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Inside America's Best Cities, An Economic Development Podcast

Inside America's Best Cities, An Economic Development Podcast

Livability Media 79 Episodes Aug 11, 2026

This podcast explores talent attraction and economic development, offering insights from America's most promising small and mid-sized cities. Hosted by Livability Media, it features industry professionals discussing how communities can become better places to live, work, and play. The show highlights the unsung awesomeness of these cities and helps them reach target companies and residents through custom content programs.

Episodes

How Communities Get Noticed in an AI-Driven World
How Communities Get Noticed in an AI-Driven World Aug 11, 2026 31:43 The way people find and judge a community is changing fast, and standing out now takes more than a great website.  In this episode, Bethany Quinn of Golden Shovel Agency makes the case that in 2026, setting your community apart comes down to two things: being everywhere your audience is, and being specific enough that no one could swap your community's name for another. We also get into why video
One Message, Two Audiences: Tying Talent Attraction to Tourism
One Message, Two Audiences: Tying Talent Attraction to Tourism Jul 14, 2026 33:39 For six years, Minnesota lost more residents than it gained. To reverse it, the state's tourism office made a bet: the same things that get people to visit can get them to stay. In this episode, Lauren Bennett McGinty shares how Explore Minnesota expanded into talent attraction and why tourism offices are uniquely positioned to sell people on relocating, not just visiting. We dig into the "halo ef
From Crisis to Opportunity: A Chamber's Rapid Response
From Crisis to Opportunity: A Chamber's Rapid Response Jun 23, 2026 30:37 When the retail marketplace Painted Tree abruptly declared bankruptcy, 311 small businesses in Franklin, Tennessee were shut down and told to clear out their inventory, with no notice.  In the blink of an eye, they lost their point-of-sale system, their storefront, and their customer lists. In this episode, Jena Potter shares how her team at Williamson, INC. stepped in and pulled together a two-da
Playing the Long Game: Turning a Superfund Site into a Community Asset
Playing the Long Game: Turning a Superfund Site into a Community Asset May 19, 2026 30:40 What does it take to transform a former Superfund site into a thriving community asset? In Charleston, the answer involved decades of remediation, an innovative flood resilience solution, and a developer willing to play the long game. In this episode, Clark Davis shares how his team took a former EPA Superfund site from contaminated to livable, engineered a solution to remove the property from the
Revitalizing Existing Office Space: A New Incentive Approach
Revitalizing Existing Office Space: A New Incentive Approach Apr 28, 2026 24:42 When you have less than 4% of land left, you stop thinking about what to build and start thinking about what to fix. That's exactly what Sugar Land, Texas did with their brand new Office Readiness Program. In this episode, Jennifer Alexander, Business Development Manager for the City of Sugar Land, shares the details on a first-of-its-kind initiative in the region that offers up to 50% reimburseme
Balancing Expansion and Community Character: Nashville's Growth Blueprint
Balancing Expansion and Community Character: Nashville's Growth Blueprint Apr 7, 2026 26:51 When jobs, population, and opportunity surge, so do affordability pressures, housing shortages, and the risk of losing the very character that made your community attractive in the first place. In this episode, Stephanie Coleman, President & CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, shares how one of the country's fastest-growing regions is approaching that balance with 35 years of intentiona
Place Marketing Strategies That Work: Print, AI, and Public Art
Place Marketing Strategies That Work: Print, AI, and Public Art Mar 24, 2026 34:11 Place marketing isn't just marketing anymore. It's recruiting, community building, and storytelling all at once.  In this episode, destination storytelling expert Kristin Luna shares what's working in place marketing right now: why print still has a role, how AI is reshaping the way communities need to think about their online presence, and how public art can be one of the most accessible and cost
Outdoor Recreation as an Economic Driver
Outdoor Recreation as an Economic Driver Mar 10, 2026 32:24 For many communities, the outdoor economy is still treated as a soft amenity rather than a serious economic lever, even though it generates over $650 billion in economic impact each year.  In this episode, Ross Berlin, Senior Consultant at Fourth Economy, makes the case for why that needs to change. We dig into how outdoor assets connect directly to talent attraction in the modern economic develop
12 Weeks to a New Career: Build a Workforce Training Program That Sticks
12 Weeks to a New Career: Build a Workforce Training Program That Sticks Feb 24, 2026 26:47 Short-term workforce training is only as strong as what happens after graduation.  In this episode, Kevin Golumbeck, Director of CareerEdge at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, shares how the Bridges to Careers program has built an employer engagement model that looks different depending on the industry - from closed-door job fairs at the Chamber to contractors visiting classrooms directly
Branding the Economic Advantages of Southern Indiana
Branding the Economic Advantages of Southern Indiana Dec 16, 2025 31:11 John Launius of One Southern Indiana discusses the unique challenges and opportunities of economic development in a region crossing two states, including new infrastructure-focused regional brand, The Fouridor. Learn how the region leverages a bi-state talent pool, attracts big win projects like a Meta data center and keeps the momentum of their wins ongoing.   At Livability, we highlight the unsu
Maximize Your Workforce with Short Term Training
Maximize Your Workforce with Short Term Training Dec 2, 2025 23:03 Job training programs that are short, free and tailored to the needs of your employers could be key to maximizing your existing workforce. Tune in for a case study from Shannon Thiele, Ames Regional Economic Alliance, on the community's Story Country Retraining Program.    At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with comm
Free Child Care for All in New Mexico
Free Child Care for All in New Mexico Nov 18, 2025 24:27 New Mexico recently unveiled free child care for all New Mexico families. We sat down with Kendal Chavez, Deputy Secretary, New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, to hear how they're pulling off this game-changing initiative.   At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their targ

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