Active Towns: Recent Episodes
John Simmerman
Conversations about Creating a Culture of Activity: Profiling the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities.
In this episode, I'm honored to connect with Will Butler-Adams, the CEO of Brompton Bicycles, about the role that the humble bicycle is playing in addressing the most pressing issues we face globally, from health, well-being, loneliness, unproductive and financially unsustainable urban environments and yes, climate change.
And a HUGE thank you to Ryan Van Duzer for letting me create a makeshift studio in the finished basement of his new home. Thank you so much, my friend! Hey, and y'all should check out his amazing channel here
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Brompton US website
- Brompton UK website
- Activism landing page
- Brompton Junction
- Brompton Hire program
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In episode 199, I connect with Sir Graham Watson, President of the World Cycling Alliance, for a conversation about coordinating best practices around the globe as we strive to create safer, more inviting cycle networks for all ages and 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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- World Cycling Alliance
- European Cyclists' Federation
- Velo-city Conference 2023
- Partnership for Active Travel and Health
- Jennifer Keesmaat
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, I connect with Amy Kenreich, a Denver crossing guard mom turned safe streets advocate who is part of a growing number of engaged community members making a difference on the streets of the mile-high city. We talk about recruiting new crossing guards, conducting bike rodeos, fighting for a needed protected bikeway where a tragic fatality occurred, as well as engagement activities like Viva Streets and Bike to Work Day.
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Denver Bicycle Lobby
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, I connect with Sara Stace, Director of Cities for WSP in Sydney, NSW, Australia, to discuss our need for a whole new paradigm surrounding what our streets are for and how they should make us feel. We pose the question, why can't our streets promote a feeling of being relaxed and carefree, as is depicted by these girls riding to field hockey in The Netherlands?
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Sara Stace ~ WSP
- Better Streets
- World Cycling Alliance
- Velo-city Conference
- Velo-city Conference in Sydney survey
- Webinar on China’s active mobility infrastructure boom
- Sam Johnson's China presentation pdf
- L-Plate "Learner's Permit"
- My interview w/ Rodney Ellis
- My interview w/ Cathy Tuttle
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, I connect with Ryan Howell, The Events Coordinator at the Tulsa River Parks Authority network of trails and pathways connecting Tulsa's neighborhoods and downtown while providing amazing recreation opportunities, which are now high on my list of places I must visit!
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- River Parks Authority
- Bike Club Tulsa
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In episode 195, Nicole McSpirit of Denver, Colorado, gives us a look into her radical plan to create a Dutch-inspired cycling paradise in the Mile High City. She also provides a sneak peek into her secret behavior modification tactics to slow down aggressive drivers near schools in her role as an elementary school crossing guard.
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Denver Bicycle Lobby
- Streetfilms Viva Streets video
- Bicycle Colorado episode
- Denver Streets Partnership episode
- Bike Streets/VAMOS - Avi Stopper’s episode
- Denver bike incentive profile video
- My Ride in AMS with Jason Slaughter
- Sam Balto’s Bike Bus episode
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this episode, I connect with Andrew Bowen, a journalist w/ KPBS in San Diego and host of the Freeway Exit Podcast, for a discussion about the damages that freeways cause in our cities and what happens when we take them down.
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Freeway Exit Podcast
- My episode w/ Zack Katz-Better Streets A.I.
- Freeways without Futures report from CNU
- Bruce Appleyard episode
- Denver's VAMOS episode
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In episode 193, I connect with Andrea Learned for a chat about her new Living Change Podcast, “A Quest for Climate Leadership,” through sharing the experiences and practices of those who might be called surprising validators. Set aside the tendency to name and shame, which rarely delivers desired results, for the much more effective naming and "faming", calling attention to those leaders and individuals conspicuously living change. This podcast is truly all about the enthusiastic, hopeful, and fun stories of professionals using their work or business ventures to help shift the social norms around “leadership” in the Climate Crisis age, so tune in and enjoy the conversation with Andrea Learned.
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, and don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more content.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Andrea's website
- Living Change Podcast
- Mayor John Bauters Part One
- Mayor John Bauters Part Two
- Mayor Barbara Buffaloe
- Alex Fisch
- DJ John Richards
- Mark Gamba
- Steve Vitolo
- Joy As An Act of Resistance by the Idles
- Livable Communities Initiative - LA & Lindsay Sturman
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" thru "Buy Me a Coffee"
3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
- Video and audio production by John Simmerman
- Music via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
- Active Towns Website
- Active Towns on Twitter
- Periodic e-Newsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2023
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode
Chris Cox is an active advocate and content creator striving to make a difference in creating an environment where All Ages & Abilities feel comfortable riding more often for more daily purposes in this city of 2.6 million people.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Chris' YouTube Channel
- BicycleDutch Channel
- Not Just Bikes Channel
- Oh, The Urbanity Channel
- Streetfilms Channel
- Why do people hate cyclists? VIDEO
- 30kph local speed limits - a socialist, car-hating conspiracy? video
- Space for Cycling website
- Space for Cycling on Twitter
- Chris on Twitter
- Motherload documentary
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode
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.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Hello Road
- Ethan's Cars Suck video
- Streets For All
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode
We also discuss his quest to bring traditional upright Dutch bikes to the United States through his Real Dutch Bikes import venture.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Better Streets A.I. website
- Real Dutch Bikes website
- Streetsblog article about Better Streets AI
- DALL.E 2 AI software platform
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode
At the height of the pandemic lockdown, hundreds of cities globally took quick action to create more public spaces for people to get out of their houses while maintaining a safe distance from each other, and thus the Slow Streets and Healthy Streets installations were born. In April 2020, an early leader in this movement was Oakland, CA, and the man leading the charge there was Warren Logan.
There were some bumps and bruises on the way, and many lessons were learned, so I am delighted and honored to feature my conversation with Warren in Ep 158.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Lighthouse Public Affairs
- PPS article featuring Warren
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode
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.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Paige's re-election website
- The NL Study Tour
- Video of Austin Infrastructure
- My first episode w/ Paige
- Learn more about Street Trees in this webinar with Victor Dover and Dan Burden
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode (coming soon)
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 originally from and initially started her running routine in London, ON, or as Jason Slaughter with Not Just Bikes likes to call it, Fake-London.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Strong Towns
- CNU
- Urban3
- Order your own set of STEP Cards
- My recent episode w/ Chuck Marohn
- My episode w/ Pekka Tahkola in Oulu, Finland
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode
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 how she sees our cities, streets, and land use patterns.
From the film's website:
"THE STREET PROJECT is the story about humanity’s relationship to the streets and the global citizen-led fight to make communities safer.
Digging deep into the root causes of traffic violence, the filmmakers engage a diverse array of experts, including street historian Peter Norton, city planner Jeff Speck, and urban design expert Mikael Colville-Andersen. These expert interviews are interwoven with the stories of real people working to make their communities safer.Jennifer Boyd has produced and directed more than 25 documentaries, nine of those films have won EMMY awards. Recent projects include 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel, which Good Morning America called “Groundbreaking.”
Boyd has also co-created and produced two music television series Infinity Hall Live and The Kate, with 40 episodes in distribution.
Currently, she is executive producing and directing a 5-part series on the history of Las Vegas, and a documentary on Mesa Verde National Park.
The Street Project was filmed over 4 years and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic."
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- The Street Project film website
- 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel film
- Filmmaker Jennifer Boyd's website
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
Landing page for the episode to see some of the featured visuals
We also discuss the massive challenges California and our nation are facing with regard to climate change and pervasive car dependency and the steps we need to take to turn things around, including modeling what is possible.
Originally from Montana, Avital made her way two the Twin Cities and the University of Minnesota, before making the big move to Washington, DC which is when she decided to ditch her car, and she has never looked back.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Toward a Multimodal California: How the State is Investing in Walking, Biking, and Transit
- CalSTA website
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you have found this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. To donate, click here.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
We also discuss the nuts and bolts of shifting the focus of transportation engineering towards redesigning our streets for people, and we even walk through the creation of a "Dutch-style" protected intersection within the existing intersection footprint.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Our Bicycle Streets episode from Season 1
- Matt's blog Beyond the Automobile
- Matt's YouTube Channel
- How to Design a Dutch-Style Protected Intersection video
- Matt on Twitter
- Ontario Traffic Man YouTube Channel
- Oh The Urbanity! YouTube Channel
- My ep. w/ Jasmine & Patrick w/ Oh The Urbanity!
- Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel
- My first episode w/ Jason w/ NJB
- My second episode w/ Jason w/ NJB
- NJB Crossing the Street Shouldn't be Deadly video
- NJB STROADS video
- NJB Wonderland Rd, London, ON video
- Strong Towns website
- The War on Cars Podcast
- Car-Free Megacities episode
- City Beautiful YouTube Channel
- RMTransit YouTube Channel
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Emily's journey to becoming a passionate urbanist and advocate for creating safer, more activity-promoting streets and communities is such an inspiring tale for any concerned community member who would like to make a difference in their neighborhood.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Megan Ramey episode
- Billy Fields episode
- Lior Steinberg episode
- The Car That Wanted To Be A Bike book in the Active Towns bookshop and on Amazon
- George Liu episode
- Darcy Kitching episode
- Tim Gill episode
- Curbing Traffic book by the Bruntlett's in the Active Towns Bookshop
and on Amazon
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Can you imagine London, Paris and New York free from car dependency?
The Car Free Megacities campaign is a two-year project in London, New York and Paris to reimagine our cities as places where private cars become obsolete, and to dramatically raise policy and public support for urban car reduction.
This campaign is a collaboration between climate charity Possible, think-tank the New Weather Institute, Paris sans Voiture, Brooklyn Spoke, TransAlt, Westminster University’s Active Travel Academy, and Glimpse, supported by the KR Foundation, and Brompton.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Car-Free Megacities website
- We Are Possible website
- Ep 150 w/ Doug Gordon
- Ep 149 w/ Dr. Billy Fields
- Ep 123 Will Norman
- Curbing Traffic book by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett in the Active Towns Bookshop or on Amazon
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
In addition to our conversation, we fielded questions and comments from our live audience via YouTube chat.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- My first episode with Doug, Ep 61, Season 2
- My episode w/ Dr. Natalia Barbour
- My episode w/ Sam Balto
- My episode w/ Jessie Singer
- The WOC episode w/ Jessie
- The WOC episode on the Auto Show
- The WOC episode w/ Marley Blonsky
- The WOC episode w/ Edward Niedermeyer
- The WOC episode w/ Amy Westervelt
- The WOR episode They Paved r/place and Put Up a Parking Lot
- BicycleDutch video on the Utrecht canal
- Curbing Traffic book by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
- Clarence Eckerson Streetfilms 3rd St Vid
- Ryan Van Duzer
- Bicycle Colorado
- Michelle Wu - Mayor of Boston
- Anne Hidalgo - Mayor of Paris
- Valérie Plante - Mayor of Montreal
- My episode w/ Billy Fields
- Jos Sluijsmans w/ The International Cargo Bike Festival
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
In this episode, we take a good look at the street of the future, and it may just surprise you.
Dr. Billy Fields, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX, and each summer, he likes to take a group of students over to The Netherlands to experience what he describes as resilient street designs that add to health, wellbeing, and vibrancy of the city.
This summer, he also was able to visit several cities in Spain in addition to Paris, so we discuss some of the street transformations he witness in those locations as well.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- My first interview w/ Prof. Billy Fields, Ep 74
- Cornelia Dinca, Sustainable Amsterdam
- BicycleDutch video on the Utrecht canal
- BicycleDutch video on the Utrecht Fietsstraat conversion
- Curbing Traffic book by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
- Mobycon
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video, audio, and music production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Shoal Creek Conservancy website
- My Shoal Creek Blvd Protected Cycle Track Ride
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up," leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video, audio, and music production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
In Rob's new role as the Senior Vice President and National Director of Smart Cities, he will establish and lead STV's new multidisciplinary practice.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- STV's website
- My Austin Dutch-inspired playlist
- Austin bike network milestone
- Austin's Active Transportation & Street Design Division website
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video, audio, and music production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Jace is excited about translating what is possible into actual aspirational transformations that are inherently achievable in Denver and other car-dependent cities globally.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Bicycle Colorado website
- The Denver Streets Partnership website
- My recent Bicycle Colorado episode
- My interview with Jill Locantore
- My recent episode with Jason Slaughter with Not Just Bikes
- My first episode with Jason Slaughter with Not Just Bikes
- The Happy City by Charles Montgomery
- Walkable City by Jeff Speck
- Curbing Traffic by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
- Cities for People by Jan Gehl
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video, audio, and music production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Dawn Rahman is a mom who wants more moms to ride with their kids, so she's doing a doctoral research study examining what factors make doing so more difficult, uncomfortable, or inconvenient. Some of the things she learned and heard from her study participants were not surprising, concerns for safety, time pressures, and literal barriers in the pathways, yet others were shocking, at least to me, continued verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and shaming from other moms. Yet, these moms find a way to ride their children because it's the right thing to do, and it brings the family joy.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Dawn on Twitter
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video, audio, and music production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Lanrick wants his children, and everyone for that matter, to be able to ride a bike safely to meaningful destinations across the city to meet their daily needs and so he stepped forward to serve as Toronto's very first Bicycle Mayor. The role is part of a global community engagement initiative run by the BYCS organization in based in Amsterdam.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- BYCS website
- My interview w/ Maud de Vries the co-founder of BYCS
- Follow Lanrick as the Toronto Bicycle Mayor on Twitter
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video, audio, and music production by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Strong Towns and Active Towns together again! Please join me as I welcome Charles "Chuck" Marohn, founder and president of the Strong Towns organization back on the Podcast, this time in a Live-Streaming broadcast event where you, the audience, can serve up a few questions.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- For more information on Strong Towns, visit their website
- My interview with Chuck in 2021
- Chuck's Confessions book
- Chuck's first book - Strong Towns
- Here's a video Excerpt of the Episode
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
He also reflects upon some of the delightful people-places he and his family visited while on vacation, including Mackinac Island, MI, The Netherlands, and Paris.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Gresham Smith website
- Mike's testimony to congress
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
City Thread is a firm dedicated to helping communities achieve big things by collaborating with diverse teams of elected officials, city staff, community leaders, funders, and residents to identify problems, brainstorm solutions, and develop a shared vision to accelerate mobility and place-based projects.
They draw from recent successes in cycle network campaigns that they helped coordinate in Austin, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Providence. In these cities, they employed community engagement strategies, polling science, and customized messaging campaigns to help reduce resistance and bolster support for the buildout of these cycle networks.
For more information on the results, see my interview with Movetia Salter; Kyle and Sara actually have little cameos in that episode: Ep 139 The healing power of cycling with friends
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- City Thread website
- Ep 34 Season 1 - My earlier conversation w/ Sara and Kyle
- My Shoal Creek Blvd video
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Cities frequently have bicycle network plans, pedestrian plans, and even vision zero road safety plans, yet most have absolutely no actual plan for cars, they are just kind of allowed everywhere. Well, Cathy Tuttle, who is always in support of some good trouble rolled up her sleeves to create a Car Master Plan for Portland, OR and you will be shocked to learn what she discovered.
We also discuss the delightful car-free city of Pontevedra, Spain, and the political will needed to create such places.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Bike Loud PDX
- Pedalpalooza
- PSU Seminar: Why Your City Needs a Car Master Plan
- My episode with Dr. Dick Jackson
- My episode with Dale Bracewell
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Austin's Movetia Salter caught my attention when she was recently featured in a PeopleForBikes video highlighting the progress the city has made in building out its high-comfort bike network. I was delighted when she agreed to chat with me on the Podcast and I suspect you will be as moved and inspired by her story as I was.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- People For Bikes video
- City Thread (Sara & Kyle)
- Major Taylor Austin Cycling
- Austin Black History Ride
- Get There ATX
- Austin’s Yellow Bike Project
- Ghisallo Cycling Initiative
- Priority Bikes (my affiliate link)
- Ep 72 with Briana Cohen - Ghisallo Cycling Initiative
- My playlist of Austin’s Dutch-inspired Cycle Network
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
A few months ago I started noticing these amazing Tweets with videos and photos of swarms of kids riding their bikes in Portland, OR. Sam Balto aka @coachbalto on Twitter was the man behind these Tweets and the massive success that is the Bike Bus he coordinated for his school in an attempt to provide a safer, healthier way for his students to get to school. I hope you enjoy this ride with Coach Balto.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Follow Sam on Twitter
- Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey
- Mark Fenton
- Jonathan Fertig on Twitter
- Mike Lydon’s episodes
- Ep 12: Tactical Urbanism in a Pandemic Era
-
Ep 97: A Pipeline of Pilots to Permanence
-
Book by Mike Lydon & Anthony Garcia: Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change
- Ep 107 Megan Ramey Bike train conductor mom shows the way
- Ep 123 Will Norman London's Walking & Cycling Commissioner
- Streetfilms London School Streets video
- “School Streets” Portland versus Paris bikeportland.org article
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
Biking in Pittsburgh is truly moving forward and I get the details directly from Scott Bricker, co-founder and Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh (aka BikePGH) on the tremendous progress that has been made over the past 20 years since he helped launch the BikePGH advocacy organization.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- BikePGH website
- PeopleForBikes Final Mile profile
- PFB 2 Days On 2 Wheels Pittsburgh video
- My episode w/ JFR Velo Quebec
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect
We hear it all the time "a tragic accident occurred and x number of people were hurt or even, all too often killed", but was it really an accident or a result of a poorly designed and often complex, multivariable system.
Jessie felt compelled to explore the word "accident" and its nuanced, complicated, and even insidious history because tragedy struck close to home with the killing of her best friend one day while he was riding in a supposedly-safe "protected" bike lane. Eventually, she wrote and recently published There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster - Who Profits and Who Pays the Price.
Our human nature pulls us in the direction of blaming someone, anyone, most likely the person directly involved in the incident because surely they must pay. Perhaps. But what if the real responsibility lies further up the chain of events at the system level? That's precisely what I explore with Jessie in the conversation and I hope you find it interesting and perhaps even thought-provoking enough to prompt looking at things more systematically with an eye toward truly preventing future traumatic events from happening.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Jessie's website
- Book - There Are No Accidents
- Fortune's best-of book list
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of the episode
The "dynamic duo" behind the amazing Oh The Urbanity! Channel is none other than Jasmine Steffler and Patrick Murphy and I am delighted and honored to feature them as guests on this episode, number 135, for those keeping track.
We talk about how they came to start the channel, how their many moves have shaped their narratives, and what drives them to do this work, which by the way is outside of their "normal" day jobs. Topics covered include protected bike lanes, separated cycle paths and multi-use paths, winter cycling, as well as housing availability, and affordability. The main cities covered include Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Oh The Urbanity! Channel
- Oh the Urbanity! on Twitter
- Oh The Urbanity! on Patreon
- RM Transit
- Paige Saunders
- My interview with Pekka Tahkola
- Pekka's Channel
- My Episode w/ Don Shoup
- Donald Shoup books:
- The High Cost of Free Parking book
- Parking and The City
- My Riding from the Airport vid
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
A series of pro-bicycle and safer streets legislation coupled with commitments to divert funding to bike and pedestrian infrastructure is solidifying the "Mile High" city of Denver and the entire state of Colorado as some of the bicycle-friendly places in North America.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
Bicycle Colorado website
Boulder Adventure Lodge
Denver Streets Partnership website
My episode with Jill Locantore, ED of Denver Streets Partnership
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
There has been a proliferation of old used Dutch bikes showing up on the streets of Winnipeg and it's a part of a master plan by the Plain Bicycle Project to drop a little "culture bomb" in an effort to make the city of Winnipeg more livable and equitable. Erin previously produced a podcast series simply called the Plain Bicycle Podcast telling the fascinating story behind the project.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- My first episode with Erin
- Prairie Architects where Erin works
- My episode with Mark Wagenbuur aka Bicycle Dutch
- Plain Bicycle Project website
- Plain Bicycle Podcast series
- Peg City Car Co-op
- Curbing Traffic book by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Wrapping up a Ph.D., starting a new bike company, helping lead a Dutch cycling summer school program, as well as the Designing the Cycling City - The Master Class, all while also churning out YouTube videos for the Urban Cycling Institute, yeah George Liu is one busy cycling expert and I am honored that he paused for a moment to chat with me on the Podcast.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Urban Cycling Institute website
- Urban Cycling Institute YouTube channel
- Flex Bike
- EnergyOne
- Zygg e-Bike Subscription Service
- September Master Class
- My interview with Todd Litman
- My Victoria, BC Bike Tour video
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
A comprehensive, cohesive, and connected off-street network of bike and pedestrian facilities appropriate for All Ages & Abilities makes this city of 200,000+ residents built in a sprawling suburban context the active mobility capital in the country of Finland. People of all walks of life ride all year round especially because of a dedication to wintertime pathway maintenance.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Pekka's YouTube Channel
- Pekka on Twitter
- Pekka's consulting firm
- Velo Finland conference
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
In addition to chatting about the Bicycle Mayor Program, we also discuss their Bicycle Citizens Network, the Bicycle Heroes initiative to bring the voices of the youth, the COP26 Cycling Forum, and the launch of the Junior Bicycle Mayor program.
One of the BYCS taglines is quite appropriately: Bicycles transform cities and cities transform the world.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- BYCS website
- BYCS annual report 2021
- BYCS Newsletters
- Bike is Best Campaign
- Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's book Curbing Traffic
- Jill Warren, CEO of ECF, Episode 120
- Mayor John J Bauters
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/activetowns
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notification bell and select your notification preferences
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store: https://bit.ly/ActiveTownsStore
(note: see no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
So excited to welcome back Darcy Kitching for an update on her doctoral dissertation research on the topic of creating kid-friendly communities, her upcoming edition of the Boulder Walk360 event, and her efforts to grow the Streets Are For People movement in Boulder, Colorado.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Tern HSD e-assist cargo bike
- James Rojas - Place It
- Growing Up Boulder
- Tim Gill episode
- Jeff Speck episode
- Charles "Chuck" Marohn episode
- Chuck Marohn - Strong Towns: A bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity
- Chuck Marohn - Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town
- Not Just Bikes video on what a STROAD is
- Will Norman's episode
- Curbing Traffic - Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
- Open Streets video
- Darcy's Best Urban Hikes Boulder book
- Growing Up Boulder
- Walk2Connect Collective
- Boulder Vision Zero
– My Walk360 video
– Boulder Ramblers
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/activetowns
(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)
2. If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notification bell and select your notification preferences
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store: https://bit.ly/ActiveTownsStore
(note: see no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
- Intro and Outro mixed by John Simmerman
- Video Clip background music licensed through https://www.musicbed.com/
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- This stuff works, I'm living proof - Strong Towns article
- Growing Stronger Together United Spinal article
- Steve on Twitter
- Steve's website for blog posts
- Victor Dover website
- Charles T. Brown Arrested Mobility Podcast
- Charles T. Brown on Active Towns Podcast, episode 36
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:- If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- Subscribe to the Podcast on you preferred listening platform
- Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at the Active Towns store
- Become a Patron, by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
All video and audio production by me.
Music:
- Intro and outro mixed by me
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
The e-bike revolution is here! Having a little assistance to smooth out a steep hill, make a long ride less daunting, and provide the ability to keep up with a loved one or cherished friend, these and many more are solid reasons why e-bikes are the fastest-selling segment in the bicycle market worldwide. And that doesn't even take cargo bikes and bike logistics into consideration.
As I mentioned I am taking the Active Towns Tour to Colorado in Aug/Sept and to The Netherlands for the International Cargo Bike Festival in Oct/Nov if you are interested in potentially tagging along, please drop me an email: john@activetowns.org
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Bosch website
- Bosch video Evolving Cities
- Bosch video Tracing Sounds
- My Madison Slow Roll video
- Tern Quick Haul video
- PeopleForBikes
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
- If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- Subscribe to the Podcast on you preferred listening platform
- Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at the Active Towns store
- Become a Patron, by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
All video and audio production by me.
Music:
- Intro and outro mixed by me
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Cargo bikes are not new, but with innovation in lightweight, powerful electric assist motors they are now popping up in cities large and small for the delivery of packages and for the transport of our families. Given our need to shift to more energy efficient modes of transport this is a huge development and reinforces that the coming years, as Jos described them, as the decade of the cargo bike.
The International Cargo Bike Festival will once again be held at full strength this coming October 27-29 in conjunction with the World of eMobility at the EXPO Haarlemmermeer; a huge indoor glass building close to Amsterdam and close to Schipol airport.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- International Cargo Bike Festival
- Abdominal Decade of the Cargo Bike Rap
- Video of Jos' Bikes
- 2019 video from Jos
- BicycleDutch 2019 Groningen
- BicycleDutch 2016 Nijmegen - Parade
- BicycleDutch 2015 Nijmegen
How You Can Make A Difference:
- If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please subscribe to the Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
- Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
- Pls. consider becoming a Patron, by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
All video and audio production by me.
Music:
- Intro and outro mixed by me
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Alta Planning + Design website
- Digital Twins for Sustainable Transportation
- Trimet Improving Access to Transit
- Mapillary website
How You Can Make A Difference:
- If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please subscribe to the Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
- Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
- Pls. consider becoming a Patron, by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
All video and audio production by me.
Music:
- Intro and outro mixed by me
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
It seems like every day Lior notices the improvements happening all around him and in the bold work that he and his firm Humankind is helping bring about in cities, he notes that changes can happen quite quickly. In this discussion, we talk about several of his projects, Rotterdam as a wonderful model city for other cities globally to benchmark off of, and his delightful newly released children's book, The Car That Wanted To Be A Bike.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Humankind Website
- Children's book - The Car That Wanted To Be A Bike
- My Amazon affiliate link to buy the book
- My study tour video
- Not Just Bikes Trash Pick Up video
How You Can Make A Difference:
- If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please subscribe to the Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
- Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
- Pls. consider becoming a Patron, by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
All video and audio production by me.
Music:
- Intro and outro mixed by me
- Video clip song via Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
London, England is striving to become a city that promotes and supports walking, cycling, and transit use for the normal utilitarian trips that Londoners take on a daily basis. Will Norman joined Mayor Sadiq Khan's administration as the city's first Walking & Cycling Commissioner over five years ago and along with city staff has been working hard to transform the city's built environment into one that supports active mobility for "All Ages & Abilities".
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- London's Walking & Cycling Website
- Low Traffic Network campaigns
- Healthy Streets
- Nike Designed to Move
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Cargo bikes are not new, but with advancements in electric-assist technologies, they are fast becoming a common feature for smartly dressed folks out on the town, for DIY types at the hardware store, for parents doing the school run, and increasingly for the delivery of your next order from the store across town or from a global online outlet.
Dave Edwards needed a change in his life and in his career, the bicycle, specifically, the cargo bike was the answer he was searching for. He now serves as the Chief Operating Officer for nrbi (pronounced "nearby") a cargo bike delivery company in Toronto, Canada.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- nrbi website: https://www.nrbi.co/
- Dave on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveLikesBikes
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Walkable City which came out ten years ago was a breakout success as a book about the why and how of creating walkable vibrant downtowns and helped bring the concept of walkability into the mainstream consciousness AND breaking news, it is being re-released as a special 10th-anniversary edition with a new forward by Janette Sadik-Khan and as you will learn in this video over 100 pages of new content provided as an update to the original text. It is expected out by November 2022. Jeff and I talk about this and much more in this episode.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Jeff's website
- Harvard Class
- Suburban Nation
- Walkable City (original version) if you can wait until the updated version is available in November
- Walkable City Rules
- The Congress for the New Urbanism website
- James Howard Kunstler - The Geography of Nowhere
- James Howard Kunstler - Home from Nowhere
- Urban Sprawl and Public Health by Frumkin, Jackson and Frank
- Green Metropolis by David Owens
- The Option of Urbanism by Christopher B. Leinberger
- The High Cost of Free Parking by Don Shoup
- Landing page for my episode w/ Don Shoup
- Playlist of my five CNU30 OKC videos
- My video highlighting Cambridge, MA continuous elevated sidewalk and cycle path
- My interview with Cara Seiderman
- My Carmel, IN - Monon Blvd video
- Strong Towns book by Chuck Marohn
- Confessions of a Recovering Engineer book by Chuck Marohn
- Jeff on the Strong Towns Podcast
- Culdesac video
- Culdesac website
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
The European Cyclists' Federation (ECF) has these two very important cycling gatherings and events taking place in June. Jill Warren, the CEO of ECF was gracious enough to join me at a moment's notice to share some information about the ECF organization as a whole, her journey to this role, and these special events in particular.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- European Cyclists' Federation (ECF)
- ECF Benefits of Cycling Report
- ECF Geometric design parameters for cycling infrastructure
- World Bicycle Day online event June 3, 2022
- Velo City Conference June 14-17
- Information on COP26
- Euro Velo long-distance routes
- Jill Warren on Twitter
- ECF videos on YouTube
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Tom first turned to Twitter to vent his frustrations but now he has an international following of nearly 16,000 and he is turning his advertising skills around to help promote safer streets for all ages and abilities.
He points out that this is really not that complicated, it just requires the political will to stop accepting that crashes are inevitable, they're not, and start making the changes to the built environment which result in an enhanced quality of life, improved sustainability, and increased economic vibrancy for the community.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Follow Tom on Twitter
- Here's Tom's Creative by Rovelo website
- A recent workshop Tom helped coordinate - Flipping the Script on Traffic Violence
- Crossing Guard Video (original)
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
After living in The Netherlands, Japan, and London, England, Kathryn King returned home to Auckland, New Zealand to help transform the environment by creating more Streets For People as the Urban Mobility Manager for the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Streets For People Program
- Streets For People Video - profiled in the episode
- Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails Network - we didn't get to talk about this but wanted to
- Eindhoven Hovenring
- Eindhoven Silly Walk Bicycle Tunnel
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Electric-assist bikes and e-cargo bikes have in many ways supercharged the bike industry and provided much-needed practical utilitarian solutions to many households worldwide. Ten years ago Chris Nolte had a vision that people would want a better, cleaner way to get around and so he launched his e-bike shop, which has now grown to three locations, Brooklyn, NY, Long Beach, CA, and Wilmington, DE.
And as many of you know, a few years ago, he launched the Propel YouTube channel to help support the coming e-bike revolution, share empowering e-bike and cargo bike stories, and promote the development of better cycling infrastructure. He is supported in this endeavor by his intrepid, talented videographer, storyteller, and editor Tara Salvesen.
Jason Slaughter with Not Just Bikes has a short cameo at the very end of the video. Dr. Meredith Glaser with the Urban Cycling Institute and Melissa & Chris Bruntlett with Modacity are mentioned.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Propel Bike Shops
- Propel YouTube Channel
- History of Propel Video
- Riding w/ Mayor John Bauters
- Night riding w/ Jason Slaughter of Not Just Bikes
- Study Tour w/ Dr. Meredith Glaser
- Riding w/ Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
- Tara's website
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
In this episode, I reconnect with Meredith Glaser, Director of the Urban Cycling Institute w/ the University of Amsterdam. She provides an update on what life's been like living in The Netherlands through a pandemic as both an ex-pat and a parent. We reflect a bit on the impact of study tours and some of the other initiatives of the Institute. She also describes some of the new course study opportunities she's involved with that will be coming online soon on Coursera and also a new joint Master's degree program.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Landing page for this episode
- Urban Cycling Institute
- Urban Cycling Institute YouTube Channel
- University of Amsterdam profile
- My first interview w/ Dr. Glaser
- Coursera Unraveling the Cycling City
- Coursera - Cycling Futures
- University of Amsterdam Planning the Cycling City Summer Course
- My short Dutch joy ride video
- My Dutch Cycle Network Study Tour video
- Austin's Mayor Steve Adler and Jim Wick w/ MoveATX discussing Final Mile Prg
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video of this episode
Landing page for this episode
Daniel Piatkowski, is an Associate Professor, in Integrated Land-Use and Transportation Planning and he has been involved with some of the more notable and helpful research studies and articles in the field of active mobility over the past dozen or so years. As you'll learn in this interview, I know Daniel, and we'll frequently run into each other at conferences such as the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) or Active Living Research (ALR), but I was frankly shocked (and a little jealous) to learn that he was headed to Oslo, so I wanted to learn more about the livability of the area, its safer streets, and the utilitarian bike scene.
I was blown away by what he had to say and I think you will be too.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Prof. Piatkowski's personal website
- New Master's Program at OsloMet
- JTLU Article - Rule Following
- Carrots and Sticks article
- Interview w/ Wes Marshall
- CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism
- Streetfilms video on Oslo
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of the episode
Landing Page - for access to photos and videos
We talk about the community favorite rides Tour de l’Île de Montréal and Tour la Nuit as well as the critical bicycle education efforts for the area's children. I absolutely loved my trip up to Montréal in 2018 and I look forward to my return trip to explore more of Québec, perhaps as part of the Grand Tour.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- State of Cycling 2020 Report
- Vélo Québec
- Eco Counter
- Streetfilms Montréal video
- Ryan Van Duzer's Montréal Video
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3
- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio
- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of the episode
Additionally, we cover Dutch bikes, Dutch-inspired cycling infrastructure, cargo bikes, roundabout, #BikeTwitter influences, and so much more in the return of The American Fietser to the Podcast.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Brandon on Twitter
- Brandon on YouTube
- American Fietser #BikeTwitterMemes hashtag on Twitter
- My first episode w/ Brandon
- Video of my visit w/ Brandon in June 2021
- My video episode w/ Tatiana (Mrs. American Fietser)
- My video episode w/ Mark "BicycleDutch" Wagenbuur
- My recent episode with Jason Slaughter NotJustBikes and my first episode with Jason
Other Online Creators & Influencers We Talk About:
- Thomas Schlijper, YouTube and Twitter
- Henrik Lundorff, Twitter
- Commute de Paris, Twitter
- Jere M , Twitter
- The Filming Fietser, Twitter
- Pekka Tahkola, Twitter
- Plain Bicycle Project, Twitter
- Erin Riediger, Twitter - Plain Bicycle Podcast
- Dustin, DOT Engineer, Twitter
- Chris Nolte, Propel, YouTube
- London Bicycle Café, Twitter
- Bike Curious, Twitch
- Relaxing train footage, Twitter
- NotJustBikes on YouTube
- BicycleDutch on YouTube
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Show Notes:
Finding a safe and secure place to park your ride is increasingly a huge challenge and with the relative value of bikes rising with many more people riding electric-assist cycles and cargo-bikes theft rates are rising and becoming a major concern. The Oonee Pod service provides a high-quality, attractive solution to this problem while being free to use, thus helping to eliminate a major barrier to getting more people on bikes more often.
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Oonee Pod website
- Streetfilms Oonee Pod video
- Streetfilms #BikeNYC Twitter Star vid
- Thumbnail photo from this great article
Disclosure: I personally believe so much in the Oonee vision that I made a small investment through the Republic platform
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Show Notes:
Driven by a passion to share the positive stories and learnings of the Dutch with regards to bicycle path network development is largely what keeps Mark Wagenbuur, aka BicycleDutch, rolling along with his content creation, year after year. He especially loves to document before and after states so his audience can see and appreciate how things can change over time.
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Landing Page for this Episode - for access to photos and videos
- BicycleDutch Channel
- BicycleDutch Blog
- BicycleDutch on Twitter
- The 2021 Review Video we played during the episode
- Brandon Lust aka @AmericanFietser
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of this episode
Tatiana Sales Lust has an exciting and inspiring story of empowerment and self-confidence facilitated by a little Dutch cycling magic, a bike that actually fits her, and a wee bit of electric assist. She has gone from not knowing how to ride a bike as an adult to become a confident electric-assist cargo bike "pilot".
There are so many adults out that don't yet know how to ride, just don't feel confident riding, or feel as if there isn't a safe place to ride, we talk about all these topics and so much more. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Tatiana.
Landing page for this episode to access photos and videos
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Tern Bicycles
- Urban Arrow cargo bikes
- Tatiana's Pogies
- Brandon's Pogies
- My first interview w/ Brandon
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video for this Episode - first released as a special Holiday bonus video in December
Jason Slaughter with Not Just Bikes in Amsterdam chats with me about how the Dutch have created what he calls "bicycle roads" and have teased out and separated their cycle priority networks from the networks serving other modes, including walking, transit, and cars.
The result is a brilliant compilation of coordinated mobility choices that is arguably the best in the world.
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
We reference and play some of these Not Just Bikes videos during this conversation:
- The Best Way to Cycle - Bicycle Only Roads in the Netherlands
- The Bike Lanes You Can't See - Ontvlechten
- Why the Dutch Wait Less at Traffic Lights
- The Best Country in the World for Drivers
- The Trains that Killed an Airline - Italian HSR
- Landing Page for this Episode
- My first episode featuring Jason
- Jason's merch site
- Nebula and Curiosity Stream
- NJB Live
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman.
I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video for this episode
The other day my good friend Josh Paget of the Better Cities Film Festival (formerly known as the New Urbanism Film Fest) reached out and said 'you have got to interview my buddy Scott, he's passionate about cities for people, and he's running for city council in LA.'
I didn't hesitate for a moment and I'm so happy about that, enjoy my conversation here with Scott Epstein. and if you are in his district I hope you'll consider getting on the #ScottForLA bandwagon.
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- Scott's campaign
- Better Cities Film Festival
- My Pocket Neighborhoods video
- My Designing Healthy Communities vid w/ Dick Jackson
Donald Shoup:
- The High Cost of Free Parking book
- Parking and The City
- My Parking Reform interview w/ Donald Shoup
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman. I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Video version of the episode
We are faced with major challenges on multiple fronts, a climate emergency, an obesity epidemic, and preventable deaths from fossil fuel air pollution, yet this public health expert and professor emeritus from the UCLA School of Public Health is hopeful when interacting with the next generation of leaders. A generation that is quite frankly impatient with the excuses and inaction from those in power currently to create healthier, more sustainable communities with a sense of urgency.
We also dive into the challenge of addressing the climate emergency from the perspective of the "healthcare", really the medical care system.
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- Please check out my new store for some fun Streets Are For People merch
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please also subscribe to my YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
-
Landing page for this episode
-
Dr. Richard J. Jackson's bio
- Dick presenting “at UCLA” on Climate, Health, our Children, and the Future
- Urban Sprawl and Public Health book
- Designing Healthy Communities book
-
Access Designing Healthy Communities doc
-
Atlanta Beltline - Ryan Gravel / Where We Want to Live book
-
The old elevated bike highway in Pasadena/Los Angeles
-
CNU: Congress for the New Urbanism
Donald Shoup:
- The High Cost of Free Parking book
- Parking and The City
- My Parking Reform interview w/ Donald Shoup
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman. I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Access the video here
I am asked all the time by listeners and viewers of this podcast, 'how can I make a difference and effect change in my community?' My answer is to engage with your neighbors, find a kindred spirit or two, speak up, and use these lessons from Megan Ramey to help guide you.
She and I talk about her journey to Hood River and her assuming the role of "safer streets advocate" and embracing the "crazy bike lady" moniker.
She has helped lead the effort to bring several safer and more vibrant street initiatives to Hood River, including:
- School Streets
- Bike Train (riding with kids to school)
- Open Streets
- Vision Zero
My Personal Call To Action:
- Become a Patron! Please consider supporting my efforts via Patreon
- If you enjoyed this video please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
- And if you haven't yet done so, please subscribe to the Podcast and the YouTube Channel and don't forget to "Ring" that notifications bell; this lets you know when I post a new video or schedule a premiere.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
- KEXP
- Urban Arrow e-assist cargo bikes
- Megan's Bikabout website
- Bikabout Tucson profile
- Chuck Marohn and Strong Towns
- Book - Strong Towns: A bottom-Up Revolution to Build American Prosperity
- Book - Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town
- Preston Tyree (featured in this recent bike study tour ride)
- Jonathan Fertig video podcast episode
Resources used during the production of this episode:
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
Studio Equipment:
- Microphone - Shure MV7
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
- Elgato Streamdeck (you may not need the XL)
Editing Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman. I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
This is one of my personal Active Towns channels and it features my original podcast episodes: conversations, and personal reflections profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them. Click here to access my YouTube Channel for my video content
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Link to the video of this episode and to the landing page for photos
What if most of our public realm was a collection of child-friendly spaces such that the urban fabric was essentially a "playground", a platform for childhood development with plenty of room to roam and explore?
This may sound crazy, but right now, in some countries, safe and inviting "All Ages & Abilities" environments encourage and support free-range kids and I would propose free-range older adults unencumbered by automobiles as well. Because, as the saying goes. If works for an 8-year-old it works for an 80-year-old.
In this episode, I talk with Tim Gill, author of the book Urban Playground: How Child-Friendly Planning and Design Can Save Cities about this radical yet simple planning and design concept.
Helpful Links (may include affiliate links to help me support the channel and podcast)
- Urban Playground book
- No Fear book
- Tim's website
- Our Streets, Our Journeys video
- Growing Up Boulder
- The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
- Sustrans
My Favorite Stoic Philosophy Books:
- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
- The Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday
- Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday
Resources used during the production of this podcast:
- Music mixed by John Simmerman using Logic Pro
- Graphics by Livestreaming Pros
- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
- Edited in the Adobe Creative Cloud software suite
Equipment:
- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)
- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens
- Elgato Cam Link 4k
- Elgato Streamdeck XL
note you may not need the XL - Streamdeck
Computer System:
- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro
- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo Stand
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
- Website
- Twitter
- Newsletter
- Podcast landing pages
- Facebook
- Instagram
Background: Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman. I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
This is one of my personal Active Towns channels and it features my original podcast episodes: conversations, and personal reflections profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them. Click here to access my YouTube Channel for my video content
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving, technology historian Peter Norton argues that driverless cars cannot be the safe, sustainable, and inclusive “mobility solutions” that tech companies and automakers are promising us. The salesmanship behind the driverless future is distracting us from investing in better ways to get around that we can implement now. Unlike autonomous vehicles, these alternatives are inexpensive, safe, sustainable, and inclusive.
I'm excited to have Peter back on the Podcast for a second time. We not only dive into the sales pitch being served up to us about autonomous vehicles and a utopian world of car dependency, but we talk about the real-life pragmatic solutions that we should be focusing on such as a sustainable safety approach to mobility network design and the example provided in The Netherlands in the Dutch cycle path and transit network integration. And specifically the power of mobility choice.
I hope you enjoy it.
Helpful Links:
Video version of this episode
Landing page for this episode - for access to photos featured in the video version
Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving published by Island Press
Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City published by MIT Press
How did the Dutch get their cycle paths video by BicycleDutch
The Best Country in the World for Driving - The Netherlands a video by Not Just Bikes
My first podcast episode with Peter - Highlighting the Fighting Traffic book
Show Credits and Information:
All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman
My Personal Call To Action:
- If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.
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- Please consider supporting my efforts by becoming a Patron via Patreon.
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along please visit my links below:
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Background: Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman. I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
This is one of my personal Active Towns channels and it features my original podcast episodes: conversations, and personal reflections profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them. Click here to access my YouTube Channel for my video content
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022
Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.
Click here to make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
- Video Link: Getting the Details Right w/ Lennart Nout
Hi everyone! Thanks for tuning into this first episode of 2022. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to connect with Lennart Nout, Manager of International Strategies, for Mobycon, a mobility systems design consulting firm based in The Netherlands.
We cover a lot of ground in this conversation including a recent protected intersection installation in Canmore in Alberta, Canada, Dutch-style protected roundabout designs, and traffic-calmed slow streets.
Enjoy the episode.
Cheers!
John
Additional Helpful Links:
-
Mobycon YouTube Channel
-
Mobility for Everyone Webinar
-
Curbing Traffic book by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
-
The CROW Manual
Background Info and Show Credits:
Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman and I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities in 2012 as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.
Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order to produce high-quality multi-media content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities".
This podcast features my original audio conversations and reflections profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world.
Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.
All audio, including music for this episode, was produced by me, John Simmerman
Please consider supporting my efforts to produce this Podcast by becoming Patron my Patreon page.
To sign up for my monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out my video podcasts and other cool content on my YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
You can reach me by email at john
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2022
To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. (EIN 5-3802508) click here
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
This episode is available in a visually rich video format, which is highly recommended.
Episode landing page
Road space reallocation, All Ages & Abilities active mobility network, e-cargo-bike freight/goods cycle-logistics, school streets, slow streets, and pricing for motor vehicle access in the downtown core - these are all critical factors connected to Vancouver's newly adopted Climate Emergency Action Plan that John and Dale discuss in this episode.
Their goal is to have 2/3 of trips by 2030 to be walking, biking, and transit. Land use is crucial, creating the walkable "15-minute city".
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Holiday Gathering
Canadian Federal Active Transportation Strategy
Streetfilms Vancouver Video
E-cargo bike cycle-logistics pilot
Transportation Demand Management
VanGo
Sustainable Mobility Toolkit for Employers
School Streets
School Streets Video
Transportation Snapshot
Climate Emergency Action Plan
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
This episode is available in video format and has many visuals worth seeing.
When it comes to creating safer, more inviting streets for All Ages & Abilities across all mobility types, the Dutch (which implement a strategy they call Sustainable Safety), the Swedes, and Norwegians have been leading the way through the implementation of an integrated safer systems approach.
Recently the United States has started to embrace this concept as part of the Vision Zero movement which strives to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
Sarah Abel is an architect and planner who has become a subject matter in complete and streets design and promotion and has focussed in recent years on bringing the Safe Systems Approach into sharp focus for cities here in North America.
She was previously with ITE
And recently made the move to Toole Design Group
Additional Helpful Links:
This is the landing page for this episode
FHWA - Safe Systems Approach
Dutch Sustainable Safety post by BicycleDutch
Vision Zero Network
Safety Towns
Traffic Gardens
Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Donald Shoup
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Click here for the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel
In this first episode of season three, John connects with Dr. Natalia Barbour, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at TU Delft researching and teaching in the areas of transport and energy.
Originally from Wągrowiec a town of roughly 25,000 residents in west-central Poland, she moved to the U.S. to attend graduate school first in Alabama and then in Florida before doing her postdoc work at MIT in Cambridge, MA.
She and her young family recently made the massive move from Florida to Delft in The Netherlands during a global pandemic and she reflects on the powerful role that the simple Dutch bike and having a safe and inviting "All Ages & Abilities" cycle network have played a supporting role in facilitating their transition to a car-free lifestyle while also providing ample content for her field of study in sustainable mobility options and behavior change.
John first connected with Natalia on Twitter where she frequently posts about her new life in Delft.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this episode
For more information on her research and publications visit her website
Info on the Wągrowiec Bifurcation (the rare two rivers crossing)
Access the Women on the Move webinar here Passcode: !0?6d5!M Natalia is introduced at about 16:50
MOOC: Towards Decarbonization of the Building and Transport Sectors | TU Delft Online
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett, Authors of Curbing Traffic on Active Towns Podcast
Jason Slaughter on Active Towns Podcast
Not Just Bikes Channel
NJB Trash Video
Cara Seiderman/Cambridge on Active Towns Podcast
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
For obvious reasons you may prefer to watch the video version of this episode, here's that link.
Our landing page for this episode
The Streetfilms video profiling Dutch cycling and Dutch cycle network design in Utrecht in The Netherlands is hands down Clarence Eckerson, Jr.'s most popular film of all time with over one million total views across multiple platforms.
Can you guess what his favorite might be?
What is your favorite Streetfilm?
Perhaps it's Ciclovia the early, powerful Open Streets installment out of Bogota, Columbia that really kicked things off for Streetfilms, maybe it's one of the many bike share system profiles, or the one from Groningen, or is it one of the more recent Open Streets videos like Miracle on 34th Avenue?
Whatever is your favorite, this roll down memory lane is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and even make you laugh.
Additional Helpful Links:
Streetfilms YouTube Channel
Streetfilms Website
The Sample Reel Clarence put together for this interview
The Streets Have Changed: A NYC Bicycle Journey During the Coronavirus
The Innovative Way Ghent, Belgium Removed Cars From The City
Groningen: The World's Cycling City
Kate McKinnon as Veronica Moss A.U.T.O. Lobbyist
Kate McKinnon as Veronica Moss in Times Square
Laura Bliss article in Bloomberg
JSK Visits 34th Avenue
Oslo: The Journey to Car-free
Mike Lydon - Little Prince Plaza Video
Ryan Van Duzer's YouTube Channel
Ryan's Video with the Spider:
Active Towns Episode with Ryan Van Duzer
BicycleDutch Mark Wagenbuur YouTube Channel
Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel
Ethan Kent - now at PlacemakingX
Project for Public Spaces
Streetsblog
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Landing Page for the episode for photos, embedded videos, enhanced links
This episode is available as a video and features many visuals - catch it on our YouTube Channel here: Episode 99
Pragmatic solutions to real problems. Providing empathic support to those who are curious, but are unsure what the next step is. High quality, electric-assist cargo bikes.
This is how we get more people, especially parents, and specifically moms with their kids riding more.
Arleigh Greenwald also known as Bike Shop Girl has spent much of her life on a bike and she believes strongly that we all need to Bike More, Worry Less. Over the past decade plus she's been Empowering Daily Life by Bike and helping others do the same.
We encourage you all to follow her work on YouTube
In addition to being a content creator inspiring active living and well-being, she's a mom, a spouse, and now she's the Product Market Manager for Tern Bicycles - one of the coolest e-bike and cargo bike brands out there. And not surprisingly she's producing high-quality video content for Tern out on their YouTube Channel while providing meaningful support to the Tern Bicycles dealer network.
Additional Helpful Links:
Follow Arleigh as Bike Shop Girl on Twitter and Instagram and Facebook
Phil Gaimon - Cookie Eating Phil and a recent e-bike video he produced
Arleigh mentions The War On Cars
Tern profile videos on YouTube - Beth Nobles
Arleigh's Tern GSD Accessories video
Arleigh's Bike to Run video
John mentions Ryan Van Duzer YouTube adventure content creator
Arleigh's Thankful for the Group Ride video
Sand Creek Greenway
Arleigh mentions a Ryan Van Duzer’s This App Saves Lives video
Arleigh references NASCAR drivers serving as the face of cycling in North Carolina
Arleigh's recent Tweet featuring Denver’s Amy Kenreich
Arleigh mentions her partnership work w/ PeopleForBikes
Denver Bicycle Lobby mention
Bike Here Podcast
eCamm Live - Our video recording and live streaming platform
Arleigh mentions Ginger Runner
A reminder: Next week is our special 100th episode a video conversation featuring Clarence Eckerson, Jr. with Streetfilms
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Landing page on the Active Towns website for access to videos and photos of the trail
In June 2021, I had the honor of attending the Walk Bike Places conference in Indianapolis, Indiana and one of the things I was most looking forward to was re-visiting the Indy Cultural Trail, one of the most extraordinary and impactful activity assets I have ever experienced and documented. The Trail did not disappoint, in fact, it had gotten even more impressive in the three years since my previous visit.
In addition to using the Trail every day during my nearly week-long stay to get to and from the convention center and various conference-related activities, I was able to participate in a fabulous workshop tour led by Sarah Frey, Director of Development and Marketing, for the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick.
As part of that workshop, I produced this video and I planted the seed with Sarah to eventually get her on the podcast because this is a powerful story that needs to be told and many communities around the world can benefit from it.
I hope you enjoy it.
Cheers!
John
Additional Helpful Links:
Walk Bike Places Conference produced by PPS-Project for Public Spaces and presented by PeopleForBikes
Trail expansion article
Trail Art Installations
Indy Canal and Open Spaces
White River Trail
Monon Trail
City of Indianapolis Bikeways and Map
Indy Trails and Greenways
Our Carmel, IN video
Arleigh Greenwald - Bike Shop Girl
Streetfilms
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
And here's our landing page for this episode - for access to the videos and photos
Pop-up protected bike lanes, separated cycle tracks, open streets, and even plazas are some of the pilot projects that we have seen over the past ten years but even more so in the past 18 months as cities around the world strive to redefine public space to be more accommodating for people versus the easy movement of motor vehicles.
Mike Lydon is co-founder of Street Plans and co-author of the book on Tactical Urbanism and he has been at the forefront of not only moving these concepts forward but hands-on in their implementation.
We discuss some of the encouraging trends he's seeing around the world and he shares some observations from his recent trip to France, including a first hand look at the cycling revolution taking place right now on the streets of Paris. Clearly the enthusiasm is there, at this moment in time and the City is trying to build out a comprehensive cycle network similar to those seen in The Netherlands. Some of the videos we've seen in fact remind us of typical Dutch cycling scenes.
We also talk about some of the exciting work his firm is doing here in the states, including plazas in NYC, an active transportation plan for New Haven, and a corridor project in Culver City, CA in the LA area.
Opening video sequence used with permission from Streetfilms.
Congress for the New Urbanism
Our episode with Victor Dover was mentioned
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
This episode has been produced as a video with some rich visuals, so to get to the full experience click on this link
Landing page for this episode
This episode has been produced as a video with some rich visuals, so to get to the full experience click on this link
Victor Dover made the move from Alexandria, VA to Miami to co-launch the firm Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning with his business partner Joe Kohl some 34 years ago. Victor is a charter member of the Congress for the New Urbanism and has worked for many public agencies, developers, and citizen groups to create appropriate methods of land development regulations.
The two main inter-related themes Victor presents in this episode are when planning a community, start first with the “green parts”, the parks, greenways, and parkways and then shape the rest of the city around these accordingly and second, street design is the thing we can least afford to get wrong. It becomes obvious how these two themes are intimately related when we consider that our streets should be traffic-calmed people-oriented places, featuring beautiful tree canopies, frequently referred to as the lungs of the city.
And speaking of street design, that happens to be the title of the fabulous book Victor co-wrote along with John Massengale seven years ago and the truly big, breaking news is that Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns will be coming out as new, completely refreshed second edition in 2022. Here’s the first edition link if you can’t wait and want to get the original, which is highly recommended.
We also discuss the need to make our streets safe and inviting for “All Ages & Abilities” across all mobility modes drawing inspiration from Dutch cycling network design and from public spaces in Copenhagen and other beloved cities in Europe as well as historic places right here in the United States such as Alexandria, VA, Charleston, SC, and even Buffalo, NY.
We talk about normalizing the act of riding a bike to carry our everyday activities by creating environments that are comfortable for everyone through the implementation of protected and separated infrastructure paired with ultra-low speed shared spaces.
Additional Helpful Links:
Dover Kohl YouTube Channel – for an entire series of brilliant guidance
Barnes Dance or Pedestrian Scramble
Cities Aren't Loud, Cars Are Loud - NJB video
Designing Cities by Starting with the Green Parts - Frederick Law Olmsted
The Underline Trail
Ludlam Trail
East Coast Greenway
Miami Dade Parks Foundation - #LiveAParkLife
National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA)
Missoula Montana Downtown Master Plan and the Dover Kohl Update
Benton MacKaye - helped pioneer the idea of land preservation for recreation and conservation purposes
Gabe Klein - a good on article about Gabe
Incremental Development Alliance
Ross Chapin: Pocket Neighborhoods - Our Episode featuring Ross and our award winning video on Pocket Neighborhoods
Climate Planner book by Jason King
Steve Wright - a writer advising on issues of accessibility
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Our YouTube video version of this episode for the full visual experience
Landing Page for this episode
When we think of the safe and inviting cycle networks in The Netherlands and in Copenhagen, what likely comes to mind are the protected and separated cycle tracks and bike lanes. But these typically only account for 30-40% of the typical city cycling network, the rest, the majority of the networks are comprised of different forms of shared space including Woonerfs (ultra-slow speed streets), Feitsstraats (or bicycle priority streets), and even Edge Lane Roads also commonly known in some locations as Advisory Bike Lanes.
Michael Williams has taken upon himself during his self-proclaimed third career to be the pied piper of Edge Lane Roads here in North America. I wanted to talk with him about ELR's and how he became fascinated with them because I too have been intrigued by these often forgotten and misunderstood cycle network infrastructure treatments.
The design of these facilities is almost too simple and they work. The safety profile of the Dutch, Danish and even North American installations is extremely encouraging. Given what I've seen, I believe we will see many more cities decide to adopt these facilities in the future.
For more information on all things Edge Lane Roads please visit Michael's website here: https://www.advisorybikelanes.com/
The Ottawa video: https://youtu.be/0zdDIvKXMxY
The New Hampshire video: https://vimeo.com/198050122
Vail Advisory Bike Lane featured in this recent ITE report: https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/topics/transportation-safety/pedestriian-safety-month/
A report Michael helped contribute to: https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/1925-Pande-Safety-Edge-Lane-Roads.pdf
The Active Towns video on Vail's Gore Valley Trail (mentioned by John in the episode): https://vimeo.com/177494585
Comments provided by Michael about the safety data he mentioned in the episode: "The study on US ELR safety looked at crash data on 11 ELRs all over the country that had been installed for at least 3 years. Crash data for the 5 years previous to the installation was used in an Empirical Bayes analysis (the gold standard for this type of analysis according to the Highway Safety Manual). The complete report is available at https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/1925-Safety-Edge-Lane-Roads. Aggregated results over these 11 facilities showed a 44% crash rate reduction in motor vehicle crashes. Data was not available to evaluate safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Reduced vehicular speeds, lower crash rates, horizontal separation of VRUs and cars all point to a safer, more comfortable environment for vulnerable road users."
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns landing page for this episode - for access to photos, videos, and additional content
Active People, Healthy Nation℠ is a national initiative led by CDC to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. Increased physical activity can improve health, quality of life, and reduce health care costs. These improvements can help reduce the risk of at least 20 chronic diseases and conditions and provide effective treatment for many of these conditions. Other potential benefits include better school performance and improved military readiness. Building active and walkable communities can help support local economies, result in less air pollution, and create more cohesive communities.
Additional Helpful Links:
Strategies to Increase Physical Activity
Everyone Can Be Involved – What’s Your Role?
Data, Trends and Maps
Physical Activity Fact Sheets and Infographics
Physical Activity Basics
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition
State and Community Health Media Center
#activepeople hashtag for social media
Proclamation template
email: activepeople@cdc.gov
Safe Routes to Schools Report Card
Activity-Friendly Routes to Everyday Destinations - Complete Streets
Tide to Town
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode to access photos and videos
In June 2021, the City of Cambridge published Cambridge Bicycle Plan 2020, an update to the 2015 Cambridge Bicycle Plan: Toward a Bikeable Future. The Bicycle Plan lays out a vision for where they as a City want to be, with the guiding principle to enable people of all ages, abilities, and identities to bike safely and comfortably throughout Cambridge. It provides the framework for developing a network of bicycle-friendly streets and supporting programs and policies that will help meet this goal.
In this episode, John and Cara discuss some of the history and context behind the efforts to make walking and biking easier, safer, and more comfortable in the city. Cara also provides an update on the newly rewritten bike plan and she highlights some of the new infrastructure and programming being initiated.
Ultimately Cambridge is a fabulous example for other cities to look towards for inspiration and learnings. They have some amazing high comfort infrastructure on the ground with more coming and many impressive programming efforts to make walking, biking, and taking transit more enjoyable for everyday trips.
Additional Helpful Links:
Jan Gehl founder of the firm Gehl People
Preston Tyree co-host of the Growing Older Podcast
Bike Plan Update Video
Active Towns Video from 2019 visit
Mama Agata video - Amsterdam program to help migrant women learn to cycle
League of American Bicyclists
Peter Furth
Blue Bikes
Cycling Safety Ordinance
Aeronaut Brew Pub
New Harvard Bikeways - 2020
Winkelerf - A Shared Commercial Street
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
The Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972 on the conviction that all people need and deserve access to nature and the outdoors, close to home, in the cities and communities where they live, as a matter of health, equity, and justice.
While many conservation organizations set aside wild-lands for biodiversity or habitat restoration, the founders of TPL sought to bring the benefits of parks and nature to the places, people, and communities that needed them most.
Signature initiatives and programs include ParkScore, ParkServe, and the 10-Minute Walk campaign
ParkScore:The ParkScore index provides in-depth data to make the case for park investment and guide local park improvement efforts. The ParkScore index is the most comprehensive rating system ever developed to measure how well the 100 largest U.S. cities are meeting the need for parks. To determine a city’s ParkScore rating, we assign points for 14 measures across five categories: acreage, investment, amenities, access, and equity. Recent analysis of data revealed significant disparities in park space across racial and economic lines. Find more here: Equitable Recovery Report
ParkServe:ParkServe helps cities visualize their park system and inform decisions by identifying areas most in need of new parks. This tool and comprehensive database, developed by The Trust for Public Land, includes park data from 14,000 cities, towns, and communities. ParkServe analyzes the 10-minute walk serviceable areas for each park in the database, and includes demographic data, certain climate and health layers, and schoolyards and certain park amenities. Data is freely available to download, and an interactive map and Park Elevator tool can help assess locations for new parks.
10-Minute Walk: Webelieve all people in US cities should have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk of their home. Today, 100 million people living in the U.S. don’t have a park close to home.10-Minute Walk, an initiative led by The Trust for Public Land, calls on mayors and gives them the resources needed to accelerate the creation of parks that drive equitable, healthy, and thriving communities. Working with cities, communities, and partners, we seek to identify and support actions that help close the nation's park equity gap.
- On Twitter at https://twitter.com/10minwalk or @10minwalk
- Direct contact/email: 10minutewalk@tpl.org
*NEW Community Schoolyards Report:* Joint use - including with schools - is an important tool for providing access to recreation and greenspace. Currently, public school districts own an astonishing two million acres of underused land across America. By transforming these blacktop public schoolyards into living, recreational spaces open to the community, 20 million more people would have access to a park space within a 10-minute walk of home. This new report highlights the positive effects that result from providing students and nearby communities multi-functional parks that double as tranquil oases in their neighborhoods
Additional Helpful Links:
Dr. Richard "Dick" Jackson
SOPARC the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities Tool - used in direct observation to assess number of park users and levels of physical activity:
Community Park Audit Tool: one of the tools that has informed observations of the characteristics of park spaces
We All Need Parks Video
10-Minute Walk Video
Safe Routes to School Partnership
Complete Streets
Colorado Springs Trails and Open Space Coalition
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Episode Landing page for access to more information and photos
Easthampton, Massachusetts and Jeffrey Bagg, City Planner were suggested for the Podcast by one our listeners. The following is a brief description that was provided as part of this suggestion:
"Easthampton's a small Western Mass city that's more aptly a dense village. They're trailblazing out there doing amazing work that other small-scale communities should try and replicate; investing in a fantastic rail trail, a pedestrian boardwalk, traffic calming roundabouts, raised crosswalks, and new trailheads. It's also surrounded by jaw-dropping natural beauty."
In the conversation, Jeff discusses the some of the challenges and opportunities the city is facing as they move to relocate an elementary school, leverage connectivity through the existing popular Manhan Rail Trail, and work to slow motor vehicles speeds in the vital downtown areas where people are likely to be walking, cycling, and lingering.
Additional Helpful Links:
Easthampton Planning Department
Mt Tom North Trailhead Park
Easthampton Planning Dept Facebook Page
Easthampton Planning Dept Instagram
MassDOT Shared Streets
Mill Pond Live
Tactical Urbanism
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Landing page for this episode
Video version of the episode
In 2010 Charles Marohn, Founder of the Strong Towns organization sat down to create a computerized animated cartoon video called Conversation with an Engineer. As he says in this podcast episode the dialog just flowed out of him, he didn't have to think hard about it, because he had already had many such conversations in his relatively short time as a practicing engineer. He brings this video back to life in the first chapter of Confessions as a way to set the premise of the book. He had behaved in this way and this is his confession. And he was wrong.
The new book Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town published by Wiley is available on September 8, 2021.
Additional Helpful Links:
Chuck’s Presentation in Austin
Our first interview with Chuck – Episode 13 of the Active Towns Podcast
Not Just Bikes - our episode w/ Jason Slaughter
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Landing page for this episode to access the visuals associated with the discussion
The book Cognitive Architecture by Ann Sussman and Justin Hollander published by Routledge, now in its second edition, has helped refine what we know and understand about how we humans respond to our surroundings, from nature to the built environment, including building, streets, and public places. Thus we highly recommend it to anyone curious about or doing work in any field where you're hoping to influence human behavior.
A brief video on how you really know something is wrong with Modern Architecture…when you do biometric analyses contrasting it with traditional, is here
As mentioned, here’s the PDF from the OECD (Organization of Economic Cooperation + Development) based out of Paris, which declared out time, the 21st-century the New AGE of BIOLOGY in 2012
A brief overview of the 2nd edition, and how it expanded from first is here
Additional Helpful Links:
The Hapi.org - The Human Architecture and Planning Institute, Inc
Built Beautiful video
Strong Towns and the Strong Towns Podcast
Jan Gehl
Daniel Lieberman
Walk Bike Places Conference
Indy Cultural Trail and our video of the Cultural Trail experience
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns Landing Page for this episode for access to more photos, videos
Every week on the Strong Towns Upzoned Podcast, Abby Kinney and most frequently, Chuck Marohn, Founder of Strong Towns have a discussion about a relevant article in some way connected to the Strong Towns message and movement. The thoughtful analysis of the content of the selected article is then balanced out with a segment they call the "Downzone" when they share what they've been reading, watching, or anything else that's been occupying their time.
Additional Helpful Links:
Gould Evans Studio for City Design
BikeWalkKC - Active Towns Podcast episode featuring Michael Kelley and Laura Steele
Active Towns Podcast with Kea Wilson original host of Upzoned
Gillham Cycletrack
Cliff Drive - Historical Video
Kevin Klinkenberg - Midtown KC Now
Incremental Development Alliance
Joe Minicozzi - Urban 3
Eldorado Canyon - Climbing
Pearl Street Mall - History
Bentonville, AR
Active Towns Dutch Cycling video montage
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
It's not an understatement to say that Houston is one of the most challenged cities in North America when it comes to it's sprawling size, at 670+ square miles (1,739.69 km2) in the city limits and 10,062 square miles (26,060 km2) at the metro level, car-centric infrastructure, and climate, with months on end of hot humid weather, but what the city does have in impressive numbers are passionate people like Doogie Roux who are working hard to make this proud southern city more livable, beautiful, and fun.
As you'll soon learn from this episode, Doogie has a background in engineering and a deep love for cycling that turned into a new career direction, which included several years working Houston's B-Cycle Bikeshare program. Recently he has transitioned into a role as a micro-mobility consultant, brand ambassador, and active advocate for getting more people on bikes more often.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode - for additional photos, content, and links
Follow Doogie on:
Bosch eBike Systems
The Houston by eBike Travel Guide was created in collaboration with Houston resident and Micromobility consultant, Doogie Roux and highlights how to enjoy all the city has to offer by eBike, pointing to ride-sharing resources like Houston BCycle which has over 120 eBike share stations in the area. In addition, the guide offers a local’s view of Houston including:
· Bike-friendly restaurants and coffee stops encouraging stops at local favorites like El Tiempo for sizzling fajitas or visit The Original Ninfa's, a legendary hot-spot for Mexican fare
· Art scene exploration by eBike of places likeThe Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, a decommissioned underground reservoir built in 1926 that currently features the art installation Time No Longer by Anri Sala
· Iconic views and historical locations such as Emancipation Park
· Adventure trails and calorie-burning activities like the Columbia Tap trail
· Music-themed rides like the 3rd Ward Tours
· Resources for eBike lovers such as Blue Line Bike Lab in the Heights, host of the Wednesday Night Bike Fight, a ride all about clipping in and going fast
“Bike Through H-Town” mural by mother-son artist duo Donkeeboy and Donkeemom. The mural was commissioned by Bosch eBike Systems to celebrate Houston’s rapid ascend to one of America’s most bike-friendly cities. To further encourage eBike adoption, Bosch launched an eBike travel series today, featuring Houston as its first city. Doogie's YouTube video of the unveiling.
Bike Houston
Active Towns Episode 38 featuring Commissioner Ellis and Fernando Martinez
Active Towns Episode 82 featuring Jason Slaughter of Not Just Bikes
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe! Also, check out our video archive on Vimeo
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns Landing page for this episode for additional photos and content
Public health is and has been top of mind ever since the global coronavirus pandemic took hold, but there's a side to the study of public health that might not be as salient in our thoughts and that is the impact that our built environment has on our health, wellbeing, and specifically in encouraging and promoting healthy, active living.
Dr. Roberts didn't specifically set out to be an academic and researcher in this arena, but we are grateful that she found her way to this work, which includes serving as the Director of the Public Health Outcomes and Effects of the Built Environment (PHOEBE) Laboratory, leading the Purple Line Light Rail Impact on Neighborhood, Health and Transit (PLIGHT) Study, and heading up the NatureRX@UMD initiative on the campus of the University of Maryland.
Additional Helpful Links:
University of Maryland – School of Public Health
Professor Robert’s website and Twitter account
Richard Louv – Nature Deficit Disorder
ParkRX – Robert Zarr, MD, MPH
Campus NatureRX
NatureRX at Cornell
UC Davis Peer Program – NatureRXhttps://healthy.ucdavis.edu/healthy-campus-resources
Red Lining and Lack of Tree Canopy – NYT article
Rain gardens and nature integration – Active Towns video of the Indy Cultural Trail
Transit catchments areas: The Magic Hand of the Bike – Episode w/ Roland Kager
Health Belief Model – Dr. Marshall Becker
Active Towns Podcast episode w/ Charles T. Brown
Active Towns Podcast episode w/ Kelly Rodgers
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns Landing Page for this episode
Dr. Robin Mazumder, recently (October 2020) received his Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo in cognitive neuroscience studying the impacts of urban design on our health and wellbeing.
Among other things, John and Robin talk about how we as humans respond to our built environments, what role access to nature plays in our cities, and how we can perhaps better understand and work productively to address our dependency on automobiles.
When we think of our cities and public spaces we probably have an intuitive sense as to what places are pleasant, welcoming, and interesting but we probably don’t really think too deeply about it. Well, we hope this conversation with Robin about his work to better understand our urban experience serves to be a thought-provoking and engaging experience.
Additional Helpful Links:
Robin's Website
Robin's Addicted to Cars post
Dignity and Health Forbes article
Places of the Heart book by Colin Ellard
Cities for People book by Jan Gehl
Happy City book by Charles Montgomery
Curbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City books by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
Ada County article about bike lanes in Boise and surrounding suburbs
Cognitive Architecture book by Ann Sussman & Justin Hollander
Shinrin-yoku - Forest Bathing
Indy Cultural Trail
Jason Slaughter's Not Just Bikes episode
Jonathan Fertig's Taking Action episode
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns Landing page for this episode - for additional content and photos
Providence, Rhode Island is one of our oldest cities in North America and one of the original 13 Colonies, but just like so many others post world war two they transformed their historic built form into an automobile-dependent environment which drained it of life and vitality. The good news is that they realized relatively early on where things went wrong and set out to fix the damage, bigging in the early '80s with the uncovering of the Providence River.
More recently they tore down and relocated I-195 and then reused the footings to create an amazing activity asset in the Van Leesten Memorial Bridge.
Martina Haggerty, Director of Special Projects in the Planning Department for the City of Providence Rhode Island talks about this development as well as many other transformations underway.
Additional Helpful Links:
PeopleForBikes Big Jump Project
PeopleForBikes Five Cities Breaking Down Barriers
PeopleForBikes Best New Bikeways 2020
PVD Streets
PVD Affordable Housing
Providence River Relocation
Providence Great Streets Master Plan
Providence Bike-Ped Commission
East Bay Bike Path
Washington Secondary Trail
Zoning Rewrite article
E-Scooter Pilot
E-bikes Return - Spin
Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Jon Larsen - Salt Lake City
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patreon Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts and other content on our YouTube Channel - and please subscribe!
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode (for additional photos and content)
In order to combat climate change, we know that we must electrify the motor vehicle fleet (and other fossil fuel burning engines for that matter) as soon as possible but what we also need is far fewer motor vehicles on our roads (not to mention far fewer lane miles), especially in our cities.
John and Ben Holland, Senior Associate at RMI discuss these issues and the critical role that walkable urbanism, better land-use patterns, and active mobility networks appropriate for "All Ages & Abilities" play in our quest for sustainable, successful, equitable, and livable communities.
Additional Helpful Links:
Electric Cars Are Great, But Even Better: No Cars an article with Beth Osborne, Director of Transportation for America
Transportation for America: Driving Down Emissions
RMI's Coming Back Stronger Report
RMI: Building Urbanism into Climate Policy
RMI: We Need New Housing
RMI: The Pandemic and Fragility of Auto-Centric Cities
RMI: Bringing Back Clean Air
Bloomberg Newsletter: Need To Think Outside the Electric Car
Ben's Guest Opinion regarding opening up West Pearl Street to Diners
CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism
CNU - Central Texas Chapter
Strong Towns
NRDC - (Natural Resources Defense Council)
World Resource Institute (WRI)
IPCC: Mitigation pathways compatible with 1.5°C in the context of sustainable development
Better Boulder
Bedrooms for People
Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
UC Davis VMT Induced Demand Calculator
RMI Colorado Induced Demand Calculator
UC Davis National Zero Carbon Plan
Smart Growth America
Martha Roskowski - Further Strategies
Constantine Samaras - Low Carbon Transportation researcher
Talking Headways/Overhead Wire Podcast Episode: Jeff Wood and Ben
Chuck Marohn and James Howard Kunstler - Strong Towns Podcast: "Why can't we just have corner stores again..." @41:50
Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Jason Slaughter of Not Just Bikes
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's Active Towns Podcast episode and their new book Curbing Traffic
Indianapolis Cultural Trail
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?
As you'll learn from this episode, that's precisely the question Jason Slaughter and his wife pondered when they became disillusioned with the overly car-centric design of the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area. With the stakes high, they did their research, relied upon their vast travel experience, and did several "trial-stays" in the finalist cities.
Once the decision had been made and Amsterdam was their new home, they were continually asked by friends, family, and even new acquaintances - Why move from Canada to The Netherlands?
In an attempt to answer these questions, Jason decided to do a little "show and tell" in the form of short videos, and thus Not Just Bikes was born first on the Twitter platform and then he migrated the effort to its natural home on YouTube, where it has just exploded in popularity.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode - direct access to the videos we discussed
A video version of this Episode on the Active Towns YouTube Channel
Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel and the NJB Live Channel
Not Just Bikes Patreon - support Jason and the Channel!
Not Just Bikes Videos Mentioned
- What Makes a Great City – the video that started it all
- NEW! The video about Houston, telling the story that prompted Jason to care about urban planning
- Why Dutch Bikes Are Better
- We Have No Garbage Day in Amsterdam
- Why Cars Rarely Crash into Building in The Netherlands
- Why Grocery Shopping is Better in Amsterdam
- How America Bankrupted its Cities – Strong Towns concepts
- The STROADS video – Strong Towns concepts
- Cities Aren’t Loud Cars Are Loud – a recent video in honor of Melissa & Chris Bruntlett‘s new book Curbing Traffic
- Jason is not a cyclist and neither are most of the Dutch people who ride every day
Jason mentioned a YouTuber who produces videos about driving in The Netherlands – his name is Kerleem Shaw and here’s his channel
Ryan Van Duzer's Grocery Shopping Video
BicycleDutch - Mark Wagenbuur and Mark's blog post & video on the 10-year Improvements in Utrecht
StreetFilms - Clarence Eckerson, Jr.
Strong Towns - The Strong Towns Interview of Jason
Strong Towns Bottom-Up Revolution Podcast Interview of John
Plain Bicycle Episode w/ Erin Riediger on the Active Towns Podcast
CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism
Books Mentions:
High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV by Keith Bradsher
Traffic - Tom Vanderbilt
Miracle Pill by Peter Walker
Concepts Mentioned:
Downs-Thomson Paradox
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In episode number 81, John welcomes to the podcast Paul Tranter, Honorary Associate Professor in Geography in the School of Science at the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia where he researches children’s well-being and the dominance of speed and mobility in urban planning and society. His work has demonstrated that child-friendly modes of walking, cycling, and public transit are also the modes that paradoxically reduce time pressure for urban residents. In this conversation, we dive into the details of his recent book Slow Cities: Conquering our Speed Addiction for Health and Sustainability that he co-authored with Rodney Tolley.
Additional Helpful Links:
Slow Cities Book
Slow Cities Manifesto
Build slower cities or keep careening towards disaster – opinion
Slaves to speed, we’d all benefit from ‘slow cities’ – article in The Conversation
Time to hit the brakes on the “Hurry Virus”
Introduction: changing cultures of speed – journal article
Speed Kills: The Complex Links Between Transport, Lack of Time and Urban Health – journal article
Active Travel: A Cure for the Hurry Virus – journal article
Children’s Play in their Local Neighborhoods: Rediscovering the Value of Residential Streets
Busted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia
30Please.org – children
Pontevedra, Spain, wins the first EU urban road safety award – European Transport Safety Council
Pontevedra, Spain Increases Downtown Livability by Reducing Vehicle Access – article in Smart Cities Dive
Reclaiming the streets: the increasing trend of pedestrianisation around the world
Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores, Mayor of Pontevedra City, Spain
Why the need for speed? Transport spending priorities leave city residents worse off – article in The Conversation
Raising an Unhurried Child
In Praise of Slowness – book
In Praise of Slowness – TED Talk
Active Towns Podcast episode featuring Peter Norton
Active Towns Podcast episode featuring David Nuttall
Shared Streets and Woonerfs – Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-Baillie
Walkscore
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
MOTHERLOAD captures a new mother’s quest to understand the increasing isolation and disconnection of modern life, its planetary impact, and how cargo bikes could be an antidote.
Filmmaker Liz Canning cycled everywhere until she had twins in 2008. Motherhood was challenging, but to Liz hauling babies via car felt stifling. She Googled “family bike” and uncovered a global movement of people replacing cars with cargo bikes: long-frame bicycles designed for carrying heavy loads. Liz set out to learn more, and MOTHERLOAD was born.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - for more photos and videos
The MOTHERLOAD website: http://motherloadmovie.com
Here is where you can rent the film: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/motherload
The Motherload Films site: https://www.motherload-films.com - find out more about hiring Liz!
The trailer on Vimeo: http://motherloadmovie.com/welcome
MOTHERLOAD Facebook Group
MOTHERLOAD on Twitter
Episode 1 of Global Mosaic: "Could Empowering Girls Transform the World?"
Director's Cut
Broadcast Edit
What a Bakfiets looks like
Xtracycle
Jared Diamond
Daniel Lieberman
Velo-City Conference
Kidical Mass - Shane MacRhodes article
Critical Mass - Tim White doc "Return of the Scorcher"
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Curbing Traffic - The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives published by Island Press is due to be released on June 29, 2021. We highly recommend everyone get a copy and Melissa and Chris have passed along the following information: The book is available for pre-order from Island Press (use promo code "BRUNTLETT" for 20% off) in North America, Marston Books (use promo code "ISCT" for 30% off) in the EU, and independent booksellers worldwide.
Melissa and Chris Bruntlett moved their family of four from Vancouver, BC to the city of Delft in The Netherlands a couple of years ago. They made this huge move, which presented its share of predictable challenges because they were looking for a higher quality of life, especially for their teenage children. This book was an effort to capture just how profound and impactful this new way of living was and is before its specialness wears off and drifts predictably into "just the way things are".
Additional Helpful Links:
The Happy City by Charles Montgomery
Building the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint For Urban Vitality Melissa and Chris Bruntlett’s first book
Going Dutch – An Interview with Chris in 2020 on the Active Towns Podcast
Kaid Benfield – Human Habitat
Shared Streets and Woonerfs – Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-Baillie
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
A livable street is like a good friend that gives you energy. In contrast, an unlivable street drains you.
Bruce Appleyard is an Associate Professor of City Planning & Public Administration, at San Diego State University and serves as both the Associate Director Active Transportation Research Center (ATR) and the Associate Director Center for Human Dynamics in our Mobile Age (HDMA).
He is the author of Livable Streets 2.0 published by Elsevier which is actually an expanded update of his father, Donald Appleyard's classic 1981 urbanism text Livable Streets. When the original edition first came out it was the first to put forth the theory that streets are for people.
In this episode, John and Bruce discuss in detail many aspects of the book and his recent contribution on Designing for Active Travel he made to the International Encyclopedia of Transportation (TRNS).
Livable Streets 2.0 is a complete manual on walking, bicycling, and traffic calming. So if you want to learn more about these things, we highly encourage you to get the book.
Additional Helpful Links:
Landing Page for this Episode on Active Towns website
Mike Lydon and Tactical Urbanism
Shared Streets and Woonerfs - Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-Baillie
Charter for Humane and Equitable Streets
Transit and Bikes - Roland Kager's Active Towns Podcast Episode
The MUTCD - NACTO's position
Right of Way book and Angie Schmitt's Active Towns Podcast Episode
Continuous, Raised Sidewalks and Sidepaths and a Not Just Bikes video on the subject
Advisory Bike Lane Streets
Fietsstraat Active Towns Podcast Episode
PeopleForBikes
Jan Gehl - Building at Human Scale books Cities for People and Life Between Buildings
Interested but Concerned - Geller and 2011 follow up by Dr. Jennifer Dill
Berkeley Barriers Traffic Calming History
Chuck Marohn - Strong Towns
STROAD:
- Definition
- Not Just Bikes STROAD video
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Does Salt Lake City, Utah come to mind when you think of cities leading the way in innovative cycle infrastructure? Probably not. But, they were one of the early protected cycling infrastructure adopters in North America, with one of the first official "Dutch-style" protected intersections. Unfortunately, the car-centric status quo pushed back, and things slowed down significantly for a couple of years.
In 2017, Jon Larsen took the helm as the Transportation Division Director and as you'll hear in this interview he and his team have got the effort the create safer, more inviting street spaces for "All Ages & Abilities" across all mobility modes back on track and have regained their momentum.
We look forward to a return visit to explore and profile their progress in the near future.
Additional Helpful Links:
Salt Lake City Projects Mentioned:
- 300 West - video
- 900 South/9-Line
- 200 South
- Neighborhood byways
- Livable Streets Program
- Streets Typology Design Guide
- State Street Project - Life on State
CNU
CNU Utah Chapter
CNU21 - SLC
Chuck Marohn - Strong Towns
STROAD:
- Definition
- Not Just Bikes STROAD video
Seattle Streets Illustrated Guide
Utah Transit Authority
PeopleForBikes - Shed the Monster video
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
When one steps into a pocket neighborhood it seems familiar and feels comfortable. Perhaps this is because humans have been creating intentional habitats such as these for tens of thousands of years. They are inherently sociable, cohesive, and livable communities.
Ross Chapin literally wrote the book on these development patterns and their modern interpretations - Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns landing page for this episode - for access to more photos and videos
Pocket Neighborhoods website
Active Towns - Pocket Neighborhoods Video
Ross Chapin Architects website
Missing Middle Housing
CNU – Congress for the New Urbanism
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In 2017, Brandon joined his wife Tatiana on a trip to The Netherlands. She had some work to do there and they figured why not combine the travel for a bit of vacation time. What Brandon couldn’t have known at the time, was that this trip would forever alter his life and spark a curiosity to learn more about functional cycling, and ignite a passion for the simple pleasures of getting stuff done while riding a bike. Thus the @AmericanFietser on Twitter was born.
The Dutch, have a couple of different words that apply to cyclists. They use the word Fietser to refer to a person who rides for everyday purposes such as meeting one’s daily needs. While they use the term “wielrenner”, literally wheel runner, to describe a sport cyclist or racer.
Enjoy this ride with Brandon!
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing page for this episode - access more photos and videos
American Fietser blog
BicycleDutch – Mark Wagenbuur
Not Just Bikes – Jason Slaughter
Work Cycles – J.C. Lind Bike Co.
Gazelle Bikes
Defining Opafiets and Omafiets (step-through frame) blog post
Tern Bicycles – Perennial Cycle, Minneapolis
Tatiana’s First E-Bike Ride – Twitter video
What is 4-H
FFA – Future Farmers of America
PeopleForBikes
Mobycon and the Mobycon Academy
StrongTowns
STROADS video by Not Just Bikes for StrongTowns
Woonerf definition (shared space)
Walk/Bike/Places Conference
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
This episode with Billy Fields, Ph.D. has reinforced our appreciation for just how interconnected everything is in our world, from active mobility to land use to pollution and the climate. Add to that the fact our mobility and stormwater systems can work together rather than against each other.
We encourage everyone to check out this new book Adaptation Urbanism and Resilient Communities: Transforming Streets to Address Climate Change. And courtesy of Dr. Fields you may use the coupon code ESBAC for 20% off.
Additional Helpful Links:
Rails to Trails Conservancy
San Marcos, TX
International Sustainable Transportation Engagement Program – Study Abroad
Delft, NL: Woonerf
CROW Manual
Sustainable Safety
Vision Zero – Sweden
Amsterdam Street Trampolines
London initiatives:
- Mini-Hollands
- Healthy Streets
- Low Traffic Neighborhoods
- 20 is Plenty Campaign
Our New Orleans episode
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
David Nuttall was motivated to get in a little exercise and lose a little weight by exploring his adopted hometown of Huntsville, Alabama on his trusty old mountain bike. And thus a challenge was born: ride every street in the city limits and since he’s cartographer, naturally he’d map that experience and learn what he could along the way.
This is not an uber athlete endorphin-fueled adventure story, but one of patient reflection, social connection, curiosity, joy, and humanity.
Additional Helpful Links:
David’s art studio: Artimaps
HUBS Coop
Bikes & Brews Ride Facebook page
Link to Animated map of David’s Rides
Map Animation by Ned Drummond – Ned’s website
Map My Ride App
Explore Bike Share – Memphis
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
The Ghisallo Cycling Initiative based in Austin, Texas provides education, engagement, and activation programs and services which help to get more people, of all ages and abilities, riding more often.
Briana provides a wonderful glimpse into the organization and how it helps to support the communities they serve well beyond issues related to riding cycles.
Additional Helpful Links:
Landing page for this Episode on the Active Towns website - for more photos and videos City Cyclist programs
Golden Rollers
Cycle Academy
Wheelie Good Snack Packs
Community Collaborations mentioned: Woven in Among Us Rides and Legends Mosaic Portraits
2020 Annual Report with full overview, photos, videos
Ghisallo Bike to Eat Week
Ghisallo Film Festival
Ghisallo Vimeo Video Channel
Austin's Smart Trips TDM Program
City of Austin’s Active Transportation & Street Design Division
City of Austin Urban Trails Division
Bogota's Cyclovia
Texas Coffee Traders
Something Cool Studios and the Mosaic Bike Tour
Reconnect Austin
Black Women Who Kayak Plus - Ghisallo Ride
Decipher City - Stephanie Webb - Black Architects self-guided tour coming soon
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In the past three episodes in a row now we've explored the theme that transforming our cities into safer, more inviting places that support and promote a culture of activity is hard work that requires strong leadership and competence at all levels.
Council Member Paige Ellis is a fabulous example of a passionate, caring city leader who looks for opportunities to learn from the experiences of other cities, exhibits courage in taking big bold actions for the collective good, and embraces the use of small incremental infrastructure tests, tactical urbanism if you will, to move with a sense of urgency while evaluating the benefits and feasibility of more permanent investments.
Austin, Texas is making huge strides in becoming a more walkable and bike-able city for "All Ages & Abilities" and the community's willingness to fund critical improvements bodes well for future generations.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode - for access to fun videos and photos
Austin's Active Mobility & Safety Bond (2020 Prop B)
Austin Strategic Mobility Plan
Austin's Project Connect - Transit Plan
Healthy Streets - Austin
Austin Active Transportation & Street Design Division
Bikeshare - MetroBike
Active Towns Podcast w/ Roland Kager Bike Transit Integration
PeopleForBikes
Austin NL Study Tour video
Active Towns Podcast Episodes about Study Tours w/ Zach Vanderkooy and Meredith Glaser
Healthy Streets shortie
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
What makes Kansas City so relevant when it comes to the movement to create and promote a Culture of Activity is that it is so unremarkable and reflective of the challenges cities across North America and around the world are facing. As you'll hear from Laura and Michael during this conversation with John, BikeWalkKC is rising to the occasion and view KC as a City of Opportunity.
Yes, they have their work cut out for them. But they are making progress, in education, in policy advancement, and yes, even in infrastructure finally starting to emerge on the ground.
Additional Helpful Links:
This Episode's Landing Page - for more photos and videos
The BikeWalkKC YouTube Channel
BikeWalkKC - Become a Member
BikeWalkKC - Newsletter & Mailing List
Decriminalizing Walking Biking
BikeWalkKC Policy Platform
Kansas City Physical Activity Plan
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
The city of New Orleans was one of ten cities chosen to participate in the Big Jump Project by the PeopleForBikes Foundation's Local Innovations initiative in an attempt to help accelerate the buildout of a high comfort cycle network.
Jennifer Ruley is the Mobility & Safety Lead Engineer for the City of New Orleans (Moving New Orleans) and Dan Favre is the Executive Director of Bike Easy.
The story is truly fascinating in the sense that NOLA has such a strong culture of the community members taking over its streets and many are surprised at just how many people routinely ride even though there has been a severe shortage of safe facilities. Said another way, they already have strong ridership, not they need safer places, a network if you will, to ride.
And of course, because it is the Big Easy, fun is a big part of the movement.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - for fun photos and additional content.
Moving NOLA Facebook Page
Moving NOLA Instagram
NOLA Complete Streets Coalition
Toole Design blog post about the Big Jump Project in NOLA
Walk Bike Places NOLA Conference
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In this episode, John shares his recent conversation with Zach Vanderkooy a veteran study tour organizer and principal of the firm Inspired by Cities. Zach is an urban planner by training and has a deep history in bicycle advocacy having work for both IMBA - the International Mountain Bicycling Association and PeopleForBikes. They talk about the impact of study tours, what you can expect as an attendee, and what it takes to pull off successful educational outings such as these.
Additional Helpful Links:
Organizing Effective Study Tours pdf
Green Lane Project article
Big Jump Project article and Big Jump Better Together Video short
An Active Towns - PeopleForBikes Study Tour Video - Zach helped to organize this study tour w/ PeopleForBikes
Active Towns Podcast Episode featuring Meredith Glaser and Meredith's research article on study tours
Active Towns Podcast Episode featuring Roshun Austin
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
The League of American Bicyclists based in Washington, DC is a membership-based organization that has been fighting for the rights and needs of cyclists specifically and active mobility in general since 1880.
As Policy Director, Ken McLeod is at the forefront of these policy discussions as well as monitoring the critical updates to the various design guide manuals that influence what actually can be built.
Additional Helpful Links:
Bike Law University
Transportation Alternatives Act and the League's Summary
Complete Streets Act
SAFE Streets Act
EBIKE Act
Bicycle Commuter ACT 2021
Stop As Yield Laws - "The Idaho-Stop"
Bicycle Friendly States Program
East Coast Greenway - Their bold greenway stimulus ask
NIMBY definition
CROW Manual
MUTCD - Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices
NACTO and NACTO's MUTCD work
APBP
ITE
The Challenge of Actually Changing the MUTCD
The Transportation Equity Caucus
Dangerous by Design 2021 Report
Victim Blaming PSA
Mike McGinn's Active Towns Podcast Episode
America Walks
Jeff Miller the DC Cycling Concierge
The Clairmont Colleges
Georgia Bikes
San Francisco Bike Lane Lawsuit
The High Cost of Free Parking - Donald Shoup
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
To say that Mark Cramer is an accidental bike advocate would be quite an understatement. He describes how many years ago he happened upon a fun group of cyclists completely taking over the streets of Paris, with the support and assistance of the police, and how this chance connection led him down the road of becoming a regular bike commuter, traveling throughout the Paris region.
Now that he's retired he has taken up exploring by his beloved green bike and reflecting on how profound an impact riding has had on his life, health, and wellbeing.
If you'd like to learn more be sure to pick up a copy of his book: Old Man on a Green Bike: Chronicles of a Self-Serving Environmentalist
Additional Helpful Links:
The Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - For more photos and links
An article about Mark and his book in Cycling Industry News
Mark's interview on the Bike Talk Podcast
The cycling group that Mark mentions: Mieux se Déplacer à Bicyclette
Bike touring near Paris and using trains - an annual pilgrimage Mark makes, to pay tribute to Van Gogh
Active Towns Podcast Episode featuring Alissa Walker
Active Towns Podcast Episode featuring Chuck Marohn, Founder & President of Strong Towns
STROAD definition
Jaywalking Defined - Peter Norton on Active Towns Podcast
John's Active Towns Paris Profile Video
Ryan Van Duzer's Active Towns Episodes #1 and #2 the Video
Ivan Illich, Energy and Equity
John DeGraaf - books why working less is better
Valencia Paseo System
MAMIL - Middle Aged Man in Lycra
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
The city of Memphis, Tennessee is most certainly not on the top of mind for most of us when it comes to a safe and inviting environment for walking and biking, but it has been on our radar here at Active Towns as being one of the early adopters of innovative unsanctioned tactical urbanism installations which have helped pave the way to massive improvements on the ground and building momentum in establishing a "Culture of Activity".
Nicholas "Nick" Oyler, Manager, Memphis Bikeway & Pedestrian Program and John talk about the exciting recent advances in the high-comfort cycle network and some of the challenges still facing the city. Nick also provides a bit of background as to how he got interested in this work. We cover a lot of ground in this interview and barely scratch the surface of the very encouraging developments currently underway in this fine city. Enjoy the episode and check out the links below.
Additional Helpful Links:
The Active Towns Landing Page for this episode
PeopleForBikes and the Memphis Big Jump Project our Big Jump Project video
Münster, Germany
South Memphis Glide Ride facilitated by The Works
Tactical Urbanism (the book) and (the guide) and our interview with Mike Lydon on the subject
Better Block
Broad Ave article in Strong Towns
Hampline landing page
Memphis Medical District and MLK Project
Shelby Farms Greenline
Bicycle Boulevards defined our Podcast episode on the subject
Explore Bike Share
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In this rare mid-week episode, John and Rob talk through a wide range of topics, including how the Ironman triathlon helped him to find his passion, his take on safer streets for active living as a working emergency services professional, the role activity played in helping him deal with PTSD in the aftermath of 9-11 and so much more.
Additional Helpful Links:
Landing page for this episode on the Active Towns website - for access to photos, videos, and other cool stuff.
Rob's website the Forged in the Fires book
The Fireman Rob Foundation to make a #BearaSMILE donation - Hint: when you get to the donation screen, be sure to scroll down to the Fireman Rob Foundation in the selection list.
The Blazeman Foundation - The War on ALS
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Austin Taylor is one very busy guy. He works as a Transportation Planner focussing on Active Transportation and Transportation Demand Management, also known as TDM for the Park City Municipal Corporate in Park City, Utah and he’s the recently appointed volunteer Executive Director of the non-profit BikeWalk Provo. In addition, he also serves as a board member for the Utah Chapter of CNU - The Congress for the New Urbanism.
In this episode, John and Austin discuss the current status of walking and biking in Provo as well as the progress the city has made and how the community is rallying to address their street safety challenges and concerns.
Additional Helpful Links:
The Active Towns Landing page for this Episode - for more photos and other fun stuff
The Bike Collective
The Bike League - Bicycle Friendly America Program (BFA)
Article in The Herald about Silver Status in the BFA Program
Urban Arrow Family Cargo-bikes
Motherload - the movie
The Urban Grid of SLC - "the most striking thing about Salt Lake’s grid is the scale. Blocks are 660 feet on each side. That means walking the length of two football fields from one intersection to the next. By comparison, nine Portland, Oregon city blocks can fit inside one Salt Lake block."
Park City Bike Share System
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
One of the very first things I noticed upon my initial visit to The Netherlands in 2015 was the seamless connection and synergistic coordination between the national transit system and the bicycle network, both of which we experienced every single day, usually multiple times each day. It wasn't until subsequent return trips that I realized how well thought out and studied this phenomenon actually is.
In 2019 I had the pleasure of meeting Roland Kager of Studio Bereikbaar while tagging along with a PeopleForBikes Study Tour. His presentation and analysis of the data that he's collected drove home just how these relationships are and the powerful potential that these hold for other cities around the world.
So we have your complimentary transit card ready for you, climb aboard, tune in and enjoy the ride.
Additional Helpful Links:
This episode's landing page on the Active Towns website for embedded video
Dutch Cycling Embassy Knowledge Clip pdf on the Synergies Between Cycling, Public Transport, and Urban Planning
Dutch Cycling Embassy Video featuring Roland
Follow Roland on Twitter @BikeTrainGuru
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
You can pretty much count on it - anytime there's a proposal to install a bike lane or pedestrian crossing that might inconvenience or slow down motor vehicle traffic in any amount, no matter how small, there's a chorus of screams from a vocal minority of haters that this is clearly evidence of a vicious "A War on Cars" most likely being waged upon an unsuspecting and helpless public by the "All-Powerful Bicycle Lobby".
It would be such silly laughable bluster if it wasn't so important and serious that we take immediate strides in this fight to create safer more vibrant environments for everyone, including our most vulnerable roadway users, those walking, cycling, in wheelchairs, or even on scooters.
So in typical "tongue-in-cheek" New York style, when Doug and his co-hosts, Aaron Naparstek and Sarah Goodyear decided to launch a podcast, The War on Cars was a natural moniker to poke fun at the ridiculous rhetoric.
John and Doug dive "deep into the weeds" that these challenges represent, the progress being made, and how advocates make an impact in their own communities.
Additional & Helpful Links:
Landing Page for this Episode - access to photos and other fun stuff
The War of Cars Podcast
Brooklyn Spoke Media
Doug's Twitter Account - BrooklynSpoke and the original blog
The New Republic article by Doug about changes to our streets due to the pandemic
A recent The Daily News opinion piece by Doug about stopping the carnage on our streets
Transportation Alternatives - Streets for People organization
Streetsblog
Streetfilms
Brooklyn Bridge bike lane story
Oakland Slow Streets and Essential Places Program
Slower Speeds article, AAA-CO Study
AARP Livable Communities Program
Streetfight book by Janette Sadik-Khan
Designing for "All Ages & Abilities" - NACTO Guide
Protected bike lanes/facilities via NACTO and from City of Austin
How the Dutch handle the snow on cycle tracks and bridges
Woom bikes episode
Induced Demand - definition
Paris transformations article
Active Towns Paris profile video
Vision Zero NYC and the National Network
Families for Safe Streets
Citibike
Tactical Urbanism
NYC Summer Streets
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
To sign up for our monthly newsletter, scroll down to the form at bottom of our home page
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
While cold weather and even snow are not completely unheard of in Texas, clearly the state, especially the power grid, is not prepared for such events.
John touches upon some observations of neighborliness, community, and active mobility in the face of this powerful storm and extended power blackout.
Landing Page for this episode
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
The amazing culture of activity transformation that has been underway in the Northwest Arkansas region over the past couple of decades is an encouraging narrative that serves as a testament to what is possible and we believe it is truly an inspiring story for other cities across North America and around the world.
Ryan Hale has been in the middle of this community evolution over the past couple of decades and provides a fascinating view of the process and how the region continues to strive for additional active mobility improvements.
Additional Helpful Links:
The landing page for this episode on the Active Towns website for more photos and content
Ryan's firm: Laneshift
The Walton Family Foundation
Soderquist Leadership Center which was rebranded as Milestone Leadership in 2018
A story about the Denmark Study Tour - Walton Family Foundation
A story about the Denmark Study Tour - in the local news
Another story about the Denmark Study Tour - in the local news
The Lebron James Interview about Bicycles
NWA Mtn Biking OZ Trails
Bike NWA - Local Non-Profit
NWA Best Trails in the Nation
The Bike Snob goes to NWA
PeopleForBikes summary of NWA
Rogers’ Railyard Bike Park
Boulder Valmont Bike Park
Walton Family Foundation/PeopleForBikes Economic Impact Study
National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA)
Northwest Arkansas Council
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Wes Marshall, Ph.D. is a Professor of Civil Engineering and an affiliate faculty member in Planning and Design at the University of Colorado Denver. Wes focuses on transportation research and teaching dedicated to creating more sustainable, equitable, and resilient transportation systems, particularly in terms of road safety, active transportation, and transit.
He has a vast body of work and we discuss several of his most notable studies that have gained attention over the past few years, including his 2019 research paper that highlighted enhanced safety of protected bikeways for all roadways users, not just people cycling.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode
Professor Norman Garrick
Active Towns Landing Page for Peter Norton's Episode
Active Towns Landing Page for Fietsstraat/Bicycle Priority Street Episode
Active Towns Landing Page for Jonathan Fertig's Episode
Central Park Community (formerly Denver's main airport)
New Urbanism
Street Network 101 Explains Grided street network versus Tree-like street network as seen in most suburban communities
Links to the research papers we hit on:
- Why cities with high bicycling rates are safer for all road users
- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140518301488
- Does street network design affect traffic safety?
- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457510003179
- Effect of Street Network Design on Walking and Biking
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3141/2198-12
- Community design, street networks, and public health
- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140514000486
- Scofflaw bicycling: Illegal but rational
- www.jstor.org/stable/26211757
- Advancing healthy cities through safer cycling: An examination of shared lane markings
- www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2046043018300583
- Understanding the impacts of integrating New Urbanist neighborhood and street design ideals with conventional traffic engineering standards: the case of Stapleton
- www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549175.2014.896826
Here are a few YouTube explainer videos made about Wes' research:
- Why Cities with High Bicycling Rates are Safer for all Road Users
- A Proactive Approach to Redefining Child Road Safety - and Vision Zero
- The Impacts of Uber & Lyft on Transportation
Complete list of Wes' Research
Denver Streetsblog Interview
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Erin Riediger is in the final stages of officially becoming an architect. You’ll quickly learn that she’s passionate about creating equitable cities which partly explains how she got interested in advocating for safer cycling for everyone. And she’s also a talented storyteller and the producer of the Plain Bicycle Podcast series. We talk about it and the fascinating story surrounding the surprising transformative power that the simple, upright, plain if you will, Dutch-style bicycle has had and is having on Winnipeg and how it all came to be.
Additional Helpful Links:
This episode's landing page on the Active Towns website - to see some amazing photos that Erin sent our way
Erin on Twitter
The Plain Bicycle Project
Winnipeg Trails
Chris & Melissa Bruntlett: Building the Cycling City The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality published by Island Press
The Active Towns Podcast episode featuring Chris Bruntlett with The Dutch Cycling Embassy
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Joanne "Jo" Fitzgibbons is a Ph.D. doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia and a Sustainability Scholar with the Urban Biodiversity Hub
Katherine Howard is a Project Manager with the City of Vancouver currently working on its comprehensive master plan, she was involved with developing VanPlay, the city’s parks and recreation services master plan.
Jo and Katherine share how the development of the Restorative Natural Area (RNA) Index tool assisted the City of Vancouver and contributed as a layer in the Equity Initiative Zone mapping as part of VanPlay, the City's Parks and recreation services master plan.
Additional Helpful Links:
Equity Initiative Zones article that Katherine wrote for TheCityFix
Fort Collins, Colorado - Nature in the City
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Streetsmart is an amazing non-profit platform and resource clearinghouse for integrating climate change, public health, and equity concerns into transportation. Specifically the platform is evidence-based and helps users make the case for healthy investments and prioritize strategies that meet community goals. The focus is on proven strategies that can help communities meet their goals for increasing physical activity, walking, and bicycling; reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions; and improving equity and inclusion.
Kelly provides some background about the origins of the name for this effort, how she came to start it, and how it ties in with her doctoral program. The conversation centers around how communities can use the Streetsmart platform as a practical tool to help facilitate and support change.
Additional Links and Helpful Resources:
STARS (Sustainable Transportation Analysis & Rating System)
Kelly serves on the Steering Committee of PHEAL (Planning for Health Equity, Advocacy, and Leadership), pronounced "feel" - Mission:To reaffirm and expand the commitment of those involved in community planning and public health; to break down the obstacles preventing transdisciplinary, transformative collaboration; to dismantle oppressive systems, beliefs, values, and practices that negatively affect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, low income, immigrant, and other historically marginalized/under-represented communities (historically overburdened communities with health disparities); and to reorganize our systematic approaches to lead toward the path that will genuinely create and nurture healthy, equitable, and prosperous communities.
ITE - Mission: To provide the global community of transportation professionals with the knowledge, practices, skills and connections to serve the needs of their communities and help shape the future of the profession and transportation in the societal context.
Vice-chair, ITE Standing Committee on Transportation and Health
TRB Transportation Research Board - which is part of the National Academy of Science
Member, Transportation Research Board, Standing Committee onTransportation and Public Health (AME70)
American Public Health Association, Center for Climate, Health, and Equity
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Jamie Stuckless is a Hamilton-based advocate and policy wonk who has become increasingly interested in and working on the needed legislative updates with regards to e-bikes and other electric mobility devices. We reference a recent article that she published about her first substantial experience riding an electric assist bike.
While Darnel is the Executive Director of Our GreenWay an NGO working to create a more resilient and equitable Northwest Toronto, a far flung, industrial exurb of the city of Toronto. We reference an article that Darnel published along with Sam Starr about the the post-pandemic future of electric assist cycles.
Additional Helpful Links:
Episode Landing Page on the Active Towns website
Jamie's website
Jamie wrote a policy piece for the Ontario Good Roads Association
Jamie and Darnel have both done a bit of writing for this e-bikes website: https://ebikes-international.com/
Cycling Without Age
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2021
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In addition to John's very brief reflections, he goes on to provide some surprise bonus material at the end of the main recording; a brief overview countdown of each of the 52 episodes.
See below for links to each of the episode landing pages which feature special photos and video links.
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: A New Dawn by Mikael Manvelyan via Storyblocks.com
Season One Episode Landing Page Links:
Active Towns Podcast Intro
Episode 1: Wading into Walkability w/ Heyden Black Walker
Episode 2: Growing Old(er) w/ Preston Tyree
Episode 3: Reconnecting to Your Community w/ Darcy Kitching
Episode 4: It Could Be Me w/ Triny Willerton
Episode 5: Dream it, Plan it, GO FOR IT! w/ Katie Deolloz
Episode 6: Ready to Ride w/ Mathias Ihlenfeld
Episode 7: Getting Out There w/ Ryan Van Duzer
Episode 8: Rolling Forward with MoveATX w/ Jim Wick
Episode 9: Updates from Bike Austin & Walk Austin
Episode 10: Main Street Transformation w/ Victor Dover & Raphael Clemente
Episode 11: Going Dutch w/ Chris Bruntlett
Episode 12: Tactical Urbanism in a Pandemic w/ Mike Lydon
Episode 13: Building Strong Towns w/ Chuck Marohn
Episode 14: It's All City Building w/ Mark Nickita
Episode 15: Composing a Compelling Narrative w/ Kea Wilson
Episode 16: Fighting Traffic w/ Peter Norton
Episode 17: Places People Love w/ Lynn Richards
Episode 18: Inspiring Vibrancy w/ Amanda Popken
Episode 19: Why The Overhead Wire w/ Jeff Wood
Episode 20: A Walker In LA w/ Alissa Walker
Episode 21: Following Footprints w/ Dom Nozzi & Maggie Waddoups
Episode 22: Active Explorations w/ Holly Bennett
Episode 23: Cultivating Community w/ Kevin Shepherd
Episode 24: Startup CEO Reflections w/ Jennifer Baird
Episode 25: Streets for Everyone w/ Jill Locantore
Episode 26: Rebuild Restore Renew w/ Roshun Austin
Episode 27: Shared Paths Boulder w/ Graham Hill
Episode 28: Run This World w/ Nicole DeBoom
Episode 29: Induced Demand Innovations w/ Curtis Rogers
Episode 30: A Session w/ Transportation Psychologist Bryan Jones
Episode 31: Exploring Every Street w/ Janelle Naess
Episode 32: Live Your Gold Medal Life w/ Susanne Menge
Episode 33: Discussing Our Transport Future w/ Todd Litman
Episode 34: PeopleFor Bikes - Local Innovations w/ Kyle Wagenschutz & Sara Studdard
Episode 35: All Aboard w/ Mike Christensen
Episode 36: Make a Difference w/ Charles Brown
Episode 37: A Bike Friendly Episode w/ Bill Nesper
Episode 38: Rolling Down the Road w/ Commissioner Ellis & Fernando Martinez
Episode 39: Seville's "Overnight" Bike Network Success w/ Manuel Calvo
Episode 40: Lovable Places & People Habitats w/ Kaid Benfield
Episode 41: A Wish For Wheels w/ Brad Appel
Episode 42: The Joy of Riding Again w/ Lennard Zinn
Episode 43: Parking Reforms w/ Donald Shoup
Episode 44: Bikepacking w/ Ryan Van Duzer (video)
Episode 45: Reclaiming the Right of Way w/ Angie Schmitt
Episode 46: Up For Anything w/ Pam LeBlanc (video)
Episode 47: Human-Scaled Accessibility w/ Meredith Glaser
Episode 48: Rolling Down Santa Barbara's Car-Free Main Street w/ Frank Peters (video)
Episode 49: Talking Fietsstraats or Bicycle Streets w/ Matt Pinder & Justin Jones
Episode 50: America Walks w/ Mike McGinn
Episode 51: How We Get Around w/ Andy Boenau
Episode 52: Taking Action w/ Jonathan Fertig (video)
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Flowers in pots, a flower in a traffic cone, red cups, 6-foot tall cardboard comic character cutouts... just some of the safer street activism materials Jonathan Fertig has employed and deployed during his years of advocacy work in Boston and Denver.
John and Jonathan chat about what got him started in advocacy, his move to Denver, and how his life and activity levels have shifted now that he and his wife Helen are in the outdoor playground that is Colorado. This episode is also available as a video podcast
Additional Links:
Episode Landing Page on Active Towns website (bonus photos)
Jonathan's Twitter handle
POP-UP COMICS PUSH FOR BETTER BIKE LANES - story Boston Globe article Treehugger article Cycling Weekly article
Tactical Urbanism book published by Island Press
Mike Lydon of Street Plans and his Active Towns Podcast Episode
Bikeyface
9News Complete Streets Story
Denver Bicycle Lobby
Denver Streets Partnership our Active Towns Podcast Episode with Jill Locantore
Bicycle Colorado
Red Cup Story
Denver Streetsblog Interview of Jonathan
Kidical Mass Denver and Arleigh Greenwald
STROAD definition
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Funky Brown Business, Groovy Ska Fun Time, and Caribbean Funk by Jason Donnelly via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Andy Boenau has a formal background as a transportation engineer, but his career has gradually evolved over the years and now he focuses much of his energy on how storytelling, marketing principles, and persuasion can help us transform our communities into more walkable, bike-able, and people-oriented places.
He is the podcast host of the Urbanism Speakeasy and How We Get Around
Follow Andy on Twitter
Additional Helpful Links:
The Active Towns landing page for this episode - check out the cool photos Andy sent through
CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism
Tactical Urbanism epsiode
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Virginia Skyline by Jastin Batts, Acoustic Loop 12 by Joel Thomas Hunger, and Walk in the Park by Neil Cross via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Y'all are in for quite the treat with this one.
Michael McGinn served as the 52nd mayor of Seattle, WA and was recently selected as the new Executive Director of America Walks, a 20-year old national nonprofit organization that has been leading the way in advancing safe, equitable, accessible, and enjoyable places to walk and move by giving people and communities the resources to effectively advocate for change.
John and Mike cover a wide range of topics in their conversation, including how Mike got started in city advocacy work, some of the visions of America Walks, and the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Additional Helpful Links:
Episode Landing Page on the Active Towns website
Brompton Bicycles
David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries
Strong Towns
Right of Way Webinar
Angie Schmitt's Active Towns Podcast Episode
Charles Brown's Active Towns Podcast Episode
Alissa Walker's Active Towns Podcast Episode
Kea Wilson's Active Towns Podcast Episode
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Serious Deep House by Fredrik Storm, Uplifting Technology Electronic by Velimir Andreev, and Happy Arps by Christina Nemo via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
When it comes to "All Ages & Abilities" cycle network facilities the protected bike lane or separated cycle-track typically gets most of the attention, however a little known fact about the Dutch approach is that the majority of their streets feature some form of shared space, including the ever-present "Fietsstraat" or bicycle priority street.
Matt Pinder, a Senior Designer with Alta Planning + Design, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and Justin Jones, Manager of Bicycle Friendly Communities with the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada decided to dive into the details of the Bicycle Priority Street and its North American analogs with a series of articles posted on Matt's blog Beyond the Automobile
Additional Helpful Links:
The episode landing page for some fun photos and other extras.
The Active Towns Podcast Episode featuring Charles Brown
Oakland, CA - Slow Streets Program
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Walking California Style by Keith LuBrant, Uplifting Acoustic Loop by Joel Thomas Hunger, and Gentle Happiness by Bruce Zimmerman via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Cities around the world have been dramatically reshaping and reimagining their public spaces, especially their downtown streets in response to the negative economic and health impacts from the novel coronavirus pandemic, Covid-19. Santa Barbara, California took the bold step of making State Street, the main shopping and dining destination in the downtown district, a car-free zone and the results have been amazing.
Active Towns Podcast host, John Simmerman reached out to Frank Peters who happens to live on State Street to learn more about the dramatic increase in cycling, vibrancy, and vitality. Tune in to learn more.
Helpful & Relevant Links:
Video version of this episode (shortened)
Episode landing page on Active Towns website
Walk Bike Places Conference
Russ Roca and Path Less Pedaled
Oregon Scenic Bikeways
Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
cycleCalCoast
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Ultimate Inspiration by Sander Kalmeijer, Perfect Smile by Lance Conrad, and Uplifting Forward Thinking by Jeppe Reil and Thomas Reil via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Meredith Glaser had originally planned to only study and work abroad for a year or so, well that has turned into a decade of living in Amsterdam, raising a family, and developing a passion for a better understanding of Dutch cycling and how other cities around the world can best learn from the experiences of The Netherlands. In this long-form interview with John Simmerman, Founder of the Active Towns Initiative and host of the Active Towns Podcast, Meredith discusses what it has been like to make such a huge change culturally and how active mobility becomes second nature because of the built form, policy structures, and societal norms.
Meredith also discusses in-depth two recent papers she has published along with some of her colleagues at the Urban Cycling Institute, Learning from abroad: An interdisciplinary exploration of knowledge transfer in the transport domain and Accelerating reform to govern streets in support of human-scaled accessibility
Additional and Helpful Links:
Spokes! Ridecast video with Meredith Glaser: Where did all the traffic lights go?
Amsterdam Bike Tour by Urban Planner Meredith Glaser video
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Happy Uplifting Dance Track by Fredrik Storm, Happy News by Evgeny-Kiselevich, and Road to Success by Mikael Manvelyan via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Having a spirit of adventure and being pretty much "Up for Anything" has served Pam LeBlanc well over the decades as an accomplished journalist, photographer, and author.
We were fortunate enough to catch Pam between several big trips to learn more about her latest adventures and the publication of her first book, My Stories, All True: J. David Bamberger on Life as an Entrepreneur and Conservationistpublished by Texas A&M University Press.
Additional Helpful Links:
Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - to access the video version, photos, and bonus material
Pam's website: pamleblancadventures.com
Facebook page
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Simply Adorkable by Sander Kalmeijer and Happy Walk by Simon Jomphe Lepine via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Angie Schmitt is the author of the new book Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in Americapublished byIsland Press. John and Angie discuss the many complicated and convoluted reasons why this has been happening and talk about some of the inspiring, hopeful stories of change she highlighted in the book.
Helpful Links:
- Streetfilms video of Jorge Canez aka Peatónito ("little pedestrian") https://www.streetfilms.org/peatonito-is-in-nyc-protecting-pedestrians-from-cars-in-the-crosswalk/
- Streetsblog USA
- Pedestrian Safety: The Last Frontier - Clarence M. Ditlow, III https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Ditlow
- It Could Be Me campaign, Triny Willerton
- Families for Safe Streets https://www.transalt.org/familiesforsafestreets
- STROAD Defined
- Angie’s new firm: 3mph Planning and Consulting
- The suburb where everyone can walk to school, Lakewood, OH: Streetsblog article and Streetsfilms video
- Disney’s Motor Mania Cartoon - Mr. Walker vs. Mr. Wheeler, video
- Hans Monderman - Shared Streets
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Be sure to check out our video podcasts on our YouTube Channel
You can reach John Simmerman by email at john@activetowns.org
Music: Escaping Forever by Michael Vignola, Stay with Me by Lance Conrad, and The Dark Night by Neil-Cross via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
We're delighted to welcome back a good friend to the Active Towns, Mr. Ryan Van Duzer, to talk about his recent bikepacking adventures and help us launch our video podcast. That's right! We will now feature a video version of a select number of our future episodes that will really benefit from having a visual component. Ryan is the perfect guest for our first video episode because of all his vibrant imagery that he produces on his DuzerTV YouTube channel.
So if you'd like to watch the video podcast version of this episode click on this link: Bikepacking w/ Ryan Van Duzer - video
Additional Helpful Links:
- Bikepacking Magazine
- Priority Bicycles
- Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra Run 2021 Sign-up
- League of American Bicyclists
- PeopleForBikes
- Our First Active Towns Podcast Interview w/ Ryan
- Our on-bike video interview w/ Ryan
- StreamYard
- Mira the Super Dog's Instagram Account
- Born to Run Book
- Barefoot Ted
- RAGBRAI Bike Ride Across Iowa
Some of Ryan's Videos mentioned in the podcast:
- Backyard Bikepacking
- Tahoe Twirl Playlist
- The Great Divide Playlist
- Caballo Blanco Run 2017
- Caballo Blanco Run 2018
- Baja Bikepacking Part 1
- Baja Bikepacking Part 2
- RAGBRAI 2019 Videos
- Ryan's Priority Bikepacking Bike
- Ryan's Pack List for the Great Divide Ride
- Ryan's Priority Apollo Bike Review
- Ryan's Behind the Scenes Filmmaking Process
- Colorado Hut Trip Playlist 2019
- Ryan's mom gets an e-bike
- Community Cycles Moves by Cargo-bike
- Living a Car-Free Lifestyle
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Progressive Pop Dua Lipa Feel by Elonte Chandler, Morning Sun by Will Van De Crommert, and Happy and Inspiring by James Grant via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In 2005, Donald Shoup published a nearly 800-page book called The High Cost of Free Parking which quickly became a "cult-classic" in urbanism, transportation, and planning circles. In 2018 he followed up by editing Parking and the City a series of case studies, stories, and learnings from around the world.
Perhaps the most significant achievement in his writings, presentations, and conversations is how he makes talking about parking policy interesting, engaging, and even humorous at times.
Additional Helpful Links:
Episode Landing Page on the Active Towns website (bonus photos)
Parkumentaries - including a link the Adam Ruins Everything truTV video
Adam Ruins Everything Podcast Episode featuring Donald Shoup
Parking Articles
CNU27 - Louisville, KY keynote presentation video
Shoupistas Facebook Group
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Summer Techno Jam by Christina Nemo, Destination Optimistic by Simon Jomphe Lepine, and Technology & Motivation by Ihor Vitsinskyy via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Lennard Zinn of Boulder, CO is probably best known for his frequent technical journalistic contributions on VeloNews and his incredibly popular books published by VeloPress on bike maintenance and repair, Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance and Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance.
He's also a co-author, along with Chris Case and Dr. John Mandrola, of The Haywire Heart: How too much exercise can kill you, and what you can do to protect your heart and he has become the go-to builder of custom titanium bikes for big & tall riders with his company Zinn Cycles and has stock steel bikes through a partnership with KHS.
Our conversation kicks off with a description of how he made the transition from an elite-level racer to a bike builder, then journalist and author, and finally we dive into the emerging details of "athlete's heart syndrome" or "haywire heart".
Additional Helpful Links:
APS Physics Interview from 2017
Tom Ritchey - Ritchey Bikes
Cycling to Extremes Article - VeloNews
Davis Phinney - Davis Phinney Foundation helping people with Parkinson's
Connie Carpenter-Phinney - USA Cycling Hall of Fame
Dave Scott, Six-Time Ironman Triathlon World Champion - Dave's Page
Peter Sagan
Egan Bernal
Dr. Shannon Sovndal ~ Garmin Sharp Pro Cycling Team
Heart Arrhythmia, Tachycardia, Fibrillation
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Boulder B-Cycle ~ B-Cycle e-Assist Bike
Austin B-Cycle ~ CapMetro & City Partnership
A Recent Article on e-bikes
Bosch e-Bike Systems
Zinn Fondo article
Strava KOM or QOM defined, tips
Bike Power Meter
Titanium - tensile strength
Cross Country Skiing Techniques - Skate & Classic and Backcountry
Cyclo-cross
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Rose Colored Glasses by Lance Conrad, Uplifting Acoustic Loop by Joel Thomas Hunger, and Heartland and Home by Will Van De Crommert via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
What are your earliest memories and emotions associated with riding a bike? For many of us the words fun, freedom, friends, excitement, and exhilaration come forward, however, for far too many kids a bike is just an unattainable dream. The Wish For Wheels program based in Denver, CO strives to get bikes to second graders in title 1 schools in underserved communities across the country.
In this episode, John has a discussion withBrad Appel, the Founder and Executive Director of this amazing initiative about how the simple gift of a bicycle can have such a profound and positive influence on children. We discuss how the program leverages corporate engagement and organizational teamwork in delivering the bikes as well as the various adjustments necessitated by the current Covid19 pandemic.
Additional Helpful Links:
Episode Landing Page on the Active Towns (bonus photos)
Bike Ride Podcast
Andy Boenau
Car-Free Fire Island, NY
PATH - Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawaii - Bike Ed Program
Woom Bikes - Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Mathias Ihlenfeld
PeopleForBikes
League of American Bicyclists
Bicycle Colorado
It Could Be Me - Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Triny Willerton, Founder of It Could Be Me
Headsweats - The fabulous folks behind our Active Towns logo hats w/ retro-reflective side panels
PandanaUSA - The tube bandana people that produced our super cool custom micro-fiber neck gaiters
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Salted Popcorn by John McClung, Summer Fun by Ihor-Vitsinskyy, and Surprisingly Quirky by Sander Kalmeijer via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
From Kaid's professional bio:
Kaid Benfield is one of the country’s most steadfast voices for making cities, towns, and neighborhoods work better for both people and the environment. Based in Washington, DC, he serves as senior counsel at PlaceMakers LLC, a city and town planning consultancy working across the United States and Canada. Before joining PlaceMakers in 2015, Kaid worked for over 30 years as a senior attorney and program director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he founded and led the organization’s sustainable communities program and, before that, managed the litigation of some of the organization’s most important legal cases. A prolific public speaker and writer, Kaid’s large portfolio of publications spans several books and over a thousand articles for such publications as The Atlantic, HuffPost, CityLab, PlaceShakers and Newsmakers, and numerous other websites and academic journals.
Kaid was voted one of "the 100 most influential urbanists" worldwide on the prominent city planning website, Planetizen.com, and previously was named one of "the most influential people in sustainable planning and development" by the Partnership for Sustainable Communities and "one of the top 100 city innovators worldwide" by the website Future Cities. His latest book is People Habitat: 25 Ways to Think About Greener, Healthier Cities, distributed by Island Press.
During his tenure at NRDC, Kaid was a co-founder of Smart Growth America, a leading nonprofit organization and nationwide coalition working on revitalizing cities, building better neighborhoods for all people, and stopping the spread of suburban sprawl. He also co-founded LEED for Neighborhood Development, a national process for defining and certifying smart, environmentally sound land development under the auspices of the US Green Building Council. In addition, Kaid is an adjunct professor at the George Washington University School of Law, where he has taught law, policy, and best practices for sustainable communities.
An avid cyclist, ardent music buff, and enthusiastic sports fan, Kaid grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and holds degrees from Emory University and Georgetown University Law Center. He lives with his wife Sharon in a walkable DC neighborhood
In this episode, John and Kaid talk about the impact and importance of getting out of our cars to experience and appreciate our communities in a much more intimate and meaningful manner. They also dive into Kaid's passion for cycling, strategies for making a difference locally, and the vital necessity of engaging people of color in the discussions and planning efforts in the transformations of their communities.
Additional & Helpful Links:
Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Nicole DeBoom
Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Roshun Austin
Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Charles Brown
WalkScore
TransitScore
Richard Louv Books on Nature and Nature Deficit
Build Maine 2020 Program
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Marshall Co by Sander Kalmeijer, Dude by Bruce Zimmerman, and Johnny and the Pale Rider by Paul Mitchell Beebe via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
While it's true, they don't garner the attention of a Copenhagen or Amsterdam, the historic city of Seville, Spain was poised to react, when the economic downturn of 2007 hit, so they mobilized and built a nearly complete "All Ages & Abilities" cycle network in just 18 months. In this episode, one of the "architects" and chief cheerleaders of this effort, Manu Calvo reflects on that experience and gives us an update on the current status and future plans.
This is story is particularly relevant to North American cities because cycling simply wasn't part of their culture prior to this initiative with incredibly low rates of people riding, mostly just a few recreational enthusiasts, however after the network was in place they saw a massive increase to approximately a 7% modal share, which then grew to 10%+ after additional expansions to the network were later built out. Now they are constrained by their capacity and need to widen many of the most popular routes especially immediately outside the city's ancient wall that protects is historic core.
Additional & Helpful Links:
- Places For Bike Conference - Indianapolis, IN
- article about Manu’s presentation in Indy
- Velo City Conference
- SRAM Cycling Fund - Randy Neufeld
- PeopleForBikes
- Tactical Urbanism - Mike Lydon’s Active Towns Podcast episode
- New York Transformation of Broadway Times Square
- Streetfilms Seville Video
- Bloomberg City Lab Video
- EstudioMC
- Chris Bruntlett w/ Dutch Cycling Embassy
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: A Spanish Affair, Magic Hour, Spanish Fiesta by Neil Cross via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
When thinking of Houston, TX, the phrase bicycle-friendly environment rarely comes to mind, but if these two distinguished leaders have their way, that's exactly what the future will hold.
In this episode, we have an in-depth conversation about this task with Rodney Ellis, Commissioner, Harris County, Precinct 1, and the Precinct 1 Bike Program Director, Fernando Martinez.
Additional Helpful Links:
Houston Bike Plan
Bike Houston
Harris County Investment in B-Cycle System
Bayou Greenways Investment
Houston Parks & Rec - Bayou Greenways
Houston Parks Board
Houston B-Cycle
Bike Texas
League of American Bicyclists and the Bicycle Friendly America Initiative
MS 150 Ride
Gil Penalosa 8 - 80 Cities
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Destination Optimistic, Confidence Allure, and Taking Care of Business by Simon Jomphe Lepine via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
Since 1880 the League of American Bicyclists has been advocating for better, safer places to ride.
*THE LEAGUE represents bicyclists in the movement to create safer roads, stronger communities, and a Bicycle Friendly America. Through education, advocacy and promotion, we work to celebrate and preserve the freedom cycling brings to our members everywhere.
Bicycling brings people together.
When more people ride bikes:
Life is better for everyone;
Communities are safer, stronger and better connected;
Our nation is healthier, economically stronger, environmentally cleaner and
more energy independent.*In this conversation, John and Bill dive deep into the great work the League is involved with and we get to learn a bit about Bill's own journey along the way.
Additional Helpful Links:
Bicycle Friendly America
National Bike Summit
Safe Cycling Education Program
Happy City Book by Charles Montgomery
Eco Counter
It Could Be Me
Vision Zero Network
ThinkBike Workshop
Dutch Cycling Embassy
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Joyful Ride, Destination Happiness, and Lifestyle by Simon Jomphe Lepine via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
Systemic racism permeates through so many facets of our daily lives that we often are blinded to its very presence as well as its historical relevance in how our cities have been shaped. The transportation network is fraught with challenges of inequities at its very foundation. Our guest in this episode, Charles Brown, serves as a senior researcher with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) and adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, both at Rutgers University. He also serves as a 2020 Fellow within the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication in Partnership with The OpEd Project. And he has dedicated his career to speaking up for the voiceless.
We cover a lot of ground in this discussion including the realities of our current times, the simple joys of riding a bike, and what we can all do to make a difference in our communities.
Additional Links:
Book: Color of Law
Walking While Black
Walking Towards Justice
Show Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Searching for Hope by Neil Cross, Emotional Epic Trailer by Valentina Gribanova, Ballad Hip Hop Prime by Simon Jomphe Lepine, and Live Free Tropical Beat by CJ Harris via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
Once upon a time, traveling from one city to the next was primarily done by rail, if Mike Christensen, Founder and Executive Director of the Utah Rail Passengers Association, has his way, this might become an option in Utah yet again.
Follow Mike on Twitter @MRC_SLC
CNU28 A Virtual Gathering Fun Run/Ride Video
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Technology and Motivation by Ihor Vitsinskyy and Way To Success by Mikael Manvelyan via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
The PeopleForBikes Foundation strives to get more people on bikes more often and through the Local Innovations Program, the organization inspires, empowers, and supports cities as they attempt to make big jumps in ridership levels.
John catches up with the Director, Kyle, and Sara, Deputy Director, of the Local Innovations initiative to see how the cities they are working with have been progressing in general as well as how they've been responding to the Covid-19 pandemic and black lives matters movement.
Additional Helpful Links:
Bike Nerds Podcast
National Civil Rights Museum
Roshun Austin - The Works, Inc. - Memphis, TN
Explore Bike Share, Memphis, TN
Big Jump Video Montage 2018
PeopleForBikes Big Jump Shortie 2019
PeopleForBikes Study Tour w/ Austin Officials 2019 Video
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
And if you’d like to order an Active Towns t-shirt here’s a direct link to our fundraiser page
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Simplicity by Zac Nelson via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In this, our 33rd episode of the Active Towns Podcast, we are delighted to feature an in-depth discussion with Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI) about the exciting connection between land use and transportation and our bright future.
Additional Helpful Links:
Todd's Planetizen Blog
CNU - Active Town Bike Tour Video of Victoria, BC
Donald Shoup - The High Cost of Free Parking
Cargo bikes: Bakfiets and Urban Arrow
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
And if you’d like to order an Active Towns t-shirt here’s a direct link to our fundraiser page
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Make Your Own Success by James Grant and Rising Up by Neil Cross via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Susanne Menge helps people discover their passions and learn how to achieve their goals and a sense of joy or as she likes to say "Live Your Gold Medal Life".
From her website:
I am a passionate lover of humans. I am naturally kind, compassionate and caring and bring that to all of my work. I am a lifelong learner who started with study of the physical body, evolved into the study of thought and emotions and then dove head first into studying energy. When I learned I was not my thoughts and followed that by learning about energy, I knew I had found my answer to all the 'stress management' I have been trying to sort out all of my life. I have been guiding clients on their way to unleashing their potential for over 20 years and as I grow, my work deepens and continues to evolve. I work with people ready to unlock their untapped capacity and live the life they really want!
To learn more about Susanne and her services be sure to check out her website at: susannemenge.com
Additional Fun and Helpful Links:
Weight Loss Simplified webinar
Susanne's Facebook page where she shares a lot of amazing content
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
And if you’d like to order an Active Towns t-shirt here’s a direct link to our fundraiser page
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Destination Optimistic by Simon Jomphe Lepine via Storyblocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Janelle Naess of Laguna Beach, CA had a wonderful idea for the new year, walk, and document every street in her hometown. She was already a passionate explorer of her beach city and had been profiling cool stuff to see in her blog LagunaBeachWalks.com and on her Instagram account, but she realized that she was kind of in a rut, walking many of the same streets over and over again. It was time to explore and then the novel coronavirus Covid19 struck. She shares how she handled the challenge and some of the surprises that emerged along the way.
Additional Fun and Helpful Links:
Her story in the local paper
The Promenade on Forest: Visit Laguna Beach Profile
The Promenade on Forest: City Page
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Happy Walk by Simon Jomphe Lepine via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
Eastvale, CA is the second-youngest city in the state of California and as you'll learn from this conversation with its City Manager, Bryan Jones it's also a city without a downtown, but that will hopefully change soon as they have identified 162 acres that they hope to develop soon.
You'll also learn that Bryan is a passionate winemaker and has a fun alter ego as The Transportation Psychologist
Additional Helpful Links:
The Dover Kohl Public Realm Blog & Video
Live Oak Vineyard https://www.facebook.com/LiveOakVineyard/
Eastvale CrimeWatch and Reporting
https://eastvalecrimewatchreporting.com/
Move through Motivation
https://youtu.be/TeHYVLsJKws
https://www.facebook.com/movethroughmotivation/
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Friday Night Downtown by Neil Cross and Down at the Club by Patrick Smith via Storyblocks.com
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Show Notes:
In this conversation, Curtis shares a bit about his background in shared mobility and how his epiphany about the high cost of free parking came about while working at Lyft in San Francisco. He also takes us through how this new awareness led to an innovative solution to excess motor vehicle parking that actually has the potential of encouraging people to adopt active mobility options.
We also talk about why he moved from California to Austin, TX, his participation on the Austin Bicycle Advisory Council, and the pop-up Covid19 Healthy Streets installation in his neighborhood on the east side of town.
Helpful Links:
Austin’s Healthy Streets Initiative
Book: The High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup, Vox article
Parkade: Helping End Empty Parking Lots
Induced Demand
City of Austin Bicycle Advisory Council
Newly Installed Congress Ave Pop-up Bike Lane video and article
NACTO Covid19 Rapid Response Tool Kit
Protected Bike Lanes Make Walking Safer Too
Strong Towns Podcast
War on Cars
Plaza Saltillo EndeavorRE site
Dom & Maggie Active Towns Podcast Episode - Avoiding Drinking & Driving
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Clear Sky and Confident Beginning by Jeppe Sorensen via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
Nicole DeBoom is truly a force of nature and she is clearly passionate about empowering people, especially women live the best lives possible.
As a former accomplished professional athlete in the sport of triathlon she knows what it takes to work hard to achieve one's goals, she took that drive and applied it to an entrepreneurial vision, athletic apparel that actually inspires and empowers women, and thus Skirt Sports was born.
She also launched a non-profit Running Start to help coach women through significant life barriers to healthier more active lives.
And three years ago she launched her wonderful Podcast Run This World - And here's the link to Her Podcast Patreon Page
Not surprisingly Nicole is an inspiring public speaker
Additional and Helpful Links:
Active Towns video profile of Nicole
Kara Burns
Dress for Success Denver program
Kerry Gilmartin, Bamboobies
Katherine Switzer - 1967 Boston Marathon
Molly Barker - Girls on the Run
Holly Bennett Active Towns Podcast episode
Jill Angie, Not Your Average Runner
Mirna Valerio
Williams sisters circa 2003/2004
Colleen Cannon, Women’s Quest
Heather Fuhr
Tim DeBoom Ironman Hall of Fame
Longevity: Blue Zones, Dan Buettner
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Clear Sky by Jeppe Sorensen via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
Shared Paths Boulder central focus is the creation of shared community on the paths.
Founded in 2016, this program provides stewardship support through a network of passionate volunteers.
Graham talks about the launch of the program and its purpose as well as how they are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additional and Helpful Links:
City of Boulder Network of Trails and Pathways
GoBoulder
New Bridges of Boulder Creek to CU
13st Street Neighborhood Greenstreet
Goose Creek Addition
North Boulder Art District
Boulder Little Free Library Facebook Page
Bear Hunt Challenge
Way of the Path program by the city
Vision Zero Boulder
Scooters/Micromobility
Boulder B-Cycle
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Spruce and Pine by Sander Kalmeijer via AudioBlocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
In this episode, John reconnects with Roshun Austin, Executive Director of The Works, Inc., a nonprofit community development corporation serving South Memphis, TN.
As you'll quickly learn from this conversation, Roshun and her fabulous team of dedicated professionals are involved in so many efforts and initiatives to Rebuild, Restore, and Renew the communities they serve. Below are links to a few of the topics we discuss.
Additional Helpful Links:
- South Memphis Farmers Market
- The Grocer
- Cooking Matters
- Greenleaf Learning Farm: Knowledge Quest
- South Memphis Revitalization Action Plan
- The Big Jump Project
- So Memphis Glide Ride
- Revolutions Bicycle Coop
- Renaissance Park
- Explore Bike Share
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Memphis Funk by Bobby Cole via AudioBlocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
Previously with Walk Denver, Jill Locantore recently became Denver Streets Partnership's first Executive Director.
City of Denver Shared Streets
PARK(ing) Day
Boulder 20 is Plenty
Kyle Clark's 9News Commentary on Safer Streets for everyone
New survey results Shared and Open Streets and survey summary report
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Uplifting Upbeat and Corporate Business Inspiration by Denis Pavlov via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes
Jennifer Baird is the Founder & CEO of FifthEye of Ann Arbor, MI and as a serial entrepreneur with nearly two decades of experience founding and leading high potential startups she provides us with a unique perspective on how important it is both personally and professionally to promote a culture of activity and practice daily movement.
Additional Links:
Be sure to check her fabulous blog: startupceoreflections.com
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Outside in 2 by Nathan Kreiswirth, Great Outdoors by Ceiri Torjussen, Joshua Alexander Kramer, and Spring Comes Early this Year by Sander Kalmeijer via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
In this episode, we're delighted to welcome Kevin Shepherd, Founder and CEO of Verdunity a firm dedicated to fiscally-informed planning, engineering, and community engagement services that help city leaders align their vision, policies, and investments with what citizens are willing and able to pay for.
He and his team also host the fabulous Go Cultivate Podcast.
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Broken by Michael Vignola and Your Life Is An Inspiration by Veaceslav Draganov via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes
Holly Bennett is a world traveler, endurance athlete, and remote worker extraordinaire. She shares her story of personal transformation, commitment to active living, and some of the amusing things that happen to her when she’s out running and riding.
Additional Advice and Helpful Links from Holly:
Banjo Brothers Panniers
Nite Ize Bike Lights
Felt Bicycles
Go to your local bike shop, test ride a few different bikes, and buy the one that you feel the most comfortable on—doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, just comfortable. Because the better you feel on the bike, the more likely you are to ride. You can also get inexpensive bikes at places like Costco, Target, etc.—so even if smaller shops are closed now, there are options. But your best bet is to establish a relationship with your local shop, as you’ll get more personalized service and advice.
Learn to change a flat tire! It’s a basic yet critical skill to have—and it’s not that hard. When I started riding regularly, I went to my local shop and asked them to show me how. Check your local shop or your community recreation program for basic bike mechanic classes. Or go online—you can learn just about anything on YouTube. Now, during the lockdown is the perfect time to practice! You’ll feel much more empowered when you know how to handle a flat, and your rides won’t get cut short unexpectedly by having to call for someone to pick you up on the road.
Carry basic tools: tube/patch kit, pump/co2, tire iron, allen wrench set for minor adjustments
Be prepared—pack snacks and plenty of fluids. What I carry on my bike right now in the Arizona heat:
- insulated Avana Sedona tumbler filled with ice water (the tapered tumbler fits perfectly in the coffee cup holder)
- insulated BlenderBottle Hydration Halex bottle (designed to fit in bike bottle cages, this bottle has a unique vertical mode and integrated straw, allowing you to take a refreshing drink while keeping your eyes on the road) btw the Halex is a brand new release and will be available on June 26th
- large insulated Owala FreeSip bottle (this bottle has a leak-proof, locking lid—I keep the 32-oz. size in my pannier full of ice water, then use it to refill my tumbler as needed)
- mixed nuts and dried fruit packed in Whiskware Snacking Containers
- Clif Bars
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Island Temptation by Sander Kalmeijer via AudioBlocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes:
For our 21st episode, John is delighted to share his recent conversation with Dom Nozzi and Maggie Waddoups of Boulder, Colorado. Dom and Maggie as a couple are enthusiastic supporters of the Active Towns Initiative, which we sincerely appreciate and cheerleaders for all things associated with creating more livable, walkable, bikeable, and lovable places.
Dom is a veteran urbanist and author of the book Road to Ruin: An Introduction to Sprawl and How to Cure It, whereas Maggie as a relative newcomer to the topic and provides a truly refreshing perspective to the discussion.
We cover a wide range of subjects including their move to a downtown adjacent condo just a block away from Pearl Street, Maggie’s introduction to Dutch upright bikes and utilitarian cycling, the Mapleton Hill PorchFest, as well as their new blog Follow Our Footprints which strive to show how to engage in self-guided, affordable, unforgettable travel to the historic old town centers of Western Europe
“Bicycling in Europe is a lot of fun. You can bicycle almost anywhere in Europe – and not the kind of cycling where you put on your lycra and a helmet and push through 75 miles in a day. I am talking about riding a bicycle around town to see sights and visit neighborhoods, pedal through parks, and even ride to neighboring villages – all at a leisurely and enjoyable pace, and without getting run down by cars or feeling unsafe.”
Additional Helpful Links:
Follow Our Footprints Facebook page
Holiday Neighborhood
Victor Dover - Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning
PorchFest Mapleton Hill
Start Your Own PorchFest
Active Towns 2019 PorchFest Video
Credits:
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Driving Passion by Simon Jomphe Lepine via AudioBlocks.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Show Notes
Alissa Walker is the Urbanism editor at Curbed and she authors the column Word on the Street, highlighting the pioneering transit, clever civic design, and game-changing policy affecting our cities.
She lives in Los Angeles, where she is a co-host of LA Podcast, a contributor to the KCRW show Greater LA, and a mom to the city's two most enthusiastic public transit riders.
From her bio at Curbed...
"Alissa Walker connects people with where they live through writing, speaking, and walking. As the urbanism editor at Curbed, she authors the column Word on the Street, highlighting the pioneering transit, clever civic design, and game-changing policy affecting our cities.
For her writing on design and urbanism, Alissa has been named a USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellow and Journalist of the Year by Streetsblog Los Angeles. In 2012 her project Good Ideas for Cities was selected for inclusion in the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. In 2015 she received the Design Advocate award from the LA chapter of the American Institute of Architects. She is also the co-founder of design east of La Brea, a nonprofit that has received two National Endowment for the Arts grants supporting its LA design events."
We cover a wide variety of topics in this episode, including walking in LA, the impacts of Covid-19 on transit and transportation, bike share, and so much more.
Additional Helpful Links
Alissa’s May 13 article about Covid-19 Impacting her family
Missing Persons “Walking in LA”
Purple Line Subway Extension
Curbed article on Bike Share
Metro Bike System
My Figueroa Project
The Pandemic Has Turned Los Angeles Into a Walker City by Geoff McFetridge, NYTimes, April 23, 2020
“When this is over, I don’t want the traffic to come back. I want all this extra time with my family. I want to hold on to this quietness.”
“I want to see people walking our streets and not feel that their presence is somehow related to the world’s falling apart.”
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Indie a la Mode by Will Dan De Crommert and Reflect for Later by William L Newman both via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
In this episode, we have a fascinating conversation with Jeff Wood, founder of The Overhead Wire, a sustainable transportation and urbanism consulting firm and weekly news curation service. Jeff is also the founder and primary host of the Talking Headways Podcast which is associated with Streetsblog USA
Jeff gives us some background about the firm, its name, and a view into the current situation in San Francisco.
Additional Helpful Links:
San Francisco Open Streets article
SF Covid-19 Response
Reconnecting America
New Zealand's Response: Funding Popup Bike Lanes
Active Towns Podcast episode with Mike Lydon
Austin's Transit Plan: Project Connect
The Rail~Volution Podcast
Active Towns Podcast Episode with Kea Wilson
Audio Production by Active Towns
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Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Joyful Ride by Simon Jomphe Lepine via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
In this episode, John welcomes Amanda Popken, principal owner of Amanda Popken Development to the Active Towns Podcast. Her firm specializing in placemaking & community engagement, with an emphasis on building resilient neighborhoods and cities. And as you'll quickly learn she sees active mobility playing a critical role in achieving these goals.
Additional and Helpful Links:
Strong Towns
CNU - Congress for the New Urbanism
Active Towns Podcast episode with Mike Lydon
Streetsblog
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Welcome Home by Neil Cross and Ultimate Inspiration by Sander Kalmeijer via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
New urbanists are a diverse, multidisciplinary, action-oriented group working to build places people love.
Lynn Richards is President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism. As head of CNU, Richards has launched the organization’s Project for Code Reform, which helps meet local governments where they are on their code reform process. Additionally, under her leadership, the organization has released two editions of Freeways without Futures, 25 Great Ideas of New Urbanism and Building Local Strength: Emerging Strategies for Inclusive Development.
Additional Helpful Links:
CNU's On the Park Bench
Virtual Public Engagement featuring Victor Dover, with Dover, Kohl, & Partners Town Planning
Mike Lydon, with Street Plans
R. John Anderson and the Incremental Development Alliance
Audio Production by Active Towns
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Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Building a Dream by soundscape via AudioBlocks.com
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We are in the midst of truly extraordinary times, there's no doubt about it, but with the current push to reclaim our streets from the motor vehicle to facilitate a bit of physical distancing while getting a breath of fresh air, who better to welcome into the Active Towns Podcast than the preeminent transportation historian, Peter D. Norton, Associate Professor of History in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia and the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, published in 2008, by the MIT Press.
Additional Helpful Links:
Fietsstraat (or bicycle priority street)
Woonerf (or shared street)
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Level of Service (LOS)
Audio Production by Active Towns
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Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Happy News by Evgeny Kiselevich via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes:
As a writer of novels and a journalist, Kea is constantly constructing compelling narratives that move people. We caught up with her last week as she was sheltering in place at her home in St. Louis, MO.
In her role with Streetsblog she produces and publishes a healthy amount of content that we frequently share on the Active Towns social media channels.
She's also quite passionate about affordable housing and she's stepped up to put her own "skin-in-the-game" by purchasing and renovating a multi-family property, providing high quality, well-maintained places.
Some Helpful Links:
Streetsblog USA
We Eat Our Own Kea's Novel
Kea's Strong Towns Contributor Page
Our episode with Mike Lydon highlighting Tactical Urbanism
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Hip Hop Power Rap by Bobby Cole via AudioBlocks.com
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We cover a lot of ground in this episode as we catch up with Mark Nickita, mainly because he is one very busy guy. He's a city commissioner and former mayor of Birmingham, MI, an architect and founder of the firm, Archive DS (short for Design Studio: he explains the name in detail in the episode), splits his time between Birmingham, Detroit, and Toronto, while maintaining an ambitious (prior to our current pandemic lockdown) international travel schedule.
Helpful Links:
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)
The National Association for City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
You can reach John Simmerman at john@activetowns.org
Music: Snap It Up by William Pearson via AudioBlocks.com
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Up until about 80 years ago, humans have been building cities and towns for thousands of years using a traditional development pattern of incrementalism, which helped to create strength and to become in a sense anti-fragile.
In this episode, Active Towns Podcast Host John Simmerman and Strong Towns President and Founder Chuck Marohn discuss how he came to experience and understand how our shifting human habitat patterns have contributed to the financial insolvency of our cities and compromised our health and wellbeing and most importantly how we can turn things around, even in the midst of a global pandemic.
Helpful Links:
Strong Towns Community
Strong Towns Podcast
Strong Towns Videos
The Impact of Shade: San Antonio Video
The Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU)
Smart Code book
Front Street in Brainerd, MN – article
Joe Minicozzi and Urban 3
Mike Lydon with Street Plans
Victor Dover with Dover, Kohl, & Partners Town Planning
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Music: Funky is as Funky Does & Upbeat Funky Good Times by Jason Donnelly via AudioBlocks.com
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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
COVID19 Livable Streets Response Strategies Spreadsheet
COVID-19 The Public Realm Photos
NYC Response to COVID-19
Streetsblog article about slowing traffic down and park strategies
Quiet Streets Massengale Op-Ed
Asphalt Art Guide
Bogata COVID-19 Bike Lanes Response
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Audio Production by Active Towns
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Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: All Night Instrumental by Bobby Cole via AudioBlocks.com
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A little over one year ago Chris and Melissa Bruntlett made a big decision. They moved their family of four from Vancouver, BC to the city of Delft in The Netherlands. Their journey has its roots in the fantastic book they wrote, Building the Cycling City: The Blueprint for Urban Vitality, Published by Island Press
In this episode, Active Towns Podcast Host John Simmerman and Chris 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.
Please consider supporting the Active Towns Podcast by making a donation or becoming Patron
Helpful Links
Donald Appleyard study graphic
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: Afterglow by Marshall Usinger via AudioBlocks.com
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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 transformation West Palm Beach's Clematis Street, their historic main street.
Other helpful links:
The Knight Foundation
International Parking Day
Our West Palm Beach video on the famous Subculture bike rack
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting our efforts with a donation or by becoming a Patron via Patreon
Music: Simplicity by Zac Nelson and Upbeat Corporate Success by James Grant via AudioBlocks.com
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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 needs of the community from the perspective of active mobility and safer streets for everyone.
Helpful Links:
A Yield Street
Small Incremental Bets - Strong Towns
Shoal Creek Blvd Celebration Video
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Please consider supporting our efforts with a donation or by becoming a Patron via Patreon
Music: Snap it Up by William Pearson via AudioBlocks.com
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Show Notes for MOVEATX podcast with Jim Wick
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 infrastructure improvements, we can have a big impact on the ability for Austinites to choose different modes of transportation. We can make a safer mobility future for everyone, whether they are traveling on foot, bike, scooter, bus, train, or in a car.”
“MoveATX is a coalition of community leaders, advocates, activists, and organizations that want to see a better mobility future for Austin and all of its residents. We believe that providing more mobility choices, more safety, and more multi-modal infrastructure will result in reduced congestion, fewer accidents, and a more equitable city. There’s peace on the road when everyone has a piece of the road.”
This episode of the Active Towns Podcast addresses the complicated mobility topics and challenges that many cities across North America can relate to.
The actual recording of the episode occurred in the days just prior to the major outbreak of cases in the United States associated with the COVID19 global pandemic.
Helpful Links:
City of Austin Active Transportation & Street Design Division
Austin’s Bike Network Progress
Car Centric Induced Demand
Cycling and Happiness
Parking: The High Cost of Free Parking
Why Change is so Hard
Austin’s Shoal Creek Blvd Protected Mobility Lane: Video
Wide Streets and Speeding: Strong Towns
City of Austin 2016 Mobility Bond
How Amsterdam Transformed Itself into the City We Now Know
The Dutch Transit Cycle Connection
Austin’s Bold Transit Future Plan
How We’ve Subsidized Car Dependency: Strong Towns
City of Austin’s Urban Trail Program
Fietsstraat (cyclestreet) from Wikipedia
“A fietsstraat (cyclestreet) where bicycles are the main form of transport and cars are considered “guests".A fietsstraat (cyclestreet) is a road where bicycles are considered to be the primary and preferred form of transport and where cars and other motorised vehicles are allowed "as guests". There are four different types of fietsstraat but they are all required to have a speed limit of 30 km/h or less and are usually coloured in the same red asphalt as bike paths.[36]
Fietsstraat streets exist mostly in residential areas where low-traffic roads exist anyway. A fietsstraat was in most cases originally a road that had low-traffic volumes beforehand and was therefore easily converted. They are an important type of infrastructure which makes Dutch towns and cities safer for cyclists. They can also be used for route separation to enable cyclists to avoid busier roads and have direct routes into and through towns.”
PeopleForBikes Foundation
Austin 2019 Dutch Study Tour Video
The Benefits of Cycling Infrastructure to Drivers
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: UP! by Marshall Usinger via AudioBlocks.com
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In this episode, Active Towns Podcast host John Simmerman catches up with Ryan Van Duzer of DuzerTV and YouTube fame and no big surprise, it's a wild ride, in a very good way.
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 the Caballo Blanco Ultra Marathon event, which was the race featured in the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.
The discussion of adventures then turned to RAGBRAI, Ryan's mom and her amazing Priority electric-assist bike that has changed her life.
Additional topics, adventures, and content covered include:
RAGBRAI 2019
Taking mom to Burningman
Germany Christmas Market Trip
Baja Videos
Boston Standup Paddleboarding - Getting out of your comfort zone
Mentions:
- Clarence Eckerson, Jr. and Streetfilms
- PeopleForBikes
- Scott Jurek
- Barefoot Ted
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: Happy Sky by Briand A Melanson and Uplifting Forward Thinking by Jeppe Reil and Thomas Reil both via AudioBlocks.com
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Over the past decade or so teaching children how to ride a bike has fundamentally changed. No longer are training wheels considered best practice, instead, the balance bike is now considered to be the preferred, most effective way for kids to develop the skills and confidence necessary 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.
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.
Helpful Links:
Buddy Pegs
Ghisallo Cycling Initiative
Yellow Bike
Pedal Power Kids
PeopleforBikes
Austin Angels
Bike Shop Girl Family Cyclery
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: City of Kids by Emanuele Dentoni via AudioBlocks.com
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For this episode, John welcomed Katie Deolloz with Walking as Practice into the Active Towns Podcast Studio.
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 information about a wonderful movement activation program for seniors she’s involved with right now.
She describes how she had this dream, to create a walking training program to prepare a group of seniors to complete the CAP10k, the largest 10 km event in Texas and the sixth-largest in the nation.
She pitched the concept to AARP Texas and because it fit so well with the national AARP Livable Communities initiative, she was given the go-ahead.
She goes on to describe how she has navigated through some of the challenges and shared some of the positive outcomes thus far.
Her passion and enthusiasm are contagious and inspiring.
Additional Helpful Links:
Walk2Connect
America Walks
Wow Power Walking
CAPMetro
Matt Green Walking Documentary and the story
Walk with a Doc
Livable City Podcast
Audio Production by Active Towns
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Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: Morning Sun by Will Van De Crommert via AudioBlocks.com
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For this episode, we are delighted to welcome Triny Willerton of Boulder, Colorado and the It Could Be Me initiative.
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 >, while out on a training ride, that she became so personally aware of the tremendous challenge we have in our society out on the streets.
An environment where motor vehicles are prioritized and there is a systemic dehumanization of our more vulnerable roadway users, really anyone not in a car or truck.
She was so profoundly impacted by this tragic event that she has since dedicated herself to making a difference in society and hopefully preventing anyone else from having to go through what she endured.
Get your very own It Could Be Me t-shirt or hat sponsored by Headsweats from the online store
Colorado Vulnerable User of the Road Bill 175
Cyclists Not Seen as Human by Motorists
Triny’s Intro Video
John’s #ItCouldBeMe video
Couer Sports
IKOR Labs
Bicycle Colorado
Cyclists 4 Community
Vision Zero Network
City of Boulder’s Vision Zero Initiative
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: Wanderlust by Neil Golden & Ken Hall via AudioBlocks.com
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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 committee for the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Growing Up Boulder program working on broad-based initiatives to expand walkability, nature play, and child-friendly transportation & mobility options.
In addition, she’s the Boulder Program Director for the Walk2Connect organization leading the Boulder Ramblers overseeing engagement efforts in association with the City’s Boulder Walks program.
Helpful Links:
Bike Shop Girl Family Cyclery
Tern HSD
Denver's Snow Angels Program
Open Streets Events Guide
Seattle Play Streets
Boulder Block Party Program
Boulder Pedestrian Plan
Lamar, Colorado
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music by Mikael.Manvelyan via AudioBlocks.com
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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
Also, here's the Mueller community bike ride video
For more Active Towns videos, here's a link to our Vimeo Page
And here's the link for Onederment Central
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: Optimistic Keys by Mikael Manvelyan via AudioBlocks.com
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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 is an engaged advocate with a particular passion for safer more livable streets in Austin for “All Ages & Abilities” and is a driving force behind the Reconnect Austin movement. She is also a leader within the local chapter (CNU-CTX) of the Congress for the New Urbanism, Vision Zero ATX, and Walk Austin.
We touch upon so many different topics in this episode, but in reality, it all just comes down to livability and walkability at the street level… we’ll be sure to have Heyden back on the podcast soon to give an update about the Reconnect Austin vision which deals with fixing the devastating and dividing reality that is Interstate 35 which rips right through the heart of central Austin.
Audio Production by Active Towns
A not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity.
Creative Commons License: Attributions Non-Commercial No Derivatives 2020
Music: Optimistic Keys by Mikael Manvelyan via AudioBlocks.com
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Welcome to the Active Towns Podcast a semi-frequent conversation about the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities.
For more information about the Active Towns Initiative please visit our website and/or catch us on our social media channels: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
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