Shows
Go Cultivate!Meet the Verdooners — with AJ FawverEpisode 5 of “Meet the Verdooners” introduces us to AJ Fawver, who leads Verdunity’s Community Consulting Program. In this episode we learn what initially brought AJ into the planning world and what element of community building she is most concerned about. AJ is a firm believer that we serve communities best when we remember that people are at the center of everything we do, and she greatly admires communities that are willing to have difficult conversations in order to effect positive change in their cities. After the episode make sure to check out AJ’s book reco...
2022-12-2030 minGo Cultivate!A recovery toolkit for local leaders – with Rachel QuednauOur friends at Strong Towns have put out a new resource for folks in local government called The Local Leader's Toolkit: A Strong Towns Response to the Pandemic. Jordan speaks with Rachel Quednau of Strong Towns and then with Verdunity's AJ Fawver to discuss some of its key points.--The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of Verdunity. Find more about this and other episodes (and our blog) at verdunity.com/go-cultivate.You can also find us on social media. Facebook / Twitter / LinkedInAnd if you haven't yet, sign up...
2020-07-291h 03Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Parking Minimums EditionWe’re back with another edition of our series “Are We Doing This Right?” This time around, we take a closer look at parking minimums. They might seem like a harmless feature of your zoning ordinance, but they play a huge role in shaping the physical environment of your community. Intentionally or not, parking minimums adversely affect the viability of public transit and local businesses, housing affordability, regional ecological health, and the fiscal strength of the cities that enact them.In this episode, we dig into the history and consequences of minimum parking requirements, and then we talk a...
2020-04-291h 05
GovLove - A Podcast About Local GovernmentFiscally Sustainable Planning with Kevin Shepherd and AJ FawverChanging how communities are built. Two people joined the podcast from Verdunity, a planning, engineering, and engagement firm focused on fiscal sustainability. Kevin Shepherd, the Founder and CEO, and AJ Fawver, Program Leader, talked about the mission of Verdunity, how cities can build better places, and the cost of maintaining infrastructure. Host: Kirsten Wyatt
2020-03-1350 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Food Trucks & Pop-ups EditionFor the December installment of 'Are We Doing This Right?’ on the Go Cultivate! podcast, we’re diving deep into the world of pop-up retail and food trucks. The whole concept is a lot older than you (might) think. Join us for a walk through some of the history, regulatory and social issues, and much, much more.Your hosts for this episode: Jordan Clark & AJ Fawver.--The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of Verdunity. Find more about this and other episodes (and our blog) at verdunity.com/go-cultivate.You can...
2019-12-201h 02Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Public Engagement Edition (Part 2)For the November installment of 'Are We Doing This Right?’ we’re tackling public engagement. What does it look like when it’s done well? What are some pitfalls to look out for? Who and what is it for, exactly? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s no one-size-fits-all right answer to public engagement. But we think there is such a thing as the right approach.In this double episode, we dig into literally everything you need to know about public engagement. Just kidding; we probably left a few things out. But we do think this...
2019-11-2732 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Public Engagement Edition (Part 1)For the November installment of 'Are We Doing This Right?’ we’re tackling public engagement. What does it look like when it’s done well? What are some pitfalls to look out for? Who and what is it for, exactly? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s no one-size-fits-all right answer to public engagement. But we think there is such a thing as the right approach.In this double episode, we dig into literally everything you need to know about public engagement. Just kidding; we probably left a few things out. But we do think this...
2019-11-2756 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Placemaking Edition (Part 2)This is Part 2 of our 'Are We Doing This Right?' discussion on placemaking! This time, we delve deeper into some criticisms of placemaking as it is commonly applied.Your hosts for this episode: Jordan Clark & AJ Fawver.--The Go Cultivate! podcast is a project of Verdunity. Find more about this and other episodes (and our blog) at verdunity.com/go-cultivate.You can also find us on social media. Facebook / Twitter / LinkedInAnd if you haven't yet, sign up for our weekly email digest. It's not lame! (Each...
2019-11-0734 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Placemaking Edition (Part 1)Placemaking is one of those ubiquitous urbanist buzzwords these days. Yet it can be difficult to get a broadly agreed-upon definition. We discuss what is actually means (as far as we can tell), what trends it came about as a response to, and why it might look different depending on the location. We run through some of the key elements of (the different forms of) placemaking, and a few notable (good and bad) examples of where it's been done.This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion. In Part 2, we'll get more familiar with some of the different...
2019-10-301h 04Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Tiny Homes EditionTiny homes have been growing in popularity over the past decade. To some, they’re an opportunity to shed unnecessary “stuff” and fully embrace a minimalist lifestyle. To others, they’re a critical part of addressing the homelessness crisis in this country. But in most cities in the U.S., it’s not exactly clear where they fit in with housing regulations.In this installment of our “Are We Doing This Right?” series, we take a look at some of the common assumptions about tiny homes, how people are using them, what laws are applicable to them (and what’s oft...
2019-09-251h 07Go Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Granny Flats EditionCities across the country face a shortage of affordable housing, despite a nationwide glut of single-family homes. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—often referred to as granny flats or other quaint-sounding names—have emerged as one way to quickly add affordable units to single-family neighborhoods, without tearing down existing homes.
Yet, in most cities, they remain illegal to build. And while some cities have re-legalized them, they often put in place so much red tape that few units end up actually getting built.
In this episode, we cover:
the myriad arguments in favor of building more...
2019-09-0456 minGo Cultivate!Are We Doing This Right? // Single-Family Zoning EditionAcross the country, cities big and small are facing a housing affordability crisis, yet many single-family houses sit vacant. Many of the same cities have serious infrastructure funding shortages. We examine the role of single-family zoning in shaping these issues and more—and we explore why there is momentum building to re-legalize other housing types, such as duplexes and fourplexes.
"Are We Doing This Right?" is our new podcast series where we dig deeper into an issue that affects cities across North America, bust (or uphold) a few myths, set some context, and give our frank opinions ab...
2019-07-231h 04
Go Cultivate!09 – City planning: it takes village (Part 2)This is the second of a two-part interview with AJ Fawver, director of planning for the City of Lubbock, Texas. (Follow her on Twitter: @planningguru. Read her blog on ELGL here.)
In part two, we talk about the world of strengths assessments and communication styles—and how they can be applied to make organizations like city government more effective and empathetic. Then Kevin asks AJ what she as a planner wants people other roles in the city to know. They run through advice and input for elected officials, city management, economic development folks, engineers, and citizens.
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2018-10-0837 min
Go Cultivate!07 – City planning: it takes a village (Part 1)This is the first of a two-part interview with AJ Fawver, director of planning for the City of Lubbock, Texas. (Follow her on Twitter: @planningguru. Read her blog on ELGL here.)
Here's a sampling of what Kevin and AJ get into:
The difference between land use planing and zoning—and what they’re good for. And some ways that their application hasn’t been good for cities.
Dealing with the common perception (in various cities) that planning departments exist to hinder growth or development
The ways that money enters the equation in dec...
2018-09-2939 min