In this episode of Unconventional Urbanism, I sit down with small-scale developer Katie Neason to explore how one person can transform a downtown through incremental development, adaptive reuse, and a long-term commitment to place. From financing first-of-their-kind projects to cultivating local businesses and rethinking economic development, Katie shares practical lessons and an inspiring vision for building stronger communities from the ground up.
Follow Katie's Work:
www.instagram.com/katiedevelops (https://www.instagram.com/katiedevelops/?hl=en)
www.katieneason.com (https://www.katieneason.com/)
(https://preservationbuffaloniagara.org/)Music by Camila Segura Rivera: https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo (https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo)
19 Apr 2026
04. Bernice Radle
From $1 houses to community-rooted development, Bernice Radle shares how she built a career revitalizing Buffalo one building at a time, proving that small-scale, people-first real estate can transform neighborhoods from the ground up.
In this conversation, we talk about what it actually looks like to do this work on the ground, the barriers small developers face, and why empowering local ownership is essential to building resilient, thriving places.
Follow Bernice's Work:
https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/our-team/bernice-radle (https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/our-team/bernice-radle)
https://preservationbuffaloniagara.org/ (https://preservationbuffaloniagara.org/)
(https://preservationbuffaloniagara.org/)Music by Camila Segura Rivera: https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo (https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo)
29 Mar 2026
03. Mike Keen
Mike is what you might call an “accidental developer.” He didn’t come up through traditional real estate. He started out in sustainability and academia, and kind of stumbled into development by asking a simple question: what can I actually do to make my neighborhood better? Instead of waiting around for someone else to fix things, he just started. One building, one project, one relationship at a time.
He’s based in South Bend, Indiana, where he’s been quietly leading one of the most interesting neighborhood revitalization efforts in the country. Not with big splashy projects, but through small, incremental development and by building a whole ecosystem of local developers around him.
Follow Mike's Work: https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/our-team/mike-keen (https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/our-team/mike-keen)
Music by Camila Segura Rivera: https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo (https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo)
27 Mar 2026
02. Clay Chapman
In this episode of Unconventional Urbanism, Abby talks with Clay Chapman, a master mason and builder leading a revival of structural masonry at Carlton Landing. Clay is challenging modern construction by returning to load-bearing brick and craft-based building, prioritizing durability, beauty, and permanence in an industry often driven by speed.
Follow Clay's Work: https://www.artisantrades.com/about-1 (https://www.artisantrades.com/about-1)
Music by Camila Segura Rivera: https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo (https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo)
22 Mar 2026
01. Monte Anderson
In this episode, Abby sits down with Monte Anderson, an incremental developer based in Southern Dallas and president of Options Real Estate Investments. Known for transformative, community-rooted projects like Tyler Station, Main Station Duncanville, and Wheatland Plaza, Monte has built a career around doing development differently... prioritizing people, place, and long-term stewardship over scale and speed.
You can find Monte's work at: https://www.optionsre.com/ (https://www.optionsre.com/)
Follow Neighborhood Evolution: https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/ (https://www.neighborhoodevolution.com/)
Listen to Scraped Up Knees by Camila Segura Rivera: https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo?si=Y0Mj7AjeR8a1j7q4ItBmxg (https://open.spotify.com/track/1o5fPj2hNm8XVOzZrDPYCo?si=Y0Mj7AjeR8a1j7q4ItBmxg)
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