September 23, 2022
How to Care
The question “how do I get people in my town to care” was posed to our panel of three last week in North Little Rock. I was on stage at
September 15, 2022
It’s The Cages
"It’s the cages” This is the epiphany British journalist Johann Hari had when studying addiction and the most salient point he makes in his mind-blowing TED Talk titled “Everything You
September 8, 2022
RFP = Recipe For Problems
I received a bit of a surprise via email late last week. An RFP for a downtown master plan was addressed specifically to me. This was a surprise because I
September 1, 2022
The Cars are Winning
Four times. My wife and I rode in Pedal PGH this weekend with some close friends and on four separate occasions we had an incident with a driver. Four people,
August 25, 2022
Kids These Days
“Kids these days.” Of all the tropes I loathe, and there are plenty- this one takes the cake. I have to assume that dating back to the time of neanderthals,
August 18, 2022
Locals Are People Too
Recently, I was sitting down for coffee with a couple of colleagues/friends at a neighborhood cafe. We were discussing the concept of complete streets as we sat outside and watched
August 11, 2022
Sharing is Caring
This past Saturday evening, as we were finishing up dinner with the kids and Amber and I shared a bottle of wine, I was thinking to myself how much I
August 4, 2022
Hidden Gems
Whimsy. Delight. Maybe it’s called charm. There is a facet to great places that I find it hard to put my finger on, but it’s one of those things that
July 28, 2022
Take Back the Streets
Last week, my sister and I were sipping a glass of wine with my some family when her 14-year-old son and my 14-year-old son walked up to us on the
June 29, 2022
Embracing Urbanism
Last week, while in Sterling Illinois, the City Manager asked for my first impressions of their town. I spoke candidly and bluntly (shocking, right?). Told him that Sterling had done
June 23, 2022
Defiance
I grew up attending swim meets in Defiance. I took my drivers license test in Defiance. I even got my ass kicked on an annual basis by the Defiance High
June 17, 2022
Buildings Before Businesses
A building is a business. I repeat, a building is a business. If you manage your own life, you can understand this principle. You have to spend less than you
June 9, 2022
The New Economic Development
Times aren’t a-changing, they already have. I hope your city didn’t miss it. If you still have a chamber, tourism bureau and economic development department- it’s time for a glow-up.
June 2, 2022
The Price of Neglect
Doing nothing would seemingly be cheap. It should certainly be easy. It should be a total breeze, like a Corona commercial, hanging seaside with Snoop getting high all day, sipping
May 25, 2022
Civic Self-Esteem
“Why would you move here?” “Why would you want to start a business here?” “Why would you renovate a building here?” All questions I have heard people ask of their
May 19, 2022
Machine Town
My mouth is dry, like licking construction paper. The sun is doing her show in the sky with reckless abandon- it’s to the point of being gaudy. I try to
May 12, 2022
Simple, Not Easy
Last week over beers in Panama City, friend and colleague, Allan Branch, put it to me this way, “Whenever I’m traveling, I always wonder, why are some towns doing better
May 5, 2022
Love Locals
Whether you like it or not and whether you realize it or not, you are in a relationship with your city. Everyone has a relationship with the place they live.
April 28, 2022
The Product Not The Process
I don’t know if this phenomena occurs in other arenas, because I have never really worked in other arenas. I’m, what you would call, a one arena sorta guy. And
April 13, 2022
Civic Relationships
Our lives are defined by relationships. Our happiness and well-being are largely determined by those relationships we carry throughout our lives. Some are good, some are bad, some change us
April 7, 2022
Beer Helps
“Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy”. Founding Father, writer, inventor, scientist, diplomat, printer, and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, fully understood that water, hops and
March 24, 2022
Kill The Committee
Do people cross to the other side of the street when they see you? Have you noticed no one invites you out to TGI Fridays? Do your acquaintances avoid making
March 18, 2022
A Vision, Not a Process
Every Tuesday morning, I hop on a Zoom call with my friend and colleague, Chet Clem. Chet runs a real estate development firm in New Hampshire. Along with majestic beards,
March 10, 2022
A Show of Hands
“Raise your hand if you think cars should be prioritized over pedestrians downtown” I asked the crowd of 70. One person raised their hand. “Raise your hand if you think
March 1, 2022
Who Cares?
Who really cares anyway? Well, everyone in fact. We all care. At least we all strive to care. Every one of us tries to fill our lives with more things
February 24, 2022
Bad Streets. Good Cities.
It’s startling at first. Motorcycles and scooters outnumber cars. People outnumber motorcycles and scooters. Throw in a handful of bikes and some roadside stands. There isn't much room left for
February 10, 2022
As You Like It
It’s really not that hard. We are waaaay overthinking all of this. In fact, it’s pretty simple. Cities are full of people, so we should prioritize people. Cars don’t even
February 3, 2022
Help Not Wanted
My self-esteem can handle quite a lot, but getting ghosted by my township might be more than I can take. What’s wrong with me? Am I not good enough? Am
January 26, 2022
Lessons From a Minivan
Let’s say you have a bike you love. You had your eye on it for a long time before you finally made the purchase. You researched all the other bikes
January 20, 2022
Instant Gratification
I’m counting 2022 as a phenomenal success. I completed all of my new years resolutions and its still January. Get in shape - ✅ Learn French - ✅ Read more
January 12, 2022
Pretty Matters
Does beauty truly lie in the eye of the beholder? Can’t we all agree what sort of photo should go on a postcard? Aren’t Ryan Gosling and my mother universally
January 6, 2022
The Road to Apathy
Apathy is not something, but the lack of something. It is not a negative concern, but no concern at all. Apathy isn’t an emotion, but the absence of one. An
December 22, 2021
I Don’t Hate You 2021
This coming Saturday not only denotes the birth of Santa and Jesus, but yours truly as well. This will be my 45th Christmas skulking round these parts. The first was
December 16, 2021
If I Had Ten Million Dollars
Those funky flannel loving Canadiens known as the Bare Naked Ladies had plenty of thoughts on what they would do with a million dollars, but never once does the song
December 9, 2021
Risky Business
Well, it’s happened- I got my first request, and I feel like a real-life cover band now. A kind young woman from Alabama called me last week and asked if
December 2, 2021
Falling Tides
What’s that old phrase… a falling tide lowers all ships? Am I getting that right? I believe it was Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone that said something similar, “When we all
November 29, 2021
UnThankful
I understand it’s good to be thankful. I am well aware of how practicing gratitude can make our lives fuller and boost our happiness. These are reasonable things. I like
November 18, 2021
Shaping Places
I can’t concentrate when things around me are a mess. I can’t even settle in to watch sports ball until I've straightened up the den first. I find it difficult
November 11, 2021
Cut the Fat. Repair the Heart.
Cut the fat, repair the heart. That was the advice that came to mind. Last week, a colleague of mine was elected mayor of his town in central Pennsylvania. He
November 9, 2021
Sorry About Your E.D.
I know it is a touchy subject, but something must be said. We can’t keep tik-toking around the subject. Pretending it isn’t affecting you, won’t make it go away. I
November 4, 2021
Les Toilettes
It’s been a little over a month since my wife and I returned from a trip to France and I’ve come to realize the experience has altered me. I suppose
October 28, 2021
This Is Urban
When you hear the term urban, do you grow terrified? Do you think of Gotham City? Do you picture yourself in a Charles Bronson movie? Is the urban in your
October 21, 2021
Candyland
I want to live in Candyland, and with next Sunday being trick-or-treat… I am about to find out if I do. There must a science behind this, someone out there
October 14, 2021
Hating the New Neighbors
Cities are weird and they make weird decisions. There is some sort of common sense amnesia that takes hold when a group of three or more city leaders come together
October 8, 2021
What We Are Fighting For
There is no place for sprawl in our cities, simply no need, no advantage. Spreading out and building sprawl so national chains could haul away all the money was a
October 1, 2021
Pissed About Paris
Elation, excitement, joy, amazement, wonder. The emotions I experienced on our trip to France all tended towards one end of the spectrum. Amber and I had long planned a trip
September 15, 2021
Bedrooms are for Sleeping
A colleague reached out this morning and asked if I had ever written anything about permitted first floor uses in a downtown. I responded that I had not, but hey,
September 9, 2021
It’s Not Me, It’s You
I knew we had to break up. I don’t know when it became clear to me. Like driving in a heavy fog, objects ahead don’t become visible all at once,
August 31, 2021
At the Heart (& Soul) of Revitalization
I certainly did not picture myself working with an organization called Community Heart & Soul. I named my business Revitalize, or Die. after all, so I tend towards the surly
August 19, 2021
How To Give A Damn
“If I had all the money to pay every consultant to come and work in my town, I still don’t think they could fix what’s broken” This was Chet’s mic-drop
August 11, 2021
Welcome to Shit Town
Let me be honest here, this place makes me feel like shit. But in my defense, it was designed to. Other than selling me some absolute garbage that I 100%
July 29, 2021
Florida Man Teaches Me A Lesson
Jarring. Unsettling. Depressing. As we pulled out of the Tampa airport rental garage and onto the baking, chaotic, 8 lane Sprawlandia thoroughfare, those were the feelings churning in my stomach.
July 9, 2021
The House That Clyde Built
Our new house found us, we didn’t find it. Which came as quite a surprise, as typically inanimate objects, much like my sons, struggle to locate ANYTHING. Amber and I moved
June 11, 2021
My Best Place
The best place I know, is fortunately, right in front of my house. I am writing this blog from that place, or should I say, from this place, considering it
May 20, 2021
The Urge to Serve
This week, my feeds were filled with both good news and bad, stemming from Tuesday’s elections. I was ecstatic to see some colleagues, friends and supporters, win hard fought victories.
May 5, 2021
Bringin’ Fancy Back
I am asking you for a favor- a big one- but it’s not too much and it’s not too hard. You might even enjoy it. But don’t do it for
April 30, 2021
Hometown Here or Main Street Martyr
When you hang your apathy fighting cape in the closet at the end of the night, do you feel like you are in this battle all alone? Do you fee
April 22, 2021
Damn it, Do it!
Idle hands are the devils play things, so the saying goes. We know what this means for a person- nothing good comes from boredom, and like I regularly rant about-
April 15, 2021
It’s Okay to Hate Cars
“Why can’t we have this at home?” Amber asked me as we criss-crossed Royal Street in the French Quarter. Royal isn’t closed to cars, but traffic is slow enough and
April 8, 2021
Let’s Get Civic
Erica picks up litter as she walks her dog around the neighborhood. She lives in a duplex a couple of blocks off of Main Street and she always keeps her
March 31, 2021
There Goes the Neighborhood
2.7 miles. That is the approximate distance of the walk I take every day, with Leon, my fluffy companion. I have a particular route I prefer, because... It is flat
March 16, 2021
There is a Hole in My Neighborhood
There is a hole in my neighborhood. Where once there was something, now there is something missing. The place we used to go is still there, but we no longer
March 10, 2021
It’s Not a Parking Problem, or a Walking Problem
The Main Street world has its mantras. These are the cliches we fall back on, to explain away the way things are. Easy go-to phrases that allow us to make
March 4, 2021
Pulled Apart
“This Rural Liberal Sets Out to Talk to His Pro-Trump Neighbors” was the title of the article my mother passed along. In the piece, the author attempted to connect with
February 24, 2021
Vacancy Busting: A Step by Step Guide
I can sometimes get bogged down in the policies of vacancy. I get pretty excited about design standards, code enforcement and vacant property registries. I love reading about new methods
Gentle Density, Sprawl Enemy
As I was walking Leon this weekend, I recalled a chapter in the book Happy City by Charles Montgomery about density. He writes about a density sweet spot that fosters
Why We Must Maintain
Here is what you have to remember, everything in life requires maintenance. Everything must be tended to. The car in our driveway has to have an oil change and new
Peoria On My Mind
At a workshop in Peoria last March, an attendee told me that the city has more than doubled in land area since 1930, yet the number of people living there
My Father’s House
I followed the trail my fathers finger made as he pointed through the windshield towards an old blue house. This is what we had come to see, the next stop
Every Little Bit
We avoided the project long enough. No good reason for it either. Just something that wasn’t a priority, or easy enough to ignore. On the other hand, every time I
Pride in Action
“This is great, but how does it really work” is a pretty common refrain I hear during workshops and presentations. “Hey pal, your ideas are nice and all, but it’s
The George Bailey Effect
Like a lot of you, I watched It's a Wonderful Life over the holiday break. I probably watch it every year and each time I am amazed at how relevant
Shutdown Politics
Last night my wife played me a clip of a local business owner of Fox News being interviewed about his reaction to the most recent restaurant shutdown here in Pennsylvania.
February 23, 2021
What’s the Matter with Jamestown?
On August 1st, 2018, Jamestown, New York celebrated a monumental event. The Rustbelt City south of Buffalo did the unthinkable. Despite all odds, they were able to open the National
January 4, 2021
Planning for Places
As we kick off the New Year, I have been thinking a lot about how we can better plan for things to come. As a planner, I don’t really love
November 30, 2020
Choose Civic Pride
We are all subject to the effects of apathy. Every one of us is tempted to do less, give less or accept less. While this might be our nature, to
October 27, 2020
This is How it Started… This is How it’s Going.
It’s hard to watch the “how it started/how it’s going” meme go around and not immediately think of our cities and towns. They started so well, with integrity, hard work,
October 8, 2020
More Meaning, Less Meeting
NOTHING is more important than the work of community revitalization organizations. Your community will live or die, based on your success. In meeting your organization's mission, you can improve people’s
September 29, 2020
Stop Catering to the Deadbeats
Vacant property kills communities. Vacant and deteriorating property increases crime, depresses property values, diminishes the tax base, lowers community self-esteem, repels potential tenants, investors and tourists and breeds rampant apathy.
September 23, 2020
The Road to Recovery – Part 3 (5 Points of Pride)
This is the final post in a series explaining how communities can utilize the Road to Recovery process to help them navigate a path back to good health. In the
September 17, 2020
The Road to Recovery – Part 2
I like to get these things out on a weekly basis, but last week had me managing my own recovery. I was laid up from a shoulder and bicep surgery,
September 1, 2020
The Road to Recovery – part 1
We don’t typically talk about cities like we do people. We avoid language that personalizes a place, instead favoring the language of corporate America. I talked about this a bit
August 25, 2020
How to Mend a Broken City
When talking about a topic, our thinking is confined by the language we use. The words provide the framework for how we view an issue. When we talk about communities,
August 17, 2020
Beyond Shit-Talk
I have been kicking around a problem for quite awhile here at the RorD headquarters (my office that doesn’t have a door and is usually covered in children Tik-Toking). When
August 10, 2020
Find A Friend, Save Your City.
Neighborhoods first. If I just had one piece of advice to give to city leaders it would be that. Put the neighborhoods first. Prioritize the people. Do your absolute best
July 23, 2020
Why Good Neighborhoods went Extinct
I followed my dad’s finger, pointing through the windshield towards the second house in from the corner. “There it is, that’s the one I grew up in” he said as
July 15, 2020
Emotional Economics
There are two sides to economic revitalization and they must work in tandem to create change in a community. The first is the economic side. This is about training people
July 8, 2020
Over-Planning
I rarely know what to call myself, professionally that is. I have a degree in urban planning, which would make me a planner, but I have never spent even one
July 1, 2020
The Real Parking Problem
For anyone that has worked in economic development, community development and especially, downtown revitalization, you have become all too familiar with the parking problem trope. It might be the single
May 5, 2020
A Crisis of Class (The Curse of Softpants)
I love looking at historic photos and seeing how our places have changed over time. Something that always stands out, is how nice everyone dressed in the past. No matter
March 26, 2020
What If…
Like most, I have had some extra time on my hands this week. Work has slowed down and I am thankful for some additional time with the family and to
February 26, 2020
Communityness
A city or a town cannot be successful, or only to a marginal degree, if it is not also a community. A city aims to serve its residents, but this
February 18, 2020
Help Isn’t On The Way
Help Isn’t On The Way HGTV was in my feed quite a lot last week, which I can promise you is unusual. I generally avoid HGTV, not because I am
November 21, 2019
Fast Food For Thought
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, we are all probably giving more thought to food than normal…at least that’s the theory. I would assume most people give food plenty of thought year-round.
November 15, 2019
Fuck Apathy
Apathy is the cancer of community and rarely does it stop until it has effectively destroyed its host. Apathy sneaks in at night and parades on in when everyone is
October 17, 2019
The Case for Standards
At some point, we have to draw a line. We have to make a choice. We have to decide that something is unacceptable, lest everything become acceptable and we acclimate
October 9, 2019
The Shape of Place
The way I best describe how place affects me is an oft repeated phrase that has most likely grown annoying to those that know me, “I am no more neighborly
September 24, 2019
Badass Your Board
It’s a familiar scene, we’ve all been there before…the monotonous monthly board meeting. Dress it up if you like, change the time, try a more relaxed setting, maybe even lure
September 21, 2019
In defense of community
This week we focused on predatory businesses, and by ‘focused’, I mean, talked shit. Most of the response was positive and most people understand that these sorts of businesses are
August 29, 2019
Old School
I always find the first day of school to be bittersweet. I am happy for the kids to get back to their friends, for everyone to get back into a
August 9, 2019
Shirt Happens.
I didn’t grow up with any understanding of what a sense of community really meant. A sense of community is an abstract thing, a feeling, that is hard to relay
August 1, 2019
All Politics is Local
Earlier this week, I posted a story about Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s announcement of a proposed plan to deal with vacancy, if he were to be elected president. I sometimes forget
July 24, 2019
Wise Council
I enjoy meeting with elected officials. I enjoy talking with anyone that cares about their town. Most council members I speak with are well-intentioned and became involved because they are
July 16, 2019
Overeducated – The Higher Cost of Higher Ed
For the fifth time in as many weeks, over a phone call with a colleague last Friday, we ended up discussing the merits of higher education. This conversation followed a
July 9, 2019
A Return to Old Urbanism
My vacation took an unexpected turn last week and ended up lasting a few more days than expected. Does a vacation stop being a vacation when you no longer want
June 30, 2019
The Fabric of Community
This week’s blog post is the first to be composed by the sea. This is not a habit I plan to get used to. While the sea may inspire some
June 18, 2019
Setting the Standards
As is becoming a welcome routine, I joined my neighbor for beers on his front porch last Friday, for what he calls “porch pirating.” We cover a range of topics
June 4, 2019
Own Your Issues
Sometimes I really struggle to figure out how people come to their conclusions. Some of the widely accepted solutions to combat community decline are fascinating. Often they have little to
May 28, 2019
The (Bike) Path Forward
Like most, I really didn’t have any appreciation for one of the world’s greatest inventions. I assumed bikes were only for children, drunk drivers and men with a lycra fetish.
May 21, 2019
Something’s Missing
The historical society, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, Kiwanis, Rotary, Lions Club, Masons, The United Way, local foundations, economic development organizations… you know them well, their emblems populate
May 14, 2019
It’s Not the Red Tape, Stupid
Another town and another enlightening conversation with an elected official. Over a cup of coffee, this particular mayor was filling me in on his city's strategy to rebuild their economy.
May 7, 2019
Save Our Buildings, Save Ourselves
A few years back, while hosting an event for the governor’s State of the State address in Marietta, Ohio, I had a chance to speak with a local councilwoman during
April 23, 2019
Lessons Learned on Main Street
Revitalization never crossed my mind as any sort of career aspiration as a child, city planner didn’t quite have the same appeal as being the next Bo Jackson. The concept
April 16, 2019
A Reason to Stay
A few years back, I was touring the downtown of a community in northeast, Ohio, and had a bit of an epiphany regarding the true importance of downtown. City leaders
April 9, 2019
Pick Up Your Place
We don't often give credit to how much appearances affect us and shape our opinions. We judge nearly everything based on looks. We see the way people dress and groom
April 2, 2019
Tourists Won’t Save Your Town
Tourism has long been touted as an economic panacea. A sound tourism strategy, in theory, will bring people far and wide to your community to leave you all of their
March 19, 2019
Home Away from Home
I knew growing up that I wasn’t meant for where I lived. It wasn’t a feeling of arrogance, but of self preservation, a feeling that was instilled into me- through
March 11, 2019
This Pub Matters
Prior to moving to my neighborhood in 2016, I started doing some research on local bars. I wanted to figure out which bar would be my local when I got
March 4, 2019
Abandonment Issues
Vacancy is in essence, city rot. If allowed to take hold, it spreads, and in time, will destroy the whole if not treated. Criminologist William Spelman found that, in Austin,
February 25, 2019
What Economic Development Gets Wrong
This past week brought news of Amazon making the decision not to locate a second headquarters in New York. As to be expected, some saw this as a victory for
February 18, 2019
Your Town is Not Your Team
Your town is not your team. It’s not your pro-baseball team, it’s not your college girls basketball team, and it’s certainly not your high school football team. Your school district
January 5, 2019
Does This Place Matter?
Realtors have an old saying, the three most important factors in real estate are location, location, location. Those goofy bastards with their pictures on every flat surface nailed it with