From Neighborhood Streets to City Hall with Zac Blanchard

Building Local Power

The second episode in the Building Local Power, The New Class series finds us talking to Baltimore City Councilman Zac Blanchard, who recently won a tight race to unseat his District 11's incumbent. Blanchard, a Marine vet and father of two young children, got his political start joining and eventually leading neighborhood associations. That experience, combined with his love for Baltimore, influenced his political philosophy and will guide him during his city council tenure. In this episode's wide-ranging conversation, Blanchard and host Danny Caine discuss Baltimore's challenges while also unpacking what makes Baltimore such a uniquely beautiful place. Blanchard shares his thoughts on the city's architecture and character and his journey to calling Baltimore home and eventually representing the key 11th District, which contains significant parts of Downtown and the iconic Inner Harbor. He also weighs in on the city's worst-in-the-nation heat island problem, driven by the presence of large trash incinerators within city limits. Other topics addressed include internet connectivity, highway removal, and the importance of bringing grocery stores to Baltimore's walkable neighborhoods. For the full transcript and related resources, visit the episode page: https://ilsr.org/articles/blp-from-neighborhood-streets-to-city-hall