Coastal Conversations

Coastal Conversations is a platform for citizens of coastal Alabama to expand awareness, increase best practices and inspire positive change.

The Affordable City – Understanding Housing Challenges and the Path Forward 09/28/2022

The Affordable City – Understanding Housing Challenges and the Path Forward Shane Phillips, the author of The Affordable City, shares his multi-pronged approach that tackles the Three S’s of housing Supply, Stability, and Subsidies with the LIVE audience at Coastal Conversations on August 30th, 2022 in Mobile, Alabama. manages the UCLA Lewis Center Housing Initiative, where he develops research, policy analysis, and educational materials to improve the public’s understanding of the causes of and solutions to America’s housing challenges. He co-hosts the UCLA Housing Voice Podcast which translates emerging academic research into plain, jargon-free language, and previously taught as an adjunct instructor at USC and worked as policy director for Central City Association, a civic and business advocacy organization in downtown LA. Shane has written for the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Atlantic, and other local and national outlets, and also writes at his blog, Better Institutions (betterinstitutions.com). He received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Washington and masters degrees in urban planning and public administration from the University of Southern California. Watch Shane Phillips - The Affordable City What Is Coastal Conversations is a program of Coastal Alabama Partnership and is a platform for citizens to engage with experts who will provide leading edge information and share big ideas. Our goal is to expand awareness of issues, to increase knowledge of best practices and to inspire positive change. For more details and to confirm your spot, visit , our event page on and Eventbrite, or contact the team at [email protected]. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/24517569

Policing in America’s Communities for the 21st Century 04/21/2022

Policing in America’s Communities for the 21st Century Dr. Cedric Alexander is one of America's leading voices on modern policing. On this Coastal Conversation episode, he shares his insights, analysis, and the ideas of others regarding how police training needs to change, how officers can connect closer to all aspects of the community, and the future of law enforcement. More About Dr. Cedric Alexander is a clinical psychologist and a public safety executive who has served at all levels of government. He is a law enforcement analyst who has appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," "CBS Evening News," "ABC World News with Diane Sawyer," and "NBC Nightly News." Alexander also authored "The New Guardians: Policing in America's Communities for the 21st Century" and numerous opinion editorials for CNN and The Washington Post. Author of "The New Guardians: Policing In America's Communities for the 21st Century." He is a Pensacola, Florida native and appeared at CivicCon 2020 to discuss police reform and social justice. This Coastal Conversation was recorded LIVE on April 19th, 2022 at the MacQueen Alumni Center on the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. Watch Dr. Cedric Alexander's For more details and to confirm your spot, visit , our event page on and Eventbrite, or contact the team at [email protected]. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/22872920

Urban Design Lessons From The Atlanta Beltline Project 03/21/2022

Urban Design Lessons From The Atlanta Beltline Project The is a sustainable redevelopment project that will ultimately connect 45 intown neighborhoods via a 22-mile loop of multi-use trails, modern streetcar, and parks – all based on railroad corridors that formerly encircled Atlanta, Ga. When completed, it will provide first and last-mile connectivity for regional transportation initiatives and put Atlanta on a path to 21st-century economic growth and sustainability. President & CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., , gives the Coastal Conversations audience an update on this incredible project. Plus, he shares the lessons learned during the planning and building process and city planning ideas that other cities could incorporate from their early success and outcomes. Watch The Full Video: This Coastal Conversation was recorded LIVE on March 15. 2022 at Bernheim Hall of the Ben May Library in Mobile, Alabama. Event Sponsor: ////////////// More About Coastal Conversations The goal of is to introduce transformative ideas and then work with local partners to implement the ideas into our community. If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact us at . /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/22521338

What Young People Want, A Panel Discussion 02/22/2022

What Young People Want, A Panel Discussion Recent headlines and conversations between leaders throughout our region often highlight the drain of young people from our area and the need to attract talented professionals into our region. This Coastal Conversation installment addresses young professionals' concerns and discusses ways our community can work together to develop the assets and create the quality of life that attracts young people to move to and stay in our communities. Watch The VIdeo: Cam Marston of Generational Insights moderates this panel. Cam Marston is the leading expert and speaker on the impact of generational change and its effect on the workplace and the marketplace. As an author, columnist, blogger, and lecturer, he imparts a clear understanding of how generational demographics are changing the landscape of business. Panelists of Young Professionals Include: Meg Fowler - Director of the History Museum of Mobile Kim Garrett - Director, Victory Health Partners Portia Green - Principal, Prichard Preparatory School Terrance Smith - Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives, City of Mobile This Coastal Conversation event was recorded live on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, at Byrne Hall on the Springhill College Campus. ////////////// More About Coastal Conversations The goal of is to introduce transformative ideas and then work with local partners to implement the ideas into our community. If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact us at . /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/22210046

How Cities Grow & Prosper with Mayor Tom Murphy 11/10/2021

How Cities Grow & Prosper with Mayor Tom Murphy On this Coastal Conversation, Tom Murphy, former mayor of Pittsburgh, transformed his community when faced with adversity. He offers experience, advice and pathways for any community looking to grow and prosper. From January 1994 through December 2005, Murphy initiated a public/private partnership strategy that leveraged more than $4.5 billion in economic development. Mayor Murphy will share his experience and highlight cities that have transformed by developing creative solutions to challenging problems. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/21120110

Health Disparities: Closing The Gap 11/08/2021

Health Disparities: Closing The Gap On this Coastal Conversation, we will discuss how our community can address the issue of health disparities and what is needed to solve this problem. This issue affects everyone in our community and will take all of us coming together to solve it. Our experts will define what is meant by “health disparities,” why these disparities exist, and propose ways to address the root of this problem and find real-world and achievable solutions. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/21090911

How To Build A Bridge 11/08/2021

How To Build A Bridge /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/21029669

The Transformation of Travel with Costas Christ 11/08/2021

The Transformation of Travel with Costas Christ On this Coastal Conversation, Costas Christ shares his thoughts and vision for sustainable tourism and how Coastal Alabama can implement his principles for future growth and sustainable tourism. Costas' innovative model for global travel "ecotourism" is based on three key pillars: environmentally-friendly practices, protection of natural and cultural heritage, and social and economic benefits for local people. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/21029450

Announcing the Coastal Dashboard 11/06/2021

Announcing the Coastal Dashboard On this episode, you will learn about The Coastal Dashboard created by Coastal Conversations. This dashboard is a signature project of Coastal Conversations. It provides an in-depth look into 20+ metrics that define our community's performance and indicates areas that need improvement and more focus. The Coastal Dashboard is available to the public and will be updated as new information is available. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/21090656

2021 Coastal Survey Results Revealed with Kevin Akins 11/05/2021

2021 Coastal Survey Results Revealed with Kevin Akins On this episode, you will hear the full presentation of the Coastal Conversations Community Survey by researcher Kevin Akins with the ALG Group, released April 29, 2021. This survey reveals that Coastal Alabama residents are generally satisfied with their quality of life and most aspects of living in Baldwin and Mobile Counties, but many groups have pressure points. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/21090485

Strong Towns 101 with Chuck Marohn 03/25/2021

Strong Towns 101 with Chuck Marohn On this conversation, Charles "Chuck" Marohn, the founder of Strong Towns, explains why promoting entrepreneurship has a much different impact on the overall wealth of a community than pursuing national mercantilist capitalism. It allows ordinary citizens to pursue their dreams; it works organically to create places where people want to be. Plus, it keeps capital in your local market. He explores the benefits of this brand of entrepreneurship and offers guidelines to set your community up to prosper. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/18470942

From Cradle to Career featuring Dr. Ronald Ferguson 03/12/2021

From Cradle to Career featuring Dr. Ronald Ferguson On this conversation, Dr. Ronald Ferguson delivered his presentation focused on understanding early childhood brain development, understanding that learning gaps start before children turn two years old, educating families on the importance of early childhood education and how communities can work together to create a great environment for kids to grow up. /episode/index/show/coastalconversations/id/18303407

Coastal Conversations

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