How much of a city is the ground beneath our feet? Sidewalks, streets and plazas make up an enormous part of the urban landscape, but most of the time we barely notice them.

Former Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane is spending National Ice Cream Month on an ambitious quest to visit nearly 100 artisan ice cream shops across California. But this isn't just a story about frozen desserts. It's about joy, citizenship, and what happens when someone approaches every neighborhood as an advocate for the people who make it special. Join Chip for a few scoops—and a conversation about the surprisingly civic power of ice cream.

Connection takes effort.

It takes showing up. Returning. Participating. Making room for other people in our lives.

A short conversation about friendship, third places, belonging, and why service may be one of the shortest paths to community.

In downtown Los Angeles, the Social District may have found the perfect face for a neighborhood: Pico, their beloved canine mascot and “Chief Experience Officer.”

In this Small Block, Chip talks with Nolan Marshall about mascots, place identity, community connection, and how a little joy can help make a big city feel human-scale.

To Celebrate Jane Jacob's Birthday, Sidewalk Ballet is launching a new series of bonus episodes that we are calling Small Blocks. Short stories about people and places that you can listen to when you just have a few minutes. 

Our first Small Block comes from Susan Hughes, a Children's book writer from Toronto and her story about, well, Jane.