The Bottom-Up Revolution Is... A Special Update Episode
Clockwise from upper left: Marilyn Burns, Alex Rodriguez, Sheleita Miller, and Sarah Davis.
Today, on The Bottom-Up Revolution podcast, we’re running a special episode featuring updates from four guests who were on the show in the last couple of years.
We’ll first hear from Marilyn Burns, who’s helping lead an effort to create a community laundry co-op in the Woodhill neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. While they haven’t broken ground on their new facilities yet, they’re establishing the foundation of their co-op and taking incremental steps to test out their ideas.
We’ll also hear from Alex Rodriguez, a Strong Towns member who’s been involved in an ongoing process to help revitalize his rural town of Lexington, New York, through arts, housing, and small business. His organization, Lexington Arts and Science, has found some creative ways to raise money and recognized the huge potential that comes from partnering with other local organizations.
Next, we’ll hear from Sheleita Miller, a Strong Towns member who runs a community radio program in Gary, Indiana, and has been helping business owners during the pandemic. She’s recognized a silver lining to the separation that came from the pandemic, and has also been tackling a new project: revitalizing a small local mall.
And finally, we’ll close with a brief update from our summer intern last year, Sarah Davis, on her new urban planning job.
As you’re listening, pay attention to these themes that came up again and again in our conversations with these local leaders: First, that progress takes time. You have to stay dedicated to your goal, even when the results aren’t immediate. Another huge theme was the need for incremental action. Most of the folks haven’t fully realized their goals yet—they think big!—but they’ve taken small steps along the way to figure out what works and iterate on that.
The people you’re about to hear from are also totally dedicated to working together. None of them operate alone; they’ve found neighbors and neighborhood organizations to partner with because they know that they’ll go much farther when they collaborate and share the workload.
Additional Show Notes
Listen to past episodes featuring these guests: Marilyn Burns (May 2021), Alex Rodriguez (March 2021), Sheleita Miller (December 2020), Sarah Davis (September 2021).
Check out the Woodhill Community Coop on Instagram.
Learn more about the Lexington Arts and Science project.
Visit the ”Heart to Heart with Sheleita Miller” Facebook page.
Read about Toole Design.
Join the Strong Towns Facebook group.
Send your story ideas to rachel@strongtowns.org.
Subscribe to The Bottom-Up Revolution on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Podbean, or via RSS.
Support this podcast by becoming a Strong Towns member today.
Rachel Quednau serves as Program Director at Strong Towns. Trained in dialogue facilitation and mediation, she is devoted to building understanding across lines of difference. Previously, Rachel worked for several organizations fighting to end homelessness and promote safe, affordable housing at the federal and local levels. Rachel also served as Content Manager for Strong Towns from 2015-2018. A native Minnesotan and honorary Wisconsinite, Rachel received a Masters in Religion, Ethics, and Politics from Harvard Divinity School and a Certificate in Conflict Transformation from the Boston Theological Interreligious Consortium, both in 2020. She currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband and young son. One of her favorite ways to get to know a new city is by going for a walk in it.