Swanstrom joins DJ Wilson to talk professorially about the idea of middle neighborhoods and how approaching community development with a public health lens -- as opposed to that of an ICU -- can be a better model for sustaining diverse neighborhoods.

This sweeping conversation seamlessly covers an awful lot of ground, but here's a rough outline of how it went:

1:30-24:00 - What is a Middle Neighborhood? Swanstrom discusses housing policy, race, economic diversity, and why focusing on these diverse neighborhoods is vital to sustaining strong communities.

24:00-31:00 - The G-word: Gentrification is "a slippery term," says Swanstrom.

31:00-37:15 - Institutionalizing Collaboration: DJ and Professor Swantsrom discuss the fractured nature of the St Louis region and how we can move forward together.

37:15-end - How St Louis Compares Nationally: Of course DJ has to discuss media, but he and his guest also talk about the region's strengths and weaknesses as they compare to the rest of the US.

Links:

There were a couple of mentions of DJ's conversation with 20th Ward Alderman Cara Spencer. Here's a link to that program.

While discussing regional issues, DJ mentions a recent article focusing on "Better Together" initiatives. Here's a link to "a438-54f6-845e-2d7c07688df5.html">Krewson, Stenger back latest push for city-county coordination."

Towards the end of the program, DJ mentions Richard Florida, who writes for the Atlantic Magazine. Here's a link to the City Lab author's credits.