Transforming Cities

On this episode I’m speaking with Paul Hyde, CEO of Hyde Development, a family-owned commercial real estate developer and investor based in Minneapolis, MN. Paul and Mac Hyde co-founded Hyde Development in 2012 with a focus on urban redevelopment and brownfield sites. Since then, the company has completed over 3.8 million square feet of industrial and office development in Minnesota, Colorado and...

On this episode I’m speaking with Ujijji Davis, a Brooklyn-born landscape architect and urban planner currently living in Detroit. There she focuses on landscape and urban design, master planning, and strategic implementation projects. Her current research regards the importance of arts & culture and race & vernacular landscapes in the urban realm. She recently published a critical essay i...

On this episode I’m speaking with George Cutro & Chad Buch, co-leaders of the Chicago Industrial Research Platform for JLL. Based in the company's global headquarters, they track the largest industrial market in the United States at 1.2 billion square feet and work with a team of about 40 producers, which is JLL’s largest industrial brokerage team in the country. Their research is utilized dai...

On this episode I’m speaking with Sam Rosen, Co-Founder and CEO of Deskpass - a membership platform that provides access to hundreds of coworking spaces across the country. He also founded One Design Company - a digital branding firm based in Chicago - and opened The Coop, the first coworking space in Chicago. Formally trained as a designer, Sam now spends more time at the business end of projects...

On this episode I’m speaking with Aaron Roseth & Ann Fritz, partners at ESG Architecture and Design in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Aaron joined the company 15 years ago and was made president in 2017. Ann joined ESG as an intern in 2004 – the same year as Aaron – and has since become the Director of Interior Design. ESG’s foundation is built on strong relationships paired with an open-minded and c...

On this episode, I'm speaking with Andrew Howard, co-founder and director of Team Better Block. Andrew is one of the original founders of the Build a Better Block project. Alongside his neighbors, he built the first two Better Blocks in Dallas, Texas, and pioneered the idea of using pop-up demonstrations as an urban planning method. Over the past eight years, Andrew and his team have refined how B...

On this episode I’m speaking with Harry Spetnagel, Senior Associate and Design Director at Gensler. He’s directed the design, documentation, and implementation of award-winning branded environment and wayfinding projects for several regional and national clients in the retail, hospitality, entertainment, and professional services industries over the last 13 years. An advocate of multidisciplinary...

On this episode I’m speaking with Bryant Palmer, founder and Chief Storyteller at Oh Hey Creative, a boutique marketing and communications firm that specializes in opening food halls and telling the stories of small businesses. Bryant's team at Oh Hey Creative helps run Stanley Marketplace and Broadway Market, and is currently working on other food hall projects in Golden, Colorado and Minneapolis...

On this episode I’m speaking with Tim Gokhman, Director at New Land Enterprises – a boutique, pioneering real estate development firm specializing in mixed-use residential and commercial real estate. New Land focuses on creating built environments at the neighborhood scale, striving to create memorable spaces, focused on user experience, believing that cities thrive when they're diverse, walkable,...

On this episode we're speaking with Vicki Bartling, Senior Integrated Marketing Manager at JLL. With an education in architecture and design research, Vicki has leveraged her design experience to lead marketing, business development, and brand strategies for global Architecture and Design firms to Innovation Consultancies. She's currently focused on marketing innovation in the real estate industry...

On this episode we’re speaking with JC Buck, a Denver based architectural photographer. JC is most fascinated with photographing public architecture from historic, mainly mid-century modern and brutalist buildings, to cutting-edge modern engineering marvels of today's most advanced structures. Today he splits his time between client commissions and self-assigned work. Related links for this episod...

On this episode we’re speaking with Alex Ryden, founder of Guest House. Alex is an Emmy award-winning creative leader with 10+ years of experience working with brands including Lyft, Amazon, Spotify, Facebook, W Hotels, Lincoln Motors, The North Face and Oakley. Today, Alex is building a few startups of his own, including Guest House – a real estate staging company that's turning homes into retail...

On this episode we’re speaking with Antoinette Marie Johnson, Founder of Cohere - a creative agency focused on place-based storytelling. Antoinette's superpower is uniting often siloed stakeholders so they can unite in shared goals, helping both cities and companies reach their full potential. She writes regularly for publications like Forbes and works alongside small retail and restaurant busines...

On this episode we’re speaking with Jonathan Westeinde, founder and CEO of Windmill Developments. Windmill has become one of Canada’s most well-known green building developers, having completed over $1B in developments since 2003. With a background that touches on construction, economics, and ecology, Jonathan is specifically interested in creating alternative financing vehicles to embed sustainab...

On this episode we’re speaking with Jay Wall, the principal and creative director of RallyRally. Based in Toronto, RallyRally is a design studio dedicated to social change. Jay is an advocate for communications and graphic design that encourage inclusive public participation in transforming our cities. Related links for this episode: RallyRally RallyRally Website More Than Transit (Windsor, Ontari...

On this episode we’re speaking with Jorgen Jensen, partner at Denver-based Slate Real Estate Advisors. Slate Real Estate Advisors is a creative real estate agency that specializes in the marketing and sales of unique well-designed properties and residential development projects in Denver. Related links for this episode: Slate Real Estate Advisors The Foundry at Valley Junction Zeppelin Development...

On this episode, we're speaking with Julian Sleath, CEO of The Bentway in Toronto. Julian brings more than 35 years of leadership and experience in the performing arts to The Bentway, which opened its first full phase to the public by late summer 2018. Related links for this episode: The Bentway Toronto The Meadoway 100 Resilient Cities Studio Roosegaarde Be sure to support this podcast by subscri...

On this episode, we're speaking with Megan Torza, Architect and Partner at DTAH. Megan's professional development has been influenced by a strong personal interest in adaptive reuse and the integration of contemporary architecture into the historic urban fabric. She's helped develop and implement two of Toronto's most beloved community hubs: the Artscape Wychwood Barns and the Evergreen Brick Work...

On this episode, we're speaking with Emily Silverman, Program Manager at the Denver Smart City initiative. Emily received a Master of Urban Planning and Master of Urban Design from CU Boulder before eventually finding her way to the Colorado Department of Transportation, and then to the City of Denver, as a Transportation Planner. After almost 6 years at the city, Emily transitioned to her current...

On this episode, we're speaking with Anna Mackay from Portland-based Guerrilla Development. For the last 5 years Anna has filled a number of roles at Guerilla: from spearheading projects to tackling marketing, to leading crowdfunding efforts. We spoke with Anna on the work they're doing at Guerrilla and the unique way they view ROI on their projects. Related links for this episode: Guerrilla Devel...

On this episode, we're speaking with Jon Hartman, Owner at Wunder Werkz design studio based in Denver. For the last 8 years, Jon's been working on public projects that leverage design, graphics, typography, art placements, and various finishes that influence how people interact with space. Related links for this episode: Wunder Werkz Zeppelin Development Dynia Architects Uglycute Family New York T...