We could have done better. We should have done better. When I was the Historic Preservation Officer (HPO) for the City of Muncie, I was involved in making a person homeless. At the worst. At the very least, I participated in a system that made an unstable situation worse. Muncie is a legacy city, and prolonged disinvestment, coupled with deferred maintenance which stemmed from population and job losses, has caused much of the historic building stock to fall into disrepair over the years.

Since the emergence of TogetherDM Plan and the absence of its implementation, I have become highly interested in the integration and synthesis of community plans. Prairie Creek Reservoir (PCR) is one of Muncie’s best examples of this tension. PCR is so considerable that it has its own master plan while also included in the city’s master park plans (2014-2018, & 2021-2025).

Contrary to widespread practice, transparency is a cornerstone to good governance and sound urban development. Sometimes to get what common citizens want, there are a series (read as: years long process) of steps to get there. It’s better to develop your city with your community instead of to your community. Unfortunately, some public officials never quit politicking and end up funding projects for the wrong agencies and to, not for, the community they are to serve.

At the end of August, administration officials for the City of Muncie gathered on the main steps of city hall, launched their Facebook Live feed, and against the aeroacoustic noise and street traffic, announced they had caught the Joker. At least that’s how it appeared to me, as I couldn’t hear anything the mayor was saying against the accompanying noise; and from my experience, when city officials gather in front of city hall to make an announcement, it’s either political or they have captured a wanted, street-level villain. 

A few months ago, I wrote about (re)developing downtown Muncie: its lack of anchor establishments, having a mix of businesses which skews toward professional services, and the love people have for experiencing downtown Muncie. However, it is just an example, a case study if you will, of the political-win developments our community often chases. We not only celebrate every low-wage, low-skill, entry-level business as a development win, our citizens crave these superficial developments.

Supporters of President Donald Trump riot in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis We like to think politics is a space where ideas compete honestly. Where people come to the table with different views, argue their case, and accept that disagreement is part of democracy. But not all politics is about ideas. There is a kind of politics that doesn't try to build anything.

Here's a piece I co-wrote as Chair of the Board of Directors to the Muncie Land Bank and Dr. John West.

In January 2023, the price of a dozen Grade A large eggs peaked at $4.82. By September, prices dropped to $2.07. But by September 2024, they were back up to $3.82—enough for a humble grocery item to become political fodder during the U.S. presidential election. Then-candidate Trump promised to “lower the cost of groceries.” But here’s the thing: the price of eggs, like most consumer goods, never really goes down—not in the way people think.

After more than a decade of population decline, recent op-eds’ title reads,“mayor hails population growth for city, surrounding counties as good sign” . It was a cause for celebration and also mentioned during the State of the City address. After all these years of decline, not paving streets, letting the unhoused go unhoused, and greenlighting money to political cronies made Muncie THEcity to live in.

Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, a core belief in Christianity. The New Testament describes it as occurring three days after his crucifixion by Romans, around A.D. 30. While the religious significance is central to Christianity, Easter, like many Christian holidays, have roots in pre-Christian, pagan celebrations. The word "Easter" is believed to have come from the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, …

On March 6, the State of the City (of Muncie) was given by the Mayor. You can watch it on the city’s YouTube site. As a quick breakdown, the first 4 minutes was prayer (separation clause, anyone?), a minute-long pledge of allegiance, and a three-minute introduction of the Mayor by the former Deputy Mayor. Toward the end of the speech, there was 10 minutes of announcing and having different folks stand up and be thanked.

Over the next two decades, billions of dollars will come to the states and to local communities from drug companies who have been responsible for producing opioid-based medicine. The National Opioid Settlement a series of agreements reached with opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies to resolve lawsuits filed by states and local governments, resulting in a total of approximately $50 billion to be paid over nearly two decades to address the opioid crisis.

This is the second part in a two-part post. The first part can be found here. 1963: American writer Jane Jacobs (L) and architect Philip Johnson (R) stand with picketing crowds outside Penn Station to protest the building's demolition, New York City. Placards read: 'AGBANY is here' and 'Save Penn Station.' (Photo by Walter Daran/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) The Advocate…

1971 Don’t Tear It Down rally to save the Old Post Office (courtesy DC Preservation League) The Area In the heart of Lenape County, the City of Monacan stands as a Midwest hub with around 60,000 residents, once soaring to 80,000 at its peak. This city, the county seat, boasts a regional hospital and a public research university. With a history of vibrant manufacturing and labor unions, the shifting economic and political realities have prompted Monacan to redefine its economic core and identity.

Roundabouts are becoming a more frequent design for intersections across the U.S. but also specifically in Indiana. The roundabout is a circular intersection with channelized, curved approaches, entry yield control, and counterclockwise flow. Their purpose is to safely and efficiently move traffic while reducing crashes causing injury or fatality. Roundabouts do this by reducing speeds, providing right-of-way to traffic in the circle, and minimizing conflict points.