Building Community: Mike Keen’s Journey of Urbanism and Sustainability

Rooted and Reaching

This week host Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Mike Keen, Founder of Hometowne Development LLC. Mike discusses his work in the Near Northwest neighborhood of South Bend, Indiana and the upcoming opening of Ward Baking Company. He shares his journey from being a college professor to becoming a small-scale developer and the principles of urbanism and sustainability that guide his work. Mike shares how incremental development and collaboration between the public, private, and nonprofit sectors create a thriving community. He also talks about the small-scale development movement and highlights the need for multifamily housing to address the affordability crisis.

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QUOTES

• "So what we find is that to make this small-scale development work, whether it's in our neighborhood across the city, or we now do consulting with other cities, you need to bring together a set of champions that come from these different sectors and who want to collaborate" -Mike Keen [06:29]

• “What I would say for anybody doing anything, and this includes small-scale development, is see if you can find yourself a mentor and begin to talk with them and find other people who have done it." -Mike Keen [08:57]

TIMESTAMPS

03:30 Renovating a flower shop

07:39 Lessons learned: Take action and start small

10:42 What Mike is most proud of in his work

13:47 The need for increased housing density

17:46 South Bend town makers group and supporting local businesses

19:08 The South Bend Elkhart Partnership

RESOURCES

South Bend Elkhart Partnership: https://southbendelkhart.org/

CONTACT

Nick Kuhn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuhnnick/

Bethany Hartley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyhartley/