‘Your City Could Be Better’: Why Are Chattanoogans ‘Doing It Their Damn Selves’? — Presented By City Cast Philly
Sometimes it can feel like the Philly government is two (or more) steps behind the needs of its neighborhoods. Enter the residents of Chattanooga, Tennessee. What Chattanoogans don’t have, they make up for in advocacy, whether by showing up to city council and organizing for change or just doing things themselves. City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with creator and city lover Hope Henchey about how she and her neighbors are sneakily and secretly fixing up their city. You’ve heard of the Nashville bench builders — now get ready for the Chattanooga pothole fillers, sidewalk layers, and (literal) trail blazers.
Mentioned on the show:
- Atlas Obscura feature on the community-built benches in Chattanooga
- Efforts by Strong Chattanooga to make a path through the woods in a sidewalk-less neighborhood
- Review of Hoboken's streak of zero traffic fatalities
Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!
We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter
Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Stay connected to City Cast Philly and get ready to join the local conversation.
Latest Episodes
Parker’s City Hall Shake-Up & Shapiro’s Data Center Pivot. Plus: Who Cleans the Indigo Bikes After the Naked Bike Ride?
The Parker administration has seen more than half of its highest-level appointees leave their posts, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer...

Hidden Cash in Philly, AI Answering 911 Calls & Preserving Murals
When’s the last time a Philadelphian showed you a random act of kindness? We’re asking because the Philly Money Hunt Instagram account de...

What's Actually in Smoke Shop Psychedelics?
Earlier this month Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said he wants Congress to put into effect a ban on hemp-derived products. Th...

Blocking Broad Street With Trees. Plus: Questionable QR Codes & Real Estate Roulette
The view down South Broad Street from Washington Avenue to City Hall is iconic. But an op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer criticizing the...

Who Gets to Call Themselves a Philadelphian?
Today’s episode asks an age-old question here in the city that continues to get debated on social media. Given the discourse about what r...

July 4th Concert Scrutiny, Olney Home Mystery & Speeding E-Bikes Ruin Dog Walks
It’s the Friday News Roundup, and we’re talking about questions over the city’s hiring of ESM Productions to put on the July 4th concert...

Abandoned Cars, Rogue E-Bikes & LeBron vs. New York
Why does Philly still have an abandoned car problem? Host Trenae Nuri poses this question to executive producer Matt Katz and Nic Esposit...

Data Centers Bigger Than PHL Airport? What This Means for Philly
Data centers are making the news across the country, facing protests, complaints about energy usage, and worries about the effect on loca...

A New Walk in Old City, 'Smart' Loading Zones in Center City & Must-See Fall Shows
Independence Day is officially behind us, but Philly is continuing to explore 250 years of American democracy with a new walking tour. Me...

No PPA, Luxury Living & Jobs: Philly's New Perfect Neighborhood?
Philly’s newest booming neighborhood has tons of jobs, amenity-filled luxury apartment buildings, plenty of green space – and no PPA rest...

