When jobs, population, and opportunity surge, so do affordability pressures, housing shortages, and the risk of losing the very character that made your community attractive in the first place.

In this episode, Stephanie Coleman, President & CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, shares how one of the country's fastest-growing regions is approaching that balance with 35 years of intentional regional planning, deep cross-sector collaboration, and a renewed focus on making sure growth works for everyone, not just newcomers.

She also reflects on how the Chamber's role has evolved from convener to active problem-solver, and what that shift means for other communities navigating their next chapter.

00:00 Introduction

01:43 Managing unprecedented growth without losing community character

04:36 Partnership 2030: How Nashville's regional plan has evolved

08:39 Workforce and talent: biggest challenges and how Nashville compares

12:53 Maintaining collaboration as new players enter the market

14:59 Balancing the needs of urban, suburban, and rural communities

18:38 How Chambers have evolved over the past few decades

22:35 Stephanie Coleman's advice for others

24:15 Fun closing question

At Livability, we highlight the nation's most vibrant small and mid-sized cities as a trusted voice for communities across America. We help places attract talent and reach target companies through digital content and print magazine programs.

Be sure to subscribe so you're alerted when we release new episodes. Learn more about us at LivabilityMedia.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email host Amanda Ellis at aellis@livability.com.

Inside America's Best Cities is produced by SpeakEasy Productions.

Place marketing isn't just marketing anymore. It's recruiting, community building, and storytelling all at once.

In this episode, destination storytelling expert Kristin Luna shares what's working in place marketing right now: why print still has a role, how AI is reshaping the way communities need to think about their online presence, and how public art can be one of the most accessible and cost-effective tools for building a community's identity.

Because the best marketing for your community works for tourists and future residents at the same time.

Resources Mentioned:

• 2026 Tennessee Vacation Guide: https://www.tnvacation.com/guide

• Kristin's Blog, Camels & Chocolate: https://www.camelsandchocolate.com/

• Kristin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunaticatlarge

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00:00 Introduction

01:39 Kristin's background in journalism and place marketing

2:54 Economic Development Marketing vs. Talent Attraction Marketing

06:49 The most important parts of a place marketing strategy

09:00 Where print fits in today's marketing landscape

12:43 How AI is reshaping place marketing

16:19 Anyone can be an ambassador?

21:27 How public art contributes to place branding

26:25 Maintaining community character through growth

31:24 Fun closing question

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At Livability, we highlight the nation's most vibrant small and mid-sized cities as a trusted voice for communities across America. We help places attract talent and reach target companies through digital content and print magazine programs.

Be sure to subscribe so you're alerted when we release new episodes. Learn more about us at LivabilityMedia.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email host Amanda Ellis at aellis@livability.com.

Inside America's Best Cities is produced by SpeakEasy Productions.

For many communities, the outdoor economy is still treated as a soft amenity rather than a serious economic lever, even though it generates over $650 billion in economic impact each year.

In this episode, Ross Berlin, Senior Consultant at Fourth Economy, makes the case for why that needs to change. We dig into how outdoor assets connect directly to talent attraction in the modern economic development equation, get practical about the challenges (seasonality, overcrowding, equity of access), and how communities can work through them to maximize the economic impact of what they already have.

00:00 Why outdoor recreation matters as an economic development topic

02:45 The data and impact

05:45 Defining the outdoor economy (it's bigger than you think)

08:33 Benefits of investing in outdoor recreation

11:38 Challenges economic developers face

14:31 Competition between communities

17:42 How outdoor rec fits into talent attraction campaigns

20:41 Preservation and "champagne problems"

24:58 Equity and inclusion in outdoor recreation

28:27 Final thoughts and fun closing question

Resources Mentioned:

• The Amenity Trap: https://headwaterseconomics.org/outdoor-recreation/amenity-trap/

At Livability, we highlight the nation's most vibrant small and mid-sized cities as a trusted voice for communities across America. We help places attract talent and reach target companies through digital content and print magazine programs.

Be sure to subscribe so you're alerted when we release new episodes. Learn more about us at LivabilityMedia.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email host Amanda Ellis at aellis@livability.com.

Inside America's Best Cities is produced by SpeakEasy Productions.