71 / Documenting progress / with Dominic Leonardo

Dominic Leonardo — Rhode Island city planner, and the reputable @cityglowup on socials — is in good traffic to discuss the simple-yet-vital process of documenting progress. Transformations — or, glow-ups — have long been an effective way of visually storytelling change, and garnering momentum. Dominic does the vintage before/after in a contemporary fashion better than anyone. We discuss: 00:00 On @cityglowup. 02:37 Origin behind the videos. 04:42 Unexpected positivity and community feedback. 06:14 Finding new places through comments. 09:21 The appeal of midsize cities. 13:27 Local governance and urban planning in Rhode Island. 22:28 Walkability and bikeability in Providence. 25:18 Popular urban design topics. 28:12 Small town transformations. 29:22 Suburban changes and detached density. 31:39 Journeying into urban planning. 35:46 Economic perspectives in urbanism. 42:12 The Tempe case study. 49:42 Pitching Rhode Island. 51:09 Upcoming projects. 53:29 Wrapping up. Connect with Dominic: @cityglowup on Instagram. @cityglowup on TikTok. @cityglowup on YouTube.