Chelsea Lawson is a Strong Towns member who’s putting her data-oriented mind to work to make her city and other cities stronger.
Lawson has worked in both local government and private consulting, helping cities like Los Angeles and Miami use data to understand how things are working and how to make them work better.
What we especially appreciate about Chelsea is the way that she’s taken her passion for data analysis and found a ton of creative ways to make her town stronger using those skills. Whether she’s working on a professional project or just walking through her neighborhood, she’s doing the math on what’s going to create the best return on investment and steward local resource well.
In this interview, you’ll learn about how even the trash in your garbage can plays an important role in shaping the future of your city, and how you can tie personal goals with community betterment. Chelsea shows us that doing the math is an essential part of building a strong town.
Additional Show NotesSocial Impact Calculator for public investment and policy decisions
Optimal Self (life game) dashboard and instructions
Clean Streets Santa Monica Community Organizing
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Lauren Fisher: Building Family and Community Resilience
Ilana Preuss: Saving Downtown with Small-Scale Manufacturing
Michael Kelley: Making Cities More Bike- and Walk-Friendly
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Haile McCollum: Small Business Owner and Community Leader
John Simmerman: Building Active Towns
Nathan Chung and Ryan Karb: Improving Food Access Through Mobile Markets
Sophia Hosain: Composting for Community
Coté Soerens: Creating a Coffee Shop for the Whole Neighborhood
Jeanyll Morris: Empowering Young People to Rebuild Homes
Marilyn Burns and Leah Ross: Starting a Community Laundry Co-op
Charles and Whitney Coats: Promoting More Housing, More Options, More Access
Mayor Chris Frye: Shifting Perceptions About a Rust Belt City
De'Amon Harges: A Roving Listener
Lisa Leslie: Building a Cohousing Community
Jason T. Hyman: Bridging the Wealth Gap Through Intentional Investment
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