Burn the Boats

What Do I Do Now Jimmy Buffett? (no intro song version)

JB created the ultimate lifestyle brand, and he did what those of us that work in economic development are always trying to do: create a place that people want to be. He was influential and inspirational in so many ways. How did he inspire my own path in life, work, and music? What does JB have in common with my chosen field of economic development and design? What can economic developers learn from the master storyteller?

What Do I Do Now Jimmy Buffett?

JB created the ultimate lifestyle brand, and he did what those of us that work in economic development are always trying to do: create a place that people want to be. He was influential and inspirational in so many ways. How did he inspire my own path in life, work, and music? What does JB have in common with my chosen field of economic development and design? What can economic developers learn from the master storyteller?

Burn the Boats

What does Hernan Cortez' burning of his boats when he landed in the new world have to do with entrepreneurship?

Real and Perceived Safety in Downtowns and Beyond - The SafeDesign Approach Part 1

In this episode, we talk with Ken Stapleton of Ken Stapleton and Associates and the SafeDesign Institute about addressing real and perceived safety issues in our downtowns and other areas of our communities. We talk about the chapter on safety that he contributed to the book "Design Downtown for Women and the Men Will Follow." Topics include the "She-conomy", and how places must be "comfortable enough" and "safe enough."  How safety is not just about crime statistics and police presence, but between people there are varying safety thresholds.  What really are "community policing innovations?" They often just end up being more police, but it is much more than that. How measurement and tracking of perception is critical and rarely done, and how once crime and safety are being addressed from a policing perspective, there has to be a shift to talking about perceptions which will linger long after the actual problem has been addressed. We also talk about the physical environment and what makes a place feel safe.

What's Relevant for Cities at the Consumer Electronic Show (days 1 and 2)

Ken Stapleton and Kevin Crowder follow the action and new concepts showing up at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to see what in there might be relevant for cities.  And there was alot!  Flying Cars | Briefcase Electric Bikes | Mobility Automation | Practical Tech | No More Cables | Electric Hydrofoil Boats | Chip Manufacturing | Freelancers and Hybrid Work (what's next?) | Remote Drones? Gaming and Visualization | |aper Tablets.  Foldable Tech - Wayfinding? City Operations? Advertising Revenue?   Goggleless 3D for an enhanced downtown user experience!