Best Center For Urban Transformation Chicago Podcasts (2025)

1
July 2025 Food Literacy Podcast 14:55

Play Pause

4d ago14:55

14:55

Here is a short 15-minute episode with reminders about what to pay attention to in our gardens in July. July has arrived and gardening season is in full swing. There are approximately 105 days left in the typical growing season. Of course, if you take some steps to extend the season you may be able to grow crops such as collard greens, kale, etc. i…

1
076 - Jason Heppler - Silicon Valley and the Environmental Inequalities of High-Tech Urbanism 1:03:28

11d ago1:03:28

1:03:28

A conversation with historian Jason Heppler about their book Silicon Valley and the Environmental Inequalities of High-Tech Urbanism (University of Oklahoma Press, Environment in Modern North America Series, 2024) Dr. Jason A. Heppler is a historian and digital historian, currently working as Senior Developer at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for Histor…

1
June 2025 Food Literacy Podcast 24:05

1M ago24:05

24:05

Tune in for some general observations about June gardening and seasonal shopping. Also, remember to get some Vitamin N—the N stands for nature. Get outside, get moving, and eat real, whole seasonal fruits and vegetables as the main part of your diet. The summer solstice is almost here in the northern hemisphere, and it is time for one of my favorit…

1
075 - Coll Thrush - Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific 1:08:52

1M ago1:08:52

1:08:52

A conversation with historian Coll Thrush about their book Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific (University of Washington Press, 2025) Coll Thrush is Professor of History and associate faculty in Critical Indigenous Studies at the University of British Columbia. He earned a B.A. from Fairhaven College at Western Washingto…

1
May 2025 Food Literacy Podcast 34:09

2M ago34:09

34:09

May 2025 Food Literacy Podcast Notes May is here in Chicago with the typical temperature swings. We had temperatures ranging between 80 and 90 degrees for a couple of days last week, and now, as I write and put the podcast together on May 20th, it is 53 degrees with a blustery wind. The keyword in this era of climate instability is unpredictable. R…

1
074 - William Grady - Redrawing the Western: A History of American Comics and the Mythic West 1:13:12

2M ago1:13:12

1:13:12

A conversation with scholar William Grady about their book Redrawing the Western: A History of American Comics and the Mythic West (University of Texas Press, 2024) Dr. William Grady is an independent scholar and library based in the United Kingdom in Manchester. He earned a PhD in English from the University of Dundee and a masters of research and…

1
April 2025 Food Literacy Podcast 13:03

3M ago13:03

13:03

Enjoy the April 2025 Food Literacy Podcast! Of significant importance to successful gardening is the number of hours of sunlight available (see the amount of daily sunlight available via your zip code) at this time of year. Now is a good time to start warm weather crop seeds indoors, such as tomatoes, peppers, etc., they should be mature and ready …

1
073 - James Buckley - City of Wood: San Francisco and the Architecture of the Redwood Lumber Industry 1:12:17

3M ago1:12:17

1:12:17

A conversation with urban planner and architectural historian James Michael Buckley about their book City of Wood: San Francisco and the Architecture of the Redwood Lumber Industry (University of Texas Press, 2024) James Michael Buckley is an urban planner, recently retired from the University of Oregon where he was an associate professor and vener…

1
March 2025 Food Literacy Podcast 24:22

4M ago24:22

24:22

This month's Food Literacy podcast is entirely devoted to gardening. Happy Meteorological Spring, here's to a great gardening season! It is March and the plant and gardening communities are raring to go. In fact, I have distributed thousands of seeds to our partners to begin seedlings and their crop plans. One site we like is Mind & Soil and their …

1
072 - Amanda Van Lanen - The Washington Apple 53:35

4M ago53:35

53:35

A conversation with historian Amanda Van Lanen about their book The Washington Apple: Orchards and the Development of Industrial Agriculture (University of Oklahoma Press, 2022). Amanda L. Van Lanen is Professor of History and Humanities Division Chair at Lewis-Clark State College. A historian of the American West, agriculture, and the environment,…

1
Dr. Christy Garrison Harrison Southern University 1:06:23

5M ago1:06:23

1:06:23

Please listen to this episode of the Roots Watering Hole podcast with Dr. Christy Garrison Harrison of Southern University. We asked Dr. Harrison to respond to a question we asked of respondents to our collaboration with the Center for Humans and Nature for their Questions for a Resilient Future series. The question is "What can we learn from the s…

1
071 - John Nelson - Muddy Ground: Native Peoples, Chicago's Portage, and the Transformation of a Continent 1:11:09

5M ago1:11:09

1:11:09

A conversation with historian John William Nelson about their book, Muddy Ground: Native Peoples, Chicago's Portage, and the Transformation of a Continent (University of North Carolina Press, 2023) John William Nelson is assistant professor of history at Texas Tech University, where he teaches courses on Colonial America, the American West, the Atl…

1
January 2025 Food Literacy Podcast 32:37

6M ago32:37

32:37

Introductory podcast for the 2025 season. Tune in for updates about what to expect in 2025. Also, please share topics you would like to see us cover beginning in February 2025. We are looking for guests as we will offer video episodes with content experts in February or March of 2025. Stay tuned for that, in the meantime let us prepare for a health…

1
070 - Samuel Western - The Spirit of 1889: Restoring the Lost Promise of the High Plains and Northern Rockies 1:06:33

6M ago1:06:33

1:06:33

A conversation with journalist, author, and poet Samuel Western about his book, The Spirit of 1889: Restoring the Lost Promise of the High Plains and Northern Rockies (University Press of Kansas, 2024) Samuel Western is a prolific journalist and writer of the American West. In addition to having taught various courses on Wyoming history and culture…

1
December 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 10:36

7M ago10:36

10:36

We are signing out of the Food Literacy Podcast for 2024 and anticipate having a wonderful 2025 with episodes and resources devoted to all things food literacy from gardening to cooking to consumer information and exciting programming being planned for 2025 in Chicago. Stay tuned! December 2024 Food Literacy Podcast Show Notes Urban Farmer Zone 6 P…

1
069 - James Tejani - A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth 1:10:36

7M ago1:10:36

1:10:36

A conversation with historian James Tejani about their book A Machine to Move Ocean and Earth: The Making of the Port of Los Angeles—and America (W. W. Norton, 2024) James Tejani is associate professor of history at California Polytechnic State University. He holds a BAs in history and political science from the University of California, San Diego,…

1
November 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 9:38

8M ago9:38

9:38

This is a very brief episode of the food literacy podcast so as usual pay attention to the show notes for what we hope is useful information. More importantly, I want to make sure to thank all of the people and organizations I work with throughout the year. The new year is just about 7 weeks away and 39 days away from the winter solstice and the jo…

1
068 - Holly Miowak Guise - Alaska Native Resilience: Voices from World War II 1:12:32

8M ago1:12:32

1:12:32

A conversation with historian Holly Miowak Guise about her book, Alaska Native Resilience: Voices from World War II (University of Washington Press, Indigenous Confluences Series, 2024). Dr. Guise is Assistant Professor of History at the University of New Mexico and holds a BA in Native American Studies from Stanford University and an MA and PhD in…

1
067 - Brent M. Rogers - Buffalo Bill and the Mormons 1:01:19

9M ago1:01:19

1:01:19

A conversation with historian Brent M. Rogers their book Buffalo Bill and the Mormons (Bison Books / University of Nebraska Press, 2024). Brent M. Rogers is the Managing Historian of the LDS Church History Department in Salt Lake City. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an M.A. in Public History from the California…

1
October 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 22:47

9M ago22:47

22:47

Hello, listeners to the October 2024 Food Literacy Podcast. Harvest time is upon us but as strange as it may seem it is also time to think about the 2025 gardening season. Get ready for winter and 2025! Here are some resources I hope will inform your decision(s). In doing research for this episode, I came across the Gardenary YouTube channel and an…

1
066 - Zac Podmore - Life After Dead Pool: Lake Powell's Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River 1:07:51

10M ago1:07:51

1:07:51

A conversation with journalist and author Zak Podmore about their book, Life After Dead Pool: Lake Powell's Last Days and the Rebirth of the Colorado River (Torrey House Press, 2024). In addition to stories for the Salt Lake Tribune, Podmore also published Confluence: Navigating the Personal & Political on Rivers of the New West (Torrey House Press…

1
August 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 10:25

11M ago10:25

10:25

Hello Listeners, this is a concise episode devoted to encouraging our listeners to establish a fall vegetable garden Longer episodes will begin in September 2024 where we will discuss myriad food literacy and wellness issues as well as follow up on fall vegetable gardening methods. I am having a hard time believing that it is August but alas it is!…

1
JULY 2024 FOOD LITERACY PODCAST EPISODE 14:21

1y ago14:21

14:21

The Food Literacy podcast resumes after a hiatus. I am better now and returning to the microphone with the July 2024 Food Literacy Podcast. This is probably more accurately described as a shortcast but we will cover some gardening topics for July and a few Food as Medicine items in the show notes. I hope you enjoy the episode! I have commissioned c…

1
065 - Julie Carr - Mud, Blood, and Ghosts: Populism, Eugenics, and Spiritualism in the American West 59:51

1y ago59:51

59:51

A conversation with poet and author Julie Carr about their book, Mud, Blood, and Ghosts: Populism, Eugenics, and Spiritualism in the American West (University of Nebraska Press, 2023). Julie Carr is Professor of English at the University of Colorado, Boulder and Chair of the Department of Women and Gender Studies. Her training and degrees from Barn…

1
064 - Lyndsie Bourgon - Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America’s Woods 59:29

1+ y ago59:29

59:29

A conversation with journalist Lyndsie Bourgon about her book, Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America's Woods (Little, Brown Spark, 2022). Lyndsie Bourgon is a journalist, author, oral historian, fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and National Geographic Explorer. Her work intersects the environment, history, culture, ide…

1
March 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 23:55

1+ y ago23:55

23:55

Let's get going on the upcoming garden season for 2024! Bill of Health Food is Medicine Approaches to Address Diet-Related Health Conditions. Take a look for yourself and study how your food choices may be good for you and the environmental health of the planet. Some cities while not banning meat, want to encourage us to eat more plants and have si…

1
063 - Andrew Curley - Carbon Sovereignty - Coal, Development, and Energy Transition in the Navajo Reservation 58:24

1+ y ago58:24

58:24

A conversation with geographer Andrew Curley about his book, Carbon Sovereignty: Coal, Development, and Energy Transition in the Navajo Nation (University of Arizona Press, 2023). Andrew Curley is a member of the Navajo Nation and an Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, Development and Environment at the University of Arizona. His book, …

1
February 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 17:53

1+ y ago17:53

17:53

Since discovering the Food Institute website I have spent considerable time reading through the offerings and found the following to share: Food Institute Food as Medicine Conundrum https://foodinstitute.com/focus/the-food-as-medicine-conundrum/ No surprise here but the Food Institute shares insight about the causes of the global Type-2 Diabetes pa…

1
Dr. JPB Gerald author of "Antisocial Language Teaching: English and the Pervasive Pathology of Whiteness" 1:00:47

1+ y ago1:00:47

1:00:47

The Roots Watering Hole podcast series is back after some life issues that kept us from publishing except for our food literacy podcast for several months. We return with a compelling interview with Dr. Gerald that we think you will enjoy, Bio: "Dr. JPB Gerald is an educator and theorist with a day job in non-profit education management and a side …

1
062 - Peter Boag - Pioneering Death - The Violence of Boyhood in Turn-of-the-Century Oregon 1:00:30

1+ y ago1:00:30

1:00:30

A conversation with historian Peter Boag about their book Pioneering Death: The Violence of Boyhood in Turn-of-the-Century Oregon (University of Washington Press, 2022). Peter Boag is Professor and Columbia Chair in the History of the American West at Washington State University. He is a historian of gender, sexuality, the environment, and culture …

1
061 - Navied Mahdavian - This Country: Searching for Home in Very Rural America 59:43

1+ y ago59:43

59:43

A conversation with cartoonist Navied Mahdavian about his graphic novel memoir, This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America (Princeton Architectural Press, 2023). Navied Mahdavian is is a cartoonist and writer whose work has appeared in the New Yorker since 2018. You may have also seen his work in Readers Digest, Wired, and elsewhere. …

1
Roots Watering Hole Podcast Series Returns 14:39

1+ y ago14:39

14:39

The Roots Watering Hole Podcast Series returns to full-time regular programming with at least one episode per month in addition to the food literacy podcasts. Listen to the trailer, thank you for listening. Please look for information coming up about supporting our work via Patreon...By Dr. Akilah Martin and Baba Orrin Williams

1
January 2024 Food Literacy Podcast 19:47

1+ y ago19:47

19:47

It is the beginning of 2024 and we embark upon a new trip around the sun. This is the first episode of the 2024 food literacy podcast and we will be providing a brief overview of what the upcoming season will include. Thank you for listening and may we provide you with a wealth of information for building healthy individuals and communities. In thi…

1
Nateo Carreno and Susan Lucci 1:22:16

1+ y ago1:22:16

1:22:16

A wide-ranging conversation about being human and co-creating with Nature/Mother Earth. I think you will enjoy this sonic experience!By Dr. Akilah Martin and Orrin Williams

1
December 2023 Food Literacy Podcast 17:47

1+ y ago17:47

17:47

This is the final food literacy podcast for 2023. Please listen in and check the show notes for important season-ending information. As is stated in the trailer there is some news on the gardening front that I wanted to mention. There is a recently released USDA Hardiness Zone map. Check out Gardener Scott’s YouTube video about the new USDA Hardine…

1
060 - Natalia Molina - A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community 1:04:20

1+ y ago1:04:20

1:04:20

A conversation with historian Natalia Molina about their book A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community (University of California Press, 2022). Natalia Molina is Distinguished Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and Dean's Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. In 2…

1
November 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Episode 17:46

1+ y ago17:46

17:46

November typically marks the end of the growing season for most of us in the Chicago region. However, there are some gardeners who may apply season extension strategies that carry them through the winter. If that is not you do not fret, it is time to close out the 2023 season, get some rest, and begin planning for 2024. We will not cover much at al…

1
059 - Sarah Keyes - American Burial Ground: A New History of the Overland Trail 55:10

1+ y ago55:10

55:10

A conversation with Sarah Keyes about their book American Burial Ground: A New history of the Overland Trail (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023). Sarah Keyes is an assistant professor of history at the University of Nevada, Reno. She earned her PhD from the University of Southern California and studies the intercultural relations between Indig…

1
October 2023 Food Literacy Podcast 21:44

2y ago21:44

21:44

This is the October 2023 Food Literacy Podcast episode. The weather is cooling and it is time to prepare for the winter though it may seem strange you also want to prepare for the 2024 growing season. Check out the episode and accompanying show notes for what we believe are pertinent issues for October. Check out this article by the Piedmont Master…

1
058 - Heather Hansman - Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and the Future of Chasing Snow 1:01:51

2y ago1:01:51

1:01:51

A conversation with Heather Hansman about their book Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and The Future of Chasing Snow (Hanover Square Press, 2021). Heather Hansman is the author of Powder Days: Ski Bums, Ski Towns, and The Future of Chasing Snow (Hanover Square Press, 2021, paperback, 2023), and Downriver: Into the Future of Water in the West. She'…

1
057 - Molly P. Rozum - Grasslands Grown 1:08:03

2y ago1:08:03

1:08:03

A conversation with historian Molly P. Rozum about their new book, Grasslands Grown: Creating Place on the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies (University of Nebraska Press & University of Manitoba Press, 2021). Molly P. Rozum is associate professor of history and the Ronald M. Nelson Distinguished Professor and Chair of Great Plains and Sou…

1
September 2023 Food Literacy Podcast 12:34

2y ago12:34

12:34

September is here and fall is upon us. How quickly things turn as it seems that May and June were just a few days ago. See the show notes for more details and you will find a link to the September 2022 Garden Education episode for information still relevant in 2023. Thank you for listening in! I will start by reminding our listeners that we are no …

1
August 2023 Food Literacy Podcast 13:11

2y ago13:11

13:11

This is the August Food Literacy Podcast done in partnership with the urban gardening and farming community in Chicago and posted via Chicago Grows Food. There is still time to plant certain crops for a fall garden and harvest, check the show notes for more details... August 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Show Notes Planting for a fall crop? Do not be …

1
056 - Michael K. Johnson - Speculative Wests 59:13

2y ago59:13

59:13

A conversation with literary scholar Michael K. Johnson about their book, Speculative Wests: Popular Representations of a Region and Genre (University of Nebraska Press, 2023). Michael K. Johnson is Professor of American literature at the University of Maine at Farmington. His primary research areas are African American Literature and the literatur…

1
July 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Episode 13:39

2y ago13:39

13:39

Short and sweet food literacy podcast episode for July 2023. Topics include what to plant in July as well as what seeds to start indoors for those interested in fall gardening. Food literacy topics include food fraud and the high cost of food, the health impacts of ultra-processed foods on our health, and eggs as an example of the confusion often s…

1
055 - Ellen Wohl - The Secret Life of Mountain Ecosystems and the Afterlife of Trees 57:07

2y ago57:07

57:07

A conversation with geoscientist Ellen Wohl about their books, Something Hidden in the Ranges: The Secret Life of Mountain Ecosystems and Dead Wood: The Afterlife of Trees (Oregon State University Press, 2021 and 2022). Dr. Ellen Wohl is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Colorado State University. Selected add…

1
June 2023 Food Literacy Podcast Episode 34:21

2y ago34:21

34:21

June in Chicago is the kickoff of the primary gardening season in Chicago. In this episode, we address some of the concerns of participants in the Chicago Grows Food constellation about fabric grow bag and container vegetable gardening. Special thanks to Elizabeth Berkeley, executive director of Chicago Grows Food, Marjorie Kersten graduate student…

1
054 - Andrea Geiger - Converging Empires, Citizens and Subjects in the North Pacific Borderlands 1:05:03

2y ago1:05:03

1:05:03

A conversation with Andrea Geiger about their new book, Converging Empires: Citizens and Subjects in the North Pacific Borderlands, 1867-1945 (University of North Carolina Press, 2023). Andrea Geiger is professor emerita of history from Simon Frasier University in British Columbia. With an international childhood spent in Japan, the Netherlands, In…

1
053 - Melissa L. Sevigny - Brave the Wild River 56:18

2y ago56:18

56:18

A conversation with Melissa L. Sevigny about their book Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon (W. W. Norton, 2023). Melissa L. Sevigny is a science journalist at the Arizona Public Radio station KNAU in Flagstaff. Her writing intersects science, nature, and history, with a focus on the America…

1
Lia Carrillo Production 1:07:43

2y ago1:07:43

1:07:43