All Episodes
bigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard — 178 episodes
177. Staying Small in San Antonio: How Clementine Found Success Without Expansion
176. The Education of a Texas Public Servant: Ron Nirenberg's Memoir and Vision for Bexar County
175. Claudia Zapata's Advice on Eating Well, Staying Active, and Living Healthier in San Antonio
174. Twenty Years at SAPD: Chief Bill McManus on Recruiting, ICE, and Who Comes Next
173. Charlie Amato and Gary Dudley on Building SWBC — and Betting on San Antonio for 50 Years
172. Ambassador Tony Garza on Mexico, Trade, and What San Antonio Gets Right
171. Texas Public Radio and the San Antonio Report Are Merging — Here's Why
170. Don Graham and Dr. Abel Antonio Chávez on Journalism, Our Lady of the Lake, and Why Access to Education Changes Everything
169. How Phil Hardberger Built a Park, a Land Bridge, and a Wildlife Corridor for San Antonio
168. More Than Parks: How San Antonio Is Building Trails, Gardens, and Green Space Into a Growing City
167. Building a Creative Life in San Antonio: Lionel Sosa, Kathy Sosa, and Andi Rodriguez on Art, Infrastructure, and Opportunity
166. From the Sidewalk Up: How UTSA's School of Architecture Is Rethinking San Antonio's Urban Core
165. How Hill Country Landowners Are Challenging CPS Energy's 370-Mile Transmission Line Plan
164. San Antonio’s Startup Gap — One Big Win, and What We’re Missing
163. Protecting Big Bend: Officials, Business Owners, and Outfitters Take a Stand
162. Close to Home on Why the City Struggles to Keep Up With Homelessness
161. Former Assistant City Manager Lori Houston Reflects on 23 Years at City Hall and Her Next Steps
160. How a Polluted Lake Became a Wildlife Haven in San Antonio
159. The Cost of Powering San Antonio: CPS Energy CEO Rudy Garza on Potential Increasing Rates, Sustainable Growth, and Grid Demand
158. Spay, Neuter, Repeat: Solving San Antonio's Stray Problem
157. Grassroots Carbon is the San Antonio Startup Reinventing the Ranch Economy
156. Sustaining the Arts: The Orchestra San Antonio’s Plan to Merge Performance and Education
155. San Antonio Is Losing Its Trees — And It Matters More Than We Think
154. The Race to Lead Bexar County: Peter Sakai
153. The Race to Lead Bexar County: Ron Nirenberg
152. What’s Ahead for San Antonio in 2026: Bob Rivard & Cory Ames on City Politics, Growth, and Civic Trust
151. 8.3 Million New Neighbors by 2050—Henry Cisneros and Bob Rivard on the Austin-San Antonio Megaregion
150. The Rise of Jamaican Food in San Antonio (ft. The Jerk Shack)
149. How AlamoPROMISE Continues Expanding College Access for San Antonians
148. Krampus Is Coming to Town: Inside San Antonio’s Controversial Holiday Parade
147. Meet the San Antonio Founder Taking On Dyslexia in Our Classrooms, Courts, and Clinics
146. Celebrating 45 Years of the San Antonio Botanical Garden — And the Vision CEO Katherine Trumble Is Leading
145. Opportunity Home is Rebuilding Public Homes and Public Trust for its Centennial Vision
144. Building the South Side — How JCB Is Bringing 1,500 Jobs to San Antonio
143. Holly Thaggard: The San Antonio Founder Behind Supergoop!’s Global Success
142. Judge Peter Sakai on How Prop A & B Could Revitalize San Antonio’s Eastside
141. Why San Antonio Isn’t Running Out of Water — A Conversation with SAWS CEO Robert Puente
140. The Food Bank is Harvesting Solutions to San Antonio’s Hunger
139. How San Antonio is Turning Construction Waste to Community Wealth
138. Alamo Angels: The Future of South Texas Startups
137. Rediscovering San Antonio’s Forgotten Battle
136. San Antonio’s Aerospace Past Is Powering Its Future
135. Planting Change in San Antonio through Community Gardens
134. The San Antonio Nonprofit Bringing Black Youth Back to Nature
133. How the Spurs Arena Could Change the San Antonio Rodeo
132. San Antonio's Youngest Councilmember on the Future of the City
131. Too Much, Too Fast: San Antonio’s Floods and the Fight to Adapt
130. San Antonio Teen Bridges Global Healthcare Gaps Through Access to Specialist Knowledge — ASK
129. Inside Launch SA — San Antonio’s One-Stop Resource for Small Business
128. San Antonio FC Is Reaching for the World Stage
127. What If We Replaced Every Lawn in San Antonio?
126. Mayor Ron Nirenberg on 8 Years of Progress—and What Comes Next for San Antonio
125. The Man Behind Brooks: How Leo Gomez Reimagined the Southside
124. Runoff Edition: Rolando Pablos Makes His Case
123. San Antonio’s Legal Lifeline: How SALSA Fights for Access to Justice
122. The Scientist Who Transformed Texas Biomed—and San Antonio’s Scientific Standing
121. The Case for Thinking Differently About San Antonio (with Rory Sutherland – Live at Geekdom)
120. Why San Antonio’s Future Starts with Early Childhood Education
119. The Mayor’s Race: Rolando Pablos on Economic Competitiveness, Poverty, and Cross-Border Partnerships for San Antonio
118. The Mayor’s Race: Manny Pelaez on Ferocious Advocacy, Economic Growth, and the Future of San Antonio
117. The Mayor’s Race: Gina Ortiz Jones on Public Service, Equity, and Leading with Data
116. The Mayor’s Race: Melissa Cabello Havrda on Community, Accountability, and San Antonio's Next Chapter
115. The Mayor’s Race: Adriana Rocha Garcia on Housing, Opportunity, and the Future of San Antonio
114. The Mayor’s Race: Beto Altamirano on Infrastructure, Innovation, and San Antonio’s Identity
113. The Last Word - Tariffs Hit Home in San Antonio
112. San Antonio's Culinary Legacy: 25 Years of Biga on the Banks
111. The Last Word - Leave the City Bond Elections Alone
110. San Antonio’s Model for Homelessness: Why Other Cities Look to Haven for Hope
109. The Last Word - The City of San Antonio Can’t Hire Everyone
108. What It Takes to Host the Final Four—Inside San Antonio’s Big Moment
107. The Last Word - A Legal and Moral Crisis: Texas Public Schools Deserve Better
106. Tom Slick’s Legacy: The San Antonio Institution Studying Consciousness
105. The Last Word - Nonstop: San Antonio’s New Direct Flight to DC
104. Inside UTSA Honors College: A Different Kind of Higher Education
103. The Last Word - The Texas Lottery Controversy: Who Wins & Who Loses?
102. The San Antonio Report at 13: Local News, Elections, & The Future of Journalism
101. The Last Word - Bigcitysmalltown is Growing: 100 Episodes & What’s Next
100. The Future of UTSA with President Taylor Eighmy: Merger, Expansion, & Big Plans for San Antonio
99. The Last Word - Bexar County Seeks to Expand Mental Health Services—But Will the State Step Up?
98. Public School Funding in Texas: What San Antonio’s Business Leaders Want Lawmakers to Fix
97. The Last Word - Will Texas Be Ready for the Next Disaster? The Fight Over FEMA
96. How a Baggage Handler Became One of San Antonio’s Most Iconic Artists
95. The Last Word - San Antonio City Council’s Failed Vote to Fund Abortion Travel
94. Will the Immigration Crackdown Impact San Antonio? A Legal Expert Weighs In
93. The Last Word - The Gulf of Neighbors
92. Meet San Antonio’s New Family-Friendly Art Residency: Parts & Labor
91. The Last Word - Texas Legislature Opens the 89th Legislative Session
90. Taking Off: What’s Next for San Antonio’s International Airport
89. The Last Word - 2025: A Big News Year for San Antonio and Texas
88. What’s Ahead for bigcitysmalltown: Telling San Antonio’s Story in 2025
87. VIA's Jeff Arndt Rides off
86. The State of Cycling in San Antonio
85. Bexar County's Year with David Marquez
84. Craig Garnett: Uvalde’s Newspaper Publisher
83. Chris Cullum and San Antonio's Culinary Legacy
82. San Antonio Artist Oscar Alvarado Always Thinks Big
81. Ronald Davis: Slavery in Texas
80. Dr. Bryan Gervais and UTSA’s New Center for Policy Studies
79. Meredith Walker and the Texas Business Hall of Fame
78. Live from CityFest: The Future of Downtown
77. JC Clapsaddle: An American in the Ukraine
76. Jessica Conrad on San Antonio's Housing Market
75. Grant Pinkerton Talks BBQ
74. Lisa Campos: Leading UTSA Sports
73. Monika Maeckle + Ashley Bird: 9th Annual Monarch Butterfly & Pollinator Festival
72. Ray Cantu: AI-Simulated Training at SIMMIE
71. Trish DeBerry: The Future of Downtown San Antonio and Park(ing) Day
70. Michael Blair + Jose Herrera: NukuDo's Paid Cybersecurity Training
69. PechaKucha San Antonio with Vicki Yuan and Libby Morris
68. Dawn White-Fosdick: Christian Assistance Ministry's Walk-In Support Services
67. Krissy Salinas on Let's Go Texas
66. Naphtali Bryant + Raylynn Hampton: United Way's Childcare Scholarship
65. Lea Rosenauer: Strong, Smart and Bold at Girls, Inc.
64. Kathy Sosa and Antonio Arelle Barquet: The Other Side of the Mirror
63. George Hernandez and Building Bexar County's University Health System
62. From Wounded Warrior to Artist & Author: The Story of Mario Lopez
61. Corazón Ministries: Downtown Nonprofit Making a Big Difference in the Lives of the Hardcore Homeless
60. Victor Reyna on Leading the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos in San Antonio
59. Dr. Belinda Román on Bringing Humanity to Economics
58. Jim Reed and the Expansion of the South Texas Medical Center
57. Mary Thorsby, CEO of ABODE Contemplative Care for the Dying
56. Jenna Saucedo-Herrera and Emily Royall: Innovation in San Antonio
55. Garrett T. Capps: Honky-Tonk in San Antone and Beyond
54. Liz Tullis and Dr. Peter Fox on the Conrad Smiles Foundation
53. Bonnie Prosser Elder and David Zammiello, San Antonio Charter Review Commission
52. Joe Holley on Power: How the Electric Co-Op Movement Energized the Lone Star State
51. Cat Dizon at the Helm of San Antonio’s Accredited Investor Community
50. Asia Ciaravino: Rediscovering the San Pedro Playhouse
49. Mark Carmona Addresses San Antonio’s Housing Affordability Needs
48. Farm to Table Food Sustainability with Mitch Hagney and Elizabeth Johnson
47. Ileana Gonzalez, Next Generation Leader of Tech Bloc
46. Maura Bobbitt Aims to Deliver Affordable, Green Burial Services to San Antonians
45. Dr. Jaime Aquino, “Teacher of Teachers,” Uses Inspiration to Lead San Antonio’s Biggest Inner City Public School District
44. Veronica Salazar on UTSA and the Future of the Institute of Texan Cultures
43. Humberto G. Garcia and the 'Mustang Miracle'
42. Basura Bash: River Aid takes the lead in San Antonio’s annual anti-litter cleanup
41. A Conversation with Juan Tejeda
40. Laura Terrill - President and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas Protecting Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights
39. Carlos Contreras: How Goodwill San Antonio is Fighting Poverty throughout South Texas
38. Rene Dominguez, TRTF/Velocity TX CEO, Envisions Ambitious Expansion on the Near-East Side in 2024
37. 23 and me: the year in review and a look ahead to 2024
36. Uvalde native Fr. Eddy Morales: honored by the US Surgeon General for his extraordinary service to community after the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting.
35. Centro San Antonio Envisions Downtown Revival with Trish DeBerry
34. Shaping San Antonio's Future: UP Partnership's Dr. Ryan Lugalia-Hollon on SA Higher Education Initative
33. Rebuilding Lives Beyond Bars: The FREED Project's Impact in San Antonio with Bria Woods & Iris Dimmick
32. Beto Altamirano's Journey from Life on the Border to Startup Co-Founder and the Call for Public Service
31. Artful Transformations: Revitalizing San Antonio's Cultural Landscape with Emily Neff, Kelso Director at San Antonio Museum of Art
30. San Antonio's Growth and Economic Prospects with Jenna Saucedo-Herrera, CEO and President of greater: SATX
29. Henry Cisneros’ Vision of San Antonio is One of Unprecedented Economic Growth
28. Crafting Change: Creating Southside Craft Soda and Organizing Social Progress wiith Andrew Anguiano
27. The Legacy of Mariachi in San Antonio Culture: A Conversation with Michael Acevedo, Director of Mariachi Los Paisanos
26. Preserving the Essence of San Antonio Through Photography: A Conversation with Al Rendon
25. Changing of the Guard at the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival with Monika Maeckle and Ashley Bird
24. Andrés Andujar and Hemisfair's Civic Park
23. Managing the Cost of Higher Education With UIW’s Cristen Alicea and UTSA’s Erika Cox
22. Virtual Dreams to Real Life Achievement: Alberto Piña's Visionary Approach to Affordable Housing
21. Collaborating for Cultural Preservation: Colleen Swain on Achieving World Heritage Status
20. From Geology to Sustainability: Sharing the Story of the Edwards Aquifer with Gregg Eckhardt
19. The Evolving Growth and Mission for Women's Empowerment in San Antonio with the YWCA's CEO Francesca Rattray
18. Innovation in Improving Access to Women's Healthcare in San Antonio with Somer Baburek and Jennifer Newell
17. San Antonio’s new Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, the second Sikh elected official in Texas, has big plans for District 1
16. Preserving History, Engaging Communities: Marise McDermott's Impact at the Witte Museum
15. Enhancing Municipal Services: Emily Royall's Insights on San Antonio's Smart Cities Roadmap
14. Creating Positive Change: How Marina Alderete Gavito is Empowering District Seven
13. The Cost of Irresponsible Pet Ownership: Nadia De la Garza Explains
12. Beyond Gaming: Jim Perschbach on Investing in Young Talent for Future Innovation
11. How To Achieve Your Higher Education Dreams through Alamo Colleges with Dr. Mike Flores
10. Shaping The Future of Texas: AJ Rodriguez on Policy and Progress
9. Henry Cisneros & Tom Corser: Celebrating Heritage Through San Antonio's Trees
8. Exploring the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center with Cristina Balli
7. Compassionate Solutions for the Unhoused: A Conversation with Gavin Rogers
6. Food Deserts & Policy Solutions with Mitch Hagney
5. Cleaning Up San Antonio: Charles Blank's River Aid Revolution
4. US-Mexico Relations: A Candid Conversation with Eddie Aldrete
3. Uncovering Lost Texas Histories with Brandon Seale
2. The Sustainable Dining Revolution with Elizabeth Johnson
1. Live from the Geekdom Event Centre: Reviving Downtown San Antonio with Randy Smith
0. Introduction to bigcitysmalltown with Bob Rivard