Sidewalk Ballet

Епизоди

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  E23 Mexico City and the Labor of Public Space 08.09.2026 42мин

  Geographer Verónica Crossa joins The Sidewalk Ballet in Mexico City for a conversation about street vending, labor in public space, and why the familiar divide between the “formal” and “informal” city may not tell us very much about how cities actually work.
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  Bonus - Three Questions in Toronto - Dispatches from IDA 03.09.2026 17мин

  Recorded at the International Downtown Association Annual Conference in Toronto, this bonus episode brings together voices from downtowns across North America and beyond. Chip asks a group of downtown leaders what’s exciting them about the future of the field, what’s happening in their own communities, and one question chosen at random. From San Diego and Chicago to Tampa, the Quad Cities, Cleveland, Washington DC, Colorado Springs, Canberra and Toronto, it’s a lively snapshot of the people, ideas, and optimism shaping downtowns today.
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  SMALL BLOCK - Shifting the Ground 25.08.2026 16мин

  How much of a city is the ground beneath our feet? Sidewalks, streets and plazas make up an enormous part of the urban landscape, but most of the time we barely notice them. In this Small Block, Chelsea Ritter-Soronen explores what happens when we start paying attention. From pavement as a canvas for public art to its role in shaping the identity, comfort and climate of a city, we look at the possibilities hiding in plain sight. Chelsea shares what Ground Shift Studios is learning about heat-responsive materials and techniques—including lessons from a recent research trip to Japan—and how something as simple as throwing water on the sidewalk can become both a cooling strategy and a communal ritual.
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  E22 A Bridge in the Urban Forest with Rahul Kadri. 19.08.2026 47мин

  Mr. Rahul Kadri is Principal Architect & Partner at I.M.Kadri Architects and the visionary behind the Malabar Hill Forest Trail. In this episode Chip and Rahul discuss creating public green space in one of the most dense cities in the world. Plus participatory planning, designing for community and collaborative approches to architectural design.
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  E21 Democracy of Public Space - Part Two - Leaving Room 27.07.2026 32мин

  The Constitution begins with ”We the People.” The rest of the American story is, in many ways, the unfolding of who becomes ”We.” This special Sidewalk Ballet documentary explores how have our parks, streets, libraries, memorials, and public squares helped expand that answer, framed in the history and evolution of the National Mall. Created for America’s 250th anniversary, Democracy of Public Space explores how public space is more than the backdrop for democracy—it is where democracy is practiced, challenged, remembered, and continually reimagined. Drawing together conversations with historians, planners, scholars, and voices from across The Sidewalk Ballet, this documentary asks a simple question: How do we continue to become ”We the People”?
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  SMALL BLOCK - The Ice Cream Mayor 18.07.2026 15мин

  Former Santa Cruz Mayor Don Lane is spending National Ice Cream Month on an ambitious quest to visit nearly 100 artisan ice cream shops across California. But this isn’t just a story about frozen desserts. It’s about joy, citizenship, and what happens when someone approaches every neighborhood as an advocate for the people who make it special. Join Chip for a few scoops—and a conversation about the surprisingly civic power of ice cream.
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  E20 Democracy of Public Space - Part One - Do We Mean It? 03.07.2026 26мин

  Part One of a Two Part Documentary The Constitution begins with ”We the People.” The rest of the American story is, in many ways, the unfolding of who becomes ”We.” The Democracy of Public Space – Part One: Do We Mean It? traces the evolution of the National Mall from an unfinished vision into one of the world’s great civic stages, culminating in Marian Anderson’s historic 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial. This is the story of an unfinished vision, a civic stage, and the generations of people who continue the work of becoming ”We.”
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  E19 The Evolution of Business Improvement Districts - Michael Edwards in Conversation with Kathleen Rawson 29.06.2026 49мин

  Business Improvement Districts have transformed the way many communities care for and invest in their downtowns—but the profession behind them has evolved just as dramatically. In this conversation, two of the field’s most respected voices, Michael Edwards and Kathleen Rawson, reflect on the origins of BIDs, the changing role of downtown management, and the leadership required to navigate an increasingly complex urban landscape. Whether you’re a downtown practitioner, civic leader, or simply curious about the people working behind the scenes to shape great places, this episode offers a thoughtful look at how the profession has grown—and where it may be headed next.
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  E18 Cara Courage - Placemaking, Trauma, Healing and Soup 15.06.2026 1ч 5мин

  Cara Courage is a researcher, author, educator, and internationally recognized placemaking practitioner whose work explores the intersection of people, place, culture, and community. In this conversation, she joins Chip to discuss the evolution of placemaking, the growing field of trauma-informed placemaking, and how places can foster, healing, and connection.
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  SMALL BLOCK - Chamber of Connection 03.06.2026 9мин

  In this Small Block episode of The Sidewalk Ballet, Charlotte Massey of the U.S. Chamber of Connection shares why building community may be one of the most powerful ways to find it.
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  E17 The Emotion of Place - Molly Alexander 25.05.2026 57мин

  What makes people feel connected to a place? In this episode of Sidewalk Ballet, Chip explores the idea of “Return on Emotion” with downtown strategist Molly Alexander — examining how joy, belonging, trust, shape the emotional life of communities. Featuring a conversation with Santa Cruz Warriors President Chris Murphy and a reflection on an iconic Bay Area moment this episode explores the power of emotional connections to place and community.
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  SMALL BLOCK - Pico - The District Dog 18.05.2026 9мин

  In downtown Los Angeles, the Social District may have found the perfect face for a neighborhood: Pico, their beloved canine mascot and “Chief Experience Officer.” In this Small Block, Chip talks with Nolan Marshall about mascots, place identity, community connection, and how a little joy can help make a big city feel human-scale.
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  E16 Community Safety - with Shane Zahn 11.05.2026 37мин

  Downtowns sit at the intersection of public life and private interest — places where questions around trust, safety, belonging, and authority become deeply visible. In this episode, Chip talks with Shane Zahn of the Minneapolis Downtown Council about the evolving role of Business Improvement Districts, public safety, and civic stewardship in downtown Minneapolis. Together, they explore what it means to build trust in public space at a moment when communities increasingly experience safety, authority, and accountability in very different ways.
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  SMALL BLOCKS - Jane Jacobs for the Young Reader - Susan Hughes 03.05.2026 8мин

  To Celebrate Jane Jacob’s Birthday, Sidewalk Ballet is launching a new series of bonus episodes that we are calling Small Blocks. Short stories about people and places that you can listen to when you just have a few minutes.  Our first Small Block comes from Susan Hughes, a Children’s book writer from Toronto and her story about, well, Jane.
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  E 15 A Global Network of Local Ideas — with Anastasia Sukhoroslova 27.04.2026 59мин

  What does “urbanism” mean today? In this episode, Chip talks with Anastasia Sukhoroslova about how ideas about cities move—across neighborhoods, across countries, and across a growing global network of urbanists. Timed with Jane’s Walk, the conversation connects the hyper-local observations of Jane Jacobs to the way urbanism is practiced today—exploring the tension between shared ideas and the unique context of every place.
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  E14 tamika l. butler, Transportation, Access and Equity 13.04.2026 1ч

  Tamika L. Butler reflects on what it takes to build transportation systems that serve people—not just efficiently, but equitably. Paired with immersive field report from the Philipines about jeepneys and for-hire vehicles, the episode explores how movement systems evolve: through need, policy, technology, and the people who shape them every day.
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  E13 Retail Round-up - Michael Berne and Jaime Izurieta - with Josh Yeager 31.03.2026 1ч 2мин

  Retail is constantly being redefined—but it still plays a central role in how cities function. In this episode, guest host Josh Yeager joins Michael Berne and Jaime Izurieta to explore how retail is evolving on the ground—from dwell time and hospitality to what actually makes a storefront succeed—and why it still matters for the health of our streets and downtown districts.
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  E12 Evan Weissman - Warm Cookies of the Revolution 10.03.2026 40мин

  In the Season One finale of The Sidewalk Ballet, Chip sits down with Evan Weissman, founder of Warm Cookies of the Revolution — the world’s first Civic Health Club. Through humor, creativity, and community gatherings, Evan’s work explores how civic engagement can be more accessible, more human, and even joyful. The episode closes with a reflection on a season of conversations about cities and the people who shape them.
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  E11 Breonna McCree - Transgender District 23.02.2026 1ч 8мин

  The Tenderloin has long been a place of containment — and of community. From the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot to today’s fight over who controls the building where it happened, this episode explores how belonging moves from survival to assertion. In conversation with Breonna McCree, Co-Director of the Transgender District, we examine what it means to name a neighborhood, reclaim a site, and build cities that remember.
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  E10 Lezlie Lowe - No Place to Go! 11.02.2026 1ч 7мин

  Journalist and author Lezlie Lowe has spent years examining something most cities prefer not to talk about: public bathrooms. In this episode of The Sidewalk Ballet, she explores how restroom access intersects with gender equity, homelessness, disability, public health, and dignity — revealing what our cities quietly prioritize, and what they overlook. Along the way, the conversation ranges from a beloved burger joint built inside a former public toilet to a citywide bathroom master plan in Portland Maine — asking what it looks like when fascination gives way to responsibility, and when a city decides that something unglamorous is nonetheless essential.