Eastland Mall, once a thriving hub of retail activity in Columbus, has closed its doors for good. Historian Doug Motz takes a look back at the history of the mall and examines its impact on the local community, the retail industry, and the city as a whole. We also discuss the political fights that have always followed developments in Columbus and the need to look at the plan for the neighborhood now that Eastland is gone.
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Sours, IPAs, and stouts, oh my! Dan Whalen, a reporter for Columbus Underground, has quickly become well-versed in the local brewery and beer scene, despite only living in Columbus for two years. We talked about the high quality, diverse selection, and unpretentious atmosphere of the beer scene in Columbus, as well as ways for people to expand their taste preferences and the current trends in the city.
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The children of our community need advocates in order to ensure that they are safe, stable, and able to thrive. When it comes to homes and families, that is the role of Franklin County Children Services. They are tasked with making sure that children are safe in their homes, providing families with resources if they are needed, and providing support to the community in general.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Art and artists have the power to change perceptions. In this week’s episode, multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, & social justice advocate Lisa Mclymont discusses her background, work, her path as an artist, how she chooses her work so that it remains aligned with her self-defined purpose, and her work on the Columbus Art Commission.
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Columbus is the largest city in the country without any form of rail service. That might not be changing anytime soon but plans are coming together for an alternative by way of the LinkUS Columbus initiative: Bus Rapid Transit. In today’s episode, Josh Lapp of Transit Columbus talks about the plan, how to convince people that we need transit, and what Amtrak service in Columbus may look like.
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Communities around Central Ohio are facing rapid change. That’s apparent in Upper Arlington where Steve Schoeny serves as City Manager. In this week’s episode, we discussed the role of a city manager, his time as Development Director for the City of Columbus, addressing diversity in communities, and the new development coming to UA.
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