Dominic Leonardo — Rhode Island city planner, and the reputable @cityglowup on socials — is in good traffic to discuss the simple-yet-vital process of documenting progress.

Transformations — or, glow-ups — have long been an effective way of visually storytelling change, and garnering momentum. Dominic does the vintage before/after in a contemporary fashion better than anyone.

We discuss:

00:00 On @cityglowup.

02:37 Origin behind the videos.

04:42 Unexpected positivity and community feedback.

06:14 Finding new places through comments.

09:21 The appeal of midsize cities.

13:27 Local governance and urban planning in Rhode Island.

22:28 Walkability and bikeability in Providence.

25:18 Popular urban design topics.

28:12 Small town transformations.

29:22 Suburban changes and detached density.

31:39 Journeying into urban planning.

35:46 Economic perspectives in urbanism.

42:12 The Tempe case study.

49:42 Pitching Rhode Island.

51:09 Upcoming projects.

53:29 Wrapping up.

Connect with Dominic:

@cityglowup on Instagram.

@cityglowup on TikTok.

@cityglowup on YouTube.