In this episode, which I've edited down from our Livestream on Oct 27th, 2023, I welcome back Charles "Chuck" Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, for an in-depth discussion about proven strategies for creating safer streets without resorting to a constant cycle of trying to find someone to blame. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns...
Nov 06, 2023•1 hr 23 min•Season 6Ep. 212
In this episode, the second in a two-part series, I reconnect with Dr. Tristan Cleveland, Ph.D. to discuss additional strategies for transforming the suburbs into more desirable walkable, bike-able, and transit-served places. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content Helpful Links (note that some may include a...
Nov 03, 2023•57 min•Season 6Ep. 211
In this episode, the first in a two-part series, I connect with Dr. Tristan Cleveland, Ph.D. to discuss how the suburbs can be transformed into more desirable walkable, bike-able, and transit-served places. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to h...
Nov 01, 2023•55 min•Season 6Ep. 210
In this episode, I reconnect with Ray Delahanty, the self-proclaimed Plangineer behind the smash hit City Nerd YouTube Channel. We discuss his journey to becoming a full-time content creator, some of his biggest surprises, and where he gets his inspiration for new videos. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more cont...
Oct 27, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 209
In this episode, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett bring us along for a review of their summer family vacation explorations in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Trondheim, and Bergen. Naturally, they provide snapshots of the people-oriented places they experienced, an evaluation of the cycle and cargo bike scenes, and a healthy dose of reveling in the access to nature these destinations served up. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to t...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 208
In this episode, I reconnect with former pro soccer player, Tesho Akindele, for a conversation about his unlikely and unexpected journey from pro sports to urbanism and developing, walkable and bike-friendly communities in Charlotte, NC. I first met Tesho at the annual Congress for the New Urbanism gathering in Charlotte and immediately knew I needed to have him on the Channel to chat about his advocacy efforts in the YIMBY and Legalize Housing movements. He also shares how the book Walkable Cit...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 207
In this episode, I reconnect with Martina Haggerty, the new Senior Director for the PeopleForBikes Local Innovations initiative. Martina shares some information about the history of the Local Innovations efforts at PFB and the newly announced Great Bike Infrastructure Project. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more...
Oct 06, 2023•43 min•Season 6Ep. 206
In this episode, I connect with Professor Kelly Clifton, Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, for a conversation about using comics as a way to present complicated urbanism, transportation, and land use issues in a more approachable way for the general public. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more conten...
Sep 29, 2023•44 min•Season 6Ep. 205
In this episode, I connect with Babet Hendriks with Mobycon in The Netherlands for a discussion about the theoretical construct of the Mobility Doughnut, a concept inspired by the Economic Doughnut theory. To illustrate the points, we'll do some side-by-side photographic comparisons between Dutch and North American mobility systems. Also discussed is the need to move how we measure and evaluate our mobility systems away from the goal of the free flow of cars and towards the goal of societal well...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 204
In this episode, I connect with Murilo Casagrande and Heloisa Bento Ribeiro with the Aromeiazero Institute, an organization in São Paulo, Brazil that develops social, educational, and cultural projects to reduce social inequalities and make cities more resilient. Their mission is to promote change in the way of life of people and cities through bicycles. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred list...
Sep 15, 2023•46 min•Season 6Ep. 203
In this episode, Dr. Natalia Barbour and I discuss her family's big move from The Netherlands back to Florida and a few of her recent publications as a researcher and Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida. We talk about the network of separated pathways that allow her and her family to meet many of their daily needs, including getting to school, the grocery store, and the coffee shop without having to drive. We also discuss her new cargo bike and how other moms are imagining t...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 202
In this episode, the first of Season Six of the Active Towns Podcast: Conversations About Creating a Culture of Activity, I speak with Grant Ennis, the author of the fascinating and thought-provoking new book Dark PR: How corporate disinformation harms our health and the environment. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel f...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 201
In this episode, I'm honored to connect with Will Butler-Adams, the CEO of Brompton Bicycles, about the role that the humble bicycle is playing in addressing the most pressing issues we face globally, from health, well-being, loneliness, unproductive and financially unsustainable urban environments and yes, climate change. And a HUGE thank you to Ryan Van Duzer for letting me create a makeshift studio in the finished basement of his new home. Thank you so much, my friend! Hey, and y'all should c...
Jul 28, 2023•58 min•Season 5Ep. 200
In episode 199, I connect with Sir Graham Watson, President of the World Cycling Alliance, for a conversation about coordinating best practices around the globe as we strive to create safer, more inviting cycle networks for all ages and abilities. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content. Helpful Links (note ...
Jul 21, 2023•39 min•Season 5Ep. 199
In this episode, I connect with Amy Kenreich, a Denver crossing guard mom turned safe streets advocate who is part of a growing number of engaged community members making a difference on the streets of the mile-high city. We talk about recruiting new crossing guards, conducting bike rodeos, fighting for a needed protected bikeway where a tragic fatality occurred, as well as engagement activities like Viva Streets and Bike to Work Day. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode,...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 5Ep. 198
In this episode, I connect with Sara Stace, Director of Cities for WSP in Sydney, NSW, Australia, to discuss our need for a whole new paradigm surrounding what our streets are for and how they should make us feel. We pose the question, why can't our streets promote a feeling of being relaxed and carefree, as is depicted by these girls riding to field hockey in The Netherlands? Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 197
In this episode, I connect with Ryan Howell, The Events Coordinator at the Tulsa River Parks Authority network of trails and pathways connecting Tulsa's neighborhoods and downtown while providing amazing recreation opportunities, which are now high on my list of places I must visit! Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel fo...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 196
In episode 195, Nicole McSpirit of Denver, Colorado, gives us a look into her radical plan to create a Dutch-inspired cycling paradise in the Mile High City. She also provides a sneak peek into her secret behavior modification tactics to slow down aggressive drivers near schools in her role as an elementary school crossing guard. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 195
In this episode, I connect with Andrew Bowen, a journalist w/ KPBS in San Diego and host of the Freeway Exit Podcast, for a discussion about the damages that freeways cause in our cities and what happens when we take them down. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content. Helpful Links (note that some may includ...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 194
In episode 193, I connect with Andrea Learned for a chat about her new Living Change Podcast, “A Quest for Climate Leadership,” through sharing the experiences and practices of those who might be called surprising validators. Set aside the tendency to name and shame, which rarely delivers desired results, for the much more effective naming and "faming", calling attention to those leaders and individuals conspicuously living change. This podcast is truly all about the enthusiastic, hopeful, and f...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 193
In this episode, I connect with Carter Lavin in Oakland, CA for a discussion about his work training advocates and activists in the art and science of building political power, honing successful strategies, and creating winning campaigns at the local, regional, and state level. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): - Carter's website Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to th...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 192
In this episode, I connect with Breckenridge, CO-based bicycle explorer and recent author, Jerry Kopack for a conversation about getting the most life out of our limited time on earth. Naturally, we talk about bikepacking, bike touring, bike commuting, and, yeah, the joy of riding a bike, any bike, for any reason, at any time. #bikelife Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, an...
May 19, 2023•59 min•Season 5Ep. 191
In this episode, I connect with Josh Hon, Founder & Team Captain of Tern Bicycles, for a detailed discussion about how he came to start Tern, the current state of the e-bike market, and the potential for using bikes and cargo bikes for more short-haul trips in the future. We also discuss how important it is to advocate for safer and more inviting cycle networks appropriate for all ages and abilities. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend ...
May 05, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 190
In episode 189, I reconnect with Brandon Lust, aka @AmericanFietser, for the third time on the podcast. We discuss the status of his advocacy work, field some questions from the audience, and provide some strategies for keeping things interesting while trying to promote for Dutch-inspired safer active mobility environments for all ages and abilities. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listenin...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 189
In this episode, I connect with Päivi Raivio, co-founder of Helsinki-based Parkly, an innovative firm transforming public places with a modular, scalable solution by creating platforms for enjoying the urban greenscape. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and be sure to subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content. Helpful Links (note that some may in...
Apr 21, 2023•37 min•Season 5Ep. 188
In this episode, we head back Down Under to chat with the head Urban Pirate himself, Cam Perkins, in Auckland, NZ. Learn how he and his team are working to transform streets and public spaces into viable and vibrant places for people. Included in this episode is a conversation about engaging children in the design of our cities, employing tactical urbanism techniques to move transformation forward faster, and how to scale up our initiatives beyond the city and state levels and go big... go globa...
Apr 19, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 187
In episode 186, I connect with Angela van der Kloof, a resident of Tilburg in The Netherlands and International Strategic Advisor with Mobycon, for a discussion about how to frame and talk about our cycle paths and why focusing on speed and using car-centric language such as "highways" to describe them or as part of their names may end up undermining the ultimate goal of encouraging more people to ride more often. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 186
In this episode, I connect with Blaine Merker, a Partner, Director, and Head of Climate Action at Gehl, for a discussion about his early work and activism in redefining public space by taking over street parking spots, his current work at Gehl, and strategies for having a meaningful impact on our climate challenges. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and be sure to subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't fo...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 185
In episode 184, I reconnect with Avi Stopper of BikeStreets.com and VAMOS! the Denver, CO-based initiative to quickly bridge the gaps in the city's existing and planned high-comfort active mobility network. As Avi astutely points out, the build-out of Denver's current planned high comfort will take years, if not decades, will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and will ultimately result in a fragmented, disconnected, and inconsistent network of facilities of varying degrees of comfort. The VA...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 5Ep. 184
In episode 183, I connect with Travis Norvell, aka The Pedaling Pastor, on Twitter for a deep dive into the many ways his life and ministry have been enhanced by walking, biking, and taking transit as a way of life. We also discuss the challenges around parking for social institutions, the need for policy reform, and an outright paradigm shift. Additionally, we discuss ways that social institutions can get engaged to help promote active mobility and break down barriers for their communities. Tha...
Apr 05, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 183
