Active Towns

In this episode, I connect with Cyprine Odada Mitchell, the former Director of the Nairobi Critical Mass and a passionate advocate for more livable communities that promote active mobility and independence for All Ages & 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. Also,...

In this episode, I connect with Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, owner and principal artist at Chalk Riot, a mural company specializing in vibrant pavement art increasingly used to make streets safer for all users. 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. Also, don't forget to check out the...

In this episode, I speak with Scott Snodgrass and Clayton Garrett, founders of Meristem Communities, the developers of Indigo, a people-first community that will provide a car-lite lifestyle plus the added bonus of integrated agriculture and open space. 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 listeni...

In this episode, I connect with Isabelle Clement, Director of Wheels for Wellbeing, a UK-based charity with a mission to enhance disabled people’s lives by ensuring that anyone can access the physical, emotional, practical, and social benefits of cycling. 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 liste...

In this episode, we reconnect with Kyle Wagenschutz and Zoe Kirkos with City Thread for an update on the new cohort of cities engaged in their Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) Technical Assistance Grant Process. The AMP Technical Assistance Grant recipients for 2025 are Burlingame, CA; Columbus, OH; and Hood River, OR. These three forward-thinking cities join the likes of Austin, TX; Bainbridge...

In this episode, I welcome back Avi Stopper, Founder of Denver's BikeStreets.com, for an update on their new mobile app, routing tools, community adventure rides, and the exciting Destinations initiative. 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. Also, don't forget to check out the...

In this episode, I connect with Cllr James McAsh for a conversation about a series of safer streets initiatives London's Borough of Southwark has implemented. We'll discuss how they've navigated through resistance to change, and we'll hear from some residents about their thoughts about car-free streets and the ability to walk to school. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode,...

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Patricia Tice, Ph. D., for a conversation about the role of psychology (or lack thereof) in transportation engineering and in designing our streets to be welcoming for "All Ages & Abilities" across modes of mobility. 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...

This is a "can't miss" discussion featuring Professor Ian Walker from Swansea University in Wales and Professor Marco te Brömmelstroet from the University of Amsterdam about their recent paper on Motonormativity, also known as "car brain" or "windshield bias." Among other topics, we discuss Pluralistic Ignorance, which is a social psychology phenomenon where people mistakenly believe that their ow...

In this episode, I connect with Greg Spotts for a conversation about his tenure serving the city of Seattle, WA and the active mobility projects his team completed during this period and a handful of the ones he is most proud of. We discuss the prioritization of hardening of protection in bike lanes previously "protected" by only flex posts and paint, a new protected intersection, and he prioritiz...

In this episode, I connect with Coby Lefkowitz, author of Building Optimism, for a conversation about creating people-oriented communities, some of the Dutch cities that inspire his work, and why places like Santa Barbara look the way they do. #streetsareforpeople #allagesandabilities #bicycleinfrastructure #architecture #cityplanning Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, p...

In this episode, you'll learn all about National Association for Transportation Officials (NACTO) and their new Urban Bikeway Design Guide from Executive Director, Ryan Russo. Ryan starts by sharing his origin story working for NYC DOT doing bicycle and pedestrian planning and executing the PlaNYC vision for the better part of 14 years before leaving for Oakland, California to launch a new Departm...

🅿️ Parking Reform Network founder, Tony Jordan shares how PRN is continuing Prof Donald Shoup's work and more. Cities around the globe, inspired by the ground-breaking work of Prof. Donald Shoup, who recently passed, are beginning to reform their parking codes, drop parking minimums, and address land use codes that perpetuate car dependency, and PRN helps support and track their efforts. Tony also...

In this episode, I connect with Jarrett Walker, author of Human Transit, revised edition. This book, aimed at a nontechnical reader, explores the challenging questions that you must think about when planning or advocating for public transit in your community. We discuss what aspects of the public transit landscape have changed since the first edition in 2011, such as the rise of small shared perso...

In this episode, I connect with Reena Mahajan, founder of Paris-based Studio Divercity, to discuss creating people-centered and nature-based cities and reducing car dependency in cities around the globe. Studio Divercity envisions a world where people-centered & nature-positive cities replace car-centric urban sprawl. Reena is an architect, urban planner, and mobility advocate with a strong ba...

In this episode, I connect with Phil Burns, Managing Principal of the Pasadena-based Arroyo Group, for a discussion about his six-week trial of going car-free this past summer and the people-oriented street transformations in the Los Angeles area that the Arroyo Group is involved with. Phil provides a comprehensive breakdown of his modal mix during his car-free experience, including transit, walki...

In this episode, I'm honored to connect with Jessica Tillyer, one of the volunteers who jumped in to start the Montclair bike bus efforts that provide multiple bike buses across this New Jersey township every Friday. We also discuss the potential of school street initiatives and how the Montclair bike bus is helping to change the narrative of what streets are for and helping to kickstart an emergi...

In this episode, I finally connect with Tom Babin, the creative genius behind the Shifter YouTube Channel about everyday cycling. Tom shares what inspired him to start the Channel, we look back to some of the earliest videos as well as his most popular creations, we naturally discuss winter cycling (how could we not?), and then we shift gears to discuss recent trends and the challenges facing comm...

In this episode, I reconnect with Ronnie Matthew Harris, founder of Sacred Roots, to discuss his active mobility backstory, including a pivotal cycle network study tour to The Netherlands and his work with the City Thread organization. We then cover how these experiences have culminated in his effort to restore and renew a rundown section of Gulfport, Mississippi, into a flourishing community. Tha...

In this episode, I connect with Bill Schultheiss, a partner with Toole Design Group and one of the key contributors to this much-anticipated rewrite of the official AASHTO Bicycle Facilities Design Guide. We'll discuss the origins and evolution of the guide and why this version will have such a profound impact on creating networks of all ages and abilities cycle facilities throughout the United St...

In this episode, I reconnect with London-based journalist and author Laura Laker to discuss her brilliant new book Potholes and Pavements: A Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network. An ultimately universal and relatable story for anyone striving to push back on the status quo of car dependency and encourage active mobility for everyday utilitarian trips, leisure trips, and even adventurous...

In this episode, I connect with the Denleys to discuss how living abroad in Denmark inspired them to bring utilitarian cycling and cargo bikes to their hometown of Yellowknife in The Northwest Territories of Canada. This is yet another case of regular people, parents, who became radicalized into becoming safer streets and everyday cycling advocates. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed...

In this Season 9 Premiere of the Podcast, I reconnect with Professor Donald Shoup, author of The High Cost of Free Parking, affectionately known as "Shoup Dogg," in honor of his rockstar status and birthplace of Long Beach, CA. We discuss the momentum of the parking reform movement to help create more affordable and walkable communities, as well as the huge challenge of LA's sidewalks in disrepair...

In this final episode of Season 8, I connect with Miguel Moravec, a Senior Associate with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), for an in-depth discussion about the opportunities to curb the negative climate impacts of our current car-dependent approach to transportation by providing more sustainable mobility mode choices, such as walking, biking, and transit. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you...

In this episode, I connect with Rachel Leonardo, a Pamplona-based video producer who has recently taken over the role of creating video content for the Strong Towns organization. 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. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for m...