https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes daily 0.75 2026-08-19 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/rahul-kadri monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/be347a4c-ce5c-4d4e-9b88-23785bd6dbc5/Rahul+Kidra.jpg Episodes - Rahul Kadri - What does it mean to design for a city where space is scarce, change is relentless, and the people who live there are too often left out of the process? Mumbai architect and urban designer Rahul Kadri joins The Sidewalk Ballet for a conversation about architecture as a tool for creating not just buildings, but healthier, more connected cities. Rahul is Principal Architect and Partner at IMK Architects, the practice founded by his father, I. M. Kadri, and his work spans architecture, urban planning, housing, education, ecology, and public space. We talk about inheriting—and evolving—a significant architectural legacy; new approaches to Mumbai's housing and density challenges; designing places that encourage friendship and connection; and rethinking the design process itself to make it more collaborative and participatory. And, of course, we talk about the Malabar Hill Forest Trail: an extraordinary elevated walkway winding through a long-inaccessible urban forest that Rahul first explored as a boy. What began during the pandemic as an idea for reclaiming a piece of his childhood has become one of Mumbai's most celebrated new public spaces—and a powerful example of what can happen when architects don't wait for a client to tell them what a city needs. It's a conversation about who gets to shape the city, how architects can create the conditions for people to shape it together, and what it means to build for connection in one of the densest cities on Earth. https://imkarchitects.com/ Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Nepean Sea Road Citizens' Forum Architectural Digest Christopher Alexander Charles Moore SCRUM Diaspora Spice Co. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/democracy monthly 0.5 2026-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/2037bd06-678f-4cde-a77c-4f0055afeaef/marian.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5b409b73-7e91-42d1-8f04-e2da58b64d83/Setha+Low.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Setha Low Distinguished Professor of Environmental Psychology, Anthropology, Geography, and Women's Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York. Setha Low Professor Emerita of Environmental Psychology, Anthropology, Geography, and Women's Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York Dr. Setha Low is one of the world's leading scholars of public space. For more than four decades, her research has explored the relationship between people, place, culture, and democracy, examining how parks, plazas, streets, and other shared spaces shape civic life. Her work has helped redefine the way cities understand public space—not simply as physical infrastructure, but as a reflection of who belongs, who participates, and who feels welcome. Her books include On the Plaza, Spatializing Culture, and Why Public Space Matters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1519fa80-843b-4171-9ce0-7c8423b1ad00/Judy+Feldman.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Judy Scott Feldman Founder and Chair, National Mall Coalition Judy Feldman https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/b8e3c89c-13b0-4212-b09b-221446daa06c/Sheila+Foster.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Sheila Foster Professor at Columbia University's Climate School and an affiliated faculty member at Columbia Law School. Sheila Foster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/94e463fb-82ec-4b26-bb15-2c9636a4872f/Dr%2BCara%2BCourage_colour%2Bheadshot_01.webp Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Cara Courage Author, Researcher, and Creative Placemaking Practitioner Dr. Cara Courage https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/da26d14e-f27b-40b6-af82-1800039f6edb/Marian+and+Abe.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Marian Anderson (1897-1993) Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated contraltos of the twentieth century, renowned throughout the world for the depth, warmth, and expressive power of her voice. After being denied the opportunity to perform at Washington's Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson accepted an invitation to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. Before an integrated public of 75,000 people—and millions more listening by radio—her performance became one of the defining moments of American civic history. More than a concert, it revealed the power of public space to expand the meaning of "We the People." Her voice continues to remind us that democracy is not only written in constitutions and laws, but also expressed in the places where people gather. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1773123931649-8YZ90M09D62J2VG7BO1F/Evan+Weisman+%281%29.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “None of the Movements, that I know of, that have expanded democracy, and who gets to take part, started at the top. They’s all started Locally and Moved their way up.” Evan Weissman is the Founder of Warm Cookies of the Revolution, the worlds first “civic gym” located in Denver Colorado. Evan was featured in Episode 12 of Sidewalk Ballet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1760560554505-SCNPWCJSRL03X791XMSE/karen-christensen-pod+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “What I’ve realized is that Third Places really provide a solution to the major problems we face, the things we need cures for, essentially: Loneliness, Climate Change and Political Polarization.” Karen Christensen is an author, publisher, and community leader whose work spans culture, sustainability, and the power of networks. As the founder of Berkshire Publishing Group, she has long championed ideas and institutions that strengthen communities. Her forthcoming book, written in collaboration with Ray Oldenburg, revisits and reimagines the concept of the “third place” for today’s world. Karen was our first guest on Sidewalk Ballet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1774749011089-U8TH3BE31IGG11XH8MYN/jay-pitter-pod+%284%29.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “Public Joy is not an emotion or an idea it is a generative civic condition. It is a condition that asks, what kind of systems, spaces, policies and social attitudes would make our collective joy, belonging and thriving, not possible, but inevitable.” Jay Pitter, MES, is an award-winning placemaker and author creating joyful public spaces that foster belonging, prosperity, and cultural memory. She advances this work through cultural planning, policy frameworks, and storytelling—bridging rigor and collective imagination to advance public joy as essential urban infrastructure and a human right. Beyond her professional roles, Jay is passionate about cultivating everyday joy and inspiring communities to be stewards of one another’s joy—nurturing more harmonious and hopeful cities during these divided times. Jay was featured on Episode 5 of Sidewalk Ballet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1776023085150-7RCK8JLY1GKFT3WVUA7P/Tamika+Butler.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “How do we figure out what is best for the greater good, and that what we’re still aiming for, and how do we negotiate that, and acknowledge that part of equity is saying, maybe there aren’t any bright line rules, other than, care about individuals, listen to individuals and be responsive in that moment “ tamika l. butler (she/her or they/them) is a doctoral student in Urban Planning at UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her research employs a critical race, historical, legal, and policy-based approach to examine how transportation policy and infrastructure have been used to segregate, isolate, and prevent the mobility of Black and other historically oppressed groups of people. tamika was featured in Episode 14 of Sidewalk Ballet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1781501920683-2X5N4J66ASA12YOIXBQO/CAra.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “You know, you can go into a neighborhood and the neighborhood will have the answers to whatever the problems or the questions are of the place, but there will be hundreds of them. And you’ll get people along a journey where they do become… a consensus emerges amongst themselves about what they want and creative means and creative artistic questioning i a really great way to do that.” Dr Cara Courage SFIPM FRSA and URBACT Expert, works with people and organisations who want to make culture, heritage and place matter more, and matter to more people. Dr. Cara Courage joined us for Episode 18 of Sidewalk Ballet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/65090477-14e0-4c2f-95e6-0997121e6fc3/Kathleen.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “Public Space matters to everyone who enters it - regardless of you socio-economic status, regardless of your position in life - and so for me, Peoples experience as they’re walking their dog or they’re walking to work or they’re leaving their apartment to go to a restaurant around the corner. That matters a lot.” Kathleen Rawson is a place management professional with more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, public space management, placemaking, and hospitality. Rawson currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer for The Hollywood Partnership, the non-profit organization that manages the Hollywood Entertainment District, including the world-renowned Walk of Fame. Kathleen joined us on Episode 19 for a conversation with Michael Edwards. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/b2789de3-bc0e-4a00-b5f9-83f74bb12abb/Leva.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “When you see different images, different colors different symbols, all of those things, when you are an immigrant for example… when I’m walking in the street and I suddenly see something written in Farsi, it takes me, because belonging is not just the people, it is the space, it is the smell ,it is the visual images that you see around you. Are we really creating a space of belonging for the folks we want to welcome, I think that’s the constant question and quest for all of us.” Leva Zand is the founder and former Director of Artogether, a resource center for the refugee community, providing free creative arts instruction and supplies within a setting that supports social gathering, human connection, and community-building. She, and Artogether were featured in Episode 9 of Sidewalk Ballet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/711ee8f9-6b12-419e-8b32-871c83ee817b/Susan.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “At places like Comptons Cafeteria which used to be at the corner at Turk and Taylor Streets in the Tenderloin - It was a racially mixed and integrated space, and what some of the trans women who were there would say, you know the white girls would be with the white girls, the brown girls would be with the brown girls, the asian girls would be with the asian girls, the black girls would be with the black gils, but when the police came in we were all trans. Sometimes there’s differences within a community, but in the face of external oppression, peple know what they’re banding together as.” Susan Stryker is an American professor, historian, author, filmmaker, and theorist whose work focuses on gender and human sexuality. She is a professor of Gender and Women's Studies, former director of the Institute for LGBT Studies, and founder of the Transgender Studies Initiative at the University of Arizona. Stryker is the author of several books and a founding figure of transgender studies as well as a scholar of transgender history. Susan was featured in Episode 11 of Sidewalk Ballet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1759907302278-WPTBF4C65QXXU3UG3W1M/Majora-Carter-pod+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - “By building those places, and we know that throughout history, having those spaces whether its the Civil Rights history, where there churches, there were the blacks only places where there were either hotels or restaurants where people would gather to build what became the civil rights movement. But it’s also just the kind of places where people go to build community so they feel like their neighborhood is worth living in. Straight up.” Majora Carter is one of the most visionary voices in urban revitalization today. A real estate developer, strategist, and Peabody Award–winning broadcaster, she has redefined what it means for communities to shape their own futures. From her groundbreaking work in the South Bronx to her national platform as an advocate for environmental justice and economic empowerment, Majora has spent her career challenging the idea that low-status neighborhoods are destined to remain so. MAjora was featured in Episode 2 of Sidewalk Ballet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/a57a38a9-feaa-4912-a492-da928405ad1a/why+psm.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Make it stand out Why Public Space Matters - Setha Low https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/83d2ac1a-7c89-49e8-a413-8efd881af97f/on+the+plaza.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Make it stand out On the Plaza - Setha Low https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/a2173a10-29ee-4bd6-91a3-4d1fb0334d1f/co-cities.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Make it stand out Co-Cities - Sheila Foster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/45f074cf-2581-45ff-bc85-5877ba57b29f/placemaking+handbook.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Make it stand out Placemaking Handbook - Dr. Cara Courage https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/ice-cream monthly 0.5 2026-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/fb0879e7-8bcd-4b89-a04c-b061ec36787d/Ice+Cream+SB+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Small Block - The Ice Cream Mayor - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1ec20199-d786-49ef-9150-9834ff8627a9/Don+Museum.jpg Episodes - Small Block - The Ice Cream Mayor - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/democracypt1 monthly 0.5 2026-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/26ddf411-7b48-4a13-9e94-5c77ed3e9843/Copy+of+marian.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5b409b73-7e91-42d1-8f04-e2da58b64d83/Setha+Low.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Setha Low Distinguished Professor of Environmental Psychology, Anthropology, Geography, and Women's Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York Setha Low Professor Emerita of Environmental Psychology, Anthropology, Geography, and Women's Studies at the Graduate Center, City University of New York Dr. Setha Low is one of the world's leading scholars of public space. For more than four decades, her research has explored the relationship between people, place, culture, and democracy, examining how parks, plazas, streets, and other shared spaces shape civic life. Her work has helped redefine the way cities understand public space—not simply as physical infrastructure, but as a reflection of who belongs, who participates, and who feels welcome. Her books include On the Plaza, Spatializing Culture, and Why Public Space Matters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1519fa80-843b-4171-9ce0-7c8423b1ad00/Judy+Feldman.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Judy Scott Feldman Founder and Chair, National Mall Coalition Judy Feldman https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/b8e3c89c-13b0-4212-b09b-221446daa06c/Sheila+Foster.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Sheila Foster Professor at Columbia University's Climate School and an affiliated faculty member at Columbia Law School. Sheila Foster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/94e463fb-82ec-4b26-bb15-2c9636a4872f/Dr%2BCara%2BCourage_colour%2Bheadshot_01.webp Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Cara Courage Author, Researcher, and Creative Placemaking Practitioner Dr. Cara Courage https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/da26d14e-f27b-40b6-af82-1800039f6edb/Marian+and+Abe.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Marian Anderson (1897-1993) - Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated contraltos of the twentieth century, renowned throughout the world for the depth, warmth, and expressive power of her voice. After being denied the opportunity to perform at Washington's Constitution Hall because of her race, Anderson accepted an invitation to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. Before an integrated public of 75,000 people—and millions more listening by radio—her performance became one of the defining moments of American civic history. More than a concert, it revealed the power of public space to expand the meaning of "We the People." Her voice continues to remind us that democracy is not only written in constitutions and laws, but also expressed in the places where people gather. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/a57a38a9-feaa-4912-a492-da928405ad1a/why+psm.jpeg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Make it stand out Why Public Space Matters - Setha Low https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/83d2ac1a-7c89-49e8-a413-8efd881af97f/on+the+plaza.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Make it stand out On the Plaza - Setha Low https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/a2173a10-29ee-4bd6-91a3-4d1fb0334d1f/co-cities.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Make it stand out Co-Cities - Sheila Foster https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/45f074cf-2581-45ff-bc85-5877ba57b29f/placemaking+handbook.jpg Episodes - Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Make it stand out Placemaking Handbook - Dr. Cara Courage https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/evolution-of-bids monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/3e9d8e79-9f23-4e33-973d-619493f6aee5/Michael+and+Kathleen.jpg Episodes - The Evolution of B.I.D.’s - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/cara monthly 0.5 2026-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/d0b85068-0f98-4906-92d3-d3f74ad62168/CAra.jpg Episodes - Cara Courage - Trauma-Based Placemaking - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/chamber monthly 0.5 2026-07-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/420fdef4-02e5-4fe1-aee7-a7dfc82dd8fb/SB-+Chamber.jpg Episodes - Small Block - US Chamber of Connection - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/molly monthly 0.5 2026-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/b8fcf0ed-42c2-4681-826e-e593aa652cdb/Molly.jpg Episodes - The Emotion of Place - Molly Alexander - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/pico monthly 0.5 2026-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/d03f3232-8292-4279-8ebe-efd70a502169/SB+-Pico.jpg Episodes - Small Block - PICO - The District Dog - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/shane monthly 0.5 2026-05-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/4ceecdbc-e376-4461-aff3-0762b62033e7/Shane.jpg Episodes - Community Safety - with Shane Zahn - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/susan-hughes monthly 0.5 2026-05-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1777852205717-1XVYTFCZVUNQXVJJZV5X/SB+-walking+w+J+%281%29.jpg Episodes - Small Block - Jane Jacobs for the Young Reader - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/anastasia monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1777232770056-PQYZOO512XO48HINQEV2/Anastasia.jpg Episodes - Anastasia Sukhoroslova - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/967a7c24-665d-4b72-86ab-3757e715f521/Slow+%28600+x+400+px%29.jpg Episodes - Anastasia Sukhoroslova - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tamika-butler monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/26bf8784-7b1b-4c9d-98c7-37bb61d94fd0/Tamika+Butler.jpg Episodes - tamika l. butler - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1776023895518-7MS4YAZFDHVXEB65S2BY/PHOTO-2026-04-04-21-37-15+2.jpg Episodes - tamika l. butler - Roderick's family sits in the front of his jeepney https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1776023895105-ILYYGKNWRCMVBN775415/PHOTO-2026-04-04-21-37-15.jpg Episodes - tamika l. butler https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1776023902629-YTHXVKD2Q32VMIYMRUTY/PHOTO-2026-04-04-21-37-19.jpg Episodes - tamika l. butler - Every Jeepney has a unique design Jeepney drivers use their vehicles as an expression of parts of their own identity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1776023901515-JQ0DLJ0AD9W8KY529XAP/PHOTO-2026-04-04-21-37-21.jpg Episodes - tamika l. butler - Abra Talks with Roderick Abra and her ‘translator’ Jovan, interview Roderick, a jeepney driver in Dumaguete https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/retail-roundup monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/952b25c5-0fd9-4ceb-bbe6-c5a570c7b88d/Retail+Round+up+%281%29.gif Episodes - Retail Round up - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/evan-weissman monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/27b77f29-40fb-446c-a6b4-25cb6c1e8069/Evan+Weisman+%281%29.jpg Episodes - Evan Weissman - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/breonna monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/beecbfbd-9344-41eb-8983-07d12519c3a0/Breonna+McCree+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Breonna McCree - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/24860814-6760-4142-a909-c80817ce131d/tgd.png Episodes - Breonna McCree - Make it stand out Transgender District https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5566f079-5286-4dad-9861-b01531b38d93/katie+TLM.webp Episodes - Breonna McCree - Make it stand out Katie Conry at the Tenderloin Musem https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/c20146af-c170-4e32-95c6-e4833754be41/Screenshot+2026-02-23+at+10.56.32+AM.png Episodes - Breonna McCree - Make it stand out Compton’s Cafeteria Riot https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/lezlielowe monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/fbc97616-18b9-430f-9e67-b6450f554d17/lezlie-lowe+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Lezlie Lowe - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/christine-brooks monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1769490850749-HDOZPCB9Y3E3A5I6R9AT/christine-brooks-pod+%284%29.jpg Episodes - Dr. Christine Brooks - Make it stand out Dr. Christine Brooks Talks with Chip about the science of friendship and the importance of expressive arts in community building. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/jt-mudge monthly 0.5 2026-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/883dafdb-57c3-4904-9032-c087b1ac9980/JT-Mudge-pod+%287%29.jpg Episodes - JT Mudge - Make it stand out Hollie Beaumont https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/josh-yeager monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1766947952401-ENETUKRG10V4G52H6FM3/first+four+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Josh Yeager - In this New Year’s episode of The Sidewalk Ballet, Chip sits down with Josh Yeager — a deeply thoughtful placemaker and one of the most generous champions of this work — to talk about what he’s seeing on the ground right now. Not in theory, but in real places, with real people. Josh brings a wide lens shaped by years of practice and support for others doing this work, helping surface the patterns, tensions, and quiet shifts that don’t always make headlines — but that say a lot about where cities are headed. That conversation sits within a broader reflection on the Sidewalk Ballet season so far. Drawing from conversations with guests including Karen Christensen, Jay Pitter, Nate Storring, Kady Yellow, Majora Carter, and others, this episode translates big hopes for our cities into everyday practices — the small, local actions that actually shape community. Josh Yeager Starkey Strategies Streets Department FIFA Cities https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/mara-mintzer monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1774748769283-QRZ97I6C2R3TJ2MCAVID/mara-mintzer-pod+%284%29.jpg Episodes - Mara Mintzer - Cities are often shaped by experts, policy, and process. But what happens when young people are trusted to help lead the work? In this episode of The Sidewalk Ballet, we explore what cities can become when youth are treated not as voices to consult, but as collaborators to trust. Part One: Child-Friendly Cities, with Mara Mintzer We begin in Boulder, Colorado with Mara Mintzer, co-founder and Executive Director of Growing Up Boulder, a nationally recognized leader in youth civic engagement and child-friendly city practices. Mara challenges a core assumption of city-building: that children are future citizens, rather than current ones. Through partnerships with city departments, schools, and community organizations, Growing Up Boulder has helped young people shape master plans, parks, transportation systems, and public spaces across the city. Mara is also co-author of Placemaking with Children and Youth: Participatory Practices for Planning Sustainable Communities, a practical guide for youth-centered civic engagement. Part Two: Youth-Led Libraries of the Future — NYC The second half of the episode shifts to New York City and a team of fellows from the Urban Design Forum’s Forefront Fellowship Program. Through a six-month, youth-centered research project, the team explored a simple but powerful question: What could a library be if young people helped design it? Working with teens across Manhattan and Brooklyn—including at the High Line and the Free Black Women’s Library in Bed-Stuy—the team built a process grounded in trust, collaboration, and care. A Shared Thread Across Boulder and New York, a common lesson emerges: youth don’t just offer opinions — they offer clarity. They help us see cities not as systems to manage, but as places to belong. This episode is an invitation to rethink who we listen to, how we design, and what becomes possible when we trust young people to help shape our shared spaces. Important Links https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/jay-pitter monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1774749011089-U8TH3BE31IGG11XH8MYN/jay-pitter-pod+%284%29.jpg Episodes - Jay Pitter - Urban planner, author, and placemaker Jay Pitter, MES joins The Sidewalk Ballet to talk about her forthcoming book Black Public Joy: No Permit or Permission Required. Through her award-winning practice, Jay has shaped national city-building conversations and led equity-based projects across North America. Her work begins with one radical premise: that public joy is not a luxury, but a human right. Jay challenges us to reimagine how cities are built, governed, and experienced. Together, we’ll explore how Black joy operates as both resistance and restoration; how the spaces we design can either stifle or sustain belonging; and what it takes to create a civic culture rooted in care, connection, memory and shared delight. jaypitter.com Black Public Joy evas.ca https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/kady-yellow monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1763435819486-03BPT5TM2BB2H4XCEYE9/kady-yellow-pod+%283%29.jpg Episodes - Kady Yellow - Kady Yellow is an international Placemaking expert who has been activating public spaces since 2010, when she first discovered the power of collaboration among governments, communities, and the cultural sector to create vibrant, people-centered cities. In this Episode, Chip and Kady discuss her path, teachers and lessons that brought her to the work she is doing in Jacksonville, Florida, as the Vice President of Placemaking and Events for Downtown Jax. Kady shares her strategies for connecting citizens to civic life and reducing barriers, both for residents and municipalities, allowing for a greater sense of ownership and belonging in the places she - and fellow Florida residents work. https://www.placemaking.life Downtown Vision How to bring your city to life | Kady Yellow | TEDxJacksonville Cara Courage DJ Larry Love Eric Liu - Citizen University Submersible Embankment Project Zarni deVette https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/nate-storring monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1761331386401-AMG2O1ZU87WF5QLGFH17/nate_storring_pod.jpg Episodes - Nate Storring - Nate Storring is the Co-Executive Director of Project for Public Spaces, where he helps shape the organization’s strategy and leads its work in placemaking, communications, and development. Over the years, he’s been a driving force behind PPS’s publishing and research—including How to Turn a Place Around and new explorations of inclusive placemaking that expand how we think about belonging in public life. In 2025, Nate is helping steer PPS through its 50th anniversary—a milestone that invites both reflection and re-imagination: fifty years of creating people-centered places, and a future that centers justice, connection, and resilience. In this conversation, Nate talks with Chip about his own path into placemaking, the legacy and evolution of PPS, and the passing of co-founder and placemaking pioneer Kathy Madden—just days before the interview. Together they explore how our understanding of public space has changed over five decades, what still holds true, and how the next era of place will be defined by the complex realities of place governance and the ever-shifting boundaries between public and private space. Also in this episode, Abra Allan revisits an innovative exploration into coexistence in public spaces developed in 2020 by SPUR and Gehl. Episode Links https://www.pps.org/people/nathan-storring http://www.nathanstorring.com/ https://www.placemakingweek.org/ https://www.urbanspacegallery.ca/ https://www.spur.org/publications/spur-report/2021-01-25/coexistence-public-space https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/majora-carter monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1759907302278-WPTBF4C65QXXU3UG3W1M/Majora-Carter-pod+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Majora Carter - Majora Carter is one of the most visionary voices in urban revitalization today. A real estate developer, strategist, and Peabody Award–winning broadcaster, she has redefined what it means for communities to shape their own futures. From her groundbreaking work in the South Bronx to her national platform as an advocate for environmental justice and economic empowerment, Majora has spent her career challenging the idea that low-status neighborhoods are destined to remain so. She is the author of Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move Out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One, a book that reframes neighborhood development as a pathway for residents to build prosperity where they already live. On The Sidewalk Ballet, Majora brings her trademark insight and candor to questions of community, resilience, and ownership. Our conversation explores how places—and the people who steward them—can unlock dignity, opportunity, and power in the face of daunting challenges. This episode is a compelling look at what it takes to not only reimagine our neighborhoods, but to reclaim them. Also in this episode, Abra Allan sits down with the Tinicsh Hollins and Gwen Brown of SF Black Wall Street, a grassroots organization working to preserve and strengthen San Francisco’s Black community through three powerful tenets — home ownership, business ownership, and Black spaces. Together they talk about the rebuilding of 1921, a “third place” for creativity, entrepreneurship, and dialogue that embodies both resilience and hope. The conversation explores what it means to reclaim place in a city where belonging itself can feel endangered—and how economic empowerment can become a foundation for cultural survival. https://majoracartergroup.com/ https://www.sfbwsfoundation.org/ https://boogiedowngrind.com/ https://lahainacommunitylandtrust.org/ https://ebprec.org/ https://homeboyindustries.org/ https://www.sfaaacd.org/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/karen-christensen monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/8677e84a-ad4f-4b48-8930-d8df0e488105/karen-christensen-pod+%282%29.jpg Episodes - Karen Christensen - As we kick off the sidewalk ballet - a project dedicated to understanding cities and strengthening community - There is really no better place to start than at the neighborhood cafe, or the corner pub. Karen Christensen is an author, publisher, and community leader whose work spans culture, sustainability, and the power of networks. As the founder of Berkshire Publishing Group, she has long championed ideas and institutions that strengthen communities. Her forthcoming book, written in collaboration with Ray Oldenburg, revisits and reimagines the concept of the “third place” for today’s world. On The Sidewalk Ballet, Karen shares her perspective on why third places matter now more than ever. Our conversation explored themes of loneliness and isolation, the distinction between third places and public spaces, and the importance of creating space for conversation, plus her work on the encyclopedia of community. This episode will open the series with both depth and urgency, offering fresh insight from one of the voices carrying the legacy of The Great Good Place into a new century. Karen’s Links https://karenchristensen.org/ https://greatgoodplace.org/ https://www.berkshirepublishing.com/title/great-good-place-kc-ro/ https://www.berkshirepublishing.com/title/encyclopedia-of-community-from-the-village-to-the-virtual-world/ Some of my third places https://caffetrieste.com/ https://www.trellis.social/ https://www.therumpusroomsf.com/ https://tempest.pourguys.com/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/category/Season+1 monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/category/Small+Blocks monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/category/Chip monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/category/Current monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/category/season+2 monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/boulder monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/access monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Futures monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/urbanism monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Placemaking monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/IDA monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/districts monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/equity monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/restrooms monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/public+space monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/children+and+teens monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/retail monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/civic monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/youth monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/network monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/belonging monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/inclusion monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Third+Place monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/ice+cream monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/joy monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/safety monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/placemaking monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/justice monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/expressive+arts monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/transgender monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Public+Joy monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Pico monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/art monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/cities monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/josh+yeager monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/ida monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Jane+Jacobs monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Citys monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/downtown monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/history monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Downtown monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/democracy monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/transportation monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/LA monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/culture monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/infrastructure monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/third+place monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Community monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/tag/Foresight monthly 0.5 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide daily 0.75 2026-08-19 https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/malabar-trail monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/75c7af24-d615-4215-bb0b-21fd8caf03c5/malabor+trail.webp Field Guide - Malabar Hill Forest Trail - The Malabar Hill Forest Trail is an elevated pedestrian walkway winding through a roughly 12-acre urban forest on the steep slopes of Malabar Hill in Mumbai. Designed by Rahul Kadri and IMK Architects, the approximately 450-meter trail opened to the public in March 2025, returning access to a landscape that had been fenced off and largely inaccessible for decades. The project grew from Kadri's personal connection to the forest, which he explored as a child and rediscovered during the pandemic. Rather than clearing conventional paths through the landscape, the design lifts visitors above the forest floor on a narrow elevated structure that bends around existing trees, minimizing disturbance to the ecology while offering a rare experience of walking within the canopy of one of the world's densest cities. But the Forest Trail is also a story about how public projects come into being. It wasn't commissioned through a traditional client brief. Kadri developed the idea, worked with local residents and civic organizations to build support, and ultimately partnered with Mumbai's municipal government to make it possible. The result is both a piece of infrastructure and an act of reclamation: transforming a long-inaccessible natural asset back into public space while attempting to preserve the wild landscape that had survived behind the fence. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/imk monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/d3050035-936f-43ea-8757-05a2ba2e7e36/imk.png Field Guide - IMK Architects - Founded in 1957, IMK Architects is an Architectural, Urban Planning and Interior Design firm based out of Mumbai and Bengaluru. Over the last 50 years we have stood by our aim to do extraordinary work, and are committed to take this legacy forward in future Our design philosophy is based on Biophilic Architecture. Our focus and commitment is to provide designs, which are site sensitive and emphasize on being in harmony with nature. We ensure designs provide vibrant and warm spaces, which are socially responsive where people thrive and activities flourish. Our collaboration with the client is much deeper to develop the project brief and carries forward till the execution of the project. We are constantly questioning our belief and strive to make our buildings serve the users beyond their expectations. Led by a core team of experienced Architects the firm follows a rigorous design process to achieve their goals. The firm expertise's in various segments ranging from Healthcare, Hospitality, Educational Campuses, Institutions, Self Redevelopment, Residential Townships and more. We also undertake Engineering Co-ordination, Tender Documentation and provide Site Supervision. Reputed Engineering firms associate with us for preparation of Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Air-conditioning, Environmental Control and Landscaping Designs. Today, with over five decades of experience and 150 executed projects across India and overseas, the firm has a host of repeat clients like the Taj Group, JSW Energy, Symbiosis Society, Club Mahindra to name a few. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/template-by9ts monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/3aad500b-15db-4011-9e3b-102c851254b5/Rahul.jpeg Field Guide - Rahul Kadri - Mr. Rahul Kadri is Principal Architect & Partner at I.M.Kadri Architects. The conversation with Mumbai architect and urban planner Rahul Kadri began with a bridge. The Malabar Hill Forest Trail winds for nearly half a kilometer through a patch of urban forest that had been inaccessible to the public for decades—a place Rahul first explored as a boy with his dog, and rediscovered during the pandemic. His idea for an elevated walkway through the trees created a way to return the forest to the city while protecting the ecology that made it extraordinary. But the bridge quickly led us somewhere bigger. Rahul's work is grounded in a lifelong relationship with nature, from his childhood in Mumbai to his school years exploring the forests of the Kumaon Himalayas. That relationship has evolved into a broader way of thinking about cities: access to nature and public space, community involvement and agency in planning, new approaches to housing and density, and even how the places we build can be designed to encourage friendship and connection. We also talk about another kind of bridge. Rahul inherited a significant architectural legacy from his father, I. M. Kadri, one of the important architects of post-independence India. We explore how Rahul has carried that legacy forward while evolving the practice around his own ideas about ecology, participation, collaboration, and the role of the architect. What begins with one remarkable piece of infrastructure becomes a conversation about something much larger: how we create cities where both people and nature can thrive—and who gets to participate in creating them. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/molly-alexander-wh2ga-8halc-tcn2s monthly 0.5 2026-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/970d1a0c-b93d-414d-bcb8-6d90b04fd230/feliks+banel.jpeg Field Guide - Feliks Banel - I had interviewed JT Mudge, a futurist, who had recently worked with planners from some of the worlds largest cities on a forcasting workshop, exploring futures of cities. I wanted to do a companion story looking at how we thought about the future of cities in the past. That inquiry led me to the Worlds Fair, and ultimately to my friends at the Downtown Seatle Partnership. They introduced me to Feliks. We had an incredible conversation about the Fair, the space race and Seattle. In actuality, we had two conversations. I had some technical difficulties at the beginning of our call. Once I finally got them worked out, I forgot to start recording again. Fortunately he was gracious enough to give me a do over and it was even better the second time. It turned out to be a great companion for episode 8, plus I posted the full conversation as well. https://www.space101fm.org/program/cascade-of-history/ Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/molly-alexander-wh2ga-8halc monthly 0.5 2026-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/2fc6c2e9-ce88-42af-8d0a-1d689843b08d/MJB.jpeg Field Guide - Michael Berne - What can I say about Michael Berne. If you ever get a chance to see Michael Present, it’s always extremly informative, insightful and entertaining. His “Retail Contrarian” blog is a must read for anyone interested in the world of retail. He joined us on Episode 13 “Retail Round-up” with Jaime Izurieta, guest hosted by Josh Yeager Consulting Website: www.consultmjb.com Speaking / Writing Website: www.michaeljberne.com Retail Contrarian Blog: https://michaeljberne.com/articles-essays/ Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/molly-alexander-by2l8 monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/ec4c932d-784b-4f5d-93e2-13588d828e1c/molly+Alexander.jpeg Field Guide - Molly Alexander - Molly Alexander was featured on Episode 17 in a conversation about what she calls R.O.E., or Return on Emotion. I first heard Molly speak on this topic at the California Downtown Association Conference in Long Beach in March 2026 and immediately knew I wanted to continue the conversation on Sidewalk Ballet. Our experience of the world is deeply emotional, yet many of the metrics we use to evaluate places have little to do with how those places make us feel. Does a block bring you joy? Does a bookstore or café create a sense of belonging? Does a neighborhood inspire trust? Molly argues that if we want to understand the true value of a place, we need to pay more attention to the emotional outcomes it creates. The conversation expands beyond placemaking and into civic life through a companion interview with Chris Murphy of the Santa Cruz Warriors, exploring the role local sports play in creating shared identity, collective memory, and civic emotion. The episode concludes with a retelling of "The Catch" from the 1982 NFC Championship Game, inspired by David Talbot's writing and brought to life by original music from Peter Koht. Together, these stories ask a simple question: How does our experience of places make us feel—and why does that matter? https://www.sidewalkballet.com/episodes/molly https://molly-alexander.com/about-molly/ Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/christine-brooks monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/96c489da-e7e0-44fe-8546-5d139c7024e8/christine+brooks.jpg Field Guide - Dr. Christine Brooks - Christine Brooks, PhD is the Chair of the MA in Expressive Arts Coaching & Community Building at California Institute of Integral Studies as well as a coach at Ignite Your Potential. An educator and practitioner with over 30 years experience integrating creativity and self-awareness practices into her own work and in supporting the work of others. She believes that our capacities for interaction and connection are our greatest commodities. Learning how to nurture the vital skills of social and emotional intelligence is the key to interconnection. She works with individuals and groups to harness the power of befriending actions and behaviors to enhance individual & team success. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/jt-mudge monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/277622d4-28f7-4557-b9aa-0196ab3ac99b/jt+mudge.jpeg Field Guide - JT Mudge - JT is an award-winning futurist passionate about sustainability, ethics, and ancestral futures. I have a masters of science in foresight from the University of Houston, where I am also an adjunct professor teaching foresight and change theory. With 25 years experience in consulting and strategy with organizations such as US CDC, UNDP, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, WildAid, Samsung, Apple, and more. Being a consultant, I have had the privilege of working in many sectors ,and bring my depth AND breadth of experience and skills to each engagement. Foresight and futures studies allows us to explore what is possible. It gives us the vision to anticipate what could be around the next corner. Most importantly, it gives us the tools to not just anticipate, but to create better futures that are more sustainable, inclusive, equitable, and resilient. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/newyears26 monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/cf0841e9-28ff-42e1-a3c5-42302f4c9c7e/sb+resolutions.jpg Field Guide - New Years 2026 - BIO or Overview Links https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/351dc15e-8128-47ef-8d1e-a28f4a1e2c0c/sb+resolutions+back.jpg Field Guide - New Years 2026 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/conrad-benner monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/7c7a8323-3555-492b-8f1c-d3d6d5038bc0/conrad.png Field Guide - Conrad Benner - Streets Dept - Conrad Benner is the Founder/Editor of StreetsDept.com. A Fishtown, Philadelphia born-and-raised documentarian, curator (Streets Dept Walls and Mural Arts Philadelphia), and podcaster (Streets Dept Podcast), Conrad’s work explores the art of our public spaces and the artists who create it. Founded as a photo-blog in January 2011, Streets Dept has grown into a multi-platform showcase of Philadelphia public art and public space. We discover and celebrate commissioned and non-commissioned art on the streets and in the public spaces of Philadelphia. And sometimes we also curate it! We believe deeply that the public space has a profound effect on us as individuals and on our city as a whole, and our purpose is to explore how all of us build and use public spaces creatively. You can find our work here on the blog, across social media (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Threads), on our Patreon, in our publications, on our monthly walking tours, and, of course, on the streets. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/starkey monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/44d39dd6-93b1-42b7-a337-7ef61cdbc9fc/Screenshot+2026-08-18+at+10.30.17%E2%80%AFPM.png Field Guide - Starkey Strategies - Starkey Strategies is a boutique strategic consulting firm that provides consulting services for business improvement districts and urban and rural destinations, nonprofits, governmental entities, corporations and startups around the United States. Starkey Strategies focuses on strengthening and building communities and relationships between various community stakeholders through strategic planning, communications, community relations, and management consulting. At Starkey Strategies we believe in the power of relationship, collaboration and connection- all which can be achieved through communication and messaging. Success with our clients creates healthy and dynamic businesses that impact the well-being of their towns, cities and regions around the world. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/bright-brothers monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/8658ac46-88c7-4a6d-9c9e-d7b8d10b0717/bbsg.jpeg Field Guide - Bright Brothers Strategy Group - Bright Brothers Strategy Group is a people-first, data-driven consultancy that works with cities, districts and DMOs on strategic planning, marketing, and placemaking. From connecting with your constituents and target audiences, to mapping out customer journeys and strategic touchpoints that drive tangible results, to human-centered placemaking initiatives, Bright Brothers Strategy Group is on the cutting edge of the intersectionality between urban planning, vibrant places and economic impact. We've worked with dozens of downtowns and districts around the country, and understand that every community starts with one thing: people. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/josh-yeager monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/3793fcc8-267b-4459-b7c8-dc09e5dabdf7/Bright-Brothers-Strategy-Group-Josh-Yeager-6-Cropped-uai-1165x873.jpeg Field Guide - Josh Yeager - Josh Yeager is a founder and principal at Bright Brothers Strategy Group and has been an active champion of the Urban District Place Management world and a vocal advocate for great places and great people. Josh has been a guest and a guest host on Sidewalk Ballet and brings a depth and breadth of experience in making great places. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/ida monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/a2e29679-1e52-454d-a981-ac5450750e3b/IDA+Logo.png Field Guide - International Downtown Association - The International Downtown Association (IDA) is the leading global membership organization for people and organizations working to manage, strengthen, and shape downtowns, city centers, and other urban districts. Founded in 1954, IDA represents the growing field of urban place management—the network of downtown associations, business improvement districts and areas (BIDs and BIAs), alliances, partnerships, public agencies, and other organizations working at the intersection of the public, private, and community sectors. IDA connects practitioners across cities to share knowledge, research, strategies, and lessons from the day-to-day work of making urban places function. Its work spans economic development, public-space management and operations, planning and design, marketing and events, organizational leadership, and policy and advocacy. Through conferences, professional development, research, peer networks, publications, and advocacy, IDA provides an infrastructure for a profession whose practitioners are often responsible for everything from cleaning streets and activating public spaces to supporting businesses, addressing social challenges, and helping communities navigate larger questions about the future of their city centers. At its heart, IDA is a network of people whose work happens at the scale of the district and the street: the place where policy, economics, design, culture, management, and everyday urban life meet. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/free-black-womans-library monthly 0.5 2026-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/41efbd3a-b184-4ec0-b470-186241483118/FBWL1.png Field Guide - Free Black Woman’s Library - The Free Black Women’s Library is a social art project that features a collection of over 5000 books written by Black women and Black non-binary writers, a free store, a period pantry, a virtual Reading Club, a weekly book swap, and a wide array of workshops and free public programs. We are a literary hub, social site, Black Feminist archive, and community care space in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. We invite you to read, write, work, rest, dream, and learn in this space. We invite you to attend our art and writing workshops, film screenings, performances, readings, book signings, teach-ins, story time sessions, and critical conversations. https://www.thefreeblackwomenslibrary.com/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/high-line-fellows monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/2d410351-3b82-4e17-a9c0-e9085120d8b4/Screenshot+2026-08-18+at+2.21.12%E2%80%AFPM.png Field Guide - High Line Fellows: Emerging Leaders Program - The High Line Fellows: Emerging Leaders Program is a three-year, paid youth development program for those in their sophomore year of high school through senior year. Fellows gain leadership skills, explore careers, and prepare for college and beyond—with a starting pay of $18/hour. This opportunity is more than just their best first job experience: Fellows get a one-of-a-kind hands-on learning opportunity that draws from the High Line’s core strengths, building their confidence as leaders while connecting with peers and professionals across New York City. https://www.thehighline.org/emergingleaders/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/zine-archive monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/3aec8b20-070c-4f83-9f57-542dfde39239/Screenshot+2026-08-18+at+2.29.07%E2%80%AFPM.png Field Guide - Zine Archive - An open-source zine archive A public collection of zines and themes for a teen-centered library, which can be used as a tool for library design and advocacy. Developed as part of Urban Design Forum’s forefront fellowship. Zine Archive Gallery https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/youth-led-libraries-of-the-future monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/bad9f219-a308-4d7d-af24-28aa0888c5aa/Design-Guidelines-Poster-1-1365x2048.jpg Field Guide - Youth Led Libraries of the Future - Make it stand out https://urbandesignforum.org/initiative/free-to-grow/youth-led-libraries-of-the-future/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/child-friendly-cities monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/529f5f24-b4d7-4b1b-82a6-49ae05423112/Child+Friendly+Cities+logo Field Guide - Child Friendly Cities Initiative - The Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is a UNICEF-led initiative that supports municipal governments in realizing the rights of children at the local level using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as its foundation. It is also a network that brings together government and other stakeholders such as civil society organizations, the private sector, academia, media and, importantly, children themselves who wish to make their cities and communities more child-friendly. The initiative was launched in 1996 by UNICEF and UN-Habitat to act on the resolution passed during the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) to make cities liveable places for all. The wellbeing of children is the ultimate indicator of a healthy habitat, a democratic society and of good governance. UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/child-friendly-map monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/56667806-b7e7-4e4c-9a6e-840bdc77049a/child+map.jpg Field Guide - Child Friendly Map - In 2019, Growing Up Boulder embarked upon a year-long process to co-create the nation's first, printed, bilingual, child friendly city map. We did so with almost 800 children and families, half of whom were from underrepresented populations. In May 2019, GUB published the first edition of the printed, bilingual, free map. In October 2019, we published the second edition of the printed map. In September 2019, GUB published a digital version of the child friendly city map. The digital child friendly city map features even more locations than the printed map, and it offers child friendly walking routes, biking routes, transit links, and child-created interactive map games. Finally, in December 2019, GUB published a digital teen friendly city map (targeting ages 11-18); this map was created by a team of University of Colorado Masters of the Environment students as their capstone project, under GUB's supervision. The Masters students worked with more than 400 teens to co-create the map. Growing Up Boulder's Child and Teen Friendly City Maps seek to educate and inspire children, families, and community organizations through the creation of maps co-created with young people and their families to highlight their favorite locations in Boulder. They promote the values of inclusion, diversity, community engagement, collaboration, and celebration. By working with young people and their caregivers at their schools, homes, libraries, and out-of-school programs, we aim to reach a wide cross-section of Boulder's population. To learn more about the map-making process, visit this page. Where to find the printed maps Free printed maps are now available at locations such at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Visitors' Center on the Pearl Street Mall, Chautauqua, recreation centers, Gateway Fun Center and more. https://www.growingupboulder.org/gubmap-376474.html https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/placemaking-for-children-and-youth monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5fcc2f31-c5ea-441b-8b06-9660e4a33794/Screenshot+2025-12-14+at+1.18.40+PM.png Field Guide - Placemaking for Children and Youth - An illustrated, essential guide to engaging children and youth in the process of urban design From a history of children’s rights to case studies discussing international initiatives that aim to create child-friendly cities, Placemaking with Children and Youth offers comprehensive guidance in how to engage children and youth in the planning and design of local environments. It explains the importance of children’s active participation in their societies and presents ways to bring all generations together to plan cities with a high quality of life for people of all ages. Not only does it delineate best practices in establishing programs and partnerships, it also provides principles for working ethically with children, youth, and families, paying particular attention to the inclusion of marginalized populations. Drawing on case studies from around the world—in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United States—Placemaking with Children and Youth showcases children’s global participation in community design and illustrates how a variety of methods can be combined in initiatives to achieve meaningful change. The book features more than 200 visuals and detailed, thoughtful guidelines for facilitating a multiplicity of participatory processes that include drawing, photography, interviews, surveys, discussion groups, role playing, mapping, murals, model making, city tours, and much more. Whether seeking information on individual methods and project planning, interpreting and analyzing results, or establishing and evaluating a sustained program, readers can find practical ideas and inspiration from six continents to connect learning to the realities of students’ lives and to create better cities for all ages. NYU Press https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/mara-mintzner monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5e78e804-8afe-4315-a678-266f43e7cf6d/mara.jpeg Field Guide - Mara Mintzner - Mara Mintzer helped found Growing Up Boulder (GUB) in 2009. A passionate advocate for child-friendly cities, Mara presents and writes internationally on the topic of engaging young people in inclusive community planning and development. Her expertise in engaging children and youth in meaningful ways to shape their own cities is requested by government and community organizations around the world. In 2017, Mara delivered one of the most successful TedX Talks on the importance of urban planning with kids, accumulating almost 2 million views. She continues to be inspired by seeing the positive impact that planning equitable communities has on everyone. Mara also loves creating innovative community resources, like the nation’s first child and teen friendly city map. Prior to GUB, Mara was Director of Belle Haven Community School in California, where she oversaw child and family support services families on an underresourced school campus. She has designed and implemented a wide variety of programs for underrepresented children, families and neighborhoods in New York and California. Mara received her B.A. in Psychology from Brown University and her M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. In her free time, Mara loves to cook, spend time with her family, and to immerse herself and learn about other cultures while traveling the globe (she speaks Spanish and French). Make it stand out Growing Up Boulder Mara’s TED talks https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/growing-up-boulder monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/33025095-8700-49c1-a206-03eb054f6100/gub-logo-no-text.png Field Guide - Growing up Boulder - Growing Up Boulder (GUB) is a nonprofit that works to make Boulder and communities around the world better places for children and young people—by giving them a meaningful role in shaping the places where they live. Founded in 2009 as a partnership between the City of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, and the University of Colorado Boulder, GUB brings young people into planning and design processes that have traditionally been led almost entirely by adults. Through partnerships with schools, government agencies, designers, community organizations, and families, GUB creates opportunities for children and youth to investigate their communities, articulate what they need, and contribute directly to decisions about public spaces, transportation, housing, civic facilities, and other aspects of city life. Its work is grounded in the idea that young people are not simply future citizens or eventual users of cities: they are residents with valuable knowledge and perspectives about the places they inhabit right now. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/urban-design-forum monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/3b8cb338-e166-4479-9626-f2e3630ddcbc/udf.png Field Guide - Urban Design Forum - The Urban Design Forum (UDF) is a New York–based organization that brings together more than 1,100 people working across design, planning, development, government, advocacy, and civic life to think collectively about the future of the city. For more than four decades, UDF has created a space for people who shape cities—often from very different perspectives—to exchange ideas, develop new approaches, and put those ideas to work in New York neighborhoods. Its work ranges from public programs and policy initiatives to fellowships, international exchanges, and neighborhood partnerships, with a focus on issues including housing, public space, mobility, economic development, public health, and climate. Rather than approaching urban design simply as the design of buildings and spaces, UDF treats citymaking as a collaborative civic practice: connecting the people who design, build, govern, use, and care for the city. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/rajesh-sankat monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5e82fee5-62c6-46b2-90da-4d3d529f8d2f/Rajesh-Sankat_bw-400x400.jpg Field Guide - Rajesh Sankat - With roots in Toronto, Canada, Rajesh is a writer, facilitator, and community-centered design practitioner at 3×3 Design. His work sits at the nexus of inclusive design and urban placemaking to translate community insights and aspirations into strategy development, the built environment, and narrative change. Rajesh has had his work and writing featured in AZURE and Afternoon Magazine, and holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto. https://urbandesignforum.org/initiative/free-to-grow/youth-led-libraries-of-the-future/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshsankat/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/nichole-aquino monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/61c98dc9-a8cc-4ac2-814f-ac35024f7bb4/Nichole-400x400.jpg Field Guide - Nichole Aquino - Nichole Aquino is an UX Designer and Researcher with a decade of experience working at the intersection of design, technology, and social impact. She has shaped design and strategy for EdTech and CivicTech products, previously working at Newsela, The Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and Blue Ridge Labs. She loves solving complex problems creatively and collaboratively, creating meaningful user experiences both on- and offline. https://www.nicholeaquino.com/ https://urbandesignforum.org/initiative/free-to-grow/youth-led-libraries-of-the-future/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/donelle-wedderburn monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/aa85b196-2381-4c22-b486-b19a9a7345d6/Donelle-Wedderburn-Headshot-400x400.jpg Field Guide - Donelle Wedderburn - Donelle is a Jamaican-American writer and audio producer. Her work sits at the intersection of Black history, oral storytelling, and the built environment. She has contributed to developing and producing a range of broadcasts and audio documentaries for NPR, ABC News, Food Culture Collective x Heal Food Alliance, and Ten Percent Happier. In her free time, she loves to write poetry and draw connections between literature and landscape. Black women writers like Jamaica Kincaid, Toni Morrison, and June Jordan moved through the worlds of storytelling, urban planning, and design and showed me it was possible to do the same. https://www.donellewedderburn.com/ https://urbandesignforum.org/initiative/free-to-grow/youth-led-libraries-of-the-future/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/ayana-smith monthly 0.5 2026-08-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/d9ff688d-087e-4311-a6a7-4327bed3287c/Ayana-Smith-Photo-400x400.jpg Field Guide - Ayana Smith - Ayana Smith is a native New Yorker and experienced youth organizer whose current practice focuses on implementing participatory creative placekeeping projects as a tool to increase public safety in and around public housing developments. She has years of experience mobilizing people into action, researching best practices, and writing policy recommendations for better cities—with emphasis on the role that public education and public schools have on the health of New York City. Prior to her current position, she held leadership positions at Teens Take Charge and Student Voice and has served as a youth advisor for several organizations such as Race Forward. Her work has been featured in publications such as the New York Daily News and presented at conferences such as Grantmakers for Education through the National Public Education Support Fund. https://urbandesignforum.org/author/ayana-smith/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/evas monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/bcd8778c-bd9a-433b-83dd-20766493f97d/Evas.png Field Guide - Eva’s - Eva’s is the second-largest shelter provider for youth in Toronto. Change starts with shelter — and continues with care, connection, and opportunity that reflect the communities we serve. https://www.evas.ca/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/hiroshima-peace-memorial monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/a3fe7609-f40e-4b57-97f5-6d65b0dbc7e0/Hiroshima+.webp Field Guide - Hiroshima Peace Memorial - The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on 6 August 1945. Through the efforts of many people, including those of the city of Hiroshima, it has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing. Not only is it a stark and powerful symbol of the most destructive force ever created by humankind; it also expresses the hope for world peace and the ultimate elimination of all nuclear weapons. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/775/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/black-public-joy monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/378f23bf-cd08-48fd-8a27-5ab3ae8730a8/Black+Public+Joy.jpeg Field Guide - Black Public Joy - Black Public Joy is an urgent, deeply researched, and imaginative work from one of North America’s leading public-space experts. Jay Pitter celebrates the audacious, complex, and enduring expressions of Black joy — joy so powerful that even the auction block could not extinguish it — while showing how public space can be designed to foster safety, belonging, and delight for everyone. Drawing from more than a decade of practice creating spaces where joy, justice, and belonging come alive, Pitter situates Black Public Joy within both historical rituals and contemporary movements like #BlackJoy and #BlackOutdoors. She blends storytelling, research, and vulnerable personal narrative to reveal how culture, planning, and memory shape our access to joy in parks, streets, transit, and neighbourhoods. Far more than a book, Black Public Joy is a powerful call to become stewards of one another’s joy and to claim our own — a blueprint for cultivating collective delight and transforming public space into essential urban infrastructure. https://www.jaypitter.com/publishedwork https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/jay-pitter monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5987c9f8-c373-4a70-a532-7fa0e986bfc4/jay.jpeg Field Guide - Jay Pitter - Jay Pitter, MES, is an award-winning placemaker and author creating joyful public spaces that foster belonging, prosperity, and cultural memory. She advances this work through cultural planning, policy frameworks, and storytelling—bridging rigor and collective imagination to advance public joy as essential urban infrastructure and a human right. As an adjunct urban planning professor, she has engaged students at Cornell, Princeton, and MIT, advancing new theories of public joy that connect practice, policy, and pedagogy. Her two forthcoming books will be published by Penguin Random House, including Black Public Joy. Beyond her professional roles, Jay is passionate about cultivating everyday joy and inspiring communities to be stewards of one another’s joy—nurturing more harmonious and hopeful cities during these divided times. https://www.jaypitter.com/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/submersible-embankment monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/6ac29ca7-29f8-493d-9719-13581d89cfe9/Sunamganj.png Field Guide - Submersible Embankment Project - Submersible Embankment Project: Community Participation and Placemaking in Sunamganj, Bangladesh https://sites.utexas.edu/internationalplanning/submersible-embankment-project-community-participation-and-placemaking-in-sunamganj-bangladesh/ Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/placemaking-jax monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/97cea914-175f-483c-8cd8-e7f88bd9d7cc/PlacemakingJax-Sponsored-by-VyStar_RGB_white_white.png Field Guide - Placemaking Jax - PlacemakingJax is Downtown Vision’s award-winning activations initiative, nationally recognized for its collaborative approach to reimagining underutilized spaces in Downtown Jacksonville. Through an open call for ideas and a hands-on placemaking school, the program empowers citizens to participate directly in shaping their downtown. Led by Downtown Vision, this community-driven effort combines top-down funding with grassroots creativity, partnering with local community champions to bring projects to life. By providing permits, funding, and technical support, PlacemakingJax enables pop-up activations in parks, installations in vacant lots, and transformations of empty storefronts. These dynamic projects attract foot traffic, strengthen community connections, and foster a deeper sense of belonging—while also building social capital and creating pathways for self-employment. Supported in part by the annual DTJax Gala each February, PlacemakingJax is helping shape a more connected and engaging urban experience—one public space at a time. More on the principles of placemaking. https://dtjax.com/placemaking-jax/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/iffatbakibushra monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/6b35c23d-73cb-4d51-9c0f-c66ac3027164/Iffat+Baki+Bushra.jpeg Field Guide - Iffat Baki Bushra - Iffat joined us for Episode 4 to discuss a community Based infrastructure project in Sunamganj, Bangladesh. As a Master’s student in Community and Regional Planning at The University of Texas at Austin, Iffat presented a case study of the community’s role in rebuilding a submersible embankment, crucial to the social and economic health of the region. https://www.linkedin.com/in/iffat-baki-bushra-11a43a208/ Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/kady monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/d4795b4a-3f3c-4755-a972-e502c7c087eb/Kady.jpeg Field Guide - Kady Yellow - The episode with Kady ends with a song. If you know Kady and you have seen the impact she has made on the communities she calls home and the people she calls neighbors, it’s not even a little bit surprising that someone had a song written for her (Pre AI songs, mind you, this was an artist). Kady is the Vice President of Placemaking for Downtown Vision Inc, in Jacksonville Florida where she runs Placemaking Jax and continues to expand access for community members to shape the way they experience places. It was such a pleasure to have her on the show, and to continue to follow the great work she is doing, not just in Jacksonville but advancing the feild of Placemaking. Kady is featured on Eposide 3 Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/coexistence-in-public-space monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/90f07347-dd92-4343-a00a-c9fe5c1cfd00/coexsistance.png Field Guide - Coexistence in Public Space - As more and more Bay Area residents find themselves without homes, many have defaulted to living in public parks, plazas and squares. These spaces were not designed to be homes, however, and housed users often voice concerns that the presence of unhoused residents renders spaces unwelcoming or even unsafe. SPUR has heard these concerns frequently during our long-term research project on Guadalupe River Park, San José’s largest urban green space. Through a partnership with the urban design firm Gehl and a number of local stakeholders, we began exploring how to best facilitate community dialogue about the challenges that Guadalupe River Park faces around homelessness and safety. Together we established a goal to begin shifting the narrative from: “The park will only be great if there are no homeless people in it” to: “The park will only be great if we design for coexistence.” With this goal in mind, we asked: How might we design and manage public space to allow people of all backgrounds to find joy, belonging and safety there? Out of this work, SPUR and Gehl created the Coexistence Toolkit, a set of public engagement exercises for city agencies, nonprofit organizations and other park stewards to use in public meetings that inform public space projects and master planning efforts. The toolkit consists of a slide presentation and a series of worksheets, both available below. While we developed them for Guadalupe River Park, these tools can be used for any public space. Our report Coexistence in Public Space introduces the toolkit and the thinking behind it. We hope this research provides the foundation for a new way of thinking about park equity and helps facilitate a new type of conversation about access, safety and design within shared public space. https://www.spur.org/publications/spur-report/2021-01-25/coexistence-public-space https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/hyperlocal monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/5d12a76d-c65f-444f-b966-956dca49a9e6/hyperlocal.webp Field Guide - Hyperlocal - Many of America’s downtowns, waterfronts, and innovation districts have experienced significant revitalization and reinvestment in recent years, but concentrated poverty and racial segregation remain persistent across thousands of urban, suburban, and rural neighborhoods. The coronavirus pandemic magnified this sustained and growing landscape of inequality. Uneven patterns of economic growth and investment require a shift in how communities are governed and managed. This shift must take into account the changing socioeconomic realities of regions and the pressing need to bring inclusive economic growth and prosperity to more people and places. In this context, place-based (“hyperlocal”) governance structures in the United States and around the globe have been both part of the problem and part of the solution. These organizations range from community land trusts to business improvement districts to neighborhood councils. However, very little systematic research has documented the full diversity and evolution of these organizations as part of one interrelated field. Hyperlocal helps fill that gap by describing the challenges and opportunities of “place governance.” https://www.brookings.edu/books/hyperlocal/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/the-great-good-place monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/7463d6f3-7994-4e78-9d5c-a8eba15e9b8b/great+good+place.png Field Guide - The Great Good Place - In the forthcoming The Great Good Place II, Karen Christensen and Ray Oldenburg show how third places have a vital role to play in solving climate change, loneliness, and political polarization – and make us healthier to boot! Explore real-life examples from around the world: bars and bistros, taquerias and teahouses, stoops and saunas, and much more. The authors delve into practical design and economic issues, encouraging readers to create and nurture the special places where, as the song goes, everyone knows your name. This new book is a completely new version of the late Ray Oldenburg’s influential 1989 book that introduced the concept of the third place, written by his long-time correspondent and collaborator Karen Christensen, senior editor of the 4-volume SAGE Encyclopedia of Community. The authors tackle questions like these: Supported by a grant from Mass Cultural Council What is the difference between third places and public spaces? Does a third place have to be free or cheap? Can third places require membership? Do third places need public funding? What design elements help third places thrive? How do you find (or create) a third place? https://greatgoodplace.org/ https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/kathy-madden monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/d6efdb78-1071-4674-b2be-abdd5c9ab62d/Kathy+Madden.jpeg Field Guide - Kathy Madden - Co-Founder Project for Public Spaces. 1947-2025 Kathy Madden was a prominent urban public spaces expert, placemaking leader, and an environmental designer who began working with PPS, helping to found the organization, in 1975. During this time, Kathy was involved in all aspects of the organization’s work, directing over 300 research and urban design projects and training programs throughout the U.S and abroad. Until 2018, she also served as director of PPS’s Placemaking Training and Public Space Research and Publications programs. Kathy co-authored and wrote both books and articles, including the PPS best-selling publication How to Turn a Place Around, which has now been translated into over 10 languages. She lectured extensively and conducted, in conjunction with other PPS staff, PPS’s How to Turn a Place Around training program in New York. While at PPS, she taught for six years at the Pratt School of Architecture Graduate Program in Urban Design. In 1995, Kathy started the Urban Parks Institute with a $2.2 million grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund. The Institute brought together over 2,000 parks leaders from both the private and public sectors in eight national conferences and four regional workshops. The Institute produced a volume of research and publications related to urban parks, and created a major online resource center for urban parks best practices and research, Urban Parks Online, which attracts over one million page views annually. Chip spoke with Nate Storring of Project for Public Spaces about Kathy’s Legacy, shortly after he passing in Fall of 2025. Episode 3 https://www.pps.org/people/kmadden https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/tinicsh monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/c93ad171-cf18-4c00-810b-df3f40f67c84/Tinicsh+Hollins+.jpeg Field Guide - Tinicsh Hollins - Bio Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/reclaimingcommunity monthly 0.5 2026-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/35003ba4-3566-41b2-a63c-83ffed287869/reclaiming.webp Field Guide - Reclaiming your Community - "You Don't Have to Move Out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One" Majora is quoted on the walls of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture — which is also the subtitle of her book. The book explores how we can address the problem of persistent poverty in low-status communities differently, and slow down the brain-drain that cripples local economic progress. Just like successful companies have talent-retention strategies, Majora Carter argues that these communities need to do the same. She shows how brain drain cripples low-status communities and maps out a development strategy focused on talent retention to help them break out of economic stagnation. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/spur monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/924f35a1-1ba6-4c92-b7b9-fc98c4184da3/spur.png Field Guide - SPUR - SPUR — the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association — is a nonprofit public policy organization. We bring people together from across the political spectrum to develop solutions to the big problems cities face. Based in San Francisco, San José, and Oakland, we are recognized as a leading civic planning organization and respected for our independent and holistic approach to urban issues. A project of SPUR was featured in Episode 3 Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/pps monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/67284f63-d877-4ea2-8ec3-93808e040f9e/pps.png Field Guide - Project for Public Spaces - Project For Public Spaces is the original Public Space Organization. For over 50 years PPS has been a tremendous resource for communities and organizations working to improve spaces for people. Vision We imagine a future where all communities can unlock the power of public space to spark civic and social life, build resilience, and expand economic opportunity. Our Mission Project for Public Spaces co-creates outstanding gathering places with the people who use them every day, and supports public space champions through convening, learning opportunities, and advocacy. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/molly-alexander-4bnm4 monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/185c0b4f-ecce-4776-83f2-27a9dc353257/nate.jpeg Field Guide - Nate Storring - Nate is Great Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/sfbws monthly 0.5 2026-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/41ad2d36-4250-4aec-8742-b6e96ed5a79c/SFBWS+Foundation Field Guide - SF Black Wall Street - SF Black Wall Street (San Francisco Black Wall Street Foundation) is a non-profit organization co-founded by Tinisch Hollins, Gwyn Brown, and Kenya Bod Austin in 2020 to preserve Black culture, build economic power, and support Black-owned businesses. Mission and Overview Founding: Established during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by local community organizers responding to displacement and the shrinking Black population in San Francisco. Core Goal: Dedicated to the preservation of Black business, ownership, and cultural spaces, offering advocacy and the Black Millionaire Development Program. Geographic Scope: Headquartered in San Francisco's historic Bayview district, expanding into the broader Bay Area as Bay Area Black Wallstreet (BABWS). [1, 2] Key Projects and Spaces Nineteen-21 Lounge (1921 Lounge): Opened in February 2025 at 1701 Yosemite Ave. in the Bayview. Named in homage to the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, the private members-only social club featured a restaurant, bar, co-working space, and live music. Current Status: After suffering fire damage in June 2025, the lounge temporarily closed, with ongoing permitting and rebuilding efforts underway to restore the community hub. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/bronxlandia monthly 0.5 2026-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/0a7f0c71-e43d-49d0-8c19-03c705fb7f2a/bronxlandia.jpg Field Guide - Bronxlandia - Bronxlandia is a cultural hub and multi-purpose live events venue located at 910 Hunts Point Avenue in the South Bronx, New York City. Created by community developers Majora Carter and James Chase, the space serves as a creative local venue addressing the borough's shortage of dedicated performance spaces. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/gwen-brown monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/0b8967d5-57e7-4c72-99cb-ea771fcaedab/Gwen+Brown.jpeg Field Guide - Gwen Brown - Bio Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/majoracarter monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/808a44a2-86b3-47cf-98ec-7a7253834110/majora-carter-pod.jpg Field Guide - Majora Carter - Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow, Peabody Award winning broadcaster, and teaches at Princeton University. She is responsible for the creation of numerous economic developments, technology inclusion projects, green-infrastructure developments & policies, and job training & placement systems. Majora is quoted on the walls of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture in DC — which is also the subtitle of her 2022 book, Reclaiming Your Community: "Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one." Carter applies corporate talent-retention consulting practice to reduce Brain Drain in American low-status communities. She has firsthand experience pioneering sustainable economic development in one of America's most storied low-status communities: the South Bronx, as well as cities across North America and abroad. She and her teams develop vision, strategies and the type of development that transforms low-status communities into thriving mixed-use local economies. In 2017, she launched the Boogie Down Grind, a Hip Hop themed specialty coffee & craft beer spot, and the first commercial "3rd Space" in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx since the mid-1980s. Majora was born, raised and continues to live in the South Bronx. She is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science (1984), Wesleyan University (1988 BA, Distinguished Alum) and New York University (MFA). After establishing Sustainable South Bronx (2001) and Green For All (2007), among other organizations, she opened this private consulting firm (2008) — which was named Best for the World by B-Corp in 2014. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/karen-christensen monthly 0.5 2026-08-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/1759820085892-Q1PX2378KQZ03ZEAPOUL/Karen-Christiansen-pod.jpg Field Guide - Karen Christensen - Karen Christensen is an author, publisher, and community leader whose work spans culture, sustainability, and the power of networks. As the founder of Berkshire Publishing Group, she has long championed ideas and institutions that strengthen communities. Her forthcoming book, written in collaboration with Ray Oldenburg, revisits and reimagines the concept of the “third place” for today’s world. Molly Alexander https://www.sidewalkballet.com/field-guide/rob-ready monthly 0.5 2026-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6506989bc7034c4c86a8f71d/376d9bbd-23d8-446f-a162-9ca9a516f75c/Rob+Ready.jpeg Field Guide - Rob Ready - Rob is that guy. He knows everyone in the city, and everyone knows him. And it seems, everyone likes him. I like him. When I was putting together the first episode of the Sidewalk Ballet A couple of themes were emerging. I was interviewing Karen Christensen about Third Places, and her forthcoming sequel to Ray Oldneburg’s The Great Good Place. So, as part of the episode I shared my own journey to find my own Third Place in San Francisco. There’s no one better to take as your spirit guide to the neighborhood bars than Rob Ready. The audio was a little rough, but honestly, he gave some great advice, and we had a fine time. Rob is a former owner operator of the legendary Piano Fight Venue in San Francisco, and current Director of Business Engagement for the Mid Market Business Association. 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