Do our neighborhoods reflect our natural community patterns? Have we designed them to create economic success? We gravitate towards highly interconnected walkable ecosystems, but somewhere along the way we've turned away from that natural inclination, compartmentalizing our cities so that offices and commercial uses are separate, making the retail businesses surrounding them dependent on the 9-5 workers that frequent the area and leaving the neighborhood emptied outside of traditional office hours. Perhaps it's time to evaluate the ecosystems we create for ourselves to insure they match out natural order: to create neighborhoods that are fully livable and fully functional, with high levels of diversity that create natural economic success.

This week's episode features Jared Rodriguez, Principal, Emergent Urban Concepts, a thought leader in the realm of community development. With a degree in civil engineering, architectural Studies, and has worked in Real Estate Development with a focus on green energy components and sustainability, Jared helps communities determine who they want they be. 

How has the pandemic shaped the future of commercial development? This week we're looking at the future of commercial and industrial development, exploring the future of healthcare centers and models, and considering the future of residential development in response to the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week's episode features Guy Leibler, President of Simone Healthcare Development, and Kevin Plunkett, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Simone Development. 

The Bardavon 1869 Opera House, Inc. operates the oldest continuously operating theater in the state, one of the oldest in the country right here in the Hudson Valley, as well as the region’s premiere orchestra, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, and presents in venues including the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and Kingston’s Ulster Performing Arts Center. The organization offers affordable, world-class arts education programs, music, dance, theater, live in HD broadcasts, and classic films for the diverse audiences of the Hudson Valley.

This week's episode features Chris Silva, Executive Director of the Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie, exploring the challenges of small theaters during the pandemic and what the future holds.