Civics
How the city actually works — the nonprofits, libraries, boards, and neighbors doing the civic work.
96 episodes
Who’s Running for Ohio Governor?
With petitions filed and the 2026 statewide races officially underway, Ohio’s political landscape is beginning to take shape. The governor’s race is already drawing national attention, with former…
Where Data Meets Decision Making in Central Ohio
Most people experience regional planning only after decisions have already been made. When a new development breaks ground, a transit project is announced, or new housing pops up in our neighborhood.…
What Columbus Paid Attention to in 2025
We’re doing our unofficial year-in-review. Not the “best of” list, not the most important stories necessarily, just the ones people clicked on, shared, complained about, and wouldn’t stop talking…
From WordPress to AI Workflows: Inside Buckeye Innovation
When most people think about technology, they picture shiny new tools, big-budget builds, and teams of engineers working inside massive companies. But for Brad Griffith, founder of Buckeye…
How MORPC Shapes the Future of Our Region
When we talk about regional planning, it’s easy to picture dusty binders, endless meetings, or vague talk about “growth.” But for William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning…
City Council Candidate Tiara Ross
What does it take to ensure that Columbus grows in a way that benefits everyone? That question is at the heart of this week’s episode of The Confluence Cast , featuring Tiara Ross, candidate for…
City Council Candidate Jesse Vogel
As Columbus continues to grow, so do the questions about who the city truly works for and how well its leaders are listening.
AI in Ohio
When we talk about artificial intelligence, the focus is often on big tech or headline-grabbing breakthroughs. But for Cas Maxwell, co-founder and CEO of AI Owl, the story is much closer to home. His…
Inside Wild Goose Creative: Art, Risk, and Meaning in Columbus
Columbus’ creative community often comes alive at the intersection of art, risk, and meaning; a space where organizations like Wild Goose Creative are working to make their mark. In this episode, I…
A Different Lens on Economic Development
When you think about economic development, you might picture a groundbreaking, a ribbon-cutting, or a shiny new district. But more often, it looks like slow, steady puzzle-building.
The Politics and Promise of a Growing Region
Regional planning isn’t just about roads and rails. It’s about building the future of a place, one decision, one partnership, and one policy at a time. In this week’s episode, we sat down with Joe…
Ability Matters
What does it take to build a more inclusive world—one where individuals with disabilities are supported not just in care, but in community and experience? In this week’s episode, I sat down with…
An Off the Rails Roundup
Sometimes, the things that stir the most debate aren’t sweeping policy changes, but whether or not you have to pay a dollar to park near Brassica.
Leadership Columbus
Leadership is more than just a title—it’s about influence, impact, and the ability to drive meaningful change. In this week’s episode, I sat down with Kate Bauer, the new Executive Director of…
Ohio’s First Black Woman Lawyer Daisy Perkins
Daisy Perkins was Ohio’s first Black woman lawyer, a trailblazer who defied expectations and carved out a career in criminal defense at a time when both her race and gender made that nearly…
So You Want to Join City Council?
Cities don’t run on autopilot. Every decision—every budget, every policy, every vote—is shaped by the people who step up to lead. A few months ago, I decided to see what it would take to be one of…
The Best of Columbus 2024
The results are in, and the people of Columbus have spoken! In this week’s episode, I sat down with Walker Evans, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Columbus Underground, to dive into the highlights…
Navigating Transitions with Matt Slaybaugh
Transitions can be transformative, but they’re often filled with uncertainty. In this week’s episode, I sat down with Matt Slaybaugh, an achievement skills coach, playwright, and former artistic…
Addressing Growth with MORPC
The future of Central Ohio is coming at us fast. But not too fast to manage. In this week’s episode, Columbus Underground co-founder and editor Walker Evans sat down with Jessica Kuenzli, the Chief…
Transit Update with MORPC
We’re diving into the transit transformations shaping our city’s future. In this week’s episode, Columbus Underground co-founder and editor Walker Evans sat down with Parag Agrawal, the Chief…
City Data Breach
In July, the City of Columbus experienced a massive data breach, which officials at the time referred to as “some type of incident.” Months later, the scope, damage, and cost of the incident are…
Summer News Roundup
We are diving into the most read stories shaping the landscape of the city. These are the top stories that have captured the attention of our community—not necessarily the most important or…
Doodles & Digits
Passions can take you on different paths. That’s true for Carolyn Farkas who transformed her passion for teaching into a successful series on PBS. We sat down to discuss the future of education, the…
OpenDoor Women’s Recovery Alliance
Personal struggles can open our eyes to the needs of others. That is true for Tammy Adler Foeller, the co-founder of OpenDoor Women’s Recovery Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to…
A Roundup of Renderings
With spring upon us in the capital city, we’re all about change. There’s a vibrancy in the air and that’s apparent in our latest roundup of the biggest stories on Columbus Underground. Co-founder and…
A City of Doers
As Columbusites, we examine the evolution and identity of the city from a singular point of view. That’s not a bad thing, but an outsider’s perspective is always helpful. Today, we hear from Mark…
Downtown with Michael Brown
We’re exploring the evolution of Downtown with Michael Brown, who has been a cornerstone in the city’s development planning and worked both in and outside city government to cheer on its growth.…
Grave Matters: Unearthing the North Graveyard
There is often a complex interplay between preservation and progress. A year into his exploration, Columbus Underground reporter Jesse Bethea continues to sift through the story of how the removal of…
Tacos by the Truck
The capital city’s food scene is often heralded. However, its taco truck scene has been often overlooked. Elwood Ellis, a freelance writer for Columbus Underground and self-proclaimed Taco…
This Title Was Not Generated by AI
This podcast was not generated by AI. But it may have been influenced by it. As all industries consider how to use artificial intelligence in their work, Walker Evans, Susan Post, and I discuss how…
Columbus’ Youngest Elected Official, Brandon Simmons
Big cities have big city problems. Columbus’s newest school board member argues that the inequity of our schools shows that we certainly are a big city. Brandon Simmons, also the youngest school…
News in the New Year
As we ease into 2024, we’re taking a quick look back into some happenings that you may have missed as the year turned over. Columbus Underground co-founder and editor Walker Evans discusses a myriad…
Year in Review
As 2023 draws to a close and we stand on the brink of a new year filled with its own stories and surprises, it’s a time for reflection. In our latest podcast episode, we delve into a retrospective…
Beyond the Beat
There’s a balance to be struck between storytelling and getting to the heart of what matters in writing. That’s especially true when writing about the arts.
October News Roundup
Can a city that doesn’t know its history properly tell its own story?
Candidate Nancy Day-Achauer
Nancy Day-Achauer, candidate for District Two, discusses her background, why zoning updates are key to Columbus’s future, and how neighborhoods can fill gaps in social safety nets.
2023 Columbus Candidates
In anticipation of this fall’s election, the Confluence Cast is endeavoring to introduce Columbus voters to the twelve council and two mayoral candidates, in their own words. As an introduction, I…
Local Journalism Challenges
Journalism is a balancing act. Today, a conversation about the challenges facing journalism. This episode was recorded at the Gateway Film Center as part of their Broadcast News: Journalism on Film…
North (Market) Graveyard
In the land surrounding the North Market, there are bodies. “Any time you stick a shovel in the ground out there, you’re gonna find somebody,” says one expert. As developers prepare to erect the…
Columbus Metropolitan Library
Public libraries are a democracy’s best-kept promise and the Columbus Metropolitan Library has boasted that it is “open to all” since its founding in 1873. Chief Executive Officer Patrick Losinski…
Franklin County Children Services
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…
The Ohio Midterm Election
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…
Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley
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…
Making Columbus Festivals
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…
Housing
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…
Council President Shannon Hardin
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…
Department of Development
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…
Alternative Transit
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…
The Future of Transit
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…
Upper Arlington
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…
Homeport
54,000 households in Central Ohio pay 50% of their income for housing. Homeport, along with other Columbus-based organizations, are working to fix that. This week, Homeport President and CEO Bruce…
Greater Columbus Arts Council
What’s the difference between being an arts advocate and an artists’ advocate? Look to the policies and missions of the Greater Columbus Arts Council for an idea. This week, I spoke with Jami…
Futurist Rebecca Ryan
As we navigate change, how can we create actionable plans for the future? Futurist Rebecca Ryan has a few ideas. Based in Madison, Wisconson, her past work in Columbus led to the advent of the city’s…
Wexner Center for the Arts
Contemporary art and the presentation of it has traditionally been a class-based endeavor. The Wexner Center for the Arts is trying to change that through its programs and the type of work that they…
The History of 400 Square
There’s a rich history in Franklinton. This week, we dive into the origins of 400 West Rich and the larger 400 Square with the curator of their 400 History Show and Mini-Museum, Zach Henkel. We…
Development in the City of Worthington
When it comes to development, the City of Worthington, like many cities with their size and limitations, has to play a balancing act on navigating varying interests. Reporter Brent Warren sat down…
Cleve Ricksecker
With the threat of protests and the coronavirus raging, what’s going to happen to Downtown Columbus? On the occasion of his recent retirement, we spoke with the former executive director of the two…
Matter News
What makes news in Columbus? From gentrification to policing to protests, Matter News is approaching issues with an approach meant to build trust while avoiding bias. In this week’s episode, Matter…
Can’t Stop Columbus
In this time of consistent change and challenge, we look at how the Columbus community is standing up. Can’t Stop Columbus is a community-wide movement that tries to address some of the problems that…
Behind the Hyperloop Hype
When is Columbus getting a hyperloop?! Reporter Brent Warren spoke with MORPC’s Director of Transportation & Infrastructure Development, Thea Ewing, to discuss where things stand with plans for the…
Real Estate at Ohio State
Much like the rest of our city, the land controlled by and surrounding The Ohio State University is continually evolving. Reporter Brent Warren spoke with Ohio State’s Vice President of Planning,…
Ohio Capital Journal
How should news outlets negotiate the changing digital landscape? David Dewitt, the editor of the newly-launch Ohio Capital Journal, sat down to discuss their nonprofit news model, the importance of…
The Idea Foundry
There is a myriad of possible solutions to breathe new life into a neighborhood. The Idea Foundry, an established makerspace in Franklinton, has a solution. In this episode, CEO Casey McCarty…
Governor Ted Strickland
Is Ohio woke enough? Why aren’t we a swing state anymore? What’s it going to take to turn things around before the 2020 election? These questions and more were addressed by former Governor Ted…
Development in Reynoldsburg
The City of Reynoldsburg is in for some big changes in the coming years. How they go about that change and get buy-in from their residents is key to their success. Reporter Brent Warren sat down with…
Real Girls F.A.R.T.
After a nervous breakdown and mental health diagnosis, Achea Redd needed help. She found it by finding her voice through writing on her blog, Real Girls F.A.R.T. (Fearless, Authentic, Rescuer, &…
Streetlight Guild & Scott Woods
Who should be taking ownership over the uniqueness that is Columbus culture? Scott Woods has some ideas about that and how we should be defining it. Among his many hats (poet, organizer, journalist,…
The Columbus Festival Scene
Two years ago, when the Independents’ Day Festival wrapped up after 10 years, it left a gap in the Columbus festival scene that’s slowly been filled by other independent event producers. Festival and…
The Overcomer Foundation
In Ohio, single parents pay nearly 44% of their income for an infant in a daycare center and nearly 80% for two children (Child Care Aware of America, 2018). The Overcomer Foundation is trying to…
Artist & Educator Charlotte Belland
Honing any craft takes practice. That’s the philosophy of educator, illustrator, and animator Charlotte Belland. In this week’s episode, she discusses her background, her role at the Columbus College…
MORPC’s William Murdock
Is Columbus ever going to get light rail? Is that what Columbus really needs? Reporter Brent Warren sat down with Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission Executive Director William Murdock to discuss…
The City of Whitehall
Columbus’s suburbs will play a big role in how we’re able to grow in the future. Reporter Brent Warren sat down with Whitehall’s mayor Kim Maggard and Economic Development Director Zach Woodruff to…
Former Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx
How is Columbus going to deal with its anticipated growth? Former United States Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, who was in town for MORPC’s State of the Region meeting sat down with…
Mayor Andrew Ginther
They say politicians are only as good as their last election, but after that, they’re already looking towards the next election. After serving 4 years as mayor of Columbus, Andrew Ginther is…
Crawford Hoying
The test of an organization is how it responds to adversity. Such was true for development organization Crawford Hoying during the recession. With multiple developments built and thriving since then,…
Ohio v. the World
Ohio’s place in history is often relegated to a few events or trivial facts. Local attorney Alex Hastie and his podcast, Ohio v. the World, are seeking to change that. With in-depth interviews on…
COTA’s Joanna Pinkerton
With nearly a year into her role as president and CEO of COTA, Joanna Pinkerton sat down with Columbus Underground reporter Brent Warren to talk about how she came into her role, the interdependence…
The Matriots
Elected officials should reflect their constituencies. That’s the essential thesis of the Matriots, an Ohio nonpartisan political action committee founded by a group of women who participated in the…
Columbus Open Studio & Stage
How do artists work, both alone and together? I sat down with organizer and artist Stephanie Rond to preview this weekend’s Columbus Open Studio and Stage and learn how she herded cats to get here.
Steiner & Associates
Are land use and development a civic responsibility or just a monetary transaction? Yaromir Steiner, the Founder, Chief Executive Officer of Steiner + Associates has an opinion. He sat down with…
Save the Crew
In the fall of 2017, the owner of the Columbus Crew SC announced their intention to move to Austin, Texas. Almost immediately, a grassroots movement was born; aptly named, Save the Crew. Since then,…
Irvine for Ohio
Sometimes comedians make the best politicians. I sat down with Travis Irvine, Ohio’s libertarian gubernatorial candidate, for a live interview at the Columbus Podcast Festival, to talk about his rich…
Volunteering with Besa
How do we make the best use of our time and resources to make the biggest impact in our neighborhoods and in our city? I sat down with Matthew Goldstein, Executive Director of Besa, to talk about…
Columbus City Charter
The Columbus City Charter is essentially the Columbus Constitution. It defines the structure and role of the city and its leaders. I sat down with the chairman of the most recent comprehensive…
COTA’s Transit System Redesign
For the first time in their over-forty-year history, the Central Ohio Transit Authority is changing up its routes. I spoke with representatives from COTA about how the new system was designed and…
Create Columbus Commission
This week, we’re talking about young professionals in Columbus. Specifically, the Create Columbus Commission. The group was originally chartered by Mayor Michael B. Coleman ten years ago to provide…
Tech Elevator
The disparity between the tech job openings in Columbus and qualified candidates to fill them is vast. To help bridge that gap, coding bootcamps have been popping up around town. Tech Elevator…
Columbus Department of Neighborhoods
As we embark on our semi-regular neighborhoods series, we went to the person tasked with creating a one-stop-shop for neighborhoods to access city-government services. In this week’s episode,…
The Columbus Foundation
Solving the immediate and long-term problems of Columbus is no small task. Thankfully, the Columbus Foundation is wielding both a large purse and a large influence. We spoke with Dan Sharpe,…
Visitor Satisfaction in Columbus
On the occasion of Columbus being named the highest in visitor satisfaction in the midwest by JD Power and Associates, host Tim Fulton moderated a panel at the Columbus Metropolitan Club to discuss…
Columbus Neighborhoods: The Hilltop
To kick off our neighborhoods series, we’re starting with one of Columbus’ largest, the Hilltop. On the occasion of their newly completed Camp Chase Trail, Jody Dzuranin and Betty Jaynes sat down to…
Fall 2016 Local Election Preview
Get a breakdown of the local election issues and candidates before going to the polls.
Compton Construction
Starting a business isn’t easy. Truly knowing your role in it is harder. Compton Construction CEO Blake Compton talks about the lifecycle of being a business owner and the virtue of coaches and…
The Dick & Jane Project
How can students be empowered? The Dick & Jane Project thinks they have a solution: songwriting. Their literacy program partners middle school students with professional musicians to create…
Equitas Health
Formerly known as AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Equitas Health is a state-wide organization that seeks to be the gateway to good health for those at risk of or affected by HIV/AIDS, for the LGBTQ…
Issue One
For our inaugural episode, we’ve decided to do a deep dive on Issue One, the ballot measure to add ward representation to City Council. We sat down with representatives on both sides of the issue.
