good traffic.

While bleak and gray at times, winter can be the prime time for observational and behavioral learnings in our local environments. Sneckdowns (snow + neckdowns), multi-day snow-covered cars, and unmaintained/disregarded sidewalks each tell us something. We also touch briefly on takeaways from convictions of the Jeffersonian grid: foresight and planning to widen our ideological tent, republican idea...

Dominic Leonardo — Rhode Island city planner, and the reputable @cityglowup on socials — is in good traffic to discuss the simple-yet-vital process of documenting progress. Transformations — or, glow-ups — have long been an effective way of visually storytelling change, and garnering momentum. Dominic does the vintage before/after in a contemporary fashion better than anyone. We discuss: 00:00 On...

We're back for the first episode in 2025 (!!), where we'll work harder to thread the needle between championing urbanism wholeheartedly, and understanding public concerns about safety + comfort. This year, nuanced thought will be as critical as ever. It should not be controversial to say that — in pursuit of building better places and ways to move between them — women and children must feel safe....

Vancouver continues to be the favorite city I've ever been to, largely due to what is arguably the best city park in North America: Stanley Park. Plus, a non-sponsored holiday gift guide for urbanists, listed below. We discuss: 00:00 Vancouver is the best. 00:49 The marvel of Stanley Park. 02:17 Density and nature. 03:19 Vancouver's natural setting. 07:20 Winter challenges and urban mobility. 08:0...

Sam Balto — cofounder of Bike Bus World , and leader of the Portland Bike Bus — is back in good traffic for an updated chat on children’s mobility, the failure that is school carlines, and the paradox of prompting local-level progress via a national community.

 We discuss: 00:00 Bike bus year in review. 01:19 The global bike bus community. 04:08 Bike commuting infrastructure for families. 07:02 E...

Coby Lefkowitz is back in good traffic. Amidst leading Backyard in developing housing in Southern California (and tweeting up a pleasant storm), Coby has written a new book. Building optimism is available now. We get into it, in this conversation. We discuss: 00:00 Building Optimism: the new book. 02:12 The genesis of the book. 05:42 Challenges and realities of American urban development. 10:27 Hi...

Thankful for you all. Pardon a slight deviation from our usual Tuesday release. We discuss: 00:00 Thanksgiving and urbanism. 04:35 A journaling exercise. 10:01 Upcoming guests and episodes. 11:21 A note on black friday and parking minimums. A sample journal exercise. First, the point of gratitude, followed by a summarized root-cause analysis. Apologies for brevity, these were transcribed from my f...

Quick hits re: the federal-level implications of the recent election on transportation, housing, and urbanism in the U.S. No political post-mortems or predictions, but rather look at existing policies and their potential impacts. Surface level breakdown of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), detailing the combined $566 billion in federal transpo...

Aly's back, and with some recent perspective on third places. Particularly, their significance in expanding our sense of home beyond four walls. We talk devised theatre, childhood restaurants, the power of nostalgia, and how to bring up urbanism at thanksgiving dinner. We discuss: 00:00 Aly's back. 02:54 Urbanism and nostalgia. 05:20 On third places. 13:35 Defining routine via walking routes. 21:4...

Mallory Baches returns for a conversation on the highlights of the 2024 CNU congress in Cincinnati, where restorative urbanism and connected communities policy were focal points. We talk the CNU transect and its application in urban planning, emphasizing the importance of landscape architecture. We also examine the challenges of branding and public perception of new urbanism. The chat finishes wit...

Sophia Mohr — Chief Innovation and Technology Officer at the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) — is in good traffic this week ahead of a big vote on November 5. Issue 47 is on the local ballot in Columbus, Ohio — which will help bring BRT to life in the region. We elaborate on the technological advancements ahead, such as traffic signal prioritization, digital payment solutions, and customer e...

Jerome Horne — transit advocate and communications executive — is in good traffic to talk buses, better transit advocacy, and Baltimore (among other places). We discuss: 00:00 Choosing cities for transit advocacy. 02:36 Career transition to public transportation. 09:37 On community building. 17:36 Youth engagement in urban planning. 21:35 Strategies for promoting bus usage. 23:36 Improving bus sys...

Urbanization is a forgone conclusion. Yet, we still hear remnants of the old, more rural American dream being presented as American cultural taste. But, even in our most rural states (like Texas), the vast majority of folks reside in cities. Economic productivity and impact follow suit. People vote with their feet, and taste/preference account for more than aesthetics. The 'shithole' city narrativ...

Sharing a few conversations that have veered into urban planning / design, transportation, American mindset, and the like. Clips shared during the episode: Ari Matti on Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, on the American pedestrian experience. George Kamel (of the Dave Ramsey Show) on The Iced Coffee Hour, talking the biggest wealth crushers. Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Joe Rogan, discussing the rollout o...

We've passed the year mark. Huge thanks to you all. Here, we hit on five (and a half) summative takeaways from twelve+ months of weekly conversations. These are points that keep showing up ( in dialogue, notes, and research. They will help to steer much of what we do here, in the coming years.

John Simmerman — Founder of Active Towns — is in good traffic to talk the push for more active towns across the U.S. John travels the world's cities via active mobility, and creates stellar content to summarize the trips. By trade, he's an exercise scientist that believes in the power of the built environment as an avenue for solving some of our most pertinent health challenges (obesity, i...

Aside from better infrastructure, varying and incongruent laws make biking very challenging. Should I ride on the sidewalk, or on the road? Where do I belong? Will I actually get a ticket if I make a judgement call? Through the wacky ways that we regulate bikes in the states, we see starkly how they are not viewed as a viable transportation method (yet). We scratch the surface on the head-scratchi...

Dr. Nadina Galle — ecological engineer and author of new book, The Nature of Our Cities — is in good traffic this week to hash out the crossroads of cities, nature, and technology. We talk proper park planning and tree management, and the cities leading the way. The nature side of the urbanism conversation is something we’ll be exploring more deeply here, soon. Nadina is the perfect person to help...

Schools are back in session — and in less than a week, we're already fielding car line and traffic complaints. There has to be a better way to empower children's movement. We discuss: 00:00 Back to school. 01:22 The daily commute struggles. 03:08 Alternatives: The bike bus movement. 05:47 Practical tips for parents and students. 10:54 Commuting while in college. 16:44 Empowering student an...

Kyla Scanlon — author of In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work — is in good traffic to talk oil and gas economics and sociology, consumer sentiment and election voting driven by vibes, the implications of widespread car ownership, and more at the X of econ and urbanism. Kyla’s book is the best entry-level econ read out there. Read it, ASAP. You can get your copy, here. We discuss: 00:...

Donald Shoup — economist, author, and distinguished research professor at UCLA — is in good traffic this week re-emphasizing the economic implications of free parking and its hidden costs, advocating for reforms such as market-based pricing for curb parking and parking benefit districts. He delves into the nuances between doctrine and dogma, sharing his perspective from a summary of lifelong resea...

Sam Westby — touring cyclist, bike commuter, and content creator — is in good traffic this week to talk all things biking. We delve into Sam's recent Tour Divide ride, traversing from the Canadian border to the Mexican border on varying surfaces. The conversation also touches on the evolving bike culture in cities like Boston, and the impact of ebikes. We touch on an upbringing in a cycling-fo...

Steve Dunn — New Jersey firefighter and safe infrastructure advocate — is in good traffic this week to talk bikes as financial freedom, bike commuting as a public servant and emergency responder, and work done with his organization Union County Connects . The discussion also covers suburban and urban dynamics, the economic implications of car dependence, and the need for greater collaboration and...

Nico Larco — professor and director of the Urbanism Next Center at the University of Oregon — is in good traffic this week to dive deeply into his new book, The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook , and utilizing Portland as a laboratory for developing leading urbanism practices. We discuss: 00:00 Portland, Oregon's urban design. 02:15 Bike commuting culture in Portland. 03:07 Portland's nat...

Hayden Clarkin — a NYC-based transportation engineer known widely as The Transit Guy — is in good traffic this week to talk the engineering profession, getting transit projects across the finish line, and storytelling the technical aspects of the process. We cover the background, and current stasis, of halted congestion pricing implementation in New York City. We discuss: 00:00 The Transit Guy nam...