Municipal Equation is a podcast about cities and towns in changing times. Created by the North Carolina League of Municipalities. Producer/host: Ben Brown.
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Data centers have made frequent headlines as communities have taken varying positions on them. For some, concerns about environmental impact, energy consumption, noise, property values and other angles have led to leaders to say their town is not the place for them, while other communities have worked with data center developers and granted approvals for their development after exploring the essentials. On this episode, we talk with Statesville City Manager Ron Smith about the conversation and steps taken in his community with regard to a data center slated for a near-future groundbreaking and what advice he has for other local governments as the topic continues to make rounds.
Episode 104: Digital Government & ADA Compliance
Episode 104
Thursday, March 26, 2026 • Duration 27:56
The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, is the federal legislation requiring equal access to jobs and public places for people with disabilities. It also applies to the public digital realm, like with government websites and apps -- and deadlines are coming up for local governments to get into compliance. The League has been putting out info to help municipalities understand and meet the federal requirements and has a hub on its website with resources and explanations. For this episode, we've put it into conversational form with an expert answering common questions and offering tips to understand the why, how and when.
Episode 94: Civic Trust, Together (With Matt Lehrman)
Episode 94
Thursday, June 26, 2025 • Duration 26:05
Public leaders often find themselves in situations of disagreement -- and that's not inherently bad. "Effective leadership isn't about avoiding disagreement," says Matt Lehrman, a civic facilitator and past CityVision keynote speaker. He adds: "Disagreement isn't just natural; it's necessary." On this half-hour episode, Lehrman of Social Prosperity Partners circles back with Municipal Equation to go over the overarching importance of a shared sense of purpose and effective communication points so leaders can discuss disagreements and other intersections productively and fulfill the reality that our communities' people depend on it.
EP 27: The Skatepark Solution
Tuesday, June 20, 2017 • Duration 45:17
Local governments are always looking for ways to get kids involved. Meanwhile, millions of skaters across the U.S. are doing their thing -- often to the irritation of business owners and law enforcement. On this episode, we look at the big things that happen when kids and government get together to develop public skateparks, a solution that takes away tension, encourages civic involvement and celebrates freedom and creativity. It's no wonder they often end up being the most popular feature of the local parks system. Listen in for practical advice from the Tony Hawk Foundation, lessons from a police captain who did an about-face with the local skating community, progress from a city currently developing a skatepark, and unquestionable testimony from kids who've benefited from the free, 24-hour public skatepark in their town. Show notes: UPDATE 12/7/17 Curbed article featuring this episode - https://www.curbed.com/2017/12/7/16746468/design-parks-skateboarding-teens Skatepark advice and financial help - http://tonyhawkfoundation.org Public Skatepark Development Guide - http://publicskateparkguide.org Rodgers Family Skate Plaza, Apex, N.C. - https://www.apexnc.org/485/Trackside-Skate-Plaza News story from the Skate Plaza's opening in 2015 - http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/southwest-wake-news/article30160455.html Morganton, N.C., skatepark in the works - http://www.morgantonnc.gov/index.php/government/city-manager/public-information-office/news-releases/2579-skate-park-moves-forward
Preview of Episode 27: Public Skateparks
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 • Duration 01:16
A preview of Episode 27.
EP 26: Bee in the City
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 • Duration 41:42
We've all heard about the hard times that honeybees are going through and the huge implications for us all. But how do cities fit into all this? There's a surprising compatibility between cities and bees, and a role local governments can play. This episode comes just ahead of National Pollinator Week (June 19-25, though some honor it all month). To celebrate, we're joined by Bee Downtown, Bee City USA, and other voices covering the North Carolina cities of West Jefferson, Davidson, Asheville, Durham and beyond. Loads of trivia and insights on this one. Show notes: Bee Downtown - http://beedowntown.org Bee City USA - http://www.beecityusa.org The Town of Davidson Becomes the 37th Bee City USA in the Nation - http://www.ci.davidson.nc.us/CivicSend/ViewMessage/message?id=33089 USDA Colony Collapse Disorder and Honey Bee Health Action Plan - https://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/CCD-HBH_Action_Plan_05-19-2015-Dated-FINAL.pdf Agriculture Research Service info on honeybee health - https://www.ars.usda.gov/oc/br/ccd/index/#public Skeptoid episode and transcript, "Colony Collapse Disorder: Science and Pseudoscience" - https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4524 Pollinator Week - http://pollinator.org/pollinatorweek/ News story, "A third of the nation's honeybee colonies died last year. Why you should care." - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/26/third-nations-honeybee-colonies-died-last-year-why-you-should-care/348418001/
Memo From Far Away (Depending on Where You Are)
Saturday, May 27, 2017 • Duration 01:32
From a distant land, an iPhone memo to stand in for our usual off-week preview.
EP 25: Inclusive Innovation
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 • Duration 50:01
There are so many cities and towns right now on amazing rebounds in the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. But what's missing? As innovation economies grow, we keep hearing more and more about the need for "inclusive innovation" in cities. But are we clear on what that entails? On this episode, we head out to Durham, N.C. -- an innovation-heavy city surging with activity -- to meet up with an authority on the subject. Christopher Gergen, an entrepreneurial leader and head of inclusive innovation collaborative Forward Cities, says the stakes are nothing to ignore. Listen and hear why. Show notes: Christopher Gergen, Forward Cities - http://www.forwardcities.org/convenings/2015/durham/forward-cities-staff/Christopher-Gergen.aspx Forward Cities main page - http://www.forwardcities.org @forwardcities - https://twitter.com/ForwardCities TechCrunch, "As tech startups surge in cities, inclusive economic growth must be a priority" - https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/10/as-tech-startups-surge-in-cities-inclusive-economic-growth-must-be-a-priority/ Pittsburgh's Roadmap for Inclusive Innovation - http://pittsburghpa.gov/innovation-performance/innovationroadmap/index.html Gergen's previous appearance on Municipal Equation, "The Five Levers of the Local Innovation Ecosystem" - https://soundcloud.com/municipalequation/ep-03 InnovateNC - http://innovatenc.org 2016 Southern City article, "How to Drive Innovation in any Community " - https://www.nclm.org/programs-services/publications/southern-city/2016/2016-07/Pages/HowtoDriveInnovationinanyCommunity.aspx#.WSNK4u1tmUk
Preview of Episode 25: Christopher Gergen Returns
Tuesday, May 16, 2017 • Duration 01:51
A preview of Episode 25
EP 24: Autonomous Vehicles in Your City
Tuesday, May 9, 2017 • Duration 30:56
Do autonomous vehicles or driverless cars still sound futuristic to you? Even if deployments are planned for just a few years away? That's right, this technology is developing so quickly that it's catching a lot of local policymakers off-guard. Experts say it's time for cities of all sizes to put some serious thought into what will be a major change in how we get from A to B. For cities, that means understanding the implications, considering the unknowns, and thinking about policy. But with the technology so fresh and incomplete, where would a city even begin with that? That's our focus on this episode. We're joined once again by Nicole Dupuis from the National League of Cities, which just released a report with guidance on the subject. According to Dupuis, "Absolutely, we need to take this seriously." And another question: Will future generations know the feeling of passing a driver's test? There's a lot to ponder on this episode. Show notes: NLC report, "Autonomous Vehicles: A Policy Preparation Guide" - http://nlc.org/AVPolicy NLC press release, "New Autonomous Vehicle Guide Helps Cities Prepare for a Driverless Future" - http://www.nlc.org/article/new-autonomous-vehicle-guide-helps-cities-prepare-for-a-driverless-future CityLab story, "The Self-Driving Dilemma" - https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/05/the-self-driving-dilemma/525171/?utm_source=nl__link3_050417 Bloomberg Philanthropies report, "Taming the Autonomous Vehicle: A Primer for Cities" - https://www.bbhub.io/dotorg/sites/2/2017/05/TamingtheAutonomousVehicleSpreadsPDFreleaseMay3rev2.pdf USDOT's Federal Automated Vehicles Policy - https://www.transportation.gov/AV Deloitte piece, "Securing the future of mobility: Addressing cyber risk in self-driving cars and beyond" - https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/future-of-mobility/cybersecurity-challenges-connected-car-security.html?id=us:2sm:3tw:4mobilitym:5eng:6Consulting:20170501:fom,fom%20:deloittestratop&linkId=36955724 GovTech story, "Autonomous Cars Will Change the Insurance World" - http://www.govtech.com/fs/Autonomous-Cars-Will-Change-the-Insurance-World.html?utm_content=bufferebbf1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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