Podcast
City Cast Denver
Hosted by City Cast · EN
Join Host Bree Davies and the City Cast Denver crew every weekday morning as we celebrate, explore, and challenge an ever-changing Denver. It’s the daily news podcast for all Denverites — whether you’ve been here for six months or six generations. We’ll break down the news you need (and want) to know with journalists and culture makers; activists and artists; neighbors and ne’er-do-wells — and John Elway, if he ever returns our calls. Learn more and subscribe to our newsletter at denver.citycast.fm..
Named Westword's Best Podcast of 2021, 2023
136episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
‘Your City Could Be Better’: The Trick to Getting People To Volunteer — Presented By City Cast Denver
2w ago00:26:15Tap to summarizeIt’s not a given that every Denverite will chip in to help their community. In this episode, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with writer Taylor Lahey about how functional incentives could be the missing link in traditional systems of donations and volunteering. Inspired by a waste exchange program in Curitiba, Brazil, Lahey is working to create circular systems that effectively incentivize donations and just as effectively get them into the hands of those who need them. When investment and morale are low, sometimes an unconventional approach is the right way to go. Want to hear your question on an upcoming episode of Your City Could Be Better? Submit your city dilemmas for our upcoming call-in show by using our Google Form: https://forms.gle/45X33jhGHf8BYDM5A 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.
Transcribe →How Denver Chefs Are Changing Our Mexican Food Scene
2w ago00:25:32Tap to summarizeFor a long time, Mexican food in Denver was seen as an unchangeable, untouchable cuisine. While Den-Mex is still king, local chefs are breaking with tradition and plating up fresh twists on everything from tacos to pozole to birria. In this conversation from last summer, cook and influencer Mario Martinez shares with host Bree Davies how the city’s changing tastes are being reflected everywhere from award-winning fine dining establishments to parking lot food trucks. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! Where’s your fave place in Denver to get pozole? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this July 24th episode: Denver Century Ride Colorado Lottery Blue Sky Breck Create Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →Are Mayor Mike’s Big New Promises Enough to Win Him Reelection? Plus, Coloradans Think This Place is Pretty OK!
2w ago00:36:26Tap to summarizeOn Tuesday night, Mayor Mike Johnston delivered his annual State of the City address, which included a pilot program for universal childcare, plans for supporting developers in building 20,000 housing units across Denver, and more. Will listening sessions and task forces lead to a more affordable city? Denver Post city government reporter Elliott Wenzler was at the speech and is on today with host Bree Davies to parse the details – or lack thereof – in the mayor’s major plans. Then they discuss Council member Shontel Lewis’s entrance into the 2027 mayor’s race, what the democratic socialism wave could mean for Denver politics, and why a new poll shows Coloradans are “somewhat” proud to live here. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! What did you think of Mayor Johnston’s big plans? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Did you enjoy this interview with Elizabeth Martinez from Compass Real Estate? Learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 23rd episode: Denver Century Ride Colorado Lottery Blue Sky Breck Create Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →Is the Front Range Train Actually Happening? Plus, Denver's Water Fails and Our Water World Speedo Mystery
3w ago00:35:29Tap to summarizeDenverites can’t seem to stop watering their lawns. Amid a drought, Denver Water says they’ve asked customers to cut water usage by 20%, yet the city is “far behind” on that goal so far. Could government intervention, better incentives, or higher fees be the answer to shutting off the taps? Editor and founder of The Lever David Sirota joins host Bree Davies to talk through our 99 water problems, plus they look at the new draft plans for the Colorado Connector aka CoCo aka Front Range Passenger Rail – what it could cost, where it would go, and when it could be in operation. They also hear from a listener who answers David’s burning question: Why are there so many Speedo-wearers at Water World? For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! What is your approach to dealing with the drought? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this July 22nd episode: Denver Century Ride Colorado Lottery Blue Sky Breck Create Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →Inside the Shooting at Aurora's Immigration Detention Facility. Plus, Gov. Polis vs. Socialism
3w ago00:32:28Tap to summarizeGov. Jared Polis popped up on both CNN and Fox News this weekend to talk about his unfavorable view of socialism. In the wake of democratic socialist Melat Kiros winning the Democratic primary in Congressional District 1, is Colorado’s outgoing governor out of step with Denverites? Green Chile correspondent Justine Sandoval chats with host Bree Davies about Polis’s comments, plus the tuberculosis cases, mail issues, and recent shooting at the Geo Group’s immigration detention facility in Aurora. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! What do you think about Polis’ comments on socialism? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 If you enjoyed this interview with Tom Seaver, the director of Colorado Lottery, learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 21st episode: Denver Century Ride Colorado Lottery Blue Sky Breck Create Cozy Earth - Use code COZYDENVER for up to 20% off Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →Could Your Next Apartment Be on Colfax Avenue?
3w ago00:38:07Tap to summarizeSure, the new BRT line gets all the headlines these days as transit construction dominates Colfax, but this corridor is always changing. From new businesses opening (and some beloved spots closing) to the hundreds of apartment units coming to the lots that dot the strip, there’s so much to talk about. Frank Locantore, executive director of the Colfax Avenue Business Improvement District (a sponsor of this show), takes host Bree Davies on a walking tour of the famous street during a sweltering summer day to show and tell it all – including his desire to see affordable housing be incorporated in the construction of a new police station. Join us for Colfax Indie Bash! It’s this Wednesday July 22, from 6-9 p.m. in the parking lot behind Pete’s Satire Lounge, where we will be recording a live podcast! The City Cast Denver crew will go head-to-head with the reporting team at Denverite as Westword’s Patty Calhoun tests our Colfax knowledge with a live quiz show. This celebration is free, but you must RSVP. See you there! For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast Denver swag. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! Would you live on Colfax? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this July 20th episode: Denver Century Ride Colorado Lottery Blue Sky Breck Create Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →‘Your City Could Be Better’: Why Are Chattanoogans ‘Doing It Their Damn Selves’? — Presented By City Cast Denver
3w ago00:27:14Tap to summarizeSometimes it can feel like the Denver 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.
Transcribe →Is This the End of the 16th Street FreeRide? Plus, Another ICE Detention Center and an Influencer Disses Denver
3w ago00:32:28Tap to summarizeCould the 16th Street shuttle disappear for good? As RTD grapples with a quarter-billion dollar budget shortfall, dozens of light rail lines, bus routes, and shuttle services could be on the chopping block. Public transit fan and City Cast Denver regular Michelle Jackson joins host Bree Davies to talk about RTD’s uncertain future. They also open the mailbag to hear from listeners about everything from farmers markets to apple pie, and, of course, share their wins and fails of the week. Plus, a bonus segment only for City Cast Denver Neighbors about an Instagram influencer from Australia who really did Denver dirty! Join the Neighborhood to get all the goss and support this show by signing up to become a member today! See all of RTD’s service change proposals in advance of the agency’s finance committee meeting next week. Bree talked about the new ICE facility planned for Hudson, the immigrant support organization Casa de Paz, and the Colorado Trans Immigrant Fund’s fundraiser tonight at Fort Greene. Michelle discussed Colorado’s road rage problem and local artists Mac D and DNA Picasso’s double album collaboration and the listening party at UMS next weekend. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast Denver swag. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! What do you think? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this July 17th episode: Denver Film Denver Health Colfax BID Colorado Lottery Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →Is Childcare About to Get Cheaper? Plus, Local Venue Workers Unionize and What If Nightclubs Were Open Until 4 A.M.?
3w ago00:32:16Tap to summarizeParents and daycare providers have been sounding the alarm that childcare in Denver is expensive, hard to find, or hard to provide. This week, City Council took a small step to hopefully alleviate some of the struggle. Denver Post city government reporter Elliott Wenzler joins host Bree Davies to discuss this regulatory shift in childcare, plus City Council’s other recent debate that could overhaul Denver’s nightlife scene. They also dig into the recent unionization efforts by local sound engineers at a string of independently owned venues and what it all means for concert-goers. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast Denver swag. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! What do you think about the proposed 4 a.m. closing time for nightclubs? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 Learn more about the sponsors of this July 16th episode: Denver Film Denver Health Colfax Ave BID Colorado Lottery Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →Would You Take the Bus to DIA? Plus, Long Lines at Water World and Colorado’s Road Rage Problem
4w ago00:37:47Tap to summarizeWidening Peña Boulevard is still very much on the table, but DIA officials have recently agreed to explore options beyond just making more room for cars. Could a dedicated bus lane be in the highway’s future? Editor-in-chief of The Lever David Sirota joins host Bree Davies to talk about all the ways to get to DIA. Also, they dig into the latest numbers on aggressive driving and Colorado’s very bad road rage problem. Then, Water World’s brand new Summit Canyon opens this week and David has thoughts about it! Bree mentioned the Peña Boulevard expansion project’s open house happening July 23 at the Green Valley Ranch Rec Center and Greater Denver Transit’s analysis of the project. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast Denver swag. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter at denver.citycast.fm. Follow us on Instagram: @citycastdenver Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member! How do you get to DIA? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418 If you enjoyed this interview with Kelsey Simpkins, the Communications and Programs Manager at the Regional Air Quality Council, learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 15th episode: Denver Film Denver Health Colfax Ave BID Colorado Lottery Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise
Transcribe →