The Better Communities Podcast

The Better Communities Podcast creates a space for industry professionals, thought leaders and underrepresented communities to share their stories and create a dialogue to foster better more functional communities across the Pacific Northwest.

The War on Renewable Energy 06/13/2024

The War on Renewable Energy The Pacific Northwest is in the middle of a renewable energy boom. State legislatures, policy leaders, and voters have aggressively set carbon reduction targets over the last decade – paving the way for a new wave of federal dollars to drive the development and construction of wind, solar, and battery storage facilities across the region. New developments have always generated an element of local resistance. But none have proven to be as divisive as renewable energy. And despite the anti-woke, post-truth messaging from one unusually loud climate denier (see ), these divisions don't necessarily follow predictable ideological fault lines. Increasingly, fossil fuel interests and die-hard environmentalists have found a convenient allyship in this war against renewable development. Together, they are injecting a new kind of collective opposition that has created a strange new coalition that is part land-use watch dog, part liberal NIMBYist, and part climate change skeptic. The challenge to developers, energy leaders, and policymakers isn’t just local opposition to change. It’s that many of these communities are now drowning in a sea of misinformation about questionable claims about renewable energy’s impact on everything from water quality to public safety to their reliability. In the latest episode of the Better Communities Podcast, our team explores the misinformation war on renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest. Listen in as we talk about the social, economic, and environmental consequences of this misinformation war with Ruchi Sadhir from the , Jillian Farmer of , Nicole Hughes from , Jake Melder from , Commissioner Derrick DeGroot of , and labor and construction trade advocate Willy Myers. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/31740297

Do Downtowns Still Matter? 11/30/2023

Do Downtowns Still Matter? America’s downtowns are at a crossroads. Many urban economic centers are struggling to get back to pre-pandemic norms. In addition to an increasingly hybrid workforce, many downtowns are confronting a lack of affordable housing, rising crime, and recent policy reforms that have made it difficult to combat a deepening drug crisis on their streets. Seattle is not alone in this struggle. But it has a history of overcoming the odds of previous boom-and-bust economic cycles. But how are we measuring success with downtown Seattle’s recovery? What does the future of downtown look like? And what solutions are business and policy leaders focused on as Seattle wrestles with the role of downtown in our daily lives? Listen in as the Seattle team at explores the evolution of downtown Seattle’s economic, social and cultural recovery. In this episode, we talk with some of Seattle’s most influential business and policy leaders about the road ahead, including , President & CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, , CEO of Urban Renaissance Group, , urban studies expert and author of The New Urban Crisis, City Councilor , and , Director of Economic Development at the City of Seattle. Join us as we dive into the challenges reshaping the economic trajectory of Seattle – and the potential for yet another comeback. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/28874113

Bridging the Divide 05/15/2023

Bridging the Divide It often feels like the Portland-Vancouver metro region has become bogged down in a culture of political stagnation. We have big ideas. We seek to solve big problems like climate change and social justice. But we have lost our ability to work across our divisions to make big things happen. The I-5 bridge between Oregon and Washington was built more than a century ago. Today, it stands as a symbol of our inability to bridge our own political disagreements to get something done that is vital to the regional economy. After failing to garner support in 2013, there is a new team of community and political leaders working to try again. And it’s possible this time it will actually happen. In this episode, we talk with: DEMI LAWRENCE, reporter, Portland Business Journal LYNN PETERSON, president, Metro GREG JOHNSON, program administrator, Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Vancouver Mayor ANNE MCENERY-OGLE JOHNELL BELL, principal equity officer, Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Listen to learn what failed in previous attempts, how they are rethinking the steps needed to get back to fixing big problems, and how they hope to deliver the kind of progress our regional economy needs to keep working for everyone. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/26848959

Rethinking Free Speech in the Era of Cancel Culture 11/16/2022

Rethinking Free Speech in the Era of Cancel Culture The term “cancel culture” is a buzzword these days. Nevertheless, it deserves thoughtful analysis. Nowhere is cancel culture more apparent than on college and university campuses. According to a 2021 survey, more than 80% of American college students reported censoring themselves at least some of the time. This should raise a red flag for everyone. In this episode, we explore the evolving role of colleges and universities in facilitating productive conversation on campus. How do they define the line between harmful speech and free speech? And once the line is defined, how are they holding it? Listen as we explore the challenges of free speech, equity and inclusion, and education with ROBIN HOLMES-SULLIVAN, president of Lewis & Clark College; LA ROND BAKER, legal director for the ACLU of Washington; LISA LANDREMAN, vice president of student affairs at Willamette University; MANU MEEL, CEO of BridgeUSA; and several students from PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/25043790

The Roots of Oregon's Housing Crisis 05/10/2022

The Roots of Oregon's Housing Crisis Change is hard. In 1973, Oregon Governor Tom McCall created a pioneering land use policy focused on preserving farmland, reducing pollution and preventing urban sprawl. At the time, it was a visionary move that took bold political leadership. But what seemed visionary 50 years ago has played a pivotal role in creating Oregon’s modern day housing crisis. Today, our rural towns are struggling to address population growth as people seek a new hybrid work, lifestyle in these idyllic communities. Increasingly, rural areas of Oregon once thought to be affordable are now out of reach for most home buyers as housing supply has lagged behind demand for decades. And just building more housing isn’t as easy as it sounds. In this episode, we explore the challenges at the heart of Oregon’s housing crisis, what “affordable housing” really means, and why a new era of bold political leadership is required to solve this problem. Listen as , Senior Director of Marketing and Customer experience at Pahlisch Homes, Deputy City Manager with the City of Redmond, , CEO and President of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, Associate Professor School of Planning, Public Policy and Management University of Oregon, and , Manager of Public Policy at Hubbell talk about McCall’s legacy, the housing crisis, and the prospect of modernizing Oregon’s land use policies. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/23065685

Activism Beyond the #Hashtag 10/03/2021

Activism Beyond the #Hashtag The rise in “hashtag activism” may feel empowering. But is it distracting from needed policy changes across the racial justice, women’s rights, LGTBQ+, and climate change movements? /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/20678810

Is the Polling Industry Broken? 04/21/2021

Is the Polling Industry Broken? 2020 was a tough year. And a global pandemic, a shuttered economy, and the social justice movement made it a uniquely tough election year for opinion pollsters. Election night seemed like a repeat of 2016. The polls simply got it wrong. Again. The predictions of a “blue wave” never materialized. Pollsters had to admit there was something wrong with the models their industry has relied on for decades. So why do the polls keep getting it wrong? The $19 billion opinion research business is now searching for answers. In this episode, we explore how the polling industry is rethinking how behavioral and demographic shifts are disrupting long-standing opinion research methods. Listen as of , of , and of share their perspectives on the forces changing the polling business – and how research firms are adapting to a real-time information world. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/18814457

Division and the Discomfort of ‘Otherness’ 02/23/2021

Division and the Discomfort of ‘Otherness’ We are often told society today is more divided than ever. But what is driving this division? A number of factors are fueling this narrative of “us versus them” in our communities. Ideology, race, gender, class, and geography have come to define who we listen to – and who we distrust. Add in an increasingly complex media ecosystem designed to connect us but which has, in fact, divided us further. Much of this stems from our willingness to make assumptions about others – and to misunderstand other people’s core values, beliefs, and intentions. But are we really that divided? In this episode, we explore issues of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination through a unique lens. Listen as we take a journey into a group commonly misunderstood: hunters. Join us as host Bryan Dorn goes on his first hunting trip and meets up with Jimmy Flatt of to talk about why hunting is seen as a “white man’s sport”; with about her mission to bend gender stereotypes in the community; with about her journey from being a vegan animal rights activist to a proponent of ethical hunting practices; with Evan Charpentier on his experience as both a hunter and soccer Dad in Lake Oswego; and Ian Isaacson of about why the hunting community needs to do more to tell its story better. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/18052379

Losing Faith: Why We Distrust the Media 10/15/2020

Losing Faith: Why We Distrust the Media What role does social media play in our understanding of truth? How can journalists utilize the digital age to build civic engagement? And what role does the consumer play in sustaining a trustworthy information ecosystem? /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/16420355

Farming Through Uncertainty 07/15/2020

Farming Through Uncertainty What happens when restaurants are forced to close overnight and shoppers panic buy supermarket shelves? How do farms react to an ever changing market and what will this mean for Oregon's food economy? /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/15227162

The Better Communities Podcast Trailer 07/09/2020

The Better Communities Podcast Trailer The Better Communities Podcast is a production of Hubbell Communications. To learn more about the work we do making our communities better places to live, work, and play go to thinkhubbell.com. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/15147323

A Conversation About Father's Day 06/20/2020

A Conversation About Father's Day In this short episode we sit down with Hubbell Communications founder Ward Hubbell and his father to learn some valuable life lessons about raising children and participating in the community. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/14880632

The Coming Crisis for Oregon's Hospitals 05/28/2020

The Coming Crisis for Oregon's Hospitals Our hospitals have been celebrated for their role on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/14850584

How COVID-19 is Changing Gen Z 04/23/2020

How COVID-19 is Changing Gen Z Gen Z is facing a uniquely challenging situation. They were supposed to graduate into the strongest job market in a generation. Now they’re having to rethink their career paths. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/15147041

Communicating Unknowns 04/17/2020

Communicating Unknowns The COVID crisis has caused unprecedented change in our communities. Restaurants are shut down, businesses are working from home and health care employees are focusing on emergency care. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/15225506

The Higher Education Crisis 03/25/2020

The Higher Education Crisis Across the nation higher education institutions face an arguably unprecedented slate of dire circumstances. /episode/index/show/hubbellpodcast/id/15147185

The Better Communities Podcast

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