Active Towns

In this episode, we check-in with Mike Lydon of Street Plans in Brooklyn, NY and discuss the on-the-ground impacts of the pandemic he's seeing in NYC and monitoring worldwide. We cover and mention a lot of issues including: Street Plans , The firm he founded along with Tony Garcia Tactical Urbanism Book Tactical Urbanism Guides The recent CNU On the Park Bench Webinar video and presentation COVID1...

In this episode, I reconnect with Chris Bruntlett with the Dutch Cycling Embassy to discuss a wide range of topics including the impacts of the current COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, what it was like to move the family across the globe, how their kids are thriving in a new environment that supports safe mobility options for "All Ages & Abilities", and so much more. A little over one year ago Chr...

In this episode, Active Towns podcast host, John Simmerman has a discussion Victor Dover with Dover, Kohl, & Partner Town Planning of South Miami and Raphael Clemente with West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority about the impacts of COVID-19 they are seeing "on the ground" in their respective cities and neighborhoods as well as an in-depth conversation about the exciting new transformat...

In this episode, we dive in deep on all things active mobility and safer streets with Chris Riley with Bike Austin and Adam Greenfield with Walk Austin. In the city of Austin, TX, a city that has been experiencing, prior to our current COVID-19 pandemic, dramatic increases in economic and population growth these two organizations, Bike Austin and Walk Austin have been striving to represent the nee...

In this episode, we are joined by Jim Wick, Lead Organizer with MOVEATX an advocacy organization dedicated to helping create a new mobility future for Austin, TX and the issues we discuss are most certainly relevant to many other cities in North America. From the MOVEATX website: “We all know that Austin has a mobility crisis, but by implementing some of the least costly and easiest to engineer in...

In this episode, I catch up with Ryan Van Duzer of DuzerTV and YouTube fame, and no big surprise, it's a wild ride in a very good way. Inspiring people to get off their couches and explore this beautiful planet through his storytelling is Ryan van Duzer's passion The conversation kicks off with a quick recap of a recent adventure down to the Copper Canyon in Mexico where Ryan had just participated...

In this episode, John has an in-depth conversation with Mathias Ihlenfeld not only about the company, but the science behind how kids learn to ride. Woom Bikes is an Austin based company that focusses only on providing high-quality bikes for children from 18 months through their teens. Over the past decade or so teaching children how to ride a bike has fundamentally changed. No longer are training...

For this episode, I reconnected with Katie Deolloz with Walking as Practice to discuss an activity program she has created. Katie is a certified walking coach, a mom of two wonderful teens, a spouse to her fabulous husband David, and they happen to be a car-free household. Which is super cool and we’ll have to invite them in to talk about that in a future episode. We asked Katie to share some info...

In this episode, Triny Willerton of #ItCouldBeMe shares her story of turning a tragic event into a national movement for safer streets for everyone. Triny is a mom, a wife, an Ironman distance triathlete, and an accidental advocate for safer streets. And we say accidental advocate because it wasn’t until she was struck and nearly killed by a pickup truck < should have said by the driver of >...

In this episode, we welcome Darcy Kitching of Boulder, Colorado. Darcy is an experienced program director, talented storyteller, and truly a force of nature as an Activity Ambassador. Her formal training is in education and urban planning. She’s the principal owner of Places Make People, LLC a firm dedicated to improving places to better meet resident needs. Since 2015 she’s served on the steering...

In this episode we welcome in Preston Tyree of the Mueller neighborhood in Austin, TX to chat about his podcast Growing Old(er)! , what it's like to live in a community that is quickly transforming into an "All Ages & Abilities environment, adult tricycles, and so much more. Preston asked to have a link to this video we shot posted, so here it is: Zach Scott Protected Bike Lane Celebration Als...

In this episode, John has a delightful conversation with Heyden Black Walker, Director of Planning with Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design in Austin, Texas about her reflections on walkability and people-oriented design in several European cities. Heyden reflects on walkability and livability factors in London, Paris, and Berlin with a little bit of The Netherlands thrown in for good me...

This is a very brief introduction to the Active Towns Initiative and the Active Towns Podcast, a weekly conversation about the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities. For more content visit the  Active Towns Channel on YouTube Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts: 1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by p...