Immigrant Experiences, Economic Development, and "Third Places" in the U.S. — and Australia

As a second-generation Australian and a globetrotter who's studied
and worked in New York and Chicago, Samantha Choudhury understands
how critical social bonds are to building communities that thrive.
She and host Courtney Kashima, AICP, start off their conversation
by examining how her parents' immigration to Australia from
Bangladesh shaped how she plans for communities. The associate
director at Brickfields Consulting and Mainstreet Australia
boardmember offers up her observations of planning in the U.S. and
Australia, especially the differences between each community's
drive to get involved in the planning process. The two planners
delve into the realms of placemaking and economic development,
discussing how business-improvement districts need focused
management to succeed — which, Sam notes, seems especially true now
that both countries have been thrown into economic recessions
brought about by coronavirus lockdowns. The Melbourne-based planner
leaves listeners on a hopeful note, sharing the names of planners
and community leaders doing work that inspires her.