The Better Communities Podcast

By now, you've probably seen  the data  and pie charts   showing the standard economic indicators in Oregon are all moving in the wrong direction – be it jobs, revenue, population, and business retention.   Despite these warning signs, Oregon's political class seems intent on litigating the same policy fights that have bogged us down for decades. And this is especially true when looking at the res...

While the final decision remains in the hands of Major League Baseball, there is notable political momentum building signaling Portland is serious about securing a baseball team.   If baseball returns to Portland, it will be to the credit of a small group of political and business leaders who stuck to their vision – and a belief this will fundamentally transform downtown, the waterfront district,...

The Pacific Northwest is in the middle of a renewable energy boom. State legislatures, policy leaders, and voters have aggressively set carbon reduction targets over the last decade – paving the way for a new wave of federal dollars to drive the development and construction of wind, solar, and battery storage facilities across the region.   New developments have always generated an element of loca...

America's downtowns are at a crossroads. Many urban economic centers are struggling to get back to pre-pandemic norms. In addition to an increasingly hybrid workforce, many downtowns are confronting a lack of affordable housing, rising crime, and recent policy reforms that have made it difficult to combat a deepening drug crisis on their streets. Seattle is not alone in this struggle. But it has a...

It often feels like the Portland-Vancouver metro region has become bogged down in a culture of political stagnation. We have big ideas. We seek to solve big problems like climate change and social justice. But we have lost our ability to work across our divisions to make big things happen. The I-5 bridge between Oregon and Washington was built more than a century ago. Today, it stands as a symbol...

Change is hard. In 1973, Oregon Governor Tom McCall created a pioneering land use policy focused on preserving farmland, reducing pollution and preventing urban sprawl. At the time, it was a visionary move that took bold political leadership. But what seemed visionary 50 years ago has played a pivotal role in creating Oregon's modern day housing crisis. Today, our rural towns are struggling to add...

Advocacy and political activism have become part of the social media ecosystem. Pew Research data shows roughly 76% of Americans say that social media makes people think they are making a difference when they really aren't.  Yet more of us are turning to social media as a primary way to engage with social and political movements. The rise in "hashtag activism" may feel empowering. It also may be p...

2020 was a tough year. And a global pandemic, a shuttered economy, and the social justice movement made it a uniquely tough election year for opinion pollsters. Election night seemed like a repeat of 2016. The polls simply got it wrong. Again. The predictions of a "blue wave" never materialized. Pollsters had to admit there was something wrong with the models their industry has relied on for decad...

We are often told society today is more divided than ever. But what is driving this division?   A number of factors are fueling this narrative of "us versus them" in our communities. Ideology, race, gender, class, and geography have come to define who we listen to – and who we distrust.   Add in an increasingly complex media ecosystem designed to connect us but which has, in fact, divided us furth...

What role does social media play in our understanding of truth? How can journalists utilize the digital age to build civic engagement? And what role does the consumer play in sustaining a trustworthy information ecosystem? In this episode, we examine our growing distrust in news media and take a closer look at what the future may hold for journalists and consumers to regain trust in this important...