This week’s things to know:

Confessions of (another) Recovering Engineer

via Verdunity (hey, that's us!) The man at the top here at Verdunity, Kevin Shepherd, got himself an advanced copy of the new book from Chuck Marohn, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer. (Sidenote: I had to wait until this past Wednesday to get mine but I've already finished it and let me tell you – I highly recommend it.) Kevin took some time to reflect on his own career as an engineer and the messages inside Chuck's book. It's a really thoughtful second look at what the profession and practice of engineering has meant, does mean, and could mean for us all in the future. Check it out.
Also, if you want to get copy of the book check out their website: confessions.engineer

Urbanized turns 10!

via Gary Hustwit I'm coming at you this week with the rare double-pick. Urbanized, one of my favorite documentaries, turns 10 this week. Gary Hustwit (the director) is streaming it free on his website to celebrate. Many of you may have already seen this doc. But 10 years on its worth a rewatch. And if you've never seen it its a greeat hour and a half to see the practice of urban design across the globe. Grab the popcorn and make a night out of it this weekend!

Marshall

Bring back corner stores to create a connected, equitable city

This op-ed piece from a practicing architect and professor at University of Washington highlights a few of the many benefits of the corner store. I know today's market makes it a difficult business model, but our communities need a "corner store comeback"!

Kevin

Strong Towns Podcast | August 30th, 2021

I have to admit that the reason for sharing this podcast is a little selfish - Verdunity gets a shoutout from Charles Marohn while answering some Strong Towns listener questions. If you're a practitioner in the engineering or transportation world however, his answer is really helpful. Verdunity is in a field that is still very much oriented toward car-centricity and top-down solutions, so working to change the status quo isn't always easy. You have to choose your battles and be patient in leading clients and fellow community members to think differently.

Tim

Dallas Could Become A Park Oasis … If These 6 Projects Ever Get Finished

Parks are something that can make or break a neighborhood, city, or even region. Dallas in particular has been ripe for park revitalization for a while now. Making these steps toward leveraging the natural amenities we have and cultivating space for recreation and community is huge. It could also draw varying perspectives in how housing developments could interact with and bolster the importance of how a given space can become a place that can be called home, work, and play. Taking steps to plan in the right direction needs follow up in implementation, hopefully we see that here with these parks in Dallas.
Ryan

Q&A: Reverend Allen T. Stanton on Changing the Way We Think about Rural Churches

Growing up in rural locales, I've often sensed (and shared) the frustration of seeing rural congregations dwindle in size. However, their history and permanence is unique. This interview with Allen T. Stanton about his new book, Reclaiming Rural: Building Thriving Rural Congregations has some great ideas woven throughout that directly connect to our work in building and strengthening communities. After all, as Stanton says, "the rural church is one of the few places where you have a large cross section of the community gathering each week". If you want to talk about a resource that can help small towns, villages, and cities stay in touch with their residents, look no further. The same motivations and beliefs that lead congregants to pursue mission trips can likewise be effective in leading them to be part of solutions in their own backyard. Instead of focusing on religious differences, what if we focused on value-based community development to put largely-held beliefs into action?

AJ

Here's the standard disclaimer: We always encourage our team members to freely share their thoughts and opinions, both in these newsletters and elsewhere. Given that, opinions expressed by any one member do not necessarily represent the views of the company as a whole.

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