APMM Series: Everybody’s Hometown: How Media Borough Built a Sense of Place with Brittany Forman

🎧 This episode of PCC Local Time is part of the APMM Series, featuring conversations with Pennsylvania’s municipal managers and leaders about the evolving practice of local government.In this episode, I talk with Brittany Forman, Manager of Media Borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, about what it takes to build — and preserve — a strong sense of place in a small community that has suddenly become a regional magnet.Brittany walks us through Media’s evolution from a struggling commercial district in the 1990s to today’s walkable, lively, “everybody’s hometown,” complete with trolleys, a regional rail station, an energetic restaurant district, and a deep environmental ethic.Listeners will hear a grounded, practical conversation about what local leaders can control, what they can influence, and what they simply need to adapt to as their communities change.This episode is for municipal managers, planners, elected officials, and anyone wrestling with growth, affordability, and the tension between tourism appeal and local character.CONTACT: Brittany FormanAPMMPCC Local Time on MuniSquareSHOWNOTES00:00–01:10 — Opening & PurposeI introduce Brittany and set the stage: a conversation for municipal managers and elected leaders about transformation and sense of place.01:10–04:00 — Brittany’s Path to MediaHer career in HUD, Norfolk, mayor’s office, planning, private-sector consulting — and how Media’s economic development plan brought her to the borough.04:00–06:00 — Living and Working in the Same CommunityWhy Media feels like the right fit and what it's meant to be embedded in the place she serves.06:00–08:30 — “Everybody’s Hometown” & The TrolleyWe discuss Media’s iconic branding, its historic trolley system, and early investments that anchor identity.08:30–11:00 — Media’s Built Form & Good BonesGrid layout, transit access, mixed housing types, courthouse activity, and how the borough’s size (¾ sq mile) shapes everyday life.11:00–13:30 — Media’s Recovery StoryThe 1990s: crime, vacancies, and disrepair — and how Mayor McMahon and elected officials actively recruited businesses and built events that revived the town.13:30–15:30 — A Full Calendar: 30+ Annual Street ClosuresBrittany describes Dining Under the Stars, seasonal festivals, parades, and weekly programs that create social cohesion.15:30–18:00 — Parks, Environmental Ethos & Regional ConnectivityMedia’s strong environmental culture, parks investment, and the importance of looking to adjacent municipal assets.18:00–21:00 — Housing Pressure & Becoming a “Victim of Success”Demand outpacing supply, luxury units, price spikes, first million-dollar home, and concerns about seniors and young families.21:00–23:30 — Media’s Affordable Housing StrategyVision: a place where residents can access housing at every stage of life.Focus areas: households under $75k, seniors, zoning changes, office conversions.23:30–26:00 — Preserving Character While Welcoming GrowthPlacemaking investments (Plum Street Mall), creating “third places,” and designing for connection.26:00–29:00 — How Leadership Creates or Loses VisionWhat stalls progress, why leadership turnover matters, and how staff align everyday decisions with council priorities.29:00–34:00 — Tourism vs. Residents: Balancing TensionEvents that serve locals vs. events that serve visitors, communication strategies, and maintaining a sense of “this is for us.”34:00–38:00 — Is the Affordable Housing Plan Working?Early wins, patience required, partnerships with developers, regional zoning comparisons, and home-sharing models.38:00–41:30 — Municipal Innovation: Land, Authorities & Development ToolsWhat Media can and cannot do because of land constraints; examples from other communities; public-private development strategies.41:30–End — Final Reflections & Closing ThoughtsHolding onto core values (“everybody’s hometown”) while allowing the community to evolve; gratitude and wrap-up.