Economic Development Episodes

In this episode, Aaron sits down with Johanna Nyden, Community Development Director for the Village of Skokie, for a grounded conversation about how housing, infrastructure, and development actually work at the local level. They unpack what’s really driving housing costs, the realities of aging housing stock, why permitting can feel frustrating, and how municipalities balance growth, safety, and affordability. Johanna also shares insight into “missing middle” housing, infrastructure constraints, and what it takes to keep communities livable as costs rise.

In one of the most forward-looking episodes of The Chicagoland Guide to date, host Aaron Masliansky sits down with Kyle Schulz, Deputy of Strategic Advancement at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). This conversation breaks down where Chicagoland is heading over the next decade, and what it will take to stay globally competitive.

Aaron and Kyle originally connected through the Chicago Association of Realtors’ Global Council, and they pick up right where their first conversation left off: the opportunities, risks, and transformational forces shaping the region.