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Vibrant Spaces Podcast by Story City

Vibrant Spaces Podcast by Story City

By: Story City
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 Building vibrant cities is hard, but innovators don’t have to do it alone. Welcome to the Vibrant Spaces podcast, a show about placemaking, activating and connecting city spaces for the communities you serve. Political Science Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Vibrant Spaces S02 EP02 | How Baltimore is Using Infrastructure to Reconnect and Reimagine

    Vibrant Spaces S02 EP02 | How Baltimore is Using Infrastructure to Reconnect and Reimagine
    Mar 10 2026

    Download Story City to get out and adventure! https://links.storycity.app/forward-to-store

    In this episode we focus on Baltimore, Maryland where we sit down with our guest Eric Souza, to discuss how his organization is leveraging the community of Midtown to take down historic barriers and build opportunities for the community.

    Eric is the past President for Midtown Baltimore, which is a neighbourhood advocacy and improvement program striving to provide consistent services in order to ensure a clean, green and safe community. Eric walks us through the benefits of a management authority in a small city like Baltimore and how it differs from other civic authorities. We dive into how the city of Baltimore is confronting its difficult history through art, and what initiatives they are planning to leverage art and artists to bring safe access to services to the community. By using art as infrastructure, Midtown Baltimore is able to bring safety and security to their historic neighbourhood.

    This episode explores:

    • The need for art as infrastructure
    • Why the organization strives for maintenance before beautification
    • The importance for equity through safe access for all communities
    • Why cities need to start looking at artists and creatives as civic partners to create and the benefits that can come in investing in artists locally
    • What the future for Baltimore could look like

    SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh8rKab1BFgpmHcjS-9sfOH0fRKPVdE2M
    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/vibrant-spaces-podcast-by-story-city/id1760077454
    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mQxJbv9DF1DdSxl2NTtF3
    LISTEN ON AMAZON: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e6c6c83d-f728-4ddd-991e-365439087fcb/vibrant-spaces-podcast-by-story-city

    CONNECT WITH OUR HOSTS & GUESTS
    Emily Craven | https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycraven/

    Tim Souza | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-m-souza/
    Eric Souza | https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-souza-894970112/

    FOLLOW STORY CITY:

    INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/storycityapp/
    LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/company/story-city/

    TIKTOK | https://www.tiktok.com/@storycityapp

    FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/StoryCityAdventuresSIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER |https://about.storycity.app/Newsletter

    The post Vibrant Spaces S02 EP02 | How Baltimore is Using Infrastructure to Reconnect and Reimagine appeared first on Story City.
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Vibrant Spaces S02 EP01 | How Tulsa is Building with Artists, Equity, and Identity in Mind.

    Vibrant Spaces S02 EP01 | How Tulsa is Building with Artists, Equity, and Identity in Mind.
    Mar 3 2026

    Download Story City to get out and adventure! https://links.storycity.app/forward-to-store

    In this episode we focus on Tulsa, Oklahoma, where guests Meg Gould and Natalie Bowling are using art, infrastructure, and deep listening to bridge historic divides and create a stronger sense of identity for a city still in the process of healing.

    As leaders from Tulsa’s Planning and Economic Development Department and the Downtown Coordinating Council, Meg and Natalie walk us through the city’s evolution—from the trauma of urban renewal and the legacy of redlining, to new pathways for storytelling and celebration. We dive into Tulsa’s public art master plan, equitable investment zones, and the role artists play in serving as cultural ambassadors—bringing light and pride to neighborhoods too often overlooked.

    This episode explores:

    • How artists and infrastructure are being used to repair and reconnect neighborhoods
    • The power of shifting from “revitalization” language to place-based storytelling
    • The promise (and challenge) of funding models driven by private philanthropy
    • Why city planning needs both strategic design and on-the-ground community relationships to succeed
    • How Tulsa is investing in local creatives and sending artists out into the world as ambassadors—to extol the virtues of building your life and career in Tulsa


    SUBSCRIBE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh8rKab1BFgpmHcjS-9sfOH0fRKPVdE2M
    LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/si/podcast/vibrant-spaces-podcast-by-story-city/id1760077454
    LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mQxJbv9DF1DdSxl2NTtF3
    LISTEN ON AMAZON: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e6c6c83d-f728-4ddd-991e-365439087fcb/vibrant-spaces-podcast-by-story-city

    CONNECT WITH OUR HOSTS & GUESTS
    Emily Craven | https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycraven/

    Tim Souza | https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-m-souza/
    Meg Gould | https://www.linkedin.com/in/meggould/
    Natalie Bowling | https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliebowling/

    FOLLOW STORY CITY:
    INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/storycityapp/
    LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/company/story-city/

    TIKTOK | https://www.tiktok.com/@storycityapp

    FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/StoryCityAdventuresSIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER |https://about.storycity.app/Newsletter

    The post Vibrant Spaces S02 EP01 | How Tulsa is Building with Artists, Equity, and Identity in Mind. appeared first on Story City.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Vibrant Spaces Podcast Ep 7 – Season Wrap Up – Let’s Build a City!

    Vibrant Spaces Podcast Ep 7 – Season Wrap Up – Let’s Build a City!
    Nov 15 2024
    Welcome Dear Listeners… ..What a journey it’s been! Today, we’re thrilled to bring you the season finale of Vibrant Spaces Podcast—a show dedicated to reimagining how we activate, connect, and build city spaces that serve our communities. Join co-hosts Emily Craven and Tim Souza as they look back on an inspiring season of placemaking, vibrant storytelling, and groundbreaking city-building ideas that are reshaping urban spaces across the United States. In this special wrap-up episode, Emily and Tim celebrate a season filled with transformative ideas and innovative thinkers. From Tampa to Philadelphia, Baltimore to Kansas City, each city has shared unique insights, demonstrating how cities can be both inclusive and vibrant. Together, they revisit impactful themes from each episode: Tampa’s neighborhood connections, Kansas City’s artistic and community events, Baltimore’s collaborative rise, and Philadelphia’s forward-thinking nighttime economy. Each story added a piece to the puzzle of creating spaces that don’t just function but bring joy, healing, and a sense of belonging to everyone. As we look back on this season’s discussions we take a moment to imagine if we had a magic wand, how we would build own own cities from scratch and ask the questions: How can cities learn from each other? How can we create a framework that makes great ideas scalable across cities? These questions push us toward a vision of cities that are both unique in culture and unified in purpose. So, plug in those headphones and join us one last time this season as we celebrate the moments, leaders, and cities that have paved the way to a more vibrant tomorrow. Here’s to the future of Vibrant Spaces—may it inspire you to imagine what’s possible in your own community! Thank you for joining us this season, and we look forward to continuing this journey together in Season 2! Listen Here or Subscribe on Your Favorite Podcasting Platform Show Notes Learn more about Story City and how we work with partners here. Transcript of this Episode is here. You can subscribe to the Podcast via our YouTube channel here, or via our main Podcast page here where you can also find our other episodes and seasons. Want to be considered for an episode? Email Emily and Tim with information on your city and initiatives and tell us, what do you do innovatively in your city? About your hosts: Emily Craven – Founder & CEO Story City: Emily has worked with cities for well over a decade to reimagine public space via storytelling and upskilling of local creators in digital activations of cities. Regularly driving 30k+ people through targeted city areas via adventure and whimsy, Emily has won national awards, been profiled in multiple magazines, and worked with international organizations like the Institute for the Future of the Book to bring content from the screen to the streets in innovative ways. Tim Souza – Head of Community Activation at Story City: Tim has held many roles and titles over the years with organizations ranging from Microsoft to Thomson Reuters to TEDx, specializing in the building networks of partners to create larger impact than would have been possible individually. With both a passion for and a degree in Peace, Justice, Entrepreneurship and Technology Tim excitedly now tackles the challenges faced by local creatives, cities, and businesses to build strong vibrant communities of creators who add layers of play to the physical world around them via Story City’s innovative model. The post Vibrant Spaces Podcast Ep 7 – Season Wrap Up – Let’s Build a City! appeared first on Story City.
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    1 hr and 5 mins
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