Mike is what you might call an “accidental developer.” He didn’t come up through traditional real estate. He started out in sustainability and academia, and kind of stumbled into development by asking a simple question: what can I actually do to make my neighborhood better? Instead of waiting around for someone else to fix things, he just started. One building, one project, one relationship at a time.

He’s based in South Bend, Indiana, where he’s been quietly leading one of the most interesting neighborhood revitalization efforts in the country. Not with big splashy projects, but through small, incremental development and by building a whole ecosystem of local developers around him.

Follow Mike's Work:  https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/our-team/mike-keen

Music by Camila Segura Rivera:  https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo

In this episode of Unconventional Urbanism, Abby talks with Clay Chapman, a master mason and builder leading a revival of structural masonry at Carlton Landing. Clay is challenging modern construction by returning to load-bearing brick and craft-based building, prioritizing durability, beauty, and permanence in an industry often driven by speed.

Follow Clay's Work: https://www.artisantrades.com/about-1

Music by Camila Segura Rivera: https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo

In this episode, Abby sits down with Monte Anderson, an incremental developer based in Southern Dallas and president of Options Real Estate Investments. Known for transformative, community-rooted projects like Tyler Station, Main Station Duncanville, and Wheatland Plaza, Monte has built a career around doing development differently... prioritizing people, place, and long-term stewardship over scale and speed.

You can find Monte's work at: ⁠https://www.optionsre.com/⁠

Follow Neighborhood Evolution: ⁠https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/⁠

Listen to Scraped Up Knees by Camila Segura Rivera: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo?si=Y0Mj7AjeR8a1j7q4ItBmxg