Holly Jansen Fulkerson from Memphis Heritage visits Memphis Metropolis to explain what historic preservation is all about, discuss some recent advocacy efforts, and introduce a new program focused on the recognition and documentation of historic African American places.  Later in the program, urban designer Ray Brown joins Emily to talk about why a gas station and convenience store on Sam Cooper and Hollywood was a bad idea and the development challenges and opportunities on Summer Avenue. 

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.

In our inaugural show,  Steve Lockwood of Frayser CDC reflects on his career in Memphis community development, including stints as staff or board member at VECA CDC and Cooper Young Development Corp.  Then, Charlie Santo, chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of Memphis, talks with us about the growth of the local CDC industry, the challenges of redeveloping suburban-style neighborhoods, and why everyone needs to fill out their Census forms.