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Memphis Metropolis

Memphis Metropolis

By Emily Trenholm

Memphis Metropolis is about the built environment – the building blocks that define the look and feel of our city and region. From the downtown skyscrapers to the historic neighborhoods to the suburbs, we’ll talk to community leaders and residents, examining architecture, transportation, public art, parks, development and redevelopment plans, and much more, from a variety of perspectives. Your host is Emily Trenholm. Memphis Metropolis airs every Monday from 1 to 2 pm. Central on WYXR 91.7 FM.
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Currently playing episode

The urban grocery store conundrum. With Shawn Massey and Charlie Santo.

Memphis MetropolisJan 10, 2021

00:00
01:03:58
Urban Developments - Looking Back and Ahead. With Neil Streibig.

Urban Developments - Looking Back and Ahead. With Neil Streibig.

Commercial Appeal real estate reporter Neil Streibig joins Emily to talk about recent and proposed urban redevelopment projects, both large and small.

Jan 08, 202452:06
Getting Around Memphis' Center City is Easier Than Ever. With Lauren Bermudez.

Getting Around Memphis' Center City is Easier Than Ever. With Lauren Bermudez.

The Core Transit Management Association (TMA) is a coalition of organizations focused on improving commute options in and around downtown and the Medical District. In this program, Lauren Bermudez from the Downtown Memphis Commissions discusses many of the tools and programs available to residents and businesses, including bike share, the Groove Shuttle, and new parking facilities and strategies.

Dec 10, 202354:22
Friends for All Celebrates a New Home and a New Identity. With Diane Duke and Chooch Pickard.

Friends for All Celebrates a New Home and a New Identity. With Diane Duke and Chooch Pickard.

Friends for All executive director Diane Cuke and Chooch Pickard, architect at A2H, discuss FFA's new home in the Evergreen neighborhood and the organization's new name and expanded programs and services.

Nov 13, 202350:28
Community Redevelopment Agency Invests In What Matters to Residents. With Andrew Murray.
Oct 22, 202357:06
Connecting Frayser. With Nicole Gates.
Oct 08, 202334:26
A Conversation With Vance Lauderdale

A Conversation With Vance Lauderdale

In this show, we welcome guest Vance Lauderdale, the eccentric scion of the Lauderdale family and author of the widely-read Ask Vance column in Memphis Magazine. Vance explains more about his family's checkered history; talks about some of his favorite columns and places; and shares some stories about ghosts, a castle in the Alcy Ball neighborhood, and getting lost in the stairwell of the Sterick building.

Sep 15, 202355:21
BDC Business Hub Combines Innovative Recycling Programs with Workforce Opportunities in Binghampton. With Andy Kizzee and Antwoine Clark.
Sep 10, 202349:14
Oasis of Hope Marks 20 Years Strengthening the Bickford Bearwater Neighborhood.
Sep 01, 202345:18
Getting Around Memphis Without a Car. With Jackson McNeil.

Getting Around Memphis Without a Car. With Jackson McNeil.

Jackson McNeil, a longtime friend of Memphis Metropolis, recently joined Innovate Memphis as Director of Transportation and Mobility, overseeing the Commute Options program. In this show, we discuss the hard work of (and many obstacles to) getting Memphians out of their cars and onto alternate modes of transportation. Jackson and Emily also discuss the recently published Safe Speed Index, which ranks cities on the average vehicle speeds on streets used by pedestrians.



Jul 30, 202345:21
Junior Achievement Comes to Binghampton. With Leigh Mansberg and Vernonica Tansey.

Junior Achievement Comes to Binghampton. With Leigh Mansberg and Vernonica Tansey.

When Junior Achievement of Memphis moved its headquarters from downtown to Binghampton, it gained new partners and a visible new location but faced challenges converting a former grocery store into the flexible and child-friendly facility they needed. JA president and CEO Leigh Mansberg visits Memphis Metropolis along with Veronica Tansey, project manager and interior designer at Fleming Architects, to discuss the project.



Jul 16, 202331:02
What's Your ParkScore, Memphis? With Noel Durant and JoAnn Street.
Jun 25, 202346:16
Young Actors Guild Creates a New Home in a Former Fire Station. With Sabrina Norwood.
Jun 11, 202334:11
Shelby County's Environmental Court: An Explainer. With Judge Patrick Dandridge.

Shelby County's Environmental Court: An Explainer. With Judge Patrick Dandridge.

Shelby County's Environmental Court - one of the first in the country to be established - plays an important role in addressing the issue of blight in Memphis. In this program, Judge Patrick Dandridge explains how cases make it into court and the combination and carrots and sticks that are available to compel property owners to fix up their property. Judge Dandridge and Emily also discuss the resources available to assist low-income homeowners and his plan to establish an Environmental Court foundation to increase those resources.

Jun 04, 202341:02
The State of the City's Bike and Pedestrian Networks. With Nick Oyler.

The State of the City's Bike and Pedestrian Networks. With Nick Oyler.

Nick Oyler has spent the last several years working in and with the community to improve the city's active transportation systems, first with the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and most recently as bike and pedestrian program manager for the City of Memphis. Nick is leaving Memphis to pursue new professional opportunities in Denver, and we asked him to return to Memphis Metropolis one last time to reflect on the successes, frustrations, and opportunities he has experienced during his tenure here.

Apr 23, 202353:03
The Ugly Truth About Litter. With Janet Boscarino.
Apr 09, 202347:22
Arkwings: A Hidden Gem in Frayser. With Jana Wilson.
Mar 12, 202332:33
A Look Back at the Memphis Botanic Garden's 70 Year History. With Mary Helen Butler.
Feb 26, 202334:36
Hyde Park Matters! With Fred Robinson and Rev. Melvin Lee.

Hyde Park Matters! With Fred Robinson and Rev. Melvin Lee.

Hyde Park is a small neighborhood in North Memphis, one of several off Chelsea Avenue. Like many urban neighborhoods, it was once a thriving area of homeowners and commercial districts, where residents had a sense of pride and community. But for the past several decades it has experienced a lack of investment and a declining population. Today, a grassroots organization called Hyde Park Matters is working determinedly to rejuvenate the neighborhood through community building, blight and litter eradication, and by building close working relationships with local government. Fred Robinson's family has long ties to the community and Rev. Melvin Lee has pastored Macedonia M.B. Church there for many years. Together they visited Memphis Metropolis to talk about the Hyde Park neighborhood and the organization they founded to help it regain its prosperity. 


Jan 29, 202354:42
Fighting Blight With Receivership: An Explainer. With Vincent Sawyer.
Jan 15, 202348:48
Memphis Can't Reduce Pedestrian Deaths Without Talking About "Windshield Bias." With Nick Oyler.

Memphis Can't Reduce Pedestrian Deaths Without Talking About "Windshield Bias." With Nick Oyler.

Pedestrian deaths in Memphis are at an all-time high and the city is one of the most dangerous in the U.S. for people who get around on foot. But while driver behavior and poor street design are the primary contributors to the problem, pedestrians themselves - the victims - are often blamed. Nick Oyler, Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager in the city's engineering department, pays a return visit to Memphis Metropolis to discuss what the law actually says about where pedestrians can and cannot cross the street, why pedestrian behavior that seems illogical often is quite rational, and how "windshield bias" - seeing the problem exclusively from the driver perspective - is inhibiting the development of solutions. 

Dec 18, 202258:03
As both video content providers and creators proliferate, BLP Film Studios plans to create a world-class production facility in Whtiehaven. With Jason Farmer.

As both video content providers and creators proliferate, BLP Film Studios plans to create a world-class production facility in Whtiehaven. With Jason Farmer.

Jason Farmer, founder and CEO of BLP Film Studios, visits Memphis Metropolis to talk about the 100-acre film production facility the company is developing in Whitehaven. 

Dec 11, 202248:31
What's Next for Memphis Neighborhoods? With Alex Turley.

What's Next for Memphis Neighborhoods? With Alex Turley.

The Henry Turley Company has been at the forefront of enlightened neighborhood development and redevelopment for decades, including developing Harbor Town - which became a national model, partnering with the city and others on redeveloping the Uptown area, and most recently, adding a mixed-use community, Orleans Station, to the Medical District. 

 In this program, company CEO Alex Turley visits Memphis Metropolis for a wide-ranging conversation about the recent surge in development in the city's core and the need for community partnerships that support redevelopment but avoid the levels of displacement and gentrification that other cities have seen in recent years. 

Nov 13, 202253:22
After a Long Drought, Duplexes, Quads, and Back Houses are Returning to Memphis Neighborhoods. With Andre Jones.

After a Long Drought, Duplexes, Quads, and Back Houses are Returning to Memphis Neighborhoods. With Andre Jones.

Andre Jones of Jones Urban Development joins Memphis Metropolis this week to talk about so-called "missing middle" housing,  the duplexes, quads, and small apartment buildings that fill our older neighborhoods but haven't been developed in newer neighborhoods. Jones and his company are bringing missing middle housing back, starting in the Uptown neighborhood. In this show, he discusses his Malone Park Commons project - a cottage community - and talks about the challenges he has confronted in its development. 

Nov 06, 202249:54
When States Interfere with Local Policymaking. With Dr. Megan Hatch and Dr. Austin Harrison.
Oct 30, 202259:00
Industrial Real Estate: An Explainer. With Kemp Conrad.

Industrial Real Estate: An Explainer. With Kemp Conrad.

Shopping centers, offices, and residential neighborhoods often come to mind when many people think about the real estate business. But industrial real estate - where the region's warehouses and distribution centers are located - dwarfs those other sectors locally. Commercial Advisor's Kemp Conrad joins Memphis Metropolis to explain the geographic and transportation factors that drove industrial real estate's growth, how the Blue Oval City development will impact the sector, and how recent economic trends - such as interest rate increases - may temporarily slow new development even though demand remains high. 

Oct 23, 202235:40
Lost Memphis with Josh Whitehead

Lost Memphis with Josh Whitehead

Outside of his day job in the planning and legal professions, fans of the built environment and its history know him as the creator of the Creme de Memph blog. Creme de Memph first came to life when Josh discovered a trove of historical planning documents - zoning cases, maps, renderings, photos, etc. - in the basement of Memphis' city hall. Years later, the blog has covered sidewalk curb cuts, street configurations that make no sense, historical signs, buildings that are long gone, and others that were designed but never built. 

In this episode, we talk to Josh about his Lost Memphis series on the blog, and in particular about two buildings that once stood in the neighborhood where Crump becomes Lamar - VA Hospital #88 and the Memphis Furniture Manufacturing Company



Oct 09, 202251:23
The Lynching Sites Project. With Richard Watkins and Kelsey Lamkin.
Oct 02, 202245:25
Welcome to the New Hospitality Hub, Where People Without Housing Can Get All Kinds of Help. With Terri Conley and Ellen Roberds.
Sep 04, 202251:06
The NAACP Building Gets a Facelift and Builds On Its Long History. With Deidre Malone, Felicia Harris, and Cole Bradley.
Aug 21, 202256:47
Respect The Haven! With Jason Sharif.
Aug 12, 202238:20
Community LIFT Continues Its Neighborhood Revitalization Work Under New Leadership. With Luther Mercer.
Aug 07, 202247:37
Ernest Withers Home Earns National Recognition. With Rome Withers and Kelsey Lamkin.
Jul 31, 202240:56
Madison and Avalon - a Key Midtown Intersection - Is Getting Spiffed Up. With Emily Bishop and Karen Lebovitz.
Jul 17, 202246:59
A Conversation with Rusty Bloodworth

A Conversation with Rusty Bloodworth

Rusty Bloodworth has been quietly influential in the development of the Memphis region for many years. Earlier in 2022, Rusty celebrated 54 years with Boyle, a leading real estate company known for nearly a century of visible projects from Belvedere Avenue - developed by a predecessor company and often called the most beautiful street in Memphis; to Ridgeway Center, one of the country's first mixed-use developments; to most recently, Schilling Farms in Collierville. The firm also has a large Nashville-based practice.

In 2007, Rusty teamed up with other real estate leaders to create a local chapter of the Urban Land Institute, an international organization focused on urban planning, growth, and development.

In this discussion, Rusty reflects on how land use and real estate trends have come and gone over his career, and how he and Boyle's philosophy on development have changed over his career, with much more emphasis in newer projects on a mix of uses, walkability, and the incorporation of green space. 

Jul 03, 202254:02
Memphis Parks Need Our Support and Bloom is Here to Help. With Jamal Boddie
Jun 19, 202237:39
Champions of the Built Environment. With Marvin Stockwell.
Jun 12, 202257:46
A Conversation with Photographer Brandon Dill
Jun 05, 202258:49
Meet the Dynamic Couple Behind Black Seeds Urban Farms. With Derravia Rich and Bobby Rich.
May 22, 202247:08
A Conversation with Josh Whitehead.
May 15, 202257:24
How Small Grassroots Action Can Ignite Transformational Neighborhood Change. With Sarah Newstok.

How Small Grassroots Action Can Ignite Transformational Neighborhood Change. With Sarah Newstok.

In this program, host Emily Trenholm travels down memory lane with Sarah Newstok, a former colleague at LIvable Memphis. Emily and Sarah talk about how grassroots action helped ignite a new era of bike infrastructure in Memphis, including the then-controversial Madison Avenue bike lanes; the New Face for An Old Broad event that kicked off the redevelopment of the Broad Avenue district, and a wave of other similar MemFix events; and how both movements linked up for the development of the innovative Hampline, which connects Overton Park to the Shelby Farms Greenline. 

May 08, 202249:22
Northside: A Transformative Project in North Memphis. With Roshun Austin and Cole Bradley.

Northside: A Transformative Project in North Memphis. With Roshun Austin and Cole Bradley.

Northside HIgh School - opened in 1968 - was the jewel of the Klondike neighborhood, surrounded by other important institutions such as Klondike Elementary, the North Branch Library, Katie Sexton Community Center, and Klondike Park. Northside closed in 2016 due to declining enrollment and has been vacant since then. But now, the former school building is being turned into a community hub, including affordable housing, job training, health services, art activities, and more. In this program, we welcome Roshun Austin of the Works CDC to explain the community-led vision for the new space and how her organization is partnering with residents, alumni, and other stakeholders to bring that vision to reality.

Apr 17, 202258:52
Is Trolley Service Returning to Madison Avenue? With Joel Cox, John Lancaster, and Charlie Santo.
Apr 10, 202258:53
Memphis LISC Brings New Funding Options to Community Developers. With Kathy Cowan.
Apr 03, 202235:44
Gayoso Bayou and Other Interesting Memphis Sewer History. With Caroline Carrico and Charlie Santo.
Mar 20, 202259:07
William Townsend Loves Old Buildings

William Townsend Loves Old Buildings

Over the past two years, William Townsend of Townsend has acquired - in fairly quick succession - the Luciann Theater on Summer Avenue, the Desoto Masonic Lodge at Court Avenue and Fourth Street, and the historic Lowenstein mansion on Jefferson Avenue and Manassas Street. In this episode, Bill explains his passion for old buildings, which dates back to his childhood in Memphis, and his plans to use the properties' renovations to spur or support the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhoods. 

Mar 13, 202257:38
A Garden Walk and More in Cooper Young. With Kim Halyak.
Mar 06, 202236:34
A Conversation with Darrell Cobbins.

A Conversation with Darrell Cobbins.

Commercial real estate broker Darrell Cobbins visits Memphis Metropolis to discuss the 15-year anniversary of Universal Commercial, the firm he founded 15 years ago. Darrell has played a role in a wide range of projects in the community, from helping the Crosstown Concourse developers acquire property at the beginning of his firm's tenure to most recently assisting Junior Achievement in moving its local headquarters from downtown to Binghampton. Darrell also talks with Emily about Lakeview Gardens, one of the first subdivisions built for African American homeowners, developed by his grandfather. This wide-ranging discussion also touches on the lack of diversity in the commercial real estate industry, and how intentional hiring strategies can benefit the field and the larger community. 

Later in the show, regular commentator Charlie Santo stops by to talk about how the urban planning profession is also facing diversity challenges and the strategies the University of Memphis is deploying to recruit a student body that is diverse not only in race but also in terms of socioeconomic status, gender identity, and more. 

Feb 27, 202258:54
BLDG Memphis. With Deveney Perry and Austin Harrison
Feb 20, 202259:39
A Conversation with Longtime Memphis Reporter Tom Bailey

A Conversation with Longtime Memphis Reporter Tom Bailey

Tom Bailey, recently retired after a long career in local journalism, visits the show for a conversation about the most significant real estate and community development projects and trends of the past decade or so. In this wide-ranging discussion, Tom and Emily talk about projects that succeeded against all odds - such as Crosstown and the Tennessee Brewery redevelopments - as well as smaller but significant events that helped ignite broader change, such as the addition of bike lanes to Madison Avenue and the New Face for an Old Broad event. 

Feb 13, 202258:02
What Could Congress' Big Infrastructure Bill Mean for Memphis? With Robert Knecht and Charlie Santo.

What Could Congress' Big Infrastructure Bill Mean for Memphis? With Robert Knecht and Charlie Santo.

Late last year, Congress passed the bipartisan Federal Investment and Jobs Act, which represented the largest investment in the country's infrastructure in generations - some $500 billion in new funding to be utilized over five years. In this program, City of Memphis public works director Robert Knecht visits Memphis Metropolis to discuss why the infrastructure bill is so important for cities like Memphis, and how the city hopes to utilize its funding for projects of all types, from long-planned street repaving to broadband and resilience initiatives. Later in the show, regular commentator Charlie Santo and Emily do a deeper dive into the bill itself, including the different funding categories, and tee up a future program on how future city investments could connect Memphis workers and communities to the Blue Oval electric car manufacturing plant.



Jan 30, 202257:49