ElevatePolk Podcast S3 E9 #75 | "Engage with the Machine"

About this episode

The episode discusses civic engagement and community responsibility using proposed data centers in Lakeland and Polk County as a starting point.

In this episode of ElevatePolk, Chrissanne Long and Dan Thumberg use the conversation around proposed data centers in Lakeland and Polk County as a starting point for a bigger discussion about civic engagement, public process, and community responsibility. Rather than focusing only on one project or issue, they explore what happens when citizens become aware of government decisions late in the process, why public information can still feel difficult to access, and how communities can become more informed before conversations turn into controversy. The episode also touches on trust, communication, economic development, artificial intelligence, local leadership, and the role each person plays in paying attention to the systems shaping their community.

People in this episode

Hosts: Chrissanne Long, Dan Thumberg

Topics covered

• civic engagement
• public process
• community responsibility
• trust
• communication
• economic development
• local leadership

Keywords

• civic engagement
• public process
• community responsibility
• economic development
• artificial intelligence
• local leadership
• trust
• communication

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: government, artificial intelligence

Places: Lakeland, Polk County

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