In this episode, Ellen talks with Lucas Grindley from Next City and Richard Young from Civic Lex. Lucas and Richard discuss their respective organizations and their dedication to strengthening urban and rural areas through solutions journalism and transforming civic engagement. They also share about their collaboration on the 2024 Next City Vanguard Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, which explored rural-urban interdependence, its complexities and opportunities. Conference discussions focused on themes such as rural-urban balance, using Lexington's unique urban service boundary as a case study, the importance of reckoning with historical context, and the need to transform regional planning efforts beyond government institutions.

More Information:
Richard Young Bio, https://www.rbryoung.com/civiclex
Lucas Grindley Bio, https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucasgrindley/
CivicLex, https://civiclex.org/
Next City, https://nextcity.org/
Lexington, KY Urban Service Boundary, https://civiclex.org/big-issues/urban-service-boundary
2024 Next City Vanguard Conference

Episode Highlights:
03:00 Next City and CivicLex

08:57 Lexington's Unique Urban-Rural Dynamics

16:23 Historical and Cultural Insights

21:53 Urban Service Boundary Explained

29:22 False Dichotomies in Growth and Preservation

33:59 Regional Planning and Economic Development

38:42 LGBTQ+ History and Rural-Urban Connections

42:17 Changing Perceptions of Kentucky

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