good traffic.

Mr. Money Mustache — a leading voice on financial freedom, prolific writer, and conscious craftsman — is in good traffic to survey the impractical costs of cars, ways to cut down on unnecessary expenses, and how to create more environmentally friendly, livable urban spaces. MMM actionably advocates for forging a lifestyle that centers essentials, better transportation options like biking and walki...

Dr. Tayana Panova — a psychologist focused on the long-tailed effects of American suburbs and sprawl — is in good traffic to talk the X of urbanism (or lack thereof) and psychology. Dr. Panova summarizes how American urban and suburban design over the last century has had profound effects on our mental, social, and physical wellbeing. She centers the need to reshape people in our urban environment...

Ryan Johnson — CEO and founder of Culdesac — is in good traffic, amidst building the first car-free neighborhood in the United States, in Tempe, Arizona. We talk the evolution of American neighborhoods, working with cities instead of against them, and the future of mobility beyond private car ownership. Ryan also speaks on the potential pathways to living car-free, as well as the math, places, and...

There's been a mixed and varying reaction to scooters in our cities (even amongst urbanists). With Bird's recent bankruptcy — following a whirlwind few years — it's an interesting time to take stock of our cultural opinion of micromobility as a whole. Did the unregulated, wild-west-esque attempt at democratizing micromobility actually set us back in gaining public support for new ways...

Jonathon Stalls — A walking artist, and leader of Pedestrian Dignity and Intrinsic Paths — is in good traffic (by way of Denver, CO) to talk the power of human mobility and transportation’s most foundational form: walking. Jonathon adds a poetic and expressive element to the inanimate and harsh likes of pavement, engineering, and cities at large. His storytelling is unrivaled in its ability to con...

Jon Jon Wesolowski — The Happy Urbanist, content creator, and Chattanooga community leader — is in good traffic for a conversation about the conversation itself. Jon Jon is the most effective creator of entry-level, accessible urbanism content. He's bringing in new ears and minds at a rapid rate, and the collective is better because of it. We also talk the upward trajectory in Chattanooga, as...

Coby Lefkowitz — developer, writer, urbanist, and tweeter — is in good traffic to discuss the longstanding distrust of the big, bad developer in the urbanism conversation, and how partnership (versus vilification) is the pathway to building better places. Coby is the Founder of Backyard — a development group focused on gentle density in great American cities. We discuss: 01:43 Getting into urban d...

Taylor Schaffer — President and CEO of Downtown Indy Inc. — is in good traffic to share an ongoing story on the proliferation of placemaking, urbanism, walkability, and the potential to live car-free or car-lite in Indianapolis, Indiana. This is the first-ever episode of the new good traffic subseries: Walkable Pockets. We'll traverse underrated, often unsuspecting, pockets of the U.S. where o...

Holiday markets and festivals are great. The traffic we sit in to get to them is quite the opposite. If we built more of the walkable environments that we love (those which festivals replicate), we wouldn't have to sit in standstill traffic, merely to access them for a couple of hours. Also, U.S. traffic deaths are on the rise. It's a uniquely American predicament. Further context: The ris...

An evening episode, following a weekend at MLS Cup in the underrated city of Columbus, Ohio. Festivals, sporting events, concerts, and holiday gatherings are all great entryways into the concept of walkable cities; people are empowered to explore an environment on foot - often on streets closed to cars, and opened up to people. They're a trojan horse, if you will. This audio is a reflection fr...

The first installment of a new subseries: a weekly walkabout (working title). We'll take stock of recent readings and stories, experiences while navigating via foot and bike, and comments received on social. Aly Marchant (who you may remember from conversation 6) joins and leads the chat from her very relatable perspective, as she still feels this whole urbanism thing out. We discuss: Outsider...

Coach Sam Balto — a physical education teacher, active transportation catalyst, and Portland bike bus leader — is in good traffic to open up on sustainable and healthy transportation options for children, disrupting the school car line, and what it all means for the collective movement of our cities. We discuss: 00:01 Coach Sam Balto is in good traffic, and he’s driving the bike bus. 02:08 What is...

Obi Johns — Rising Columbus, Ohio real estate professional (and budding urbanist) — is in good traffic to address the state of the American dream, how walkable neighborhoods have begun to replace the suburban fantasy of old, and how realtors are selling in the shifting market. We discuss: The American Dream. Home buying and real estate in 2023. Millennials and Gen Z want to live in walkable neighb...

Tesho Akindele - Former Major League Soccer and Canadian national team player turned urbanist and real estate developer - is here for the pitch on why athletes make great urbanists, and a dialogue on the intersection of sports and American cities. We discuss: The importance of urbanism becoming a part of popular culture, rather than just criticizing it. The urbanist pitch to athletes, and why athl...

The prompt for this week's audio was David Zipper's recent Vox article, titled "Why Norway — the poster child for electric cars — is having second thoughts." Electric cars as the salient solution to climate change does a disservice to another brand of innovation: simplicity that works. Or, as we call it, biking, walking, public transit, and the like. We discuss: David Zipper'...

Barry Greene Jr. - The “Density Dad”, plant and record shop owner, car-free commuter, and Richmond urbanist - is in good traffic this week to discuss how parenting and entrepreneurship intersect with cities and urbanism. We Discuss / Misunderstanding density. How cities help parents. Creating the modern third place for people. Richmond, Virginia and parking minimums. Leading a local plant and reco...

Alyssa Marchant - actor, teacher, and my beautiful urbanist girlfriend - is here this week for an important conversation on how walkable cities, bikes, and public transportation have been the life-changing foundation for our relationship and love life. We discuss: Building a relationship and an active lifestyle at the same time. Solving relationship problems by taking long walks with your partner....

Draven Pointer - architectural designer at Better Block, craftsman of street furniture, woodworker, and Marvel maniac - joins the traffic from Dallas, Texas. We discuss: Building better blocks, and getting started in your neighborhood. The built environment continues making adult friendships impossible. Americans' love for college (and why walkable cities are to thank!). Street furniture and i...

Teal Lehto - known as Western Water Girl for her thorough storytelling and commentary on the worsening water crisis in the U.S. - brings the water conservation conversation to the city. We discuss: Why the conservationist and urbanist movements don't come together more often? Las Vegas, Nevada as an urban model for water conservation. Decoupling population growth from water usage. Water rights...

Paul Stout - @TalkingCities on TikTok, prolific creator, future landscape architect, and Culdesac alum - sits down for a chat on all-things content, cities, cars, and crafting practical places for people. We discuss: Being THE original TikTok urbanist. Sharing the Gen-Z perspective on walkable cities at the United Nations this summer. Introducing hundreds-of-thousands to urban planning and design....

Eva Van Deursen - professional footballer for Bayer Leverkusen and the Dutch National Team - joins live from Phoenix, Arizona for the second episode of the show. We discuss: Growing up in the Netherlands and its world-leading bike culture and infrastructure. The differing psychology between Dutch drivers and American drivers, and how the built environment has conditioned us each. Getting a proper...

Nathan Allebach - TikTok urbanist, Strong Towns storyteller, walkable cities enthusiast, Creative Director at Allebach Communications, The Steak-umm Guy, and Scott Galloway's favorite Instagram follow (potentially) - joins the first episode of the show to ignite the good traffic conversation. We discuss: The rise of urbanism in popular culture thanks to a pandemic-provoked introduction, suburb...

Welcome, you’re in good traffic. This audio begins an ongoing, optimistic conversation on urban planning and urban design in the United States. Hear from city and community leaders, and everyday citizens, as they join me (Brad Biehl) in catalyzing conversations on our built environment.  Join a prolific collective en route to branding American urbanism. Today, we lay a bit of framework and backgro...