This week’s Bottom-Up Revolution podcast features Mayor Chris Frye, who’s been leading the city of New Castle, Pennsylvania, since January 2020. Before running for mayor, his background wasn’t in politics but in social work and community service. He’s a husband and father of three—and he’s utterly dedicated to helping his city grow stronger. He’s also New Castle’s first black mayor, and a Republican.
New Castle, as you’ll learn from Mayor Frye, is a city going through the same challenges of economic downturn, disinvestment and neglect that so many cities in the Rust Belt and Midwest have encountered during the last several decades.
However, like our guest last week (De’Amon Harges), Mayor Frye is focused on seeing the assets and gifts in his city, not just the problems. He knows that the work of revitalization is not merely about fixing up old buildings or bringing jobs back, but about changing negative perceptions. He wants residents and outsiders to see New Castle, not as a place of blight, poverty, or crime, but as a beautiful city that can thrive and is thriving.
At the end of our conversation, Mayor Frye shares his thoughts for other leaders whose cities may be in a similar economic situation. One piece of advice? “Stay hopeful, and don’t become complacent.”
Jonathan Curth: Ending Parking Minimums and Seeing the Results
Ann Zadeh: Community Design for Stronger Towns
Nick and Amanda Lanata: Two Amazing Strong Towns Members
Beth Silverman: Uniting For-Profits and Nonprofits to End Homelessness
Karla Theilen: A Neighborhood Storyteller
Cooper Frost: Incremental Change in a Small Town
David Cantu and Maya Sanchez: Helping Neighbors Grow (and Sell!) Their Own Food
Jay Stange: Slowing Down Cars and Building Up Neighborhoods
Carlos Alfaro and Jacob Pritchett: Reaching Across Political Divides
Christa Theilen and Seairra Shepherd: Small-Scale Rural Farming
Robin Roemer: Stopping a Harmful Highway Project
Strongest Town 2022: Jasper, IN
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Strongest Town 2022: Norwood, OH
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Rosemarie Rossetti: Designing Homes that Work for Everyone
A Special Update Episode Featuring 4 Previous Guests
Shelley Denison: Using Communicative Planning
Asheville Bench Project: Building Bus Stop Benches
Rebecca McQuillen and Rodger Kube: Forming a Community Land Trust
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