The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Created in 2009 as a response to the foreclosure crisis that struck Northeast Ohio, the Cuyahoga Land Bank transforms vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent properties into community assets that strengthen neighborhoods and expand economic opportunity. It has become a leading model for neighborhood revitalization, and since its founding, the Land Bank has demolished more than 10,000 abandoned and blighted properties. Beyond demolition, the Land Bank\'s strategic partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit organizations have helped usher in more than $3.6 billion in economic impact through neighborhood revitalization initiatives.\r\n\r\nRicardo Le?n was appointed President and CEO in 2024 after the unexpected passing of longtime CEO Gus Frangos. In this next era of the Land Bank, Le?n\'s deep experience as a steadfast champion in community and economic development brings a new opportunity to address challenges and opportunities in housing affordability, redevelopment, and more.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as Ricardo Le?n walks us through the Land Bank\'s past, present, and future, and sits down in conversation with Joyce Pan Huang, Chief Impact Officer of the Cleveland Foundation to discuss the challenges faced in housing, and the promise of neighborhood revitalization in Cuyahoga County.

Since the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialists of America have emerged as a defining force in Democratic Party politics. Mayor Mamdani\'s endorsement of three successful DSA candidates in the New York congressional primaries garnered national attention, and other DSA candidates have won a slew of primaries and electoral contests across the country, including a seat on Cleveland City Council.\r\n\r\nAs the New York Times reported the DSA has seen tremendous growth, from just under 7,000 members at the advent of the Bernie Sanders presidential bid in 2015 to more than 120,000 today. Defining itself in opposition to capitalism, the DSA calls for democracy \"powered by everyday people\" and advocates for Medicare for All, a 32-hour work week, a living wage, the abolition of ICE, and the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people, along with many other progressive and democratic reforms.\r\n\r\nAshik Siddique is the DSA\'s National Co-Chair, a role he was elected to in 2023. He has worked as a research policy analyst on military spending, the federal budget, and veterans affairs. In the City Club\'s tradition of bringing to the forum the leaders shaping the future of the nation and our national conversation on politics and public policy, we invite you to hear directly from Ashik Siddique about what the DSA actually is... and isn\'t.

In 2019, Sarah Aziza nearly lost her life after being hospitalized for an eating disorder. Along the process of recovery, Aziza begins to uncover her Palestinian roots. Daughter and granddaughter of Gazan refugees, The Hollow Half tells the story of three generations of Palestinian displacement and survival.\r\n\r\nWinner of the 2026 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Memoir, Aziza pens an innovative reckoning that weaves Arabic translation, hauntings, reporting, and geographies together in a stunning blend that asks-what does it mean to belong to a legacy of defiant survival?\r\n\r\nAnisfield-Wolf juror and historian Charles King writes, "Throughout The Hollow Half, Aziza weaves personal narrative with history and laces both with the revelatory beauty of the Arabic language. Words bear their own secrets, of lost lives and shadow ideas, of home, horrors, and healing."\r\n\r\nSarah Aziza is a Palestinian American writer, translator, and artist with roots in 'Ibdis and Deir al-Balah, Gaza. The recipient of a Fulbright fellowship and numerous grants from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, she has lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, South Africa, the West Bank, and the United States. Her award-winning journalism, poetry, essays, and experimental nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker, The Baffler, Harper's Magazine, Mizna, Lux, The Washington Post, The Intercept, The Rumpus, NPR, The Margins, and The Nation, among other publications.

At the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Jesse Owens, one of Cleveland\'s most iconic symbols of athletic excellence, brought home four gold medals. His dominance made him a household name far beyond Cleveland, and his success stood as a powerful rebuke to the racist ideals at the time. His story is also one of opportunity. In the face of fierce segregation and racism, dedicated teachers and coaches at East Tech High School recognized and supported his natural potential and determination.\r\n\r\nAthletic programs today, in combination with educational excellence, have proven to be beneficial for young people to develop discipline, confidence, teamwork, and other life skills that will serve them throughout their lives. Is the next Jesse Owen here today? And how can we ensure that our youth have access to the education, coaching, and resources required to prepare them for the level of competition required of them on a global stage?

Join Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne for the 2026 State of the County address at the Mimi Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square. The Executive will deliver remarks, as well as sit down in conversation with Randell McShephard, VP of Public Affairs & Chief Talent Officer at RPM, to share key accomplishments, reflect on the progress made together, and outline his vision and priorities for the upcoming year.

Since October 7, Israeli society has undergone a profound transformation. The attacks, the ensuing wars, and the intense international scrutiny have reshaped how Israelis-Jews and Arabs alike-understand their identities, their relationships with one another, and their visions for the country\'s future.\r\n\r\nWhat does it mean to be Israeli today? How has the events of the last three years changed the relationship between Jewish and Arab citizens? And how have regional conflicts and global reactions to Israel influenced Israel's internal and external dynamics?\r\n\r\nFor Americans, these questions are more than matters of foreign policy. As debates over Israel have become increasingly central to American politics, campuses, and Jewish communal life, understanding the realities and complexities inside Israeli society has never been more important. Join us for a timely conversation exploring how Israel is changing-and why those changes matter far beyond its borders.

Pregnancy and infancy are critical periods in children's development and are also the most economically vulnerable times for families. Rx Kids is a public health initiative addressing this dilemma for families in Michigan with a bold approach: It gives moms $1,500 during pregnancy and $500/month for their baby\'s first six months-no strings attached. Announced in early July, Cleveland has been selected as the first expansion site outside of Michigan.\r\n\r\nFounded by Dr. Mona Hanna and Luke Shaefer, Ph.D., Rx Kids is the nation's first-ever community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program. Launched in 2024 and serving more than 15,000 families, the public health intervention is built upon the principle of trusting mothers. It focuses on improving birth outcomes, increasing food and housing stability, and providing every child a healthy start in life. Now, a new study has found that neonatal mortality-the death of an infant within the first 28 days of life-fell by nearly 50% in Flint following the launch of Rx Kids.\r\n\r\nDr. Mona Hanna is the Director of Rx Kids and Associate Dean for Public Health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. In 2026, Dr. Hanna was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in Health for her work leading Rx Kids. She was also named one of Time magazine\'s 100 Most Influential People in the World and recognized as one of USA Today\'s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts.

Cleveland\'s Shaker Square is not just a place, it\'s a living piece of history. For nearly 100 years, Shaker Square has served as a community anchor and cultural destination. In 2029, it will officially celebrate its 100th birthday, providing a timeline to both honor Shaker Square\'s history and steward it for the future.\r\n\r\nBuilding on insights from a 2019 planning study, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. acquired Shaker Square and raised over $5 million for capital repairs, completed a market analysis, and embarked on an extensive community engagement process. The resulting 2025 Vision Plan offers solutions to retail vacancies, housing, safety, public spaces, pedestrian access, and more. What can we learn from the plan? And what will it take to make sure Shaker Square remains an inviting, inspiring, and timeless space for all residents to enjoy?

The sound of cargo ship horns ringing through the night is a familiar sound for any Clevelander. It\'s also the sound of roughly 13 million tons of cargo moving through the Cleveland Harbor every year. Managing the North Coast traffic is The Port of Cleveland, one of the largest ports on the Great Lakes and the only local government agency whose sole mission is to spur job creation and economic vitality in Cuyahoga County. The Port generates over 23,000 jobs and $7.07 billion in annual economic activity.\r\n\r\nJoining the Port as President & CEO is Jeff Epstein, who brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of economic development, public-private partnerships, and transformative urban investment. Before joining the Port, Jeff served as Chief of Integrated Development for the City of Cleveland, where he advanced equitable community and economic development across the city. He also spent time as the Executive Director of MidTown Cleveland, a nonprofit economic and community development organization.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear from Jeff Epstein on how The Port of Cleveland is driving economic growth, global connectivity, and sustainability for Northeast Ohio and beyond.

The future of Cleveland\'s thriving music and arts scene begins with our youth. For decades, studies have shown that high quality music instruction leads to a variety of benefits for young people: greater confidence, self expression, collaboration, leadership, and creativity-to name a few. Our communities benefit, too. Yet, the high costs of instruments and supplies make it challenging for many talented young people to explore their creative potential. And decades of nationwide disinvestment in K-12 music education only adds to the challenge.\r\n\r\nYet, here in Cleveland, we are home to several leading arts and cultural institutions that have truly changed the narrative and raised the bar for musical education for our city\'s young people. The Music Settlement and The Rainey Institute were both founded over 100 years ago to provide arts and culture education to Cleveland\'s immigrant and wage earning population. They have since grown into neighborhood anchors, together serving thousands of youth. Founded in 1995, the Contemporary Youth Orchestra allows students to study and perform new and contemporary music-introducing students to opportunities in the creative arts industries. Together, their work continues to increase access to music education, empower the next generation of artists, and strengthen Cleveland\'s cultural economy.