Podcasts

Domicology (ABANDONED BUILDINGS, RECYCLED HOUSES & GHOST TOWNS) with Dr. Rex LaMore

What’s inside that boarded up house? Should you explore an abandoned mall? A vacant factory? And how much of an old house ends up in a landfill? The founder of Domicology, Dr. Rex LaMore of Michigan State University’s Center for Community and Economic Development, is an expert on these things and answers any possible question you might have, from ghost towns to hidden house notes, arson, recycling wood, stealing metal and how to leave a better housing situation for future generations. Also: whale poltergeists.

Urbandale Farm

Jeffrey Franklin sits down with the co-founder of the Lansing Urban Farm Project (LUFP) Laura DeLind, and they discuss the benefit of Urban farms, how community members can get involved, and they wrap it up by talking about the upcoming Harvest Gala at Lansing's Urbandale Farm. You can find more information about the LUFP and the Gala by using this link: https://www.lufp.org/

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REI Podcast Series Episode #5 - Mitchell Shapiro

Expert telecom industry analyst Mitchell Shapiro joins the show to discuss his Co-Learning Plan on bringing high speed internet to rural areas in Michigan. We discuss the reasons why a technology largely taken for granted has been so slow to reach these areas, and why the timing is just right for fiber-optic expansion to rural Michigan.

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REI Podcast Series Episode #4 - Chris Miller & Mary Zumbrunnen

REI Research Assistant Jeffrey Franklin sits down with Chris Miller and Mary Zumbrunnen representing the City of Adrian to discuss a new federal investment tool called Opportunity Zones that could bring major benefits to small rural communities in Michigan. They are co-authors for one of this year’s Co-Learning Plans and they will be presenting their toolkit for how to best capitalize on Opportunity Zones in Michigan at the Innovate Michigan! Summit on August 29th, at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center.

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REI Podcast Series Episode #3 - Norman Christopher

Norman Christopher, a private consultant and former Executive Director of Sustainability Practices at Grand Valley State University joins the podcast to discuss his REI supported Innovation Fellowship Research. He builds upon a previous MSU REI student led research project, exploring viable social impact and social entrepreneurship community investment strategies. In the podcast Christopher explains how the social issues we face today are all interconnected, but focuses our discussion on the issue of affordable housing, sustainability and new investment strategies.

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REI Podcast Series Episode #2 - John Monberg

Dr. John Monberg a professor of writing, rhetoric, American cultures, and experience architecture at Michigan State University joins the podcast to discuss his Co-Learning Plan about how we can better integrate a humanitarian perspective into the technically dominated development of smart cities in Michigan. Dr. Monberg will be presenting more about this subject at this year’s Innovate Michigan! Summit on August 29th in the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center.

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REI Podcast Series Episode #1 - Sam Butler

Jeffrey Franklin, REI Undergraduate Research Assistant is joined by Sam Butler, the Executive Director of Doing Development Differently in Metro Detroit (D4). Butler is an author of one of REI's 2019 Co-Learning Plans regarding best practices for implementing community benefit agreement mechanisms in the development process. Community benefit agreement mechanisms are an inclusive process that allow residents to become involved in the cultivation of their built enviroment.

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Triple Bottom Line

Rex LaMore, CCED Director, talks to Terry Link about the Triple Bottom Line, a business theory with a focus on sustainability. Terry discusses alternate ways for business to approach making profit that also takes sustainability and the wellbeing of employees into account.

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Flint CCED

Bob Brown, director of the CCED in Flint talks to Pastor Tommy about issues with the Help Centers in Flint along with other ongoing problems still faced everyday by the residents of Flint. Also, Pastor Tommy gives his reaction to the Governor's comments to the Mayor of Flint where the Governor told the people of Flint to "get over it."

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Underground Economy

Rex LaMore, director of the CCED, and Jennifer Bruen, REI Project coordinator talk to Rita Fields, an REI Innovation Fellow about her research project on the Underground Economy in Detroit. Her research examines the barriers for people that keep their businesses "Underground" rather than on the books.

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