In this episode, I reconnect with Cara Seiderman, Transportation Program Manager with the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to get an update on the newly revised bike plan and discuss some of the exciting developments currently underway to create safe and inviting active mobility environments for all ages, abilities, and identities. Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode to access photos and videos In June 2021, the City of Cambridge published Cambridge Bicycle Plan 2020 , an update to the 2...
Sep 24, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 93
In this episode, I connect with Bianca Shulaker, Associate Director of National Programs at The Trust for Public Land, for a discussion about their Park Score Index, the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, and the exciting opportunity to leverage qualitative data to meet the needs of the community. The Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972 on the conviction that all people need and deserve access to nature and the outdoors, close to home, in the cities and communities where they live, as a matter of he...
Sep 17, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 92
In this episode, I connect with Jeff Bagg, the City Planner for Easthampton, MA, for a discussion about how this historic mill town is striving to connect people to meaningful destinations by leveraging its beloved Manhan Rail Trail while expanding its connectivity and reach through new infrastructure, creative installations, and traffic calming measures. Episode Landing page for access to more information and photos Easthampton, Massachusetts and Jeffrey Bagg, City Planner were suggested for th...
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 91
In this episode, I reconnect with Charles Marohn, Founder of Strong Towns and author of the new book Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town for a discussion about the compelling need to reform both our transportation systems and how those systems are planned and designed. Landing page for this episode Video version of the episode In 2010 Charles Marohn , Founder of the Strong Towns organization sat down to create a computerized animated cartoon video called Conver...
Sep 03, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Season 2Ep. 90
In this episode, I connect with Ann Sussman, co-author along with Justin B Hollander, of the intriguing book Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment for a discussion about how we can shape behavior in a positive by understanding a few key concepts related to our psychology, genetics, and how we evolved. Landing page for this episode to access the visuals associated with the discussion The book Cognitive Architecture by Ann Sussman and Justin Hollander publis...
Aug 27, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 89
In this episode, I connect with Abby Kinney, a Kansas City-based Urban Designer with Gould Evans and the host of the Strong Towns Upzoned Podcast, for a conversation about KC, the unique structure of the podcast, and some critical new protected cycling infrastructure that has opened up the city for her and some many others. Active Towns Landing Page for this episode for access to more photos, videos Every week on the Strong Towns Upzoned Podcast , Abby Kinney and most frequently, Chuck Marohn, F...
Aug 20, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 88
In this episode, I connect with Doogie Roux, a micro-mobility consultant, brand ambassador, and bicycle advocate based in Houston, Texas for a discussion of a couple of truly innovative projects he's involved with that leverage electric assist bike technology to encourage more people to ride more often. It's not an understatement to say that Houston is one of the most challenged cities in North America when it comes to it's sprawling size, at 670+ square miles (1,739.69 km2) in the city limits a...
Aug 13, 2021•33 min•Season 2Ep. 87
In this episode, I connect with Dr. Jen Roberts, an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, in the Department of Kinesiology, within the School of Public Health, for a detailed discussion about her work and study at the intersection of health and the built environment. Active Towns Landing page for this episode for additional photos and content Public health is and has been top of mind ever since the global coronavirus pandemic took hold, but there's a side to the study of public heal...
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 86
In this episode, I connect with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Robin Mazumder, Ph.D., for a discussion about how we as humans respond to our built environments and how we make that experience pleasurable and equitable. Dr. Robin Mazumder, recently (October 2020) received his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in cognitive neuroscience studying the impacts of urban design on our health and wellbeing. Among other things, John and Robin talk about how we as humans respond to our built environments...
Jul 30, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 85
In this episode, I connect with Martina Haggerty, Director of Special Projects in the Planning Department for the City of Providence, Rhode Island, for a discussion about the status of the city's active mobility initiatives, including the completion of a major signature project the Van Leesten Memorial Bridge built upon the footings of the relocated Interstate 195. Active Towns Landing page for this episode - for additional content and photos Providence, Rhode Island is one of our oldest cities ...
Jul 23, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 84
In this episode, I connect with Ben Holland, Senior Associate at RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute), for a conversation about why we need fewer motor vehicles, not just electric vehicles, and the inherent fragility of car-centric cities. Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode (for additional photos and content) In order to combat climate change, we know that we must electrify the motor vehicle fleet (and other fossil fuel burning engines for that matter) as soon as possible, but what we also nee...
Jul 16, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 83
In this episode, I connect with Jason Slaughter the creator of the incredibly popular Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel. He shares what led him to become interested in urbanism and active mobility, how he and his family came to live in Amsterdam, and why he decided to launch the channel. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? As you'll learn from this conversation, that's precisely the question Jason Slaughter and his wife pondered when they became disillusioned with the over...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 82
In this episode, we head down under, for a chat with Professor Paul Tranter, Honorary Associate Professor in Geography in the School of Science at the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia , about why we all need to just slow down a bit. Paul researches children’s well-being and the dominance of speed and mobility in urban planning and society. His work has demonstrated that child-friendly modes of walking, cycling, and public transit are also the modes that paradoxically reduce ti...
Jul 02, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 81
In this episode, I connect with documentary filmmaker Liz Canning for a candid conversation about MOTHERLOAD, a movie and a movement. MOTHERLOAD captures a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of modern life, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote. Filmmaker Liz Canning cycled everywhere until she had twins in 2008. Motherhood was challenging, but to Liz hauling babies via car felt stifling. She Googled “family bike” and uncovered a ...
Jun 23, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 80
In this episode, I catch up with Melissa and Chris Bruntlett "on the eve" of the release of their much anticipated second book, Curbing Traffic - The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives. It's a long one, as they were gracious enough to provide a brief overview of each of the ten main chapters in the book. Enjoy! Curbing Traffic - The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives published by Island Press is due to be released on June 29, 2021. We highly recommend everyone get a copy and Melissa and ...
Jun 14, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 79
In this extended episode, I have a detailed conversation with Bruce Appleyard , Associate Professor of City Planning & Public Administration, at San Diego State University and the author of Livable Streets 2.0 published by Elsevier, a fabulous tribute to his late father, Donald Appleyard, and his classic urbanism text Livable Streets. A livable street is like a good friend that gives you energy. In contrast, an unlivable street drains you. We discuss in detail many aspects of the book and hi...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 39 min•Season 2Ep. 78
In this episode, I connect with Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City, Utah's Transportation Division Director, for a conversation about how he and his team are making progress in their efforts to create safer, more inviting street spaces for "All Ages & Abilities" across all mobility modes. Salt Lake City's historic grid features massively wide streets and incredibly long blocks, but its origin isn't rooted in car-centric design, rather it was a practical solution to freight logistics - the ability to...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 77
In this episode, I catch up with Ross Chapin, an Architect who literally wrote the book on Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World and we discuss how when one steps into a pocket neighborhood, it seems familiar and feels comfortable. Perhaps this is because humans have been creating intentional habitats such as these for tens of thousands of years. They are inherently sociable, cohesive, and livable communities. Additional Helpful Links: Active Towns landing p...
May 28, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 76
In this episode, I connect with Brandon Lust, also known as @AmericanFietser, on Twitter for a conversation about how a pickup truck-driving guy from rural Illinois became an advocate for Dutch cycling, safer streets, and electric-assist cargo bikes. In 2017, Brandon joined his wife Tatiana on a trip to The Netherlands. She had some work to do there and they figured why not combine the travel for a bit of vacation time. What Brandon couldn’t have known at the time, was that this trip would forev...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 75
In this episode, I connect with Billy Fields, Ph.D. , Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas State University, for a discussion that addresses the freedom that comes from mobility choice, the progress being made in San Marcos, and the annual study abroad program he leads to The Netherlands. We also talk about his newly released book, Adaptation Urbanism and Resilient Communities: Transforming Streets to Address Climate Change, published by Routledge. I encourage everyone to check out ...
May 14, 2021•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 74
In this episode, I connect with Huntsville, Alabama-based cartographer and artist David Nuttall for a conversation about his recent adventure riding every street in his sprawling, hilly city and the profound things he learned about the place he's called home for the past several decades and about himself. David Nuttall was motivated to get in a little exercise and lose a little weight by exploring his adopted hometown of Huntsville, Alabama on his trusty old mountain bike. And thus a challenge w...
May 07, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 73
In this episode, I connect with Briana Cohen, who serves as the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative's Austin Lead and Community Educator. We discuss the many engaging activation programs and services this beloved non-profit is providing within the Austin and San Antonio communities and she provides a wonderful glimpse into the organization and how it helps to support the communities they serve well beyond issues related to riding cycles. She also serves on the Bicycle Advisory Council for the City of Au...
Apr 30, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 72
In this episode, I welcome Austin's District 8 City Council Member, Paige Ellis, onto the Podcast. We talk about her biggest learnings from a 2019 PeopleForBikes study tour to The Netherlands, some recent infrastructure improvements in the city, a game-changing mobility bond she co-sponsored which passed overwhelmingly in the November election, as well as the Interstate 35 expansion challenge. Council Member Ellis is a fabulous example of a passionate, caring city leader who looks for opportunit...
Apr 23, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 71
In this episode, I connect with Laura Steel and Michael Kelley with BikeWalkKC about how the city is making progress in active mobility education, policy advancement, and, yes, even in infrastructure, finally starting to emerge on the ground. Additional Helpful Links: This Episode's Landing Page - for more photos and videos The BikeWalkKC YouTube Channel BikeWalkKC - Become a Member BikeWalkKC - Newsletter & Mailing List Decriminalizing Walking Biking BikeWalkKC Policy Platform Kansas City P...
Apr 16, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 70
In this episode, I reconnect with Jennifer Ruley , the Mobility & Safety Lead Engineer for the City of New Orleans ( Moving New Orleans ), and Dan Favre, the Executive Director of Bike Easy , for a chat about the NOLA active mobility story, which is most definitely one of perseverance, collaboration, and commitment to transformation. Additional Helpful Links: Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - for fun photos and additional content. Moving NOLA Facebook Page Moving NOLA Instagram NO...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 69
In this episode, I connect with Zach Vanderkooy, a veteran study tour organizer and principal of the firm Inspired by Cities for a discussion about the impact of study tours, what you can expect as an attendee, and what it takes to pull off successful educational outings such as these. Zach is an urban planner by training and has a deep history in bicycle advocacy, having worked for both IMBA - the International Mountain Bicycling Association , and PeopleForBikes . Additional Helpful Links: Orga...
Apr 02, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 68
In this episode, I connect with Ken McLeod, Policy Director at the League of American Bicyclists, for an in-depth discussion about the current federal, state, and local active mobility policy landscape in the United States. The League of American Bicyclists , based in Washington, DC, is a membership-based organization that has been fighting for the rights and needs of cyclists, specifically and active mobility in general, since 1880. As Policy Director, Ken McLeod is at the forefront of these po...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 67
In this episode, I connect with Mark Cramer, who is an American living in a northern suburb of Paris, France, for a discussion about how many years ago he happened upon a fun group of cyclists completely taking over the streets of Paris, with the support and assistance of the police, and how this chance connection led him down the road of becoming a regular bike commuter, traveling throughout the Paris region. Mark is also the author of the book Old Man on a Green Bike: Chronicles of a Self-Serv...
Mar 24, 2021•56 min•Season 2Ep. 66
In this episode, I reconnect with Nicholas "Nick" Oyler, Manager, Memphis Bikeway & Pedestrian Program for a discussion about the exciting recent advances in the high-comfort cycle network and some of the challenges still facing the city. Nick also provides a bit of background as to how he got interested in this work. We cover a lot of ground in this interview and barely scratch the surface of the very encouraging developments currently underway in this fine city. The city of Memphis, Tennes...
Mar 19, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 65
In this special bonus episode, an Activity Ambassador profile, I connect with Rob Verhelst from Madison, Wisconsin, who is also known as Fireman Rob. We talk through a wide range of topics, including how the Ironman triathlon helped him to find his passion, his take on safer streets for active living as a working emergency services professional, the role activity played in helping him deal with PTSD in the aftermath of 9-11 and so much more. Additional Helpful Links: Landing page for this episod...
Mar 17, 2021•54 min•Season 2Ep. 64
