MIAMI — August 13, 2014 — The John. S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced the launch of a new weekly podcast, “Knight Cities,” which will feature civic innovators who will share ideas and help engage leaders and citizens in crafting more successful cities. Carol Coletta, Knight Foundation vice president of community and national initiatives, will host the series.
Related Links
“Civic innovators share ideas on shaping communities in new ‘Knight Cities’ podcast” by Carol Coletta on Knight Blog
“Knight Cities” podcast home page
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“Building better, more successful cities that reflect the aspirations of the people who live in them requires new thinking and a community of doers,” said Coletta. “The ‘Knight Cities’ show will help put the people at the forefront of this movement into the spotlight and create new connections; we hope it will bring us closer to making civic innovation a standard in neighborhoods across America.”
The podcast will highlight the work of civic innovators, focusing on a variety of lessons for cities from ways to attract and retain talent and spur economic development, to better transit planning and public space improvements. Topics will help cities solve some of their most pressing challenges and create more livable, vibrant places.
The first show posted today features popular visual artist and urban planner Theaster Gates, who discussed his transformational work using arts and culture to revitalize underserved communities. Guests in the coming weeks include:
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Gil Penalosa, executive director of 8-80s Cities, on designing cities for all people.
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San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed on creating public-private sector partnerships to engage talent and spark civic innovation.
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Brian Boyer, architect at Dash Marshall and partner of Makeshift Society, on the changing labor market and the growing role of independent workers.
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Jeff Risom, head of Gehl Architects, on quality of life and the built environment.
New shows will be released every week on the Knight Foundation blog and archived on the Knight website. Listeners are invited to take part in the conversation by commenting on the podcast. Subscribe to reminders for the “Knight Cities” show, and follow @Knightfdn and #KnightCities on Twitter for updates.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit www.KnightFoundation.org.
CONTACTS:
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, 305-908-2677, [email protected]