Randy Smith, a downtown pioneer, faces the irony of his own success as he navigates a complex web of corporate citizens, real estate developers, and student housing needs to fulfill his ambitious goal of transforming downtown San Antonio into a thriving urban hub. In this episode, you will: Discover how a public-private partnership transformed downtown ... Show More
Apr 17
165. How Hill Country Landowners Are Challenging CPS Energy's 370-Mile Transmission Line Plan
This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the fight over the Howard Solstice Transmission Line — a proposed 370-mile, 765kV power line that would connect CPS Energy's Howard Road Station in Bexar County to a new substation in Pecos County, cutting through some of the most ecologi ... Show More
40m 24s
Apr 10
164. San Antonio’s Startup Gap — One Big Win, and What We’re Missing
This week on bigcitysmalltown, we examine the story behind ProsperOps, a cloud cost optimization startup with roots in San Antonio and Austin. Founded by a group of former Rackspace employees—known as “Rackers”—ProsperOps has quietly grown into a significant player in cloud servi ... Show More
47m 36s
Apr 3
163. Protecting Big Bend: Officials, Business Owners, and Outfitters Take a Stand
This week on bigcitysmalltown, we turn our attention to Big Bend—one of the most remote and ecologically significant regions in Texas—amid renewed national debate over plans to build a border wall through Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and surrounding areas. T ... Show More
35m 21s
Oct 2022
S1E11 - Activists and Public Sector Working Together
<p>In this episode of Let’s Talk Housing we’ll be talking about systemic changes to address the root causes of homelessness. To foster this discussion, we’re joined by Chrissy Brett, Indigenous Housing and Community Advocate, and Stephanie Allen, BC Housing’s Vice President of St ... Show More
28m 34s
Feb 2024
Having Fun and Doing the Right Thing in San Antonio — Episode 151
<p class="MsoNormal">We know the importance of partnerships in parks and recreation, and on today's episode of Open Space Radio, we're diving into an exciting partnership between NRPA and Bobcat. As part of this partnership, Bobcat has extended five grants, each worth $50,000, to ... Show More
44m 51s
Jul 2021
Jacob Lederman, "Chasing World-Class Urbanism: Global Policy Versus Everyday Survival in Buenos Aires" (U Minnesota Press, 2020)
What makes some cities world class? Increasingly, that designation reflects the use of a toolkit of urban planning practices and policies that circulates around the globe. These strategies—establishing creative districts dedicated to technology and design, “greening” the streets, ... Show More
53m 25s
Feb 2022
BONUS: Homelessness Is Solvable (with Aras Jizan)
In this bonus episode, Baratunde learns how data, well-defined goals, and a sense of collective ownership are helping those at the front lines of America’s housing crisis work to solve, not manage, homelessness. His partner in conversation is Aras Jizan, the Portfolio Lead for Da ... Show More
1h 15m