Join LkldNow for our free community forums to explore timely local topics and introduce voters to candidates for local office. In partnership with Lakeland Vision, we gather local experts to dissect issues and answer questions from audience members in order to foster civil discussion and seek solutions.
Past forums cover a range of quality of life topics, including homelessness, smart growth, race and equity, healthcare, and more.
Next Forum
Event Description:
Join us for a conversation with Lakeland’s next generation of business owners and community leaders about the opportunities, challenges, and future they see for our city.
LkldNow forum coverage
‘Arts ARE Infrastructure,’ Panelist Declares
Arts Forum at the AGB Museum Was Standing-Room Only.
Arts Forum: How’s Lakeland Doing?
Join LkldNow and Lakeland Vision for an arts discussion this Thursday.
Elder Care Professionals Share Tips for Older Adults and Caregivers
A candid conversation on health care and aging focused on maintaining the loved one’s independence and the carer’s mental health.
Criminology Professor Shares His Mental Health Struggles
Former Florida Southern College Professor Risdon Slate wants to see mental illness decriminalized.
Polk County Health Care Experts Offer Tips and Insights at Community Forum
The forum, hosted by LkldNow and Lakeland Vision, focused on pain points and hopeful news regarding local access to health care.
Let’s Talk Lkld: K-12 Education Forum
Panelists shared frustration with testing and emphasized the importance of valuing teachers as professionals.
Community Shows Up for LkldNow Forum on Race & Equity
Panelists discuss progress made since Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and ways to continue eliminating obstacles to prosperity and security.
Lakeland Smart Growth Forum Addresses Housing Needs, Infrastructure
About 100 people attended a Smart Growth Summit to discuss Lakeland’s increasing population and ways to handle it in the future.
Mayor: Lakeland Is ‘5,000 Residences Short’ for a City Its Size
Skyrocketing home values and rental rates are issues across Central Florida but rising housing costs in Lakeland are particularly acute because it is “5,000 residences short” for a city its size, Mayor Bill Mutz said at a forum on housing and homelessness.
Video and Photos: Lakeland Homelessness Forum
Here are photos and partial video from “Humanity, Housing and Homelessness,” a forum held Thursday evening at Catapult Lakeland.