S1:E12 Developing and revitalizing communities – Veronica Smith in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato
Guest
Veronica Smith
In conversation with
Stephanie Fortunato
Key Takeaways Contributor
Adrian Ellis
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Veronica Smith, author of When Communities Disappear. They discuss the interdependent relationship between economic and community development, and emphasize the imperative need to build and sustain healthy communities by being authentic and enabling access to resources.
After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. Through reflecting on Stephanie’s experiences with community development, they concur with the need to build diverse coalitions to foster local ownership and policy decisions that are informed by the plurality of place histories.
Date of Recording
2 November 2021
Date of Publication
23 December 2021
[00:00:00]
[THEME MUSIC]
[00:00:06]
Stephanie Fortunato: Hello, and welcome to The Three Bells. This podcast is one of a series brought to you by the Global Cultural Districts Network, in which we explore what's happening around the world on those busy and sometimes congested intersections of cultural and urban life. The Three Bells is produced by AEA Consulting and The Binnacle Foundation. The podcast and supporting material can be found at www.thethreebells.net. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe on your podcast listening platform of choice.
I'm Stephanie Fortunato, Director of Providence's Department of Art, Culture and Tourism. Providence, Rhode Island is the ancestral land of the Narragansett people. We acknowledge the traditional owners and first nations people across all the lands and countries who are joining us today and pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. First nations people are our original storytellers, artists, and custodians of culture.
Today, I have the opportunity to be talking with author Veronica Smith. Veronica has dedicated her career to economic and community development. Since 2018, she has led Impact Brands, a consulting and advisory firm that specialises in strategic planning, community engagement and community revitalisation. We’ll be talking about her work, including her recent book - When Communities Disappear: The Unspoken Truths of Community Revitalisation, Ideologies and Policies in the United States. After my conversation with Veronica, I'll be joined by Adrian Ellis for our key takeaways segment to identify some insights from today's conversation.
So please stick around. But now, welcome Veronica! Thanks for joining us on The Three Bells.
[00:01:46]
Veronica Smith: Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to be here.
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External Links
NAACP – a U.S.-based grassroots activism organization for civil rights and social justice.
When Communities Disappear: The Unspoken Truths of Community Revitalization Ideologies and Policies in the United States – a book by Veronica Smith released in 2021.
Matter of Truth – City of Providence’s report on present and historical racism and discrimination in Rhode Island
About Our Speakers
Veronica Smith is a businesswoman, economic philosopher, and self-proclaimed Master of Community. She is the CEO and Founder of Impact Community Partners. Veronica is an engaged leader in her community, and has been mentoring women and girls in the Sacramento region for a decade – given her strong belief that when women are economically and politically empowered, they can transform their own communities. +
Stephanie Fortunato is Director of the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism for the City of Providence. Her work sits at the intersection of cultural planning and urban development, collaborating with local communities on creating policies and partnerships to strengthen neighbourhoods and transform public spaces. +
Adrian Ellis is the founder of AEA Consulting (1990) and the Global Cultural Districts Network (2013). He has worked in senior management and as a board member in both museums and the performing arts and as a strategy consultant to leading clients in the cultural, public, and business sectors around the world. +
