Next City
Join Lucas Grindley, executive director at Next City, where we believe journalists have the power to amplify solutions and spread workable ideas. Each week Lucas will sit down with trailblazers to discuss urban issues that get overlooked. At the end of the day, it's all about focusing the world's attention on the good ideas that we hope will grow. Grab a seat from the bus, subway, light-rail, or whatever your transit-love may be and listen on the go as we spread solutions from one city to the Next City .
Episodes
164 episodes
Reckoning with the History of Community Development
Today, we nod to the past while paving a new way forward for the future of anti-racist community development.
Repairing Democracy Beyond the Ballot Box
Participating in elections is just one part of civic engagement.
What The Election Means for Cities
In this special episode, Next City’s editorial leaders share what they’re hearing from readers and listeners about resisting setbacks at the federal level and
On Making Appalachia Safer from Climate Change
“There's that R-word that wants to come up that I despise – resilience,” says Tiffany Sturdivant, executive director of Appalshop , a media, arts and community
What Lexington Taught Us About Urban-Rural Interconnection
In today's episode, we're bringing you highlights from our conversations at this year's Vanguard conference in Lexington, Kentucky, where our theme was
Revisiting Lexington - "This ‘Big Town’ Has Solutions for Cities Everywhere"
This week, we’re revisiting an episode we released earlier this year, all about Lexington, Kentucky — a city where collaboration and creativity are
Why Urban Farms Should Be Taken Seriously
In Newark and across Essex County, New Jersey, urban farms do more than grow food — they're strengthening a community.
Where Artists Are Taking Over Vacant Storefronts
The pandemic hollowed out our cities, leaving empty downtowns and office buildings in its wake.
The Truth About Whether Speed Cameras Make Us Safer
American roads are dangerous. The Department of Transportation reports that in 2021, nearly 43,000 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes.
These Loans Help Poor Families Rebuild After Climate Disasters
When Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida in 2022, it was the third-costliest weather disaster on record worldwide. Damages totaled over $100 billion dollars.
The New Rules Are Here: Unpacking the CRA
Whether a person has access to banking directly changes their life.
Farming While Black
Once upon a time, 14% of farmers in the United States were Black. That was in 1910. But that number has dwindled.
Even Your Property Taxes Were Redlined
Property taxes are how most people pay for their local government. These taxes fund a range of local services, from our public schools to our fire departments.
A Boston Neighborhood’s Cautionary Tale About Climate Change
Cognitive dissonance.
A Climate Documentary on Solutions
Climate change can be scary, but the documentary “How to Power City” focuses on solutions.
Revisiting "What If You Give $5,800 To Someone Who Is Homeless?"
Just over a year ago, we delved into a groundbreaking initiative by a foundation in Vancouver.
This ‘Big Town’ Has Solutions for Cities Everywhere
In this episode, we dive deep into success stories emerging from Lexington, Kentucky, a “big town” taking on big challenges – breaking down partisanship
The Future of Human Transit
If you're in the world of urban planning and transit systems, there's a good chance you're familiar with veteran transportation planner Jarrett Walker and his
What If Your City Gave You Money for Transit?
In Los Angeles, there’s a transportation experiment underway.
Why We Need More Real Estate Developers of Color
Gina Merritt, head of Northern Real Estate Ventures, didn’t set out to become a developer.
The Future of Chinatown
Today, we will hear from multiple Chinatown organizers who are fighting to ensure their neighborhoods remain for generations to come.
A City Where Mental Health Isn’t for Policing
Cities too often respond to a person experiencing a mental health crisis with carceral systems.
Revisiting: The Black Barber Who Launched A Credit Union
In light of the Academy Awards ceremony, we're re-highlighting our episode featuring Arlo Washington, the Black barber-turned-visionary behind People Trust
Cars Are the Problem. She Wrote A Manifesto On It
In this episode of the podcast, civil engineer and transportation researcher Veronica O.
What We Can Learn From ‘Ghost Rivers’
When Baltimore built a new sewer system a century ago, it tried to control nature by diverting the city’s waterways, like many other American cities in the
One Tiny Credit Union Is Powering Brooklyn’s Economy
Take a guess.
Countering Extreme Heat Requires All of Us
Rising temperatures have ripple effects on our health, our economy and more.
The Secret to Long-Term Recovery in Puerto Rico?
Six years after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico , killing almost 3,000 people and causing $139 billion worth of damages, the island is still rebuilding.
Can We Make Homebuying Permanently Affordable?
At Next City, we've covered a lot of community land trusts: CLTs developing disaster-resilient housing , CLTs helping recruit Black public school teachers
Building a Future of Food Security with Community Fridges
In Richmond, Virginia access to quality food can be a challenge, particularly in marginalized communities.
SOTY Revisit: One City Made Former Prisoners A Protected Class
Next City is turning 20!
SOTY Revisit: Boston Is Helping To Buy Up Buildings And Keep Rents Affordable
Next City is turning 20!
SOTY Revisit: Why So Many People Attend City Meetings in Lexington
Next City is turning 20!
SOTY Revisit: The Black Barber Who Launched A Credit Union from His Shop
Next City is turning 20!
Latino Loan Funds Supporting Latino Business Owners
When Latinx entrepreneurs go to the bank to seek a loan to build or grow their businesses, they often leave empty-handed.
If The NFL Can Do It, So Can You
More than giving back, the NFL acknowledges it makes money by depending on Black athletes, and its new investments are considering the communities where its
Can Development Be Anti-Racist? This Report Shows Us How
Today, we’re partnering with ThirdSpace Action Lab on this sponsored episode about The Anti-Racist Community Development research project, which has documented
The ‘Death Star’ Law Is Real and Coming to a State Near You
The so-called Death Star law was passed in Texas.
The New Crowdfunding: Where the Neighborhood Owns Local Businesses
Through organizations like Chicago TREND and with the help of new and federally regulated fintech platforms, community members and people of color who were
The Real Consequences of Not Funding POC Arts
A new report surveyed nonprofits and what it discovered has activists calling for a new way of funding arts and culture.
Creating a Sanctuary Where Artists Can Sustain Their Work
In Oakland, a nonprofit is giving entrepreneurs of color the chance to use vacant storefronts to try out their own businesses. The first step?
We Can Just Decide Not To Evict People With Convictions From Public Housing
Today we talk about a solution to the lack of housing access that is within reach for many local Public Housing Authorities.
How We Stop Discriminating Against Housing Vouchers
Housing vouchers are a federally-funded payment system. They’re used by low-income people to rent a home — any home.
Where Housing Comes First When Solving Homelessness
Whether it’s medical care, addiction treatment, counseling — or whatever the issue might be that individual case-work would reveal — many people experiencing
Boston Is Helping To Buy Up Buildings And Keep Rents Affordable
An East Boston tenant had been fighting her eviction for eight years when the city established a new neighborhood trust and bought her building — plus, 35
Why So Many People Attend City Meetings in Lexington
Today we’re learning about a solution in Lexington, Kentucky, where a non-profit called CivicLex is changing things up.
The Importance of Black-Owned Banks
The first Black-owned bank to open in the last 20 years is in Columbus, Ohio.
Can You Build an LGBTQ Neighborhood? Cleveland Is Trying
In this episode of Next City, Lucas Grindley explores the history of LGBTQ neighborhoods, or "Gayborhoods," and how they've been affected by skyrocketing
Don’t Demolish! Deconstruct Instead
A Minneapolis startup is raising awareness about all the building materials that can be salvaged instead of sent to landfills.
How Hurricane Harvey Led to One Of The Nation’s Largest Land Trusts
This episode of Next City delves into the impact of natural disasters such as hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and how they affect people even years later.
No Lost Food: Organization Fights Waste and Hunger
In this episode of Next City, we learn about the importance of giving back to one's community and promoting environmental sustainability.
Where the Community Owns The Real Estate
In this episode of Next City, we explore the challenges faced by the Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia — a historically disinvested area known for its
The Black Barber Who Launched A Credit Union
When neighbors started coming to his Little Rock barbershop to borrow money, Arlo Washington went a step further and chartered Arkansas’ newest credit union.
Even More Solutions for Backyard Homes
Can we combat the affordable housing crisis by building homes in our backyards? The movement to create “accessory dwelling units” comes in different shapes.
A Village Run By People Experiencing Homelessness
An encampment of people experiencing homelessness was reimagined as a tiny home village that still provides housing 20 years later.
These Zero-Interest Loans Help Black Americans Buy Houses
A Bay area church designed a program that it says isn’t charity; it’s countering systemic racism.
One City Made Former Prisoners A Protected Class
Two former cellmates persuaded Atlanta’s leaders to legally protect formerly incarcerated residents from discrimination.
Where Indigenous Land Return Is Already Possible
U.S. cities are responding to the global #LandBack movement by returning land to the stewardship of Indigenous people — to whom it rightfully belongs.
The Results So Far: Is Guaranteed Income Cutting Poverty?
Pilots of guaranteed income programs are launching in cities all over the United States. We talked with the researchers tracking the results and what they show.
They Built 335 Miles of Bike Lanes in 24 Months
Who says change can’t happen quickly? One group says they’ve figured out the playbook for fast-tracking bike lanes.