolina and beyond, and how it all works. 

When you think of downtown alleys, what comes to mind? Bad associations, maybe? The place to avoid at night? Ever since childhood, Americans have had the general impression that alleyways are dark, dirty, dangerous -- the right setting for noir crime stories. And that might sometimes be the case. But some U.S. cities are starting to embrace their alleys like assets -- as places to be -- with art, lighting, planters, seating and cleanliness. This is a classic episode of Municipal Equation from 2017, loaded with interesting voices and ideas. 

Welcome to a special LIVE episode of Municpial Equation, NCLM's podcast about cities and towns adapting to change, recorded in December with a panelists about HOW public art is achieved, with expert voices from the realm of local government. This episode was recorded at the N.C. Local Government Budget Association's winter conference. Special thanks to them.  2017 episode: Previous live episode with NCLGBA:    

The Town of Cary was recently recognized as one of the top three places to work, nationally, in terms of local government. What does that mean? How is something like that achieved? We speak with Cary Manager Sean Stegall to learn what they're doing differently. Municipal Equation is the podcast about cities and towns adapting to change, from the North Carolina League of Municipalities. 

As various public and private services adapt to evolved consumer expectations, local governments around the country are themselves adapting with in-house "digital service teams" to deliver in a modern, convenient way. In fact, these teams are becoming ubiquitous. But let's back up. What is a digital service team in the context of local government? What do they do? How are they assembled? And are they feasible for towns of all sizes? Joshua Pine of the National League of Cities joins us to discuss digital service teams, which some observers say aren't just a trend, but are here to stay.  Related reading:    

We talk with Lena Geraghty of the National League of Cities about in our cities and towns, and how municipal leaders can play a role in making it as good and inclusive as possible. 

Let's take a tour around this state we love so much. On this episode of Municipal Equation, NCLM's podcast about cities and towns adapting to change, we explore how municipalities from the mountains to the coast are programming their American Rescue Plan allocations -- federal funds with transformative potential, and recipient cities are acting in that regard. Our guest on this episode is NCLM's Jack Cassidy, who has been covering ARP from its inception and likes to point out that when municipalities get support, they get the job done. Plenty of examples to celebrate and inspire, here. Listen now. 

Cities and towns so good that vacations become permanent stays. On this episode of Municipal Equation, we talk with VisitNC, the state's promotional and tourism outfit, about its Dream Big in Small Town NC initiative, which aims to connect travelers with the state's alluring small towns -- places so great they're hard to leave, and that's the idea. 

On this episode of Municipal Equation, the podcast about cities adapting to change, we talk with Mayor Hugh Credle of Weldon, N.C., to learn how his small town is thinking big with the help of the river -- the Roanoke -- running just alongside its limits. 

In April, during his acceptance speech as the new president of the N.C. League of Municipalities, Kings Mountain Mayor Scott Neisler emphasized that public service can be fun, that we can enjoy ourselves in working together, knowing our communities and their histories, charting how they've changed over time and what the future calls for. On this episode, we hear the affable president's perspective on service and his priorities ahead, in addition to some of the ways he's stepped forward to make positive change where he lives.

In 2017, the City of Greensboro logged more than 40 vehicle crash fatalities, at the time a high mark that rattled officials enough to explore ways toward safer travels. This led city officials to a global movement in the form of a scalable initiative called Vision Zero. On this episode, City of Greensboro Transportation Planning Engineer Lydia McIntyre explains what Vision Zero is, how it seeks to reduce traffic fatalities and serious accidents, and what the city has learned (with surprises) since embarking.  Related material:

It seems inconsistent: pandemic-related, record-level job losses while employers report their own hardships in finding workers. But that’s the nature of what analysts have called one of the strangest labor shortages in memory. Nationally, employers have reported too-tight talent pools or general hard times retaining staff. While much of the labor-shortage news spotlight is usually either broad-talking or sector-specific, municipalities far and wide indeed have felt the effect. On this episode, we hear from a few on their unique challenges and ideas to improve their situations. And we've love to hear about yours. 

The Town of Boone appears to be the first in North Carolina to have shifted from fossil fuels to 100 percent renewable energy for its municipal facilities, and many years ahead of its own timeline for doing so. But how? On this episode of Municipal Equation, the League’s podcast about cities and towns adapting in the face of change, we talk with Boone Sustainability Manager George Santucci for an education on how the town and its leaders paired will with recognition of resources to achieve a big goal the town’s people can be proud of.  Is there a story from your town that would make a great highlight for Municipal Equation? Email the show’s host/producer Ben Brown at to be featured.

North Carolina cities and towns will receive $1.3 billion in federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds in 2021 and 2022. That is a staggering number, and it encompasses just a small piece of the ARP. More funds will be sent to North Carolina counties. Still more is going to the state itself. Never before has money flowed directly to our cities and towns like it will through the ARP, and as such, it is a generational opportunity—to both recover from the pandemic and to prosper well into the future.

A new program from the North Carolina League of Municipalities is convening frank talks with municipal officials about racial tensions and inequities in our communities. Learn how DIRECT (Diversity, Inclusion & Racial Equity for Cities & Towns) works for better lives through best practices and historical knowledge. Mark your calendars -- on Feb. 1, at 10 a.m., DIRECT will hold a webinar, which you'll have to register for. You can find it on the events calendar at nclm.org. This webinar will provide the basics city and town leaders need to advance discussions and local efforts on racial equity. Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to learn valuable information and engage in meaningful conversations. The course includes: -Discussion of the importance of racial equity and its associated values -Review of historical events that have impacted racial equity at the national, state, and local level -Examination of relevant data that impacts racial equity -Strategies and tools for practical solutions at the local level -Participation in a racial wealth gap learning simulation The DIRECT webinar is available to members for $65 plus applicable taxes and $75 plus applicable taxes to nonmembers. Attendees who complete the course will earn 2.5 credit hours toward AML’s Order of Municipal Leadership. ​If your town wants to address racial inequities, but you’re not sure where to start, Introducing DIRECT: How Cities and Towns Can Engage in Racial Equity Conversations is the first step in learning more. .

Audio companion to the North Carolina League of Municipalities' fiscal year 2019-20 annual report. Produced by the League's Communications team. 

Iowa Watershed Approach  

What could aliens and flying saucers mean to a community and its government? Like, for real. Whether you believe we've actually been visited by interplanetary travelers or whether simple, Earthly explanations cover the sightings and stories, no community has a stronger association with extra terrestrials and UFOs than Roswell, New Mexico. On this episode, we look at what that means from a community and economic-development angle. We're joined by a ufologist and one of the world's foremost experts on what's called "the Roswell Incident" and from a spokesperson of the local government itself. Ultimately it's about embracing your community's story and taking it to intergalatic levels. City of Roswell, N.M. https://roswell-nm.gov Blog of Dr. Kevin Randle http://kevinrandle.blogspot.com Randle's latest book on Roswell, "Roswell in the 21st Century" "Report of Air Force Research Regarding the 'Roswell Incident'" (July 1994) https://www.nsa.gov/Portals/70/documents/news-features/declassified-documents/ufo/report_af_roswell.pdf "The Roswell Report: Case Closed" https://archive.org/stream/AFD-101027-030/AFD-101027-030_djvu.txt Roswell tourism video https://roswell-nm.gov/656/Tourism-Video  

Calling climate change an intimidating issue may be understating it. It's massive, right? Being so global and often pulled into intense debate, climate change may have us individuals feeling helpless against it. But there are local-level approaches for making a difference, and municipal governments are sharing best-practices with one another to that end. We travel to Chapel Hill -- the electric-vehicle capital of North Carolina -- to learn how they are others are leading the charge in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimizing other environmental impacts as part of a program called the Cities Initiative, which seeks to remove the barriers to sensible policies and practices that could be exactly what the world needs right now.  To join or pose questions about the Cities Initiative, email Zach Ambrose at .  Cities Initiative overview and consensus action items   Description of phases 1 and 2   Mayor Pam Hemminger, Chapel Hill, North Carolina   

Superheroes exist. Yes, in real life. Just like in the comics, they wear masks and uniforms, they nab bad guys, and they spread peace across the city. On this episode, we talk to a couple of them, and their stories are absolutely amazing. Thanks to Sgt. Clint Ferguson and Officer Damon Cole for making this happen. Sgt. Clint Ferguson and Deadpool https://www.policeone.com/chiefs-sheriffs/articles/480045006-NC-cop-uses-Marvel-costume-to-connect-with-teens-community/ Officer Damon Cole http://www.heroesandcopsagainstchildhoodcancer.org/what-we-do.html 2020 Census news update https://www.npr.org/2019/01/28/689237309/census-bureau-conducts-massive-recruiting-effort-for-2020-head-count

It's one of the biggest federal projects going, and it affects all of us. What do we need to know about the 2020 Census? It's different from any in the past. How private is the information being collected? What's it's used for? And how can we be sure it's accurate? We're joined by the U.S. Census Bureau, the National League of Cities, state government and academics on this, our 60th episode. General 2020 Census info   2020 Census questions   NLC resource, Cities Count: Preparing for the 2020 Census   D. Sunshine Hillygus   The Hard Count: The Political and Social Challenges of Census Mobilization   News story, Census Bureau to Test How Controversial Citizenship Question Affects Responses  

After a little downtime, we're back -- and let's pick up with a fun one. On this episode, we continue our quest for ways to better connect with or figure out the city you're in -- whether it's your hometown or a place you've never been before. Here, we're documenting and learning the secrets of the city through street photography, as guided by notables from around the world. Hear from Craig Reilly (Street Photography International co-founder, Olympus ambassador), Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin (celebrated L.A. street photographer focused on the changing city) and Jerome De Perlinghi (career international photographer, Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival curator) on what they're able to extract between curiosity, chance, a walk, and a camera. We hit London, Los Angeles, Wilson (N.C.) and Kuala Lumpur. Craig Reilly   Craig at Street Photography International   Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin   Kwasi in the New York Times   Jerome De Perlinghi   Eyes on Main Street Photography Festival  

The FCC's map of broadband availability in the U.S. is a basis for policymaking, funding decisions and planning to close service gaps for communities. But what if we told you that map, as many can testify, is pretty inaccurate? How? Why? What's the fallout, here? As fast internet service increasingly solidifies itself as necessary infrastructure, it's vital we have accurate data to shape our policymaking and funding decisions. So what's going on here? We dig in on this episode. (Stick around, too, as we have updates on past episodes that you guys pitched.)  FCC broadband map https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/#/ Doug Dawson's "Pots and Pans" blog   Municipal Equation EP 47 "Leaping the Digital Divide"   N.C. Broadband Infrastructure Office  NCLM report, "Leaping the Digital Divide"   

A little while back, we began talking with police chiefs for a video series on what they're doing to tackle the surging opioid problem locally -- and sat upright at the different approaches of chiefs Tom Bashore in Nashville, N.C., and Bill Hollingsed in Waynesville, N.C. They're seeing results, even as one of the chiefs said this approach initially was out of his comfort zone. So we made an episode to explain it all, step by step. (This joins with the video series and other resources now available in the N.C. League of Municipalities' Opioid Solutions Toolbox at nclm.org/opioidsolutions.) 

We revisit the intersection of drones, local government and public need with a trip to Holly Springs, North Carolina, a small town innovating nationally with a pilot project to see commercial food delivery by way of drone. As you can imagine, it's stuffed with logistical and policy questions.  Sushi delivery in Iceland   Holly Springs press release   Timeline, "Forget self-driving car anxiety: In the early days human drivers were the fear"   NCDOT Launches 'First Flight' in Drone Pilot Program   Municipal Equation Episode 13, "Drones and Local Government"  

Here's an encore of a favorite: Games Over Gangs. Those dang video games. Can't pull the kids away from them. And there's one city using that to its advantage -- with an innovative partnership that's actually teaching video game development to local youths from a rough neighborhood (yes, they jumped at the offer to become game developers), affording them a break from an anxious environment and setting them up with a sweet professional skill that can open big doors: computer coding, which has tons of (well-paying) applications. On this episode, we meet the program's creators and some impressive kids who are boosting prospects and expressing real-life (and often tough) experiences through the games they create. With, on the host's part, some reminiscing about old-school Sierra games. Show notes Games Over Gangs info and donation site - NCSU Game2Learn Lab - http://eliza.csc.ncsu.edu/people.html Technician (NCSU student newspaper) story - Space Quest III - Pulseboy (used to compose some of the oldschool video game music heard in this episode)  

It's summer, and beach towns all along the coast are each receiving thousands and thousands of visitors from across the U.S. Take Atlantic Beach, N.C., for example. It has a year-round population of about 1,500, but in the summer months that number surges to roughly 50,000. How in the world does such a small community -- with limited staffing and resources -- prepare for that? How can it provide adequate services, like police or even enough public water, amid outsize demand? What's the procedure when someone calls the authorities to report mysterious matter washing ashore? And did you know it's somebody's job there to make sure the beach is still there for tourists? Yes, literally. It's amazing how it all comes together, though we suntanned beneficiaries seldom ever consider it. Let's think back to that classic summer vacation as we hear from a panel of experts in this special live episode of Municipal Equation, recorded with an audience in Atlantic Beach.

Muni Replay! Here's one of our most popular episodes. Meanwhile, we're headed to the coast to record a special live episode, which we'll bring you soon! When you think of downtown alleys, what comes to mind? Bad associations, maybe? The place to avoid at night? Ever since childhood, Americans have had the general impression that alleyways are dark, dirty, dangerous -- the right setting for noir crime stories. And that might often be the case. But some U.S. cities are starting to embrace their alleys like assets -- as places to be -- with art, lighting, planters, seating and cleanliness. Inviting spaces that pedestrians can use to cut from block to block. Some alleyway owners even hold weekend events in them. There's a lot you can do to sweep out the bad associations and boost charm and use, if you want to. What could you do with your downtown alleys? You'll hear tons of ideas and considerations on this intercontinental episode. Show notes: Peter Gorman, "A Guide to Value Added Alleys" - Allison Meier, Hyperallergic, "LED Street Art Lights Up a Dark, Dodgy Alley in Philadelphia" - Wilson, Artsy Alleys - Wilson Times, "Project adds color to downtown alleys" - Shelby Star, "Local scout takes on alley beautification for Eagle Scout Project" - "Alleys in Urban Design: History and Application" - Public art episode followups (thanks for sending these!): Monroe, La., News Star "'Wish you were here'! Artists paint postcard-style murals in the Twin Cities," Wilmington, N.C., Star-News, "Public art in New Hanover Co. spurs both aesthetic and economic activity, backers say" - Durham, N.C., Herald-Sun, "New public art in Durham coming to a corner near you?" And some vintage stranger-danger vids: "Don't Talk to Strangers" - "Dangerous Stranger" - "Never Be A Victim" -    

Let's catch up on driverless cars, shall we? Last year, we did a primer on autonomous vehicles and policy implications, but it seems like a lot can change in short time with this technology. What's the latest? How does the public feel about it? What are some example scenarios of how we as people might interact with autonomous vehicles in our day-to-day? Brooks Rainwater of the National League of Cities has the research and joins us to flesh it out. NLC report, "Autonomous Vehicles: Future Scenarios" Related news release Pew Research Center, "Americans' attitudes toward driverless cars" AAA, "More Americans Willing to Ride in Fully Self-Driving Cars" Municipal Equation Episode 24: Autonomous Vehicles in Your City 1971 film clip about driverless car    

The local media landscape is pretty fluid right now: extinct or shrunken newspapers, online-only outlets, freshly grown media entities that may or may not be objective. What's all this mean for local government? Is a reliable, objective media purely about watchdog dynamics? What about when local government needs to get its messages out? What happens when the local government IS the news source? It's too big a topic to solve on a podcast episode, but it's worth the talk. Episode 44: Chief Storyteller - Michael Grass, Route Fifty - The Source - By the Bay - By the Bay featured in Editor and Publisher - Adweek coverage of The Source - "To Inform and to Serve," sampled on this episode -

A preview of Episode 51.

For our 50th episode, we're taking a break from the frequent talk of policy, economics and technology to tour the local dialects of the United States, the spoken identifiers of a city or region. Why do people in Chicago, or St. Louis, or the Outer Banks of North Carolina sound the way they do? What's in a voice? And what's happening that's changing those dialects or accents forever?  Walt Wolfram and "Talkin' Tar Heel" - Edward McClelland and "How to Speak Midwestern" - Library of Congress, The Center for Applied Linguistics Collection - Garden & Gun's Whole Hog podcast feat. Walt Wolfram - CityLab, Edward McClelland, "Why City Accents are Fading in the Midwest" - CityLab, "Techies Are Destroying Raleigh's Southern Accent" - Podcast Engineering Show, Session 91, feat. Ben Brown - Atlas Obscura, "How a Fake British Accent Took Hollywood by Storm" - Philadelphia Story scene -      

A preview of Episode 50.

***REBROADCAST with UPDATES*** We've all heard about the hard times that honeybees are going through and the huge implications for us all. But how do cities fit into all this? There's a surprising compatibility between cities and bees, and a role local governments can play. This episode comes just ahead of National Pollinator Week (June 19-25, though some honor it all month). To celebrate, we're joined by Bee Downtown, Bee City USA, and other voices covering the North Carolina cities of West Jefferson, Davidson, Asheville, Durham and beyond. Loads of trivia and insights on this one. Bee Downtown - http://beedowntown.org Bee City USA - The Town of Davidson Becomes the 37th Bee City USA in the Nation - USDA Colony Collapse Disorder and Honey Bee Health Action Plan - Agriculture Research Service info on honeybee health - Skeptoid episode and transcript, "Colony Collapse Disorder: Science and Pseudoscience" - Pollinator Week - News story, "A third of the nation's honeybee colonies died last year. Why you should care." -  

Of all the political, economic and cultural concerns of today, the “urban-rural divide” is no slouch. But sometimes it’s oversimplified, devoid of nuance, or turned into an adversarial narrative (i.e. “urban vs. rural”), instead of carefully analyzed for greater-good fixes. On this episode, we delve into a recent report that pulls apart that narrative and gives us a different way of looking at this “divide,” and shows us how urban and rural may be more linked than one might think. Christiana McFarland of the National League of Cities joins us. NLC report, “Bridging the Urban-Rural Economic Divide” - Episode 36: Urban Cowboy 2, or Squashing ‘Urban Vs. Rural’ -  

Out on April 17. Thanks.

The people say it's time to close the broadband gap, and really find a way to make internet speeds adequate for the modern age, for everyone, from areas in cities where the service isn't enough, to rural areas that lack access altogether. A new report shows us how to get there. On this episode, we hear from the report's authors along with state- and local-level leaders who endorse the plan as essential to connect residents with the gigabit pace of the world. Full report this episode was based on: https://www.nclm.org/broadband    

A preview of Episode 47. Look for it April 3.

How do dogs figure into economic development? It's no joke. Ask the analysts who take economic vitals from man's best friend. Ask the industries that profit majorly from pet ownership. Or ask the Town of Benson, which em-barked on a dog-focused project to fetch economic bone-efits. Quartz piece connecting dogs and economic development -  Dog elected mayor -  Another dog elected mayor -  Benson profile, Southern City magazine - https://www.nclm.org/resourcelibrary/Shared%20Documents/Southern%20City/JanFeb2017.pdf  

We'll be back with a new episode next week, but I'm also working on a a lot of other episodes and new ideas. I want to hear from you on what should be different about this podcast, as we've been doing it for a couple years now and it's time to solicit comment. Feel free to keep sharing ideas for episodes while you're at it.   Thanks. -Ben

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looks into the ailments of a particular community, it’s safe to assume the concern is infection or some similar local threat to human bodily health. So when the CDC started investigating the youth violence plaguing Wilmington, Del. -- a first-of-its-kind study -- it was different. But not inconsistent. Increasingly, communities and their governments are reframing their approaches to crime, by considering it a treatable public health issue before one of criminal justice. On this episode we delve in with several voices from the conversation. A portion of it comes from a session of the National League of Cities' annual conference held late last year in Charlotte. CDC report on Wilmington, Del., firearm violence and prevention - Southern City magazine, "Crime as a public health issue" - CitiesSpeak, "Leaving mass incarceration behind: How cities are turning to a public health approach to violence" - Daniel Latorre - 

A preview of Episode 45

There's a lot of exploration on part of local government for better community engagement. With such a diversity of communication and preference out there, it seems pretty complex. But what if it isn't? What if the simplest idea -- even one that hasn't been tried before -- is the key? On this episode we check out Detroit, Mich., and its novel creation of a "chief storyteller" who has editorial autonomy to tell otherwise overlooked stories from within the city and its neighborhoods, on behalf of its government. And then we check in with the City of Salisbury, N.C., to learn about its award-winning answer to feedback from residents who said the city's government staff was disconnected from the people. This episode has ideas. Aaron Foley - https://aaronkfoley.com/about/ The Neighborhoods - Aaron Foley on GovLove - Southern City magazine issue with the Salisbury initiative -  

A preview of Episode 44, out on Feb. 20.

It's an age of big dreams and cool feats in the space of smart cities -- tech-forward, super-efficient places of living and business, with advanced data-gathering, analytics and automation that save time and money and make life and government good. But the rise of smart-cities too is giving rise to conversations about ethics, inclusion, consent, and how "smart" these solutions really are in their effects on everyday people. On this episode we hang out with Daniel Latorre, who wants to shift the focus from smart cities to "wise cities" -- a different approach to civic innovation and problem solving that decentralizes technology in favor of human beings. He identifies the shortcomings he sees in tech-centric planning, and then gives us a takeaway checkbox of questions to ask when embarking on such projects and planning to ensure that the affected people are kept at the center of focus. Daniel Latorre - The Wise City - Laura Bliss, CityLab, "When a Tech Giant Plays Waterfront Developer" - Bianca Wylie, Medium, "Report from Executive Committee on Sidewalk Toronto. Plus a Word About Consent, Consultation, and Innovation." - Sidewalk Toronto - Episode 38, "Being Careful About Smart Cities and Civic Tech" - Episode 18, "The Smart Cities Primer" -  

A preview of the Feb. 6, 2018 episode.

Is government wrong in the way it attempts to reach out to young people? Does it work against its own interest when it tries to "have a talk" or come to terms with millennials? Is "millennials" maybe a bad or condescending word? Increasingly, people are saying yes to all three, and that it's high time we overhaul the conversation. On this episode we talk with observers including a generations expert, a national-level local government group and a "millennial mayor" to explore what we can do differently than generically label 20- to 30-year-olds as a disengaged enigma more interested in wasting money on ukeleles than saving up for homes and retirement.  Matt Thornhill - ELGL - Mayor Ian Baltutis - "Wall Street Journal admits to 'millennials misstep'" - "I Have to Ask You: Is Local Government Inviting to Young Professionals?" - "Millennials are more than 4 times more likely to do this at their desk than baby boomers" - To Measure the 'Uber Effect,' Cities Get Creative - Politico, "Mayors to Young America: Can We Talk?" -  

A preview of the Jan. 23 episode.

Did you take an Uber or a Lyft home on New Year's Eve? Did you wonder on your way back what that ride meant for city policy? Probably not as such, sure, but you've likely heard the conversation about regulating the elements of the sharing economy, like ridesharing (Uber; Lyft) or homesharing (Airbnb; VRBO). That's just one corner of the conversation, though. The sharing economy is expansive and is moving or upending so many parts of the marketplace that it's impossible for cities and their governments not to consider the ramifications. On this episode, we talk with the National League of Cities to go over where city governments are with the sharing economy and actions they're taking to come to terms, and even leverage it. NLC report, "Cities and the Innovation Economy: Perceptions of Local Leaders" - http://www.nlc.org/resource/cities-and-innovation-economy-perceptions-of-local-leaders Earlier one, from 2015 - One Earth report on the sharing economy and local government - CityMetric article, "How can cities use the sharing economy to solve urban problems?" - The Skatepark Podcast from the Tony Hawk Foundation -  

A year-end message.

It's time to meet your maker -- your talented, independent, local creator of tangible goods, like art, clothing, instruments, toys, knick-knacks, tech tools, anything. Your city or town might even have its own, motivated maker community that experts are increasingly calling a missing link in the local economic development strategy. On this episode we hear from four of these experts and dig in to a recent report about this "maker economy." What can your city make of it? Show notes: Report, "Discovering Your City's Maker Economy" - http://nlc.org/resource/discovering-your-citys-maker-economy Background on Etsy - https://www.etsy.com/about?ref=ftr Etsy's Craft Entrepreneurship initiative ("Our mission is to expand access to microbusiness education for underrepresented creative entrepreneurs") - https://www.etsy.com/craftentrepreneurship White House archives, "Nation of Makers" - https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/node/316486 CitiesSpeak, "Exploring Nashville's Small Manufacturing Revolution" - https://citiesspeak.org/2017/12/08/exploring-nashvilles-small-manufacturing-revolution/ Burgermeister Meisterburger bans toys (so, not a fan of toy makers) - https://youtu.be/xn_p8Z8Ltng

An "inbetweenisode" ahead of next week's episode and following up on the content of last week's > https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-39-the-police-recruitment-problem-and-solutions And a special request.....

It's a nationwide issue weighing on police departments of all sizes: the lack of good, qualified applicants when police chiefs seek to hire officers. Salary concerns, public scrutiny, the inherent dangers, long hours and the need for wholehearted commitment are just a few factors stressing the profession. And there's more. To get a handle on it, we talk with an expert and visit with police officials who recently changed their own agency's hiring approach expressly to turn things around. Did it work? (Oh, and after the serious talk, we have a few more names to add to our ongoing list of Best Fictional Mayors.) Show notes: ADDED 12/4/17, crazy New Zealand police recruitment video - https://youtu.be/f9psILoYmCc Hartford Courant, "Lack of Qualified Applicants Forced Delay in Adding Cops to City Force" - http://www.courant.com/community/hartford/hc-hartford-police-classes-20170127-story.html Washington Post (2006), "Police Finding it Hard to Fill Jobs" - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR2006032600995.html The Forecaster, "Call for help: Southern Maine police department jobs going vacant" - http://www.theforecaster.net/call-for-help-police-department-jobs-going-vacant/ The Balance, "Why Police Departments are Facing Recruitment Problems" - https://www.thebalance.com/why-police-departments-are-facing-recruitment-problems-974771 Governing, "WANTED: Police for Hire, Minorities Encouraged" - http://www.governing.com/columns/smart-mgmt/gov-police-hiring-recruitment-minorities.html The Pantagraph, "Challenge remains in hiring minority, female police officers" - http://www.pantagraph.com/news/challenge-remains-in-hiring-minority-female-police-officers/article_36979ced-346a-53a9-9ede-c8c2e37872a0.html Burlington, NC recruitment video - http://burlingtonnc.gov/1126/Employment-Opportunities Police Foundation, "Recruiting, Selecting, and Retaining Law Enforcement Officers" - https://www.policefoundation.org/recruiting-selecting-and-retaining-law-enforcement-officers/ Southern City (2016), "Rebuilding Trust: Law Enforcement Leaders, Legislators Talk Modern Issues with Police and Public" - https://www.nclm.org/programs-services/publications/southern-city/2016/2016-09/Pages/RebuildingTrust.aspx#.WhxThSNzKUl Mayor Lenny - http://ghostbusters.wikia.com/wiki/Mayor_Lenny

A preview of Episode 39, out Nov. 28.

Appropriate to the age of exponential innovation, the smart-cities conversation is moving quickly. Should we it slow down? Explore additional ethical questions? Evaluate our best practices and ideas? More and more people think so. On this episode, we meet a town that's built a "simulated smart city" so they can try it before they buy it and experiment to better understand how it all fits together. And we talk with an author whose new book, among many other things, questions whether advances in civic technology are really taking the complexities of human beings and their various communities into account. Are we being inclusive in our efforts to collect better public data, engage with residents, and manage municipal resources? (After that, we get a bit lighter -- by listing out some of the best fictional mayors of all time, as submitted by you.) Episode 18, "The Smart Cities Primer" - GovTech, "Cary, N.C., Turns Existing Government Campus Into a Simulated Smart City" - Cary Citizen, "Cary Joins Municipal Initiative to Streamline Data, Share with Other Towns" - Book by Cassim Shepard, "Citymakers" - Urban Omnibus, a publication of The Architectural League of New York - Popular Mechanics, "Bill Gates Is Buying Land in Arizona to Build a Smart City" - Places Journal, "A City Is Not A Computer" - Richard Florida, "Innovation and Urban Inequality Go Hand in Hand" - Tech Crunch, "Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs to turn Toronto area into a model smart city" - Death and Taxes piece, "The politics of Mayor McCheese from McDonaldland" - Episode 17, "That High Lonesome Data" -  

A preview of Episode 38.

Typically, it would be time for the off-week preview. But since it falls on Halloween, we figured "why not?" and did a silly episode in tribute. But we keep our focus. We talk with a municipal official in Wisconsin whose town is like many these days in that its local government leadership actually schedules, by ordinance, when trick or treating takes place. We also look at the facts and figures on Halloween and its economy. And we check in with a police chief whose officers do their best to ensure a safe Oct. 31 -- with some advice for any youths planning to buy mass quantities of eggs. Listen to this one while you get your kids -- or yourself -- ready for Halloween-night fun. Census Bureau Halloween facts - https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2017/cb17-ff18-halloween.html Scaffidi and Bilstad Show (with Halloween scheduling talk) - https://art19.com/shows/scaffidi-and-bilstad/episodes/7ad4ead7-d4d2-4d9b-b924-254be784c065 Fuquay-Varina Police Department on Facebook (plenty of Halloween info) - https://www.facebook.com/fvpolice/?hc_ref=ARSRmAmSzjPbT-usb-R6xHm6C3VRIhLj8FsmQa7yZhnhFm3mhpXLK8OtKHfF_x6c0SI&fref=nf

For as often as we hear the phrase "urban versus rural" -- like it's an irreconcilable competition between two oppositely distinct regions -- there are loads of examples of urban and rural communities working together to learn from one another, obliterate stereotypes on each end and team up on common goals. It's also fallacious to think "urban" and "rural" describe the whole of a truly complex spectrum of local economies. On this episode we head to Kentucky to check out a successful barrier-breaker called the Rural Urban Exchange before a meetup with the National League of Cities to map out how varied our cities and towns really are -- and how they depend on one another. Show notes: Kentucky Rural Urban Exchange (RUX) - http://www.kyrux.org/ AP story about RUX - https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2017-06-29/kentucky-man-taking-part-in-rural-urban-exchange NLC, 'Beyond Urban vs. Rural' - http://nlc.org/article/beyond-urban-vs-rural-new-report-reveals-five-distinct-local-economies Steve Holt, CityLab, 'What's the Future of the Urban Farmers' Market?' - https://www.citylab.com/environment/2017/09/whats-the-future-of-the-urban-farmers-market/538839/

A preview of Episode 36

Women are the majority of the United States, but only a slice of government leadership. On this episode, we talk with women working to turn the dial with research, myth-busting, confidence-building and a business case. (Tai chi, too.) We hear from the heads of the League of Women in Government, the president of N.C. Women in Municipal Government, and other local government officials who see positive trends but a lot of work to do. Oh, but first, we have to check in with a mayor and his mother who just made national TV. League of Women in Government Morrisville, N.C., Council Member Liz Johnson (N.C. Women in Municipal Government President) 1976 ICMA report on women in the profession ELGL's Local Government Diversity Dashboard Kickstarter Rebecca Ryan - "Spotlight on Clayton" with Mayor Jody McLeod and Mother Mayor "The Mayor" promo with Mayor McLeod That old workplace film reel  

A preview of Episode 35.

"Beer is the beverage of community," says Sean Lilly Wilson, a brewer who played a role in changes that brought exponential growth in the number of breweries in his state -- with happy extras for their surroundings. On this episode -- recorded live from CityVision 2017 -- we hear Sean discuss how breweries have played major roles in downtown and warehouse-district revitalizations and re-energized the local sense of community. Good beer is economic development, hometown pride, craftsmanship and more, he says, and the brewers making it aren't known to hold back on civic involvement, either. Oh, and who's that other guy we're hearing, here? Is that .... Sinbad? Show notes: Sean Lilly Wilson, Fullsteam - https://www.ourstate.com/pop-the-cap-north-carolina/ Pop the Cap web home - http://popthecap.org Curbed piece, 'Craft beer's big impact on small towns and forgotten neighborhoods' - https://www.curbed.com/2017/6/13/15788960/brewing-economic-development-craft-beer UrbanLand piece, 'Craft Breweries Bring Placemaking and Economic Development to St. Louis Neighborhoods' - https://urbanland.uli.org/development-business/craft-breweries-bring-placemaking-economic-development-st-louis-neighborhoods/ Blogpost, 'The Role of Craft Brews in Economic Development' - https://www.camoinassociates.com/role-craft-brews-economic-development-update

A preview of Episode 34.

A majorly successful social engagement program with a yearlong waiting list. Pianos left in the urban outdoors for any random person to play. And a totally mysterious city data collector. We plunge into their mutual concepts -- creative or playful ways of connecting people and their town -- and how they might work where you live. There's a lot of hectic stuff going on out there, so take this episode as a bit of fun (though our warmest and most immediate thoughts are with everyone impacted by the many recent or active natural disasters and other hardships). We also call upon you to help us solve what ranks as one of the weirdest downtown mysteries out there today. Listen now to hear about it. Shownotes: Seattle Walk Report - https://www.instagram.com/seattlewalkreport/ RDU Baton on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rdubaton/ RDU Baton website - http://www.rdubaton.com Pianos in the Parks - http://pianosintheparks.org Episode 32: Games Over Gangs - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-32-games-over-gangs Hugo’s House of Horrors and David Gray - http://www.dgray.com/hwpage.htm Other urban piano projects: Here’s the deal with all those pianos parked outside in uptown Charlotte - http://www.charlottefive.com/piano-parking-charlotte-gives-permission-make-noise-uptown/ Goldsboro public piano fuels man's musical passion - http://www.wral.com/goldsboro-public-piano-fuels-man-s-musical-passion/16431390/ Street Pianos - http://www.streetpianos.com

A preview of Episode 33.

Those dang video games. Can't peel kids these days away from them. And there's one city using that to its advantage -- with an innovative partnership that's actually teaching video game development to local youths from a rough neighborhood (yes, they jumped at the offer to become game developers), affording them a break from an anxious environment and setting them up with a sweet professional skill that can open big doors: computer coding, which has tons of (well-paying) applications. On this episode, we meet the program's creators and some impressive kids who are boosting prospects and expressing real-life (and often tough) experiences through the games they create. With, on the host's part, some reminiscing about old-school Sierra games. Show notes: Games Over Gangs info and donation site - https://www.gofundme.com/antigang-gaming-programing NCSU Game2Learn Lab - http://eliza.csc.ncsu.edu/people.html Technician (NCSU student newspaper) story - http://www.technicianonline.com/news/article_e926670c-5c50-11e7-82c9-dfe6870c4bb5.html Space Quest III - https://youtu.be/yTZzFN8ilG0 Pulseboy (used to compose some of the oldschool video game music heard in this episode) http://www.pulseboy.com

A preview of Episode 32.

On a summer day last year in Burgaw, North Carolina, a farmer named Michael Lanier snapped a photograph of bright new life on his family land and put it up on social media. The next day, a massive crowd beyond anything he'd imagined turned out for an in-person look. This farmer had unwittingly stumbled upon an amazing engagement opportunity, and when he tried it again this year, an even bigger crowd showed -- thousands of people. So when one of the state's biggest city governments did something similar recently, the response was off the charts. It nearly got unruly at times. But it wasn't just about civic engagement. It was more innovative, an example other cities can follow. Show notes: City of Raleigh sunflowers press release - http://www.raleighnc.gov/home/news/content/CorNews/Articles/Sunflowers2017.html WRAL story, "Raleigh's sunflowers draw crowds, but city asks visitors to stop jumping fence" - http://www.wral.com/raleigh-s-sunflowers-draw-crowds-but-city-asks-visitors-to-stop-jumping-fence/16812164/ Michael Lanier, Old River Farms - http://oldriverfarmsnc.com/

A preview of Episode 31, out on Aug. 15.

If we gather up a bunch of "State of the City" addresses from mayors across the U.S. and rub them together, what happens? Well, the National League of Cities does that kind of work, and it's enlightening. We talk with NLC about its latest examination to find out what today's mayors are saying in chorus and why -- after a chat about a rare total solar eclipse over a gem-studded mountain town. Show notes: Franklin Mayor Bob Scott - http://www.franklinnc.com/mayor-bob-scott.html NASA's online hub for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse - https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/ Mike Jones' Pumpkin Roll footage - https://youtu.be/Ep7jvMVOfrc NLC report, "State of the Cities 2017" - http://nlc.org/SOTC NLC resource, "How to Deliver an Effective State of the City Address" - http://nlc.org/resource/how-to-deliver-an-effective-state-of-the-city-address

A preview of Episode 30

When you think of downtown alleys, what comes to mind? Bad associations, maybe? The place to avoid at night? Ever since childhood, Americans have had the general impression that alleyways are dark, dirty, dangerous -- the right setting for noir crime stories. And that might often be the case. But some U.S. cities are starting to embrace their alleys like assets -- as places to be -- with art, lighting, planters, seating and cleanliness. Inviting spaces that pedestrians can use to cut from block to block. Some alleyway owners even hold weekend events in them. There's a lot you can do to sweep out the bad associations and boost charm and use, if you want to. What could you do with your downtown alleys? You'll hear tons of ideas and considerations on this intercontinental episode. Show notes: Peter Gorman, "A Guide to Value Added Alleys" - https://ced.sog.unc.edu/a-guide-to-value-added-alleys-for-small-towns-and-cities/ Allison Meier, Hyperallergic, "LED Street Art Lights Up a Dark, Dodgy Alley in Philadelphia" - https://hyperallergic.com/320309/led-street-art-lights-up-a-dark-dodgy-alley-in-philadelphia/ Wilson, Artsy Alleys - https://www.ioby.org/project/wilson-artsy-alleys Wilson Times, "Project adds color to downtown alleys" - http://www.wilsontimes.com/stories/project-adds-color-to-downtown-alleys,88759 Shelby Star, "Local scout takes on alley beautification for Eagle Scout Project" - http://www.shelbystar.com/news/20170206/local-scout-takes-on-alley-beautification-for-eagle-scout-project "Alleys in Urban Design: History and Application" - http://www.canin.com/alleys-in-urban-design-history-application/ Public art episode followups (thanks for sending these!): Monroe, La., News Star "'Wish you were here'! Artists paint postcard-style murals in the Twin Cities," http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2017/07/06/greetings-twin-cities-artists-paint-postcard-style-murals-monroe-west-monroe/452275001/ Wilmington, N.C., Star-News, "Public art in New Hanover Co. spurs both aesthetic and economic activity, backers say" - http://www.starnewsonline.com/entertainment/20170707/public-art-in-new-hanover-co-spurs-both-aesthetic-and-economic-activity-backers-say Durham, N.C., Herald-Sun, "New public art in Durham coming to a corner near you?" http://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article160722269.html And some vintage stranger-danger vids: "Don't Talk to Strangers" - https://youtu.be/jCJRaLWitTc "Dangerous Stranger" - https://youtu.be/eAy2oTIZ38g "Never Be A Victim" - https://youtu.be/t21QskbOl9Y

A preview of Episode 29.

Why does government feel inclined to support or invest in local arts? We ask the director of a municipal government arts office and talk with a notable public artist who together paint a picture of beautification, community pride, connection, attraction, inclusion, dialogue and big economic returns. They say public art also brings about an important conversation for growing municipalities whose identities may be changing or as new public challenges emerge. Can art be an outlet for government itself? Or a culturally significant communications tool? A lot to consider on this episode. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 'New Data Showcase Economic Impact of Arts and Culture in U.S. and States' - Matt McConnell, McConnell Studios - Office of Raleigh Arts - Chicago public art initiative - CitiesSpeak, '8 Ways the Arts Can Boost Your Local Economy & Strengthen Your Community' - News & Observer, 'Arts play big art in local economy, study shows,' Americans for the Arts' Raleigh study - CityLab piece, 'Where Are America's Real Arts Capitals?' - Mayor Rahm Emanuel's podcast -  

A preview of Episode 28.

Local governments are always looking for ways to get kids involved. Meanwhile, millions of skaters across the U.S. are doing their thing -- often to the irritation of business owners and law enforcement. On this episode, we look at the big things that happen when kids and government get together to develop public skateparks, a solution that takes away tension, encourages civic involvement and celebrates freedom and creativity. It's no wonder they often end up being the most popular feature of the local parks system. Listen in for practical advice from the Tony Hawk Foundation, lessons from a police captain who did an about-face with the local skating community, progress from a city currently developing a skatepark, and unquestionable testimony from kids who've benefited from the free, 24-hour public skatepark in their town. Show notes: UPDATE 12/7/17 Curbed article featuring this episode - https://www.curbed.com/2017/12/7/16746468/design-parks-skateboarding-teens Skatepark advice and financial help - http://tonyhawkfoundation.org Public Skatepark Development Guide - http://publicskateparkguide.org Rodgers Family Skate Plaza, Apex, N.C. - https://www.apexnc.org/485/Trackside-Skate-Plaza News story from the Skate Plaza's opening in 2015 - http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/southwest-wake-news/article30160455.html Morganton, N.C., skatepark in the works - http://www.morgantonnc.gov/index.php/government/city-manager/public-information-office/news-releases/2579-skate-park-moves-forward

A preview of Episode 27.

We've all heard about the hard times that honeybees are going through and the huge implications for us all. But how do cities fit into all this? There's a surprising compatibility between cities and bees, and a role local governments can play. This episode comes just ahead of National Pollinator Week (June 19-25, though some honor it all month). To celebrate, we're joined by Bee Downtown, Bee City USA, and other voices covering the North Carolina cities of West Jefferson, Davidson, Asheville, Durham and beyond. Loads of trivia and insights on this one. Show notes: Bee Downtown - http://beedowntown.org Bee City USA - http://www.beecityusa.org The Town of Davidson Becomes the 37th Bee City USA in the Nation - http://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/CivicSend/ViewMessage/message?id=33089 USDA Colony Collapse Disorder and Honey Bee Health Action Plan - https://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/CCD-HBH_Action_Plan_05-19-2015-Dated-FINAL.pdf Agriculture Research Service info on honeybee health - https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/br/ccd/index/#public Skeptoid episode and transcript, "Colony Collapse Disorder: Science and Pseudoscience" - https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4524 Pollinator Week - http://pollinator.org/pollinatorweek/ News story, "A third of the nation's honeybee colonies died last year. Why you should care." - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/26/third-nations-honeybee-colonies-died-last-year-why-you-should-care/348418001/

From a distant land, an iPhone memo to stand in for our usual off-week preview.

There are so many cities and towns right now on amazing rebounds in the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. But what's missing? As innovation economies grow, we keep hearing more and more about the need for "inclusive innovation" in cities. But are we clear on what that entails? On this episode, we head out to Durham, N.C. -- an innovation-heavy city surging with activity -- to meet up with an authority on the subject. Christopher Gergen, an entrepreneurial leader and head of inclusive innovation collaborative Forward Cities, says the stakes are nothing to ignore. Listen and hear why. Show notes: Christopher Gergen, Forward Cities - http://www.forwardcities.org/convenings/2015/durham/forward-cities-staff/Christopher-Gergen.aspx Forward Cities main page - http://www.forwardcities.org @forwardcities - https://twitter.com/ForwardCities TechCrunch, "As tech startups surge in cities, inclusive economic growth must be a priority" - https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/10/as-tech-startups-surge-in-cities-inclusive-economic-growth-must-be-a-priority/ Pittsburgh's Roadmap for Inclusive Innovation - http://pittsburghpa.gov/innovation-performance/innovationroadmap/index.html Gergen's previous appearance on Municipal Equation, "The Five Levers of the Local Innovation Ecosystem" - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-03 InnovateNC - http://innovatenc.org 2016 Southern City article, "How to Drive Innovation in any Community " - https://www.nclm.org/programs-services/publications/southern-city/2016/2016-07/Pages/HowtoDriveInnovationinanyCommunity.aspx#.WSNK4u1tmUk

A preview of Episode 25

Do autonomous vehicles or driverless cars still sound futuristic to you? Even if deployments are planned for just a few years away? That's right, this technology is developing so quickly that it's catching a lot of local policymakers off-guard. Experts say it's time for cities of all sizes to put some serious thought into what will be a major change in how we get from A to B. For cities, that means understanding the implications, considering the unknowns, and thinking about policy. But with the technology so fresh and incomplete, where would a city even begin with that? That's our focus on this episode. We're joined once again by Nicole Dupuis from the National League of Cities, which just released a report with guidance on the subject. According to Dupuis, "Absolutely, we need to take this seriously." And another question: Will future generations know the feeling of passing a driver's test? There's a lot to ponder on this episode. Show notes: NLC report, "Autonomous Vehicles: A Policy Preparation Guide" - http://nlc.org/AVPolicy NLC press release, "New Autonomous Vehicle Guide Helps Cities Prepare for a Driverless Future" - http://www.nlc.org/article/new-autonomous-vehicle-guide-helps-cities-prepare-for-a-driverless-future CityLab story, "The Self-Driving Dilemma" - https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/05/the-self-driving-dilemma/525171/?utm_source=nl__link3_050417 Bloomberg Philanthropies report, "Taming the Autonomous Vehicle: A Primer for Cities" - https://www.bbhub.io/dotorg/sites/2/2017/05/TamingtheAutonomousVehicleSpreadsPDFreleaseMay3rev2.pdf USDOT's Federal Automated Vehicles Policy - https://www.transportation.gov/AV Deloitte piece, "Securing the future of mobility: Addressing cyber risk in self-driving cars and beyond" - https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/future-of-mobility/cybersecurity-challenges-connected-car-security.html?id=us:2sm:3tw:4mobilitym:5eng:6Consulting:20170501:fom,fom%20:deloittestratop&linkId=36955724 GovTech story, "Autonomous Cars Will Change the Insurance World" - http://www.govtech.com/fs/Autonomous-Cars-Will-Change-the-Insurance-World.html?utm_content=bufferebbf1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

A preview of Episode 24.

On this episode, we answer a frequent listener question (coming most often from people who work in government): "What do I really need to know about starting a podcast? Equipment? Approach? Editing?" There's a jungle of online resources for that, but they're frustrating to sort through. A lot of them conflict with or contradict one another, or are just marketing materials to get you to purchase some specific podcasting solution that might not be right for you. So this episode serves as our plain-English, how-to guide (especially for folks who work in government or public service, though anybody can apply these lessons) on getting started in podcasting. We list equipment, software, best practices to help you stay out of the ditch, and some philosophy on podcasting for public agencies (or any other field, really). It's a big primer packed into a listener-friendly 36 minutes. And hear why Ben thinks virtually any local government can do something positive with podcasting. Show notes: GovLove Episode 95 (Ben among guests talking about podcasting) - https://soundcloud.com/govlove/95-a-bottomless-pit-of-ideas-leaders-in-localgov-podcasting Ben's example gear guide (just an example) - https://kit.com/benbrownmedia/your-podcasting-studio More good advice on buying a mixer (with product recommendations) - https://www.thepodcasthost.com/equipment/podcast-mixers/ Reaper (the program Ben uses for editing) - http://www.reaper.fm/ Simple tutorial on using EQ for voice (in Reaper, but it works the same way in other audio software) - https://youtu.be/V6XtciKhgUY Make your voice sound cleaner with a noise gate (again, in Reaper, but ditto last comment) - https://youtu.be/zVWoxC3m4cc Simple tutorial on editing in Audacity - https://youtu.be/uAyF-i604Hs Audacity download - https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/

A preview of Episode 23.

As America develops, how often do you pause to listen? To the places undergoing active change? Or those preserved in time? To the sounds that truly identify a location, whether natural or developed? On this episode -- headphones required this time! -- we talk about the connections and influences we can develop with specific places when we pause to take them for what they are in the moment, via active listening. Many have taken to field recording, to capture what's around them for analysis -- in some cases highly scientific, and influential of public policy. Listen in. Show notes: Anne Guthrie's Urban Omnibus piece with field recordings, "Tune In: Soundscapes of New York" - http://urbanomnibus.net/2015/05/tune-in-soundscapes-of-new-york/ Anne Guthrie, Arup - http://thoughts.arup.com/post/userposts/212 Donald Best, Raleigh Recording Co. field recordings - https://soundcloud.com/raleighrecordingco USDOT noise map - https://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/press_releases/bts015_17 SONYC - https://wp.nyu.edu/sonyc/ New York Times, "To Create a Quieter City, They're Recording the Sounds of New York" - https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/07/nyregion/to-create-a-quieter-city-theyre-recording-the-sounds-of-new-york.html?_r=2 Noisy ice-cream truck? - http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/3019/noise-from-ice-cream-truck

A preview of Episode 22

Sure, perspectives vary on public art. But on this episode we visit a small southern city with a ton of buy-in for art as a transformative tool -- for revitalization, community pride, local history, economic development -- all starting with publicly facilitated yet privately financed murals. And then, for our host, comes a funny coincidence. Hear what it's all about on this episode of Municipal Equation, from the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Show notes: City of Sanford - http://www.sanfordnc.net Mayor Chet Mann on Facebook (Timeline includes pics from our walking tour) - https://www.facebook.com/MayorChetMann/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE Mural Art Trail Map - http://www.sanfordnc.net/sanfordarttrail.pdf "Statewide podcast to highlight Sanford's Murals" - https://rantnc.com/2017/03/21/preview-statewide-podcast-to-highlight-sanfords-murals/ "Mann shares vision for public art" (paywall) - http://www.sanfordherald.com/news/mann-shares-vision-for-public-art/article_d23b8cc8-02b6-11e7-8eee-27564a5a5133.html "Sanford preserves its history with series of downtown murals" - http://wncn.com/2016/08/25/sanford-preserves-its-history-with-series-of-downtown-murals/ "More murals on the way in 2017" - http://welcometosanford.com/index.php/2017/01/15/downtown-murals-way-2017/ Scott Nurkin, The Mural Shop - http://themuralshop.com The Mural Shop on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/themuralshop/

Preview of Episode 21: More Than Public Art by NC League of Municipalities

No doubt you've heard of sister cities. You probably even have a vague idea, at least, of the concept. Perhaps your town has a sister city in a far-off country. But do you know the origin of sister cities? How the concept took off? And what it's evolved to? And that it's greased the track for huge business relationships? And probably even saved lives? It's fascinating when you dig in. We do so on this episode. Show notes: http://sister-cities.org/ http://www.sistercitiesofcary.org/ http://sistercities-burlington.org/ https://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/catalog/AV2_FM_296-people2people https://www.youtube.com/user/SisterCitiesIntl

Preview of Episode 20, about Sister Cities.

A local police department is trying to change perceptions between officers and youths -- via unscripted, uncoached, one-on-one conversations broadcast out to the world in a high-quality web series. Real moments, both candid and heavy, drive each episode of "The Other Side," which seeks to not only humanize police officers but also highlight how simply talking eye-to-eye at a relaxed pace can build trust, rapport and understanding in a world where distrust, fear and misconception can run wild. On this episode, we talk with the Fuquay-Varina (North Carolina) Police Department and video production company Amazing Studios about how the series came to be and how it's been received around town. Show notes: Full episodes of 'The Other Side' - http://www.fuquay-varina.org/783/The-Other-Side-Videos Homepage - www.otherside.tv Fuquay-Varina Police Department on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fvpolice/ Amazing Studios - http://amazingstudiosinc.com Past episode, 'Restarting the Law Enforcement Conversation' - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-06

A preview of Episode 19.

It's okay to admit you're not fully up to speed on "smart cities" or the "Internet of Things." A lot of people aren't. The talk is so ubiquitous that it might feel like a runaway topic that's tough to break into. Or maybe you're from a small town and think smart-cities and IoT are more of a big-city conversation. But it concerns just about everybody, everywhere. So what does it really mean? As initiatives and projects multiply in the focus of smart cities and IoT -- and while the federal government is actively soliciting comment on a new plan to collaborate with local communities toward smart-city enhancements -- this episode explains the who-what-when-where-why to get us all up on the essentials. Because now is the time to know. Show notes: -Draft "Smart Cities and Communities Federal Strategic Plan: Exploring Innovation Together" and Request for Comments https://www.nitrd.gov/news/RFI-SCC-Federal-Strategic-Plan.aspx -NLC report: "Trends in Smart City Development" http://www.nlc.org/article/new-report-on-smart-cities-released-by-national-league-of-cities -News story, "3 Insights from NLC’s Smart Cities Report" http://www.statetechmagazine.com/article/2017/02/3-insights-nlc-s-smart-cities-report -News story, "Greensboro to Participate in National 'Smart City' Program in March" http://wunc.org/post/greensboro-participate-national-smart-city-program-march#stream/0 -News story, "Envisioning Smart Cities" https://smartcitiesworld.net/news/news/envisioning-smart-cities-1352?platform=hootsuite -Callback to EP 07, "The Value of 'Digital Mindsets' in Local Government" https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-07 -Thought piece, "A City is Not a Computer" https://placesjournal.org/article/a-city-is-not-a-computer/

A preview of Municipal Equation Episode 18.

What do Dobros and datasets have in common? We're about to find out. On this episode we talk with A'yen Tran and Jer Thorp of the New York-based Office for Creative Research to hear about their folksy initiative -- a finalist in the 2017 Knight Cities Challenge, no less -- to strengthen civic engagement via bluegrass music. Mystified? Well, the modern wave of data in municipal policymaking can sometimes mystify, too, at least when put in the form of charts and graphs for public consumption. Could data-fied mountain string music -- and lessons from the past that changed the history of bluegrass -- strike a new chord? Listen and learn why this novel approach is a Knight Cities finalist. Show notes: A'yen Tran, Jer Thorp and the Office for Creative Research - https://ocr.nyc Tran-authored piece, "Cultural Data Collection in Appalachia" - https://medium.com/memo-random/cultural-data-collection-in-appalachia-9c4a9547e80f#.l39hmhnrp 2017 Knight Cities Challenge Finalists, including "That High Lonesome Data" - http://www.knightfoundation.org/articles/144-finalists-advance-in-2017-knight-cities-challenge GovTech coverage about the project - http://www.govtech.com/civic/Demystifying-Civic-Data-Through-Song-and-10-Other-Civic-Tech-Finalists-in-the-Knight-Cities-Challenge.html A front-porch tune from Bascom Lunsford - https://youtu.be/FS_BeQMWUEA

A preview of the next Municipal Equation

Are we catching up to pop-fiction's futuristic portrayal of DNA in crimesolving? How about a technology that can sketch up an image of a suspect based solely on a sample of his or her DNA? The Fayetteville, North Carolina, Police Department is one of just a few local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. openly using such a tool. Applying it to a decade-old, unsolved local case of a serial rapist, the FPD is catching new tips after releasing facial renderings based on analysis of the perpetrator's DNA -- a potentially important development, as victims didn't get a clear look at his face and could only give authorities limited descriptions. FPD says it's using this innovation cautiously but wants to show the public that the department is willing to try cutting-edge techniques to bring about justice. Hear how it works on this episode. Show notes: Complete details about the 'Ramsey Street Rapist' suspect - https://nextdoor.com/agency-post/nc/fayetteville/fayetteville-police-department/fayetteville-police-department-media-release-38457122/ Report leads on the case to FPD at 910-483-8477 or 910-433-1855 Fayetteville Observer story about 'Ramsey Street Rapist,' with composite images of suspect - http://www.fayobserver.com/news/local/fayetteville-police-closer-to-catching-ramsey-street-rapist/article_1509b1c0-6bac-5384-8c09-958a510467eb.html Police release DNA-based photos of 'Ramsey Street Rapist' - http://wncn.com/2016/12/14/fayetteville-police-release-dna-based-photos-of-ramsey-street-rapist/ More details - http://abc11.com/news/fayetteville-pd-hopes-new-technology-helps-catch-rapist/1657206/ NBC News from 2014 on "dying art" of police sketches - http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/dying-art-forensic-sketch-artists-face-digital-future-n41421 AP story on oldschool police sketch artistry - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3512027/Sketchy-work-Police-artists-nab-bad-guys-pencil-paper.html BBC coverage of Alec Jeffreys and DNA - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/8245312.stm More - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5405470.stm