Since October 2023, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet have advanced a new iteration of the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project, proposing to replace the existing bridge and expand capacity along I-71 and I-75.

In 2025, community engagement sessions in the West End (OH) and Covington (KY) were led by Hub + Weber in collaboration with the Devou Good Foundation's Greater Cincinnati Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Development, A Picture’s Worth, and Urbanist Media⁠ as part of a broader people-over-pavement initiative.

This audio piece, narrated by Deqah Hussein-Wetzel and produced by the Urban Roots podcast team (Deqah, Vanessa Quirk, and Connor Lynch), centers West End resident voices reflecting on the proposed highway expansion and envisioning more equitable transportation futures.

For more information, visit the Sustainable Cincy website.

Dive into all things real estate in our latest convo with Cecily King, a real estate professional and educator whose work focuses on equitable development, racial justice, and community-driven investment in Detroit. She is also an Associate Professor of Real Estate Development at Columbia GSAPP.

As the founder of Kipling Development, Cecily draws from her experience in affordable housing, community finance, and development strategy to unpack how Detroit’s real estate landscape is shifting—and what it takes to ensure longtime residents benefit from change.

Big thanks to our episode sponsor, Leila Yusuf, a licensed real estate agent in New York State and Pennsylvania with Compass, with over 13 years of experience handling over $150 million in transactions.

Lastly, if you want to give back this holiday season, consider giving to the community as you give to family. Join our Kinfolk Giveback program by donating via ⁠Venmo⁠ or ⁠Paypal⁠.

Credits:

Hosted and produced by Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. Edited and mixed by Skyler Ficklin.

Urban Roots⁠ is brought to you by ⁠Urbanist Media⁠, a non-profit dedicated to preserving place through story.

And don’t forget, you can be a part of our Kinfolk Giveback program by making a tax-deductible donation via ⁠Venmo⁠ or ⁠Paypal⁠.

Newsletter: @urbanistmedia YouTube: @urbanrootspodcast.

IG: ⁠urbanrootsculture⁠ TikTok: @urbanistmedia Patreon: @urbanist_media
And don’t forget to check out the latest episode of the Black Preservation Stories podcast by the Grassroots Black Heritage Preservation Network, all about the ongoing fight to preserve Glendale Public Housing in Minneapolis, MN.

Join Deqah Hussein-Wetzel (host) and award-winning journalist and historian A'lelia Bundles (guest), in a Black history and preservation-focused conversation about A'lelia's newest book Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance.

A’Lelia Walker—daughter of Madam C.J. Walker and heiress to America’s first Black woman-made fortune—was more than a symbol of inherited wealth. She was a cultural impresario, a connector of artists and activists, and an architectural patron whose Vertner Tandy-designed Villa Lewaro Estate and (rehabbed) Harlem townhouse became vital gathering places for the Black intelligentsia of the 1920s.

Together, Deqah and A’Lelia Bundles, the great-granddaughter of A’Lelia Walker, explore her interest in her family's history and what she’s learned about her ancestor's role in shaping Harlem’s cultural landscape through hospitality, preservation, and community. The episode also delves into the challenges of researching Black women’s histories, the overlooked architectural legacy of Vertner Tandy, and the significance of cultural memory in contemporary preservation work.

🔗 More about the book: https://aleliabundles.com/writing-biography-an-update-on-the-joy-goddess-of-harlem

🎧Listen to the full interview on Columbia GSAPP’s Soundcloud, https://soundcloud.com/columbiagsapp

Credits:

Your host and producer is Deqah Hussein-Wetzel. This episode was edited by Skyler Ficklin and Vanessa Quirk. Mixed by Skyler.

Urban Roots⁠ is a project by ⁠Urbanist Media⁠, a non-profit dedicated to preserving place through story.

Subscribe on YouTube (and Patreon/Substack for exclusive content)!

Follow Urban Roots on Instagram at ⁠urbanrootsculture⁠ and at urbanrootspod