Cities in Motion

What does it take to redesign a deadly street — and who stands in the way? In this season finale of Cities in Motion, we sit down with Ben Wolf, director of Changing Lanes , a new documentary following the grassroots battle to transform McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn after a hit-and-run tragedy sparked a community to act. From local politics to protected bike lanes, it's a story abou...

Since 1997, Austin's Yellow Bike Project has been turning donated and discarded bicycles into transportation, independence, and community for thousands of Central Texans. Run entirely by volunteers operating as a consensus-based collective, the nonprofit teaches anyone who walks through their Webberville Road shop how to fix their own bike — no repair experience required. In this episode, I talk w...

Englewood, Colorado hadn't let residents vote for their own mayor in nearly 50 years. Then a small group of volunteers changed that — with no staff, no budget, and a whole lot of community organizing. Noah Kaplan, founder of Vibrant Englewood, sits down with Cities in Motion to share how a grassroots 501(c)(4) became one of the most influential civic voices in a city where local elections rare...

What if suburbia didn't have to be a dead end? Diane Alisa Tuft, author of A Love Letter to Suburbia: How to Restore the American Village , joins Cities in Motion to make the case that the sprawling, car-dependent neighborhoods most Americans call home don't have to stay that way. Diane's book is part personal reflection, part urbanist manifesto — exploring how car dependency, corporat...

Sara Lind, co-executive director of Open Plans, joins the show to talk about what it actually takes to redesign New York City's streets around people instead of cars. From the near-miss with a car while pushing her son in a stroller that sparked her advocacy, to running for city council, to leading one of NYC's most active livable streets organizations, Sara brings both personal urgency an...

NOTE: I apologize for the audio, I had some new LAV mics and the sensitivity was too high. San Antonio is one of the largest cities in the U.S. without a rail transit system — but a growing coalition wants to change that. San Antonians for Rail Transit (SART) joins Cities in Motion to talk about what a rail future could look like for the Alamo City, why the political and demographic conditions may...

What does it take to plan a city that actually works for people? I go on a tour with Prof. Sarah Serpas of the UTSA Department of Planning to explore how the next generation of planners is being trained — and what that means for the future of San Antonio and beyond. UTSA Urband and Regional Planning Department https://www.instagram.com/utsa_urbanplanning/

What if your neighborhood was designed around people and not cars? Brett "Hans" McMurdy joins the show to unpack the Car-Free Community Trust model: a bold approach to urban living that combines cohousing, coworking, and car-free design into intentional communities built on renovated urban properties. We explore how CFCTs tackle affordability, sustainability, and community wealth-buildin...

San Antonio is one of the fastest-growing cities in America but is it growing in the right direction? Joey Pawlik, founder of ActivateSA, joins the show to talk about what it takes to build an urban advocacy movement from the ground up, why San Antonio's car-dependent development pattern is costing residents more than they realize, and what a more walkable, connected Alamo City could actually look...

In this episode, we sit down with Hexel Colorado, the founder of Dallas Urbanist and a leading voice in the Texas transit scene. Hexel isn't just a content creator; he’s an advocate who transitioned from viral "Dallas 1939" history videos to chairing the DART Citizens Advisory Committee. We dive into: The Car-Free Life in Texas: What four years of navigating DFW without a car has taught him about...

What does it take for two citizens to propose moving a city's entire railroad underground — and actually get people to listen? Christian Lenhart is a civil engineer who saw Salt Lake City's west side cut off from downtown by freight rail lines that have divided the city since 1870. His answer: the Rio Grande Plan, a citizen-driven proposal to relocate the tracks into a below-grade "train box" alon...

In this episode of Cities in Motion , we sit down with Tom Wald , Executive Director of the Red Line Parkway Initiative , to discuss the future of active transportation in Central Texas. The Red Line Parkway is a planned 32-mile linear park and public trail network that will eventually connect Downtown Austin to Leander. Tom shares the "masterclass" on what it takes to coordinate a project of this...

What does it actually take to make biking feel safe, accessible, and normal for people of all ages and abilities? In this season-finale episode of Cities in Motion, I’m joined by Darek Hanson, Austin Team Lead for the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative, to talk about how biking education, community programs, and people-first design are reshaping everyday mobility in Austin. We explore why Ghisallo was fo...

In this episode of Cities in Motion, Jacob talks with Cody Boyd, founder of Edmond Urbanist, about walkability, housing, and people-centered development in Edmond, Oklahoma and the greater Oklahoma City metro. As central Oklahoma grows rapidly, Edmond is at a turning point. We discuss zoning reform, mixed-use development, transportation choices, and how local advocacy is shaping the city’s future....

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the U.S., and the choices it makes today affect millions of people every single day. In this episode of Cities in Motion , I’m joined by Ruben and Matthew from Strong Towns Houston to talk about what people-centered change looks like in a city known for doing things big. We dig into safer streets, local advocacy, housing, and why small, community-driven steps...

In this episode of Cities in Motion, I sit down with John Simmerman, creator of Active Towns, to talk about how walking, biking, and everyday movement shape community health and quality of life. John shares his journey from corporate health promotion into documenting and advocating for active towns across North America. We explore what truly makes a town active, from street design and land use to...

In this episode of Cities in Motion , I’m joined by Joe Panzarella, a candidate for Houston City Council representing District C. We talk about what it means to govern and advocate in the fourth-largest city in the U.S., and how local decisions around transportation, infrastructure, land use, and basic city services shape daily life in Houston neighborhoods. Joe shares his vision for District C, h...

In this episode, I sit down with Shane from Strong Towns Pflugerville to explore how a small group of residents is working to reshape the future of their city — one code update, one traffic cone, and one public comment at a time. We discuss Pflugerville’s ongoing Unified Development Code update and why it’s such a rare and powerful opportunity to influence housing affordability, parking requiremen...

Texas has been trying to build a high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston for more than 15 years and it still doesn’t exist. In this episode of Cities in Motion, we look at what happened to the Texas Bullet Train: why it was proposed, who supported it, who fought it, and what ultimately stalled it. We’ll explore how land rights, politics, funding, and local opposition collided with the idea...

In this episode of Cities in Motion, I sit down with Kelly from Austin Bicycle Meals on the Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Austin to talk about how a small, volunteer run group is using bicycles to fight food insecurity across the city. Austin Bicycle Meals delivers free, homemade meals by bike to people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, showing how simple, people scaled system...

What happens when we stop talking about cities and economies as abstract systems—and start talking about people? In this episode of Cities in Motion , I’m joined by Isaac, the voice behind People Over Numbers , a podcast that breaks down current economic issues through a deeply human lens. Isaac focuses on the real-world impacts of economic decisions, asking essential questions like: Who benefits?...

In this episode of Cities in Motion , I sit down with Dr. Miriam Schoenfield — Associate Professor at UT Austin and President of Rethink35. Miriam breaks down the latest developments in the push to rethink the I-35 expansion through Austin, including the ongoing lawsuit, environmental concerns, and what a people-centered alternative could look like. We explore how highway expansion impacts health,...

A single policy decision from the 1970s reshaped today’s car market. This episode explains how CAFE fuel-economy rules pushed automakers toward bigger SUVs and trucks — and why those incentives still shape vehicle size, safety, and design today. References Whitefoot, K., & Skerlos, S. (2014). University of Michigan College of Engineering: CAFE and Vehicle Size Effects on Fleet Efficiency. Ener...

Ever taken a short walk only to find the sidewalk suddenly ends, leaving you on grass, near traffic, or completely stranded? In this episode, we explore the curious case of disappearing sidewalks and the reasons behind them—from suburban design and jurisdiction gaps to ADA compliance and safety concerns. We’ll hear real stories from communities that faced these challenges and discover how some cit...