The team behind Minnesota’s largest economic development effort has launched a podcast that explores how creativity and innovation can transform communities.
Urban Evolution, which made its debut on December 17, 2020, is produced by Destination Medical Center (DMC) Economic Development Agency, the public-private partnership driving a 20-year, $5.6 billion initiative to increase development around Mayo Clinic in ways that improve all aspects of life in and around the city of Rochester, Minnesota. The podcast’s goal is to showcase the investment and innovation in Rochester and become a source for national thought leadership around economic development.
“We wanted to create a podcast for people who are interested in the experiences of others working in economic development and business,” said Urban Evolution host Bill Von Bank, who also serves as director of marketing and communications at DMC. “This podcast will invite national thought leaders and influencers as well as those with ‘feet on the street’ expertise whose contributions are creating change in their industries, businesses and cities.”
In the first episode, DMC Executive Director Lisa Clarke and Dr. Clark Otley, chief medical officer of the Mayo Clinic Platform and medical director of the Department of Business Development at Mayo Clinic, share how this project came to be and how its impact extends beyond the health care community.
“People come here from a long distance; they disrupt their lives,” Otley said of patients at Mayo Clinic. “They may be here for a week; they may be here for two weeks; they may be here for a whole cancer treatment. They need a home away from home, and our city is a small city. It needs to be able to do that, so we needed to up our game.”
More than 3 million people visit Rochester each year, including many Mayo Clinic patients and their families. Surveys found that patients and family spent 70% of their time away from the clinic. The DMC project includes building new public spaces, such as a four-block pedestrian-friendly downtown area known as Discovery Walk, as well as adding and renovating entertainment and hospitality venues.
Listen to the podcast and learn:
• Why it was important to put private dollars ahead of public funding.
• Updates on the mixed-use development Discovery Square.
• How Covid-19 has impacted development plans.
• What it’s like to partner with Google.
DMC plans to release new episodes of Urban Evolution bi-weekly. Initial guests include Limb Lab Founder Brandon Sampson and Kam Talebi, founder and CEO of Kaskaid Hospitality, which operates a dozen Crave Restaurants throughout the Midwest.
Download Urban Evolution podcasts wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more at urbanevolutionpodcast.com.