The Confluence Cast

The Ohio Midterm Election

by Tim Fulton | Nov 3, 2022 | Civics, Episode, Journalism, Politics | 0 |

At the risk of sounding like a broken record that you’ve heard before: Voting is important. On the occasion of next week’s midterm election, David DeWitt, the editor-in-chief of the Ohio Capital Journal sat down with the Confluence Cast this week to discuss how the political landscape has changed in the last two years, the Ohio Supreme Court races and the issues that will be decided as a result of them, the Ohio governor’s race, of course, the US senate race, and why it is so important to vote.

Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley

by Tim Fulton | Oct 17, 2022 | Civics, Education, Episode, People, Politics | 0 |

The role of our elected officials is largely known to us. That is less true for our county commissioners. Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley joins the Confluence Cast this week to discuss what the commissioners’ office does, her background, and how she translates advocacy into her role on the board for the largest county in the state.

Making Columbus Festivals

by Tim Fulton | Aug 30, 2022 | Arts & Entertainment, Episode, Non-Profit, People | 0 |

It has been said that festivals are one of the best things about our community. By extension, the folks who conceive and orchestrate them are making the city measurably better. This week, on the occasion of the upcoming Hot Times Festival, organizer Candy Watkins discusses the origins of Comfest, why Hot Times Community Festival is the friendliest festival in town, and the importance of leaning in to ensure that these festivals continue to thrive.

Columbus Memes & Inside Jokes

by Tim Fulton | Aug 12, 2022 | Arts & Entertainment, Comedy, Episode, People | 0 |

Columbus has a lot of character to it. From Comfest to COSI, there are a myriad of topics, issues, inside jokes, and even memes that every Columbusite should be aware of. 614 enthusiast Doug Powhida, the man behind the satirical twitter account Fake Dispatch, graces us this week with a high-level survey of what makes the city great, and sometimes not so great.

Housing

by Tim Fulton | Jul 1, 2022 | Civics, Development, Episode, Neighborhoods, Non-Profit, People | 0 |

As the Assistant Director of Housing Strategies for the City of Columbus, Erin Prosser wakes up every day thinking about housing in the city. In today’s episode, we discuss strategies for combatting NIMBYism, the importance of non-commercial partners when we think about housing, why housing should be thought of as infrastructure, and how we can right-size our systems in order to align them to our priorities.

As a bonus this week, we have an additional conversation with entrepreneur David Hunegnaw about one possible micro solution to density: Lease the Lawn.

Council President Shannon Hardin

by Tim Fulton | Jun 9, 2022 | Civics, Development, Episode, Neighborhoods, People, Politics | 0 |

As a growing city, we have growing city problems. No one knows that better than Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. With the influx of new residents and new jobs, President Hardin discusses transit as an equity issue, the importance of continuing conversations around race and policing, why we have to do big things now, and the big changes coming to how the city council will be elected, starting next year.

Department of Development

by Tim Fulton | May 2, 2022 | Civics, Development, Episode, Neighborhoods, People | 0 |

At a time when the city seems close to a boom in terms of economic development, it also faces challenges with that growth. This week, Columbus’s Director of Development Michael Stevens discusses the portfolio of the Department of Development, how the department works to improve the lives of Columbus residents, evaluating investments at a neighborhood level, and how tax abatements happen in the city.

Alternative Transit

by Tim Fulton | Apr 5, 2022 | Business, Civics, Episode, Journalism, Transit | 0 |

How should eScooters, ride-hailing apps, and car-share services be considered in the conversation about alternative transportation? Can we think of them as a public good when they are for-profit entities? This week, Columbus Underground reporter Brent Warren discusses the options for last-mile transit that exist in Columbus, how they came to be, and the motivations and incentives for the companies that get us from point A to point B.