We have also spoken to mayoral candidates Lewis Reed, President of the Board of Aldermen (listen to Lewis on the Future Great City podcast) and Lyda Krewson, Alderwoman for the 28th Ward (listen to Lyda on the Future Great City podcast).

From the Tishaura Jones for Mayor website (see her policy statements here):

Building on a background as a public servant, financial services professional, and educator, Tishaura O. Jones was sworn in as Treasurer of St. Louis on January 1, 2013. She is the first woman to hold the office in the history of St. Louis and is running for Mayor of the City of St. Louis.

As Treasurer, Tishaura increased transparency in city government, modernized the parking division, and saved the city millions of dollars through streamlining treasury operations. She has embarked on an ambitious agenda to improve the overall financial health of city residents by opening the Office of Financial Empowerment, offering free financial literacy classes and counseling, and the College Kids Savings Program, which gives every kindergartner in the public schools, district and charter, a $50 savings account for college.

Prior to becoming Treasurer, Tishaura established a track record of leadership in the Missouri House of Representatives. She was a Missouri State Representative from 2008-2012 and was the first African American and First Female Assistant Minority Floor Leader. As a member of the leadership team, she was the second in command of the Democratic members of the Missouri House of Representatives. During her tenure, she was a strong advocate for education, women’s reproductive rights, healthcare, and economic development.

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The lead sponsor for the Future Great City podcast is UIC, with additional support from Red Brick Realty.

Reed is currently in his third term as president of the Board of Alderman, a citywide elected office. Prior to that office, Reed was elected to two terms as alderman for the city’s 6th Ward. He unsuccessfully challenged Slay in the 2013 mayoral contest (a look at results from that primary). 2013 saw basically a one-on-one primary, while the coming contest could feature a half-dozen or more candidates vying for the open seat.

We plan to invite each officially declared candidate for mayor on the Future Great City podcast and feature interviews on a single page to better inform city voters. Our conversation with Lewis Reed ran well over an hour as we veered off into talking cycling and the city near the end. As a result, this podcast is presented in two parts, with the second half posted next week.

Future Great City podcast with Lewis Reed Part I

Reed’s announcement to run again was made with this video and accompanied by the statement below:

St. Louis, Missouri-President of the Saint Louis Board of Alderman Lewis Reed released a video today (August 8, 2016) as an introduction to the community on his candidacy. Reed had previously made it public that he will be running for mayor, but this is the official announcement and first campaign communication. In the video, Reed highlights his diverse family life and why it is always best to include diverse opinions & perspectives, compassion and respect for others when addressing an issue.

Also highlighted is his success in spearheading development in Lafayette Square and on Washington Ave as Aldermen of the 6th Ward, creation of Bike St. Louis, creating funding sources for youth programs, and bringing the NextDoor platform to the City of St. Louis.

The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Red Brick Realty.

Reed is currently in his third term as president of the Board of Alderman, a citywide elected office. Prior to that office, Reed was elected to two terms as alderman for the city’s 6th Ward. He unsuccessfully challenged Slay in the 2013 mayoral contest (a look at results from that primary). 2013 saw basically a one-on-one primary, while the coming contest could feature a half-dozen or more candidates vying for the open seat.

Our conversation with Lewis Reed ran well over an hour as we veered off into talking cycling and the city near the end. As a result, this podcast is presented in two parts. Listen to part two of our podcast with Lewis Reed here.

Reed’s announcement to run again was made with this video and accompanied by the statement below:

St. Louis, Missouri-President of the Saint Louis Board of Alderman Lewis Reed released a video today (August 8, 2016) as an introduction to the community on his candidacy. Reed had previously made it public that he will be running for mayor, but this is the official announcement and first campaign communication. In the video, Reed highlights his diverse family life and why it is always best to include diverse opinions & perspectives, compassion and respect for others when addressing an issue.

Also highlighted is his success in spearheading development in Lafayette Square and on Washington Ave as Aldermen of the 6th Ward, creation of Bike St. Louis, creating funding sources for youth programs, and bringing the NextDoor platform to the City of St. Louis.

The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Red Brick Realty.

John Schneider was a board member of Downtown Cincinnati, Inc. and served as its first transportation committee chair. In that role, he proposed and helped to advance the reconfiguration of Fort Washington Way (Interstate 71) through downtown, proposed the location for the new riverfront home of the Cincinnati Reds, and chaired the campaign that resulted in Hamilton County voters overwhelmingly approving the site of the Great American Ball Park.

Schneider is an alumnus of Leadership Cincinnati, vice chairman of the City Planning Commission, and chairs the Alliance for Regional Transit. He has authored many articles on Cincinnati’s planning and infrastructural issues and is a frequent speaker on rail transit. Former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory named Schneider “Mr. Streetcar” for his role in returning passenger rail transit to Cincinnati after a sixty-year absence.

Schneider is Managing Member of First Valley Holdings LLC, a redeveloper of property in and around downtown Cincinnati. John and his wife, April, have resided in downtown Cincinnati for many years.

*bio sourced from Rotary Club of Cincinnati

The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Creatives on Call and Red Brick Realty.

We spoke with Lee about his upbringing in North St. Louis County, how things have changed, and how in some ways the scene has been set for years for unrest. Regarded by many to be a controversial figure, Lee’s critique of the region is clearly a product of his love for St. Louis. In the podcast we touch on Lee’s conversion to Islam, his time away from St. Louis including a stint in New York, and his return to St. Louis, and why he often rails against “Hipsters” on social media.

Umar can be found on Twitter @penofumar.

The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Creatives on Call and Red Brick Realty.

We discuss the broad, national foreclosure crisis, which was (and is) really is criminal mortgage fraud. The centuries old basic tenant of American land ownership is being undermined. At times, who owns a home can’t be proven. Millions of Americans have experienced foreclosure, some are still in their homes, banks have paused proceedings in places where home prices have not yet rebounded. While the “crisis” may seem to be our rearview mirror, its effects are long lasting and will take decades to be resolved.

While centered in the “sand states” of Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and California, where the majority of new home construction occurred in the past decade, cash out, interest-only, and adjustable rate mortgages were (and are) common in Missouri. In St. Louis, mortgage products often focused on the African-American homeowner, who may have had equity in their homes.

David Dayen is a journalist who writes about economics and finance. He is a contributing writer to Salon.com and The Intercept, and a weekly columnist for The Fiscal Times and The New Republic. He also writes for The American Prospect, Vice, The Huffington Post, and more. He has been a guest on MSNBC, CNN, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, Russia Today, NPR, Pacifica Radio and Air America Radio. He lives in Los Angeles, where prior to writing about politics he had a 15-year career as a television producer and editor.

Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Street’s Great Foreclosure Fraud

David Dayen recent articles and more on Tumblr

The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Creatives on Call and Red Brick Realty.

Krewson, the chief financial officer of PGAV Architects, was first elected to the city’s Board of Aldermen in 1997 in a special election. She has been re-elected five times, more recently in 2015. The 28th Ward encompasses parts of the six city neighborhoods: Central West End, DeBaliviere Place, Hi-Pointe, Skinker-DeBaliviere, West End, and Wydown-Skinker.

Krewson earned an education degree from Truman State University, and an accounting degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is currently the Chair of the Transportation & Commerce Committee, and serves on the Airport Commission and Port Authority.

City of St. Louis – 28th Ward website

Lyda Krewson for Mayor website

The Future Great City podcast by nextSTL is sponsored by Creatives on Call and Red Brick Realty.