Active Towns
297 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 31 ratingsConversations about Creating a Culture of Activity: Profiling the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities.
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Episodes
A Session w/ Transportation Psychologist Bryan Jones
July 09, 2020 23:15 - 55 minutes - 76.5 MBIn this episode, I connect with Bryan Jones, City Manager of Eastvale, CA. 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 Additiona...
Induced Demand Innovations w/ Curtis Rogers
July 04, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 99.5 MBIn this episode, I connect with Curtis Rogers, Co-Founder & COO of Parkade, for a discussion about innovative ways that communities can flip the concept of induced demand on its head to encourage active mobility and more vibrant business districts. Curtis also 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 innova...
Run This World w/ Nicole DeBoom
June 26, 2020 16:30 - 1 hour - 89.3 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Nicole DeBoom, a former professional triathlete, Ironman Triathlon champion, founder of Skirt Sports and the non-profit Running Start, and host of the fabulous Run This World Podcast. Nicole 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 go...
Shared Paths Boulder w/ Graham Hill
June 23, 2020 22:30 - 51 minutes - 70.9 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Graham Hill, Founder & Executive Director of Shared Paths in Boulder, CO, an innovative stewardship initiative that supports over 90 miles of paved urban pathways. 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 ...
Rebuild Restore Renew w/ Roshun Austin
June 19, 2020 18:30 - 46 minutes - 64.4 MBIn this episode, I reconnect 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 G...
Streets for Everyone w/ Jill Locantore
June 16, 2020 22:30 - 56 minutes - 78.1 MBIn this episode, I connect with Jill Locantore, Executive Director of the Denver Streets Partnership, for a discussion about the progress the city is making to create safer, more inviting streets for everyone. 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 ...
Startup CEO Reflections w/ Jennifer Baird
June 09, 2020 19:30 - 43 minutes - 59.3 MBIn this episode, we're joined by Jennifer Baird, a veteran Startup CEO and serial entrepreneur. Jen shares her strategies for bringing movement into her personal and professional lives and the benefits she'd documented over the years. 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 per...
Cultivating Community w/ Kevin Shepherd
June 04, 2020 18:30 - 58 minutes - 79.8 MBIn this episode, I connect with 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. Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts: 1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as ...
Active Explorations w/ Holly Bennett
May 28, 2020 15:00 - 44 minutes - 60.8 MBIn this episode, I connect with Holly Bennett, 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. Holly also shares how a four-month-long bicycle trip changed her life trajectory and inspired a passion for movement Additional Advice and Helpful Links from Holly: Banjo Brothers Panniers Nite Ize B...
Following Footprints w/ Dom Nozzi & Maggie Waddoups
May 21, 2020 17:00 - 1 hour - 90.9 MBIn this episode, I catch up with the Boulder-based Follow Our Footprints dynamic duo 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 ...
A Walker In LA w/ Alissa Walker
May 16, 2020 16:00 - 55 minutes - 75.8 MBIn this episode, I connect with Alissa Walker with Curbed for a virtual stroll in Los Angeles. Alisa 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 ...
Why The Overhead Wire
May 09, 2020 15:25 - 43 minutes - 60.1 MBJeff Wood from San Francisco gives us a peek inside the Overhead Wire and Talking Headways Podcast
Why The Overhead Wire w/ Jeff Wood
May 09, 2020 15:00 - 43 minutes - 60.1 MBIn this episode, I connect 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 Reconne...
Inspiring Vibrancy w/ Amanda Popken
May 04, 2020 23:00 - 52 minutes - 72.7 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Amanda Popken, principal owner of Amanda Popken Development, for an inspiring conversation about her placemaking & community engagement activities, which have 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 St...
Inspiring Vibrancy
May 04, 2020 23:00 - 52 minutes - 72.7 MBWe're delighted to share with you this inspiring conversation with Amanda Popken from the Dallas area
Places People Love w/ Lynn Richards
May 01, 2020 20:00 - 49 minutes - 67.4 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Lynn Richards, President & CEO of CNU (the Congress for the New Urbanism), a membership-based organization dedicated to building places people love. New urbanists are a diverse, multidisciplinary, action-oriented group working to build places people love. 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 leadersh...
Places People Love
May 01, 2020 20:00 - 49 minutes - 67.4 MBIn this episode, we welcome Lynn Richards, President & CEO of CNU (the Congress for the New Urbanism) a membership-based organization dedicated to building places people love.
Fighting Traffic w/ Peter Norton
April 28, 2020 19:00 - 53 minutes - 73 MBIn this episode, I talk with Peter Norton, author of Fighting Traffic about some of the parallels of the dawn of the motor age with our current pandemic and the push for more people-oriented space on our streets. 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 ...
Composing a Compelling Narrative
April 21, 2020 21:10 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MBIn this episode, we catch up with Kea Wilson, Senior Editor with Streetsblog
Composing a Compelling Narrative w/ Kea Wilson
April 21, 2020 21:00 - 50 minutes - 69.2 MBIn this episode, I catch up with Kea Wilson, Senior Editor with Streetsblog 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...
It's All City Building w/ Mark Nickita
April 16, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Mark Nickita of Archive DS for some city-building banter. 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 ...
It's All City Building
April 16, 2020 18:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBIn this episode, we bring you a bit of city building banter with one of the best, Mark Nickita of Archive DS
Building Strong Towns
April 13, 2020 15:35 - 1 hour - 143 MBCharles Marohn with Strong Towns shares the story behind the worldwide movement he launched and where we go from here. We discuss how and why Strong Towns is a bottom-up revolution to rebuilding American prosperity.
Building Strong Towns w/ Chuck Marohn
April 13, 2020 15:30 - 1 hour - 143 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Chuck Marohn, President of Strong Towns, for a discussion about 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 well-being 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 Antoni...
Tactical Urbanism in a Pandemic
April 10, 2020 22:50 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBTalking tactical urbanism strategies for a pandemic era w/ Mike Lydon
Tactical Urbanism in a Pandemic w/ Mike Lydon
April 10, 2020 22:30 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBIn 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 Phot...
Going Dutch
April 07, 2020 14:30 - 54 minutes - 75.4 MBChris Bruntlett with the Dutch Cycling Embassy talks about making the move from Canada to Holland and how the family is adjusting.
Going Dutch w/ Chris Bruntlett
April 07, 2020 14:30 - 54 minutes - 75.4 MBIn this episode, I reconnect with Chris Bruntlett with the Dutch Cycling Embassy to discuss a wide range of topics including the impacts of the current COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, what it was like to move the family across the globe, how their kids are thriving in a new environment that supports safe mobility options for "All Ages & Abilities", and so much more. A little over one year ago Chris and Melissa Bruntlett made a big decision. They moved their family of four from Vancou...
A Massive Main Street Transformation
April 01, 2020 16:00 - 44 minutes - 61.1 MBTalking through West Palm Beach's Clematis Street transformation with Victor Dover & Raphael Clemente
Main Street Transformation w/ Victor Dover & Raphael Clemente
April 01, 2020 16:00 - 44 minutes - 61.1 MBIn 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: Th...
Updates from Bike Austin & Walk Austin
March 27, 2020 19:35 - 1 hour - 83.3 MBIn this episode, we dive in deep on all things active mobility and safer streets with Chris Riley with Bike Austin and Adam Greenfield with Walk Austin. In the city of Austin, TX, a city that has been experiencing, prior to our current COVID-19 pandemic, dramatic increases in economic and population growth these two organizations, Bike Austin and Walk Austin have been striving to represent the needs of the community from the perspective of active mobility and safer streets for ever...
Rolling Forward with MoveATX
March 20, 2020 21:30 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBIn this episode, we are joined by Jim Wick, Lead Organizer with MOVEATX an advocacy organization dedicated to helping create a new mobility future for Austin, TX and the issues we discuss are most certainly relevant to many other cities in North America.
Rolling Forward with MoveATX w/ Jim Wick
March 20, 2020 21:30 - 47 minutes - 64.9 MBIn this episode, we are joined by Jim Wick, Lead Organizer with MOVEATX an advocacy organization dedicated to helping create a new mobility future for Austin, TX and the issues we discuss are most certainly relevant to many other cities in North America. From the MOVEATX website: “We all know that Austin has a mobility crisis, but by implementing some of the least costly and easiest to engineer infrastructure improvements, we can have a big impact on the ability for Austinites to ...
Getting Out There with Duzer
March 10, 2020 22:35 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBInspiring people to get off their couches and explore this beautiful planet through his storytelling is Ryan van Duzer's passion
Getting Out There w/ Ryan Van Duzer
March 10, 2020 22:30 - 43 minutes - 59.5 MBIn this episode, I catch up with Ryan Van Duzer of DuzerTV and YouTube fame, and no big surprise, it's a wild ride in a very good way. Inspiring people to get off their couches and explore this beautiful planet through his storytelling is Ryan van Duzer's passion The conversation kicks off with a quick recap of a recent adventure down to the Copper Canyon in Mexico where Ryan had just participated in the Caballo Blanco Ultra Marathon event, which was the race featured in the book B...
Ready to Ride
March 07, 2020 20:25 - 48 minutes - 67.2 MBGetting more kids on bikes more often is the driving passion behind Woom bikes.
Ready to Ride w/ Mathias Ihlenfeld
March 07, 2020 20:00 - 48 minutes - 67.2 MBIn this episode, John has an in-depth conversation with Mathias Ihlenfeld not only about the company, but the science behind how kids learn to ride. Woom Bikes is an Austin based company that focusses only on providing high-quality bikes for children from 18 months through their teens. Over the past decade or so teaching children how to ride a bike has fundamentally changed. No longer are training wheels considered best practice, instead, the balance bike is now considered to be t...
Dream it, Plan it, GO FOR IT!
March 05, 2020 18:00 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBKatie Deolloz shares an uplifting story about an activity program she was very passionate about creating, how she made it happen, and how it's going so far.
Dream it, Plan it, GO FOR IT! w/ Katie Deolloz
March 05, 2020 18:00 - 26 minutes - 36.8 MBFor this episode, I reconnected with Katie Deolloz with Walking as Practice to discuss an activity program she has created. Katie is a certified walking coach, a mom of two wonderful teens, a spouse to her fabulous husband David, and they happen to be a car-free household. Which is super cool and we’ll have to invite them in to talk about that in a future episode. We asked Katie to share some information about a wonderful movement activation program for seniors she’s involved with...
Turning Tragedy into a Powerful Positive Movement
March 01, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 56.9 MBIn this episode, Triny Willerton of #ItCouldBeMe shares her story of turning a tragic event into a national movement for safer streets for everyone
It Could Be Me w/ Triny Willerton
March 01, 2020 00:00 - 41 minutes - 56.9 MBIn this episode, Triny Willerton of #ItCouldBeMe shares her story of turning a tragic event into a national movement for safer streets for everyone. Triny is a mom, a wife, an Ironman distance triathlete, and an accidental advocate for safer streets. And we say accidental advocate because it wasn’t until she was struck and nearly killed by a pickup truck < should have said by the driver of >, while out on a training ride, that she became so personally aware of the tremendous challe...
Reconnecting to Your Community w/ Darcy Kitching
February 27, 2020 19:00 - 43 minutes - 60.5 MBIn 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 work...
(Re)Connecting to Your Community thru Strolling & Rolling
February 27, 2020 19:00 - 43 minutes - 60.5 MBDarcy Kitching of Boulder, Colorado joins John in a comprehensive conversation about her experiences leading community engagement activities.
Growing Old(er) w/ Preston Tyree
February 26, 2020 01:00 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MBIn 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 l...
Growing Old(er) in an "All Ages & Abilities" Community
February 26, 2020 01:00 - 22 minutes - 31.4 MBPreston Tyree of Austin's Mueller neighborhood talks about 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.
Wading into Walkability w/ Heyden Black Walker
February 25, 2020 23:00 - 30 minutes - 41.9 MBIn this episode, John has a delightful conversation with Heyden Black Walker, Director of Planning with Black + Vernooy Architecture and Urban Design in Austin, Texas about her reflections on walkability and people-oriented design in several European cities. Heyden reflects on walkability and livability factors in London, Paris, and Berlin with a little bit of The Netherlands thrown in for good measure. Heyden is an engaged advocate with a particular passion for safer more livable...
Active Towns Podcast Intro
February 25, 2020 21:00 - 3 minutes - 4.82 MBThis is a very brief introduction to the Active Towns Initiative and the Active Towns Podcast, a weekly conversation about the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities. For more content visit the Active Towns Channel on YouTube Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts: 1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by "Buying Me a Coffee" or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon 2. If you enjoyed this episode, please gi...