Active Towns

In this episode, I connect with Taylor Griggs, a BikePortland.org staff writer, for a firsthand account and reflections after her month-long trip to Europe. We're talking protected and separated cycle lanes, advisory bike lanes, also known as edge lane roads, and fietsstraats, also known as priority bike streets. We also discuss adding pop-up parks and bringing a bit of fun into our public spaces...

In this episode, I reconnect with my good friend Manuel "Manu" Calvo Salazar for a discussion about the continued evolution of the cycle network that dropped nearly intact during the 2007 economic downturn in a very fast 18-month period. I am impressed by the number of women, children, and elderly who now feel comfortable using active, sustainable mobility choices for their short trips in this bea...

In this episode, I connect with Ole Kassow of Copenhagen and Gary Harty of Lakewood, CO, for a discussion about the Cycling Without Age organization which has a vision of creating a world together in which the access to active citizenship creates happiness among our fellow elderly citizens by providing them with an opportunity to remain an active part of society and the local community. Watch the...

In episode 171, I reconnect with Justin Jones from Ontario, Canada, for a discussion about designing streets with Intention - Specifically, identifying who is the intended preferred or prioritized user, the party that is welcomed or invited into the environment. Versus the ancillary users that are merely accommodated or tolerated. Justin's premise is that in North America, the car is welcomed on n...

In this episode, I connect with Nathan Allebach, a marketing expert in the Philadelphia area that has turned his attention toward walkable communities and all things good urbanism. If you've spent any time at all poking around urbanism threads on Twitter, you've likely seen Nathan and his catchy, engaging TikToks on Third Places, Walkable Communities, Missing Middle Housing, and so much more. Afte...

In this episode, I connect with Emily Hanna, Executive Director of Bike Walk Central Florida, for a conversation about the positive steps that are finally being made in one of the most dangerous areas historically in North America to be a person walking or biking. Emily shares her background in making her way to Bike Walk Central Florida and the initiatives the organization is working on to transf...

In this episode, I interview my first legit TikTok star, "Mr. Barricade," also known as the California-based transportation and civil engineer Vignesh Swaminathan. We talk about why he decided to join TikTok and how this type of communication can help us transform our built environments into more people-oriented places. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect. Landing page f...

In this episode, I reconnect with a fellow culture of activity documentarian and one of the world's preeminent adventure journalists, Jayme Moye. We chat about her move to Nelson, BC, becoming a Canadian citizen, and we reflect upon some of her recent assignments around the globe. We also discuss trees, specifically the very unique inland rainforest trees found in the Kootenay region, as well as t...

In this first episode of Season Five, I'm delighted to welcome a legend in the "people-oriented places movement", Mr. Gil Penalosa, who many of you know as the person that expanded the Ciclovia program in Bogata, Columbia to the point where it became the inspiration for Open Streets programs around the globe. We discuss his recent run for mayor in Toronto, the need for city leaders to show the pol...

In this episode, the finale of Season Four, I am joined by Mayor John Bauters of Emeryville, CA, for a discussion about active mobility, creating more people-oriented places, what it's like to be an actual bike mayor, as well as his recent study tour trip to The Netherlands. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to...

In this episode, Ted Siff, a founder of Austin Outside, shares the secret to Austin's success in securing the funds necessary to build out the All Ages & Abilities cycle path network, inspired in part by the Dutch experience in creating active mobility networks that work for everyone. Austin Outside Mission: Austin Outside champions vibrant and thriving outdoor places for all in Greater Austin...

In this episode, I connect with Garry Merritt, CEO of the Great Springs Project, which is an amazing effort to preserve critical watershed lands through conservation while also creating a 100+ mile trail stretching from Austin to San Antonio and featuring many spurs and community connectivity. From the GSP website: "We still have an opportunity to conserve open space over the Edwards Aquifer and t...

In this episode, I reconnect with Aaron Hautala of Cuyuna, MN, for a fascinating conversation about their transformation of a 5,000-acre stripped-out area of iron ore mines into a goldmine of opportunity and a community-wide activity asset that is supporting both a culture of activity and economic vibrancy. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect. Landing page for the episod...

In this episode, we head to Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, for a conversation about the efforts underway there to normalize active mobility and thus break the shackles of car dependency. I reached out to Chris when one of his videos, "Why do people hate cyclists?" went viral a couple of months ago. Chris Cox is an active advocate and content creator striving to make a difference in creating an...

In this episode, I connect with a fellow YouTube content creator Ethan Tufts with the Hello Road Channel for a conversation about his realization that car dependency really does suck and what he, as a car enthusiast, plans to do about it. We also discuss the slow transformation of the streets of the Los Angeles area and how he hopes he can help to facilitate change locally. Watch the video version...

In this episode, I connect w/ Zach Katz, creator of Better Streets AI, for a conversation about what led him to start posting his street visualizations on Twitter and his vision for the movement going forward. We also discuss his quest to bring traditional upright Dutch bikes to the United States through his Real Dutch Bikes import venture. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full e...

In this episode, I connect with Warren Logan of Oakland, CA, for a discussion about the lessons learned from the implementation of the Slow Streets, Essential Streets, and Flex Streets programs that were rolled out in response to the pandemic lockdown and how other cities and communities can benefit from these experiences. At the height of the pandemic lockdown, hundreds of cities globally took qu...

In this episode, I reconnect with Paige Ellis, Austin City Council Member from District 8 for an update on the buildout of Austin's Dutch-inspired cycle network.   We also discuss the recent visit of Her Majesty Queen Maxima from the Kingdom of The Netherlands and outline some plans for traffic calming and active mobility in District 8. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effec...

In this episode, I reconnect with Gracen Johnson of Ottawa, Canada, for a conversation about architecture, land use zoning, active mobility, and how having a dog enables her to meet so many people. We also talk about her writing and video work in the early days of the Strong Towns organization, as well as her contributions to the Incremental Development movement. I also learned that she is origina...

In this episode, I connect with the nine-time award-winning writer, director, and producer, Jennifer Boyd about her most recent film, The Street Project: The Fight to Make Our Streets Safer. We also discuss what led her on the journey to make this film on safer street design, a topic she knew nothing about before the cameras started rolling. She shares how making this film has profoundly changed h...

In this episode, I am honored to have a truly delightful conversation with Avital Barnea, the CalSTA (California State Transportation Agency) Deputy Secretary for Transportation Planning, about her journey to the transportation field, the state capital of California, by way of Washington DC, and why she has chosen to go car-free. We also discuss the massive challenges California and our nation are...

In this episode, I reconnect with Matt Pinder, a traffic engineer who designs people-oriented roads and intersections; he's also a safer streets advocate with both a blog and a YouTube channel. We get into the details and discuss the role of community members and city leadership. We also discuss the nuts and bolts of shifting the focus of transportation engineering towards redesigning our streets...

In this episode, I connect with Emily Stutts, a special ed teacher from Brooklyn, NY, who has just returned from a summer school class in Germany and The Netherlands focusing on transforming our streets into people-oriented places through quick interventions.   Emily's journey to becoming a passionate urbanist and advocate for creating safer, more activity-promoting streets and communities is such...

In this first episode of Season 4, I'm honored to present this chat I had with Emilia Hanna, Manager of the Car-Free Megacities Campaign - a fun yet serious competition between New York, Paris, and London to reduce their levels of car-dependence and relieve themselves of the negative impacts that motor vehicles inflict on the city. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect Can...

In this episode, the Season 3 Finale, I welcome back Doug Gordon, co-host of The War on Cars Podcast and founder of Brooklyn Spoke Media, for some reflections on the past eight months of safer streets for everyone developments and some of our favorite episodes. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect In addition to our conversation, we fielded questions and comments from our...