Kevin Kastner

I’m the creator and administrator for Urban Indy.  I ride the bus to work occasionally from the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood, where I live with my family.

I grew up in the suburbs in northeastern Indiana, and studied in Geography at Indiana University.  I moved to Indianapolis after graduating in 1999.  Interest in urban neighborhoods came slowly.  My first slice of city life took place in the year 2000, when I lived in a duplex at 49th and College.   I came to appreciate meeting nearby neighbors,  and relished in the opportunity to walk in every direction, just for the heck of it.

I believe that Indianapolis has evolved in a mostly positive direction since moving here, but that it deserves more voices encouraging it to move in a direction that encourages urban living.   I was fortunate to welcome along other congenial bloggers, with the goal of having a greater impact on urban redevelopment efforts.  I can be reached at kevin dot kastner at gmail dot com.

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Comments 20

  • Link updated!

    The new site looks great as well! Let me know if you want a new favicon, I’d be happy to make one for you 🙂

    – Alex

  • Hey,

    Can you send me your email?

    Thanks.

  • Kevin –

    I am involved with HARMONI/Midtown and looking to get in contact with you – can you shoot me an email when you can so we can get in touch?

    Thanks!

    Ben

  • Hmm…you didn’t leave your e-mail. You (and anyone else) can reach me at kevin.kastner (at) gmail (dot) com

  • Dear Kevin, I read your article
    https://urbanindy.com/2010/12/27/achievable-goal-no-more-giant-surface-parking-lots-in-the-mile-square/
    You are absolutely right, cars belong outside only when they move. Our company GIVT is specialized on working on these issues. Please go to our website to learn more about the possibilities in modern technology to handle these parking issues.
    Among others you will find under this site the perfect urban solution which was executed with our assistance a couple of years ago in Munich Germany :
    http://www.givt.eu/usa/donnersbergerstrasse_film.html
    Best
    Ingo

  • morning Kevin………we met and spoke last year about Lady Spray in Fountain Square. I’d be interested in sitting with you again to share our knowledge about the architectural and historical importance of the GM Stamping Plant at the White River and West Washington Street. Transportation manufacturing has gone uninterrupted on this site since 1871 (140 years). According to a Plant Manager we spoke with a number of years ago, while we were documenting the Plant’s story and importance, Detroit had NOTHING like this. Please contact if interested.

    ERIC+ANN NINebark.inc

  • Sorry Kevin, high speed rail is not light-commuter rail. high-speed rail is a longer distance intercity rail system that transports passengers 100 miles and further, and travels at speeds of 110 MPH or more. A commuter rail system, serves local communities in a specific major market, and usually travels at speeds under 79 MPH..

    Dennis Hodges
    Indiana High Speed Rail Association
    dennis@indianahighspeedrail.org

  • Nice Article on the old Sacred Hart Neighborhood (Concord District) and the notes on my hard fought efforts in turning The Vollrath Tavern back into the it once former glory of a hot spot in Indy.

    Brian M. Alvey

  • My band has played at the Vollrath twice in the last month. Nice place to have a show and plenty of good beers on tap as well. 🙂

  • Awesome new logo for the site. Have you considered switching the orange color to the marroon seen in the official iconic Indy flag?

  • How would on be able to get more involved with development projects and obtain a career in such field. I have such an interest in being involved and have 11 years of design experience. I never see any jobs posted for respective field. If you have any suggestions, would be much appreciated.

    Thanks!

  • Hello,
    I had a questions regarding landmarks in Indiana. Can you send me your email address. Thanks

  • Hi, Kevin: Can I use one of your photos of the Ritz Theatre on Historic Indianapolis for my “Indianapolis Then & Now” column? I’ll credit you and place a link to your site. Please let me know at heritagephotoservices@gmail.com. Thanks! -Joan Hostetler, Heritage Photo & Research Services

  • This article in today’s NYT might be worth sharing here and stimulating some discussion.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/now-coveted-a-walkable-convenient-place.html?ref=opinion

  • Kevin, I saw the piece in the IBJ about your appeal of the OneAmerica Parking Garage approval and the lack of application of the Regional Center Plan beyond the baseline threshold. I then started to think about the upcoming Rezone Indy effort and how this is an important point to take the Regional Center Plan a step further. However, based on my initial view of the polls on their website it seems like improved urban design is a lesser concern. This worries me as I think that if we are going to make better progress as a city in building quality urban environments, urban design needs to be central to the Rezone Indy effort. Just trying to spread my concern early in the process so it gets out there.

  • Kevin, back in November 2010 you submitted an update and linked the IBJ article on the McOuat building redevelopment and restoration. Construction is moving and I am currently pre-leasing 20 one bedroom loft style apartments. I would like the opportunity to get you through the building to see the progress and get an update on Urban Indy. Thank you, Nancy Gibbs

  • Kevin-

    Below you will find a release about a Lieutenant Governor candidate forum the Hoosier Environmental Council is hosting Thursday. I’m writing to see if you might be interested in interviewing our executive director, Jesse Kharbanda, about the event, it’s statewide accessibility (with questions able to be submitted via Twitter), and how the outcome of this election will effect statewide environmental policy for years to come? Jesse has some open time slots…tomorrow from 7 to 9 a.m. or noon to 5 p.m. (all eastern time). If those times don’t work, I’m sure we could make something happen sometime before the event takes place on Thursday evening.

    Thanks for your consideration,
    Marianne

    Contact: Marianne Holland FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Contact Number: (317) 702-4847
    Email: media@hecweb.org

    HOOSIER ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL TO HOST
    LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DEBATE ON THURS, OCT. 11TH

    The Hoosier Environmental Council is hosting a lieutenant governor candidate conversation on the environment on Thursday, October 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Indiana History Center, 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis.

    Hoosier Environmental Council executive director Jesse Kharbanda says the November 2012 governor’s race will have far-reaching consequences for Indiana’s environmental future. The candidates for governor have so far expressed different views on tackling air & water pollution, and advancing new kinds of energy and transportation systems.

    Kharbanda says, “The next Governor and Lieutenant Governor have a tremendous opportunity to position Indiana as a public policy innovator where we simultaneously grow job-generating sectors, like clean energy and green infrastructure, while reducing toxic pollutants that ultimately hurt our quality of life.”

    Democratic candidate, Senator Vi Simpson, and Libertarian candidate, Brad Klopfenstein, have confirmed their participation. While Representative Sue Ellspermann, the Republican lieutenant gubernatorial nominee, has offered to meet with HEC individually, her campaign has unfortunately – at present – declined to participate in this exchange. Ellspermann was not responsive to a personal, follow-up invitation, a half-ad placed in her hometown newspaper, or to social media engagement.

    Marianne Holland, formerly statehouse bureau chief for IPBS, will be the moderator. The debate will begin with questions crafted by the Hoosier Environmental Council and its partners. Candidates will then take questions from the audience.

    The event is being co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Indiana, the Indiana Public Health Association, the Indiana Citizens’ Alliance for Transit, and the Indiana Conservation Alliance.

    About Hoosier Environmental Council
    Founded in 1983, the Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) is the largest statewide environmental policy organization in Indiana. HEC aims to set a new path for Indiana, embracing practices and policies that dramatically reduce the footprint of transportation, industry, commerce, and agriculture on the environment.

    Visit http://hecweb.org for more information. You can also follow HEC on Twitter: @hec_ed, where HEC will be live tweeting this event, or like us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/hecweb, where HEC will be live streaming the event.
    ###

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