The parks in New York's Hudson Valley saw large increases in visitation during the pandemic, highlighting the importance of parkland and open spaces for recreation. This week, we're talking about open space, land use, conservation and the balance between preservation and development. This week's episode features Christopher "Kim" J. Elliman, President and CEO of the Open Space Institute (OSI), a land conservation organization that has conserved more than 2.3 million acres in the eastern U.S. ...

Season 2 Episode 06: Problem Solvers: The Resilient Generation with Emma Coltoff

Let's explore how the conditions of today can take us to a better tomorrow. We are experiencing a Paradigm Shift. A fundamental change - an important change - in the way we usually do things. There is no question that our pre-pandemic patterns have been disrupted. We are never going back to the way things were. We are looking at it as an opportunity to shine a light on things. If you are willing to join the discussion as to how things could be better, then they will be better. It's time to explore new patterns and paradigms - those that inspire us to rise above the chaos. Who are our innovators? The ones who see things differently? Who has said there has to be a better way? At Pattern for Progress, we spend a great deal of our time addressing the realities of the Hudson Valley. So in conceiving a podcast, we thought it urgent to help those who want to think of what comes next. Not the next catastrophe, but the next thing we can aspire to. In the midst of a Pandemic, economic upheaval and social unrest, is it possible to use this as a jumping off point to make things better? Can we perhaps fix a few things that should have been addressed a long time ago? We recognize that change brings challenge, disruption can create chaos and we are intentionally choosing to see the silver lining - that opportunity arises. We can shine a light on the things that weren't working well, that weren't really working at all. We can regroup, reevaluate, and reengineer. So, let us challenge conventional wisdom and the status quo. Let us rebuild better.