The Constitution begins with "We the People." The rest of the American story is, in many ways, the unfolding of who becomes "We."

The Democracy of Public Space – Part One: Do We Mean It? traces the evolution of the National Mall from an unfinished vision into one of the world's great civic stages, culminating in Marian Anderson's historic 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

This is the story of an unfinished vision, a civic stage, and the generations of people who continue the work of becoming "We."

The Constitution begins with "We the People." The rest of the American story is, in many ways, the unfolding of who becomes "We."

The Democracy of Public Space – Part One: Do We Mean It? traces the evolution of the National Mall from an unfinished vision into one of the world's great civic stages, culminating in Marian Anderson's historic 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial.

This is the story of an unfinished vision, a civic stage, and the generations of people who continue the work of becoming "We."

Business Improvement Districts have transformed the way many communities care for and invest in their downtowns—but the profession behind them has evolved just as dramatically.

In this conversation, two of the field's most respected voices, Michael Edwards and Kathleen Rawson, reflect on the origins of BIDs, the changing role of downtown management, and the leadership required to navigate an increasingly complex urban landscape. Whether you're a downtown practitioner, civic leader, or simply curious about the people working behind the scenes to shape great places, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how the profession has grown—and where it may be headed next.

Cara Courage is a researcher, author, educator, and internationally recognized placemaking practitioner whose work explores the intersection of people, place, culture, and community. In this conversation, she joins Chip to discuss the evolution of placemaking, the growing field of trauma-informed placemaking, and how places can foster, healing, and connection.

What makes people feel connected to a place?

In this episode of Sidewalk Ballet, Chip explores the idea of “Return on Emotion” with downtown strategist Molly Alexander — examining how joy, belonging, trust, shape the emotional life of communities.

Featuring a conversation with Santa Cruz Warriors President Chris Murphy and a reflection on an iconic Bay Area moment this episode explores the power of emotional connections to place and community.

Downtowns sit at the intersection of public life and private interest — places where questions around trust, safety, belonging, and authority become deeply visible.

In this episode, Chip talks with Shane Zahn of the Minneapolis Downtown Council about the evolving role of Business Improvement Districts, public safety, and civic stewardship in downtown Minneapolis.

Together, they explore what it means to build trust in public space at a moment when communities increasingly experience safety, authority, and accountability in very different ways.

Public bathrooms are small spaces with big consequences. In this episode of The Sidewalk Ballet, journalist and author Lezlie Lowe joins Chip to unpack how access to restrooms reveals deeper truths about gender equity, public health, dignity, and who cities are really designed for—offering a fresh way to see the everyday infrastructure we rarely stop to think about.

In this New Year’s episode of The Sidewalk Ballet, Chip is joined by Josh Yeager of Bright Brothers Strategy Group, a thoughtful practitioner and generous champion of community work, to talk about what he’s seeing on the ground across cities right now. That conversation anchors a broader reflection on the season, translating guests’ hopes for their cities into practical, local practices — simple ways of showing up, working together, and strengthening community where it actually happens.

Mara Mintzer is co-founder and Executive Director of Growing Up Boulder, a child- and youth-friendly city initiative rooted in the University of Colorado Boulder’s Community Engagement, Design, and Research Center. She leads efforts to embed young people’s voices into city planning, writes and speaks internationally about participatory planning with youth, and helped launch projects in Boulder that put children’s perspectives at the heart of policies, parks, housing, and public safety.