A Look Back At 2025

In this special year-end episode of Live with Living Cities, host Justin Charles reflects on a year of transformation, learning, and renewed purpose across the Living Cities ecosystem. From a clearer articulation of what it means to be a “Living City” to bold experiments in how capital, knowledge, and relationships flow through local economies, this episode takes listeners inside the ideas and partnerships shaping the future of inclusive prosperity.

The episode features reflections from Living Cities CEO Joe Scantlebury on the organization’s evolution, its sharpened mission, and the growing movement to place people and communities at the center of economic systems. Justin also highlights two of the organization’s most important developments this year: the Breaking Barriers to Business initiative, which is strengthening small business ecosystems across Southeast cities, and the launch of the Living Cities Network, a new platform bringing municipal leaders together to rethink how opportunity is created and shared.

Together, these stories paint a picture of a growing movement focused on reimagining how cities work, how capital moves, and how prosperity can be built to last. As the year comes to a close, this episode offers both reflection and a hopeful look ahead at what’s possible when systems are designed to help everyone thrive.