Studio C70

David Thornburgh chats with Jeremy Nowak (at right in photo) and Bruce Katz, authors of a new book called "The New Localism." Their thesis: Many American cities have more things going for them than they seem to realize - untapped wealth and assets that could enable them to address many of their challenges. Those cities just have to stop behaving in 20th-century ways, including waiting for federal help that isn't coming anytime soon. Nowak and Katz talk about cities on the rise - yeah, Pittsburgh, we're talking about you - that offer lessons in how to flip this switch.

Host Chris Satullo talks with David Daley, author of "Ratf**ked." Daley literally wrote the book on gerrymandering, how it went nuclear in the digital age, and the damage it does to democracy. And the first chapter in his book was about Pennsylvania. It's a pretty grim read. But all is not lost! Today, Daley sees more than one glimmer of hope across the land that the people are rising up and saying, Enough with these goofy maps and their toxic effects. (And this interview was taped a couple of days before a court threw out Pa.'s notoriously gerrymandered congressional map.)

Philadelphia's head wonk, Seventy CEO David Thornburgh, runs down his list of indispensable nonfiction books that you should consider buying for the serious readers on your Christmas list. Along the way, he and host Chris Satullo discuss, among other things, gerrymandering, hopefulness,Robert Moses vs. Jane Jacobs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, purple skies, dead armadillos and what it's like to have your daughter turn you into a character in her novel. This bonus edition of the podcast also includes recommendations from three of the podcast's favorite guests of 2017: Jason Tucker, Harris Sokoloff and Sharon Browning.

Philadelphia's head wonk, Seventy CEO David Thornburgh, runs down his list of indispensable nonfiction books that you should consider buying for the serious readers on your Christmas list. Along the way, he and host Chris Satullo discuss, among other things, gerrymandering, hopefulness,Robert Moses vs. Jane Jacobs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, purple skies, dead armadillos and what it's like to have your daughter turn you into a character in her novel.

It’s time for the holidays. Are you looking ahead to the table talk over the cranberries and turkey with anticipation or dread? Or to put it another way: What to do about Uncle George, who, after that first glass of wine, always begins spouting opinions that make you crazy? The Committee of Seventy is ready with your holiday “survival through civility” guide. Two seasoned experts in civil dialogue – Dr. Harris Sokoloff of the Penn Project for Civic Engagement and Sharon Browning (pictured) of the JUSTListening – share practical wisdom on how to craft a conversation over the stuffing that’ll add light and understanding, not heat and ill feeling. And Seventy CEO David Thornburgh adds some thoughts on how curiosity, humility and empathy make the holiday work out better for all. For more tips, visit www.seventy.org.

Philadelphia is the rare "Rust Belt" city that's growing. That's thanks in part to success in hanging onto recent college graduates. But, as much as these Millennials might love the city, they aren't sure they can stay. In this episode, three young professionals discuss the three main reasons why even some fans of Philly sometimes reluctantly decide to leave: schools, career prospects and a closed-off political system. Host Chris Satullo interviews Jason Tucker (pictured), Jennifer Devor and Bekah Gable, all of whom have been active in Young Involved Philadelphia. Tucker and Devore are also newly minted Buchholz Fellows of the Committee of Seventy.

Everybody complains about their local airport, but the Committee of Seventy decided to do something about it. The good government group recruited a team of 18 wicked-smart Philadelphians to help Philadelphia International Airport tackle some of its customer service issues. In this episode, we review this adventure in civic consulting, which was called "The Franklin Challenge: Project Runway." Two of the volunteer consultants, Lauren Hughes of the Arden Theatre and Stefan Frank of the Wharton School, talk about the experience and the ideas for improving PHL that emerged from it.

Everybody complains about their local airport, but the Committee of Seventy decided to do something about it. The good government group recruited a team of 18 wicked-smart Philadelphians to help Philadelphia International Airport tackle some of its customer service issues. In this episode, we review this adventure in civic consulting, which was called "The Franklin Challenge: Project Runway." Two of the volunteer consultants, Lauren Hughes of the Arden Theatre and Stefan Frank of the Wharton School, talk about the experience and the ideas for improving PHL that emerged from it.

Meet Amanda Holt, the Joan of Arc of Pennsylvania politics. Hear about this Allentown-area piano teacher's stubborn, inspiring and victorious (well, partially) quest to stop her state's politicians from gerrymandering. Hear Ben Geffen of the Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia make the case for the center's lawsuit against the state's notorious congressional map. If, during this July Fourth week, you care about making democracy work again, take a moment listen to two people who are leading the way.

Six months ago, few could have predicted the results of the recent Philadelphia Democratic primary, which produced upset winners in the district attorney and controller races. Both results suggest to some that the city Democratic organization may be tottering on the brink of collapse, a zombie party. In this episode, we test that hypothesis with two savvy reporters, Jim Saksa of PlanPhilly/NewsWorks and Claudia Vargas of the Philadelphia Inquirer (pictured here with Seventy's CEO, David Thornburgh.)