Joe Erpenbeck

Citizens, government and business have come together to create a “New Forest in the City” in Brantford, Ontario. In an area surrounded by a highway and industry, 70,000 native tree species and shrubs have been planted to create a 51 acre beautiful ...

I saw this studio as part of an art walk and thought this person collects some interesting things. Great questions can help cover the assets around us. What do you collect? The things people collect can provide insights about their gifts and passions. What are...

Associations are the power-house community builders in our neighbourhoods. Groups such as Westwood Works in Cincinnati and even more informal groups such as Friends of Cornwall Park Disc Golf in Bellingham do so much to build on the local assets and what&#8217...

“We received a grant and realized we had no clue how to do a mural,” said Susan Martinsen. I met Susan over photographs, drawings, charts and lots of paint in Ashland Wisconsin.  She was repairing the aviation mural, part of a Mural Walk. Susan and her pa...

How do you recruit, hire and train talented community building staff was the topic of conversation for 100 managers in Ohio last week. I spoke on an interview process where team members are able to touch and feel the values around our work from first contact. ...

The streetcar in the city of Cincinnati last carried passengers 65 years ago. Now the city once again has new streetcar tracks and shiny sleek new streetcars quietly crossing a 3.6 mile loop through its downtown. I was at the historic Findley Market as I saw t...

On a long flight home, we encountered severe storms that resulted in my flight being diverted to another airport. There, severe lightning emerged and we were stuck for 3 hours. Eventually we were able to arrive at our destination. Unfortunately I had missed my...

  I have seen this guy biking around town riding an unbelievably decked out bicycle. It appeared to have flashing lights, music playing and all types of decorations. The cyclist often appeared in a hurry and as if he did not have time for conversation. Th...

I found that the Miracle Mile occurred not far from me in Vancouver . Here  in 1954, Roger Bannister and John Landy redefined what was possible in track as they both broke the 4 minute mile. This had never occurred before.Now an incredible transformation has...

There has been research  recently on the impact of loneliness . People who are not connected to others are more likely to experience  significant health risks is the summary of much of this. Many suggest that loneliness can be associated with poor mental hea...