Active Towns

In this episode, I reconnect with a dear friend from my Boulder triathlon days, Dieter Bruhn, and his relatively new wife, Grace. We discuss the Hanoi dance scene and contrast the culture of activity in Vietnam with Boulder, Colorado.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 One World Training websiteIf you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and...

This is the Livestream recording of my Follow-Up Conversation with Prof. Wes Marshall, about his impactful book Killed By A Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Wes Marshall's website 👉 My Book Launch episode with Wes in 2024👉 Buy Killed By A Traffic Engineer in my Bookshop or on Amazon or on Audible 👉 The Look Both Ways Podcast with David Zipper👉 Jeff Wood's The Overhead Wire Talking Headways Podcast 👉 David Zipper's website👉 David on Bluesky👉...

In this episode, I connect with Diane Alisa Tuft, author of A Love Letter to Suburbia: How to Restore the American Village, to discuss her journey into urbanism and her advocacy for walkable communities and the return of villages. As part of this journey, we discuss how a specific Not Just Bikes video opened her eyes to what was making her so frustrated and miserable. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Are American Suburbs to Blame for Everything? 👉 Buy A Love Letter to Suburbia: How to Restor...

In this episode, I reconnect with Carter Lavin for an in-depth discussion about his new book, If You Want to Win, You've Got to Fight: A Guide to Effective Transportation Advocacy. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Carter’s website👉 Buy the Book via the Active Towns bookshop or via Amazon, and on the Island Press website, for a limited time, use code FIGHT for 20% off 👉 My Livestream with Prof Wes MarshallIf you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider su...

In this episode, I connect with Esther Walker, Executive Director of Outride, a non-profit launched by Specialized Bicycles with the mission of providing research, cycling programs, and funding to empower all people to experience the social, emotional, and cognitive benefits of cycling.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Outride website 👉 Riding For Focus Grant👉 Outride on Instagram 👉 Outride on YouTube👉 Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, a book Dr John Ratey👉 Specialized Bicycles👉 Bike Works Kona👉 Jonathan Haidt’s book Th...

In this on-bike interview, I connect with Ryan Short, founder of CivicBrand, for a tour around Boulder while we discuss his new book, The Civic Brand: The Power and Responsibility of Place.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 CivicBrand website👉 Get your copy of the book👉 CivicBrand on Instagram👉 Ryan Short on LinkedIn👉 Strong Towns website👉 City Thread website👉 Ryan Van Duzer's Channel👉 Priority Bikes website👉 Green Guru website👉 My recent interview with Anna Zivarts about non-drivers and the week without driving chall...

In this episode, I finally connect with Mara Mintzer, co-founder and executive director of Growing Up Boulder, for a conversation about the power of engaging children in community conversations like planning and design that for too long have been left primarily or exclusively to adults. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Growing Up Boulder 👉 James Rojas👉 PlaceIt activity👉 My recent episode with Tim Gill 👉 My first episode with Tim Gill 👉 Urban Playground by Tim Gill👉 My Episode with Lenore Skenazy 👉 Let Grow organization <b...

In this episode, I connect with Jamie Sabbach from Salida, CO, and the 110 Percent organization for a very Strong Towns-esque conversation about parks and how cities need a better plan to maintain them and a better approach to programming more sustainable facilities, such as sidewalks and pathways versus large, costly sports complexes and fields.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 110 Percent website👉 Strong Towns👉 Verdunity website👉 TPL 10 Minute Walk campaign👉 Ryan Short’s new book Civic BrandIf you are a fan of the Active...

In this episode, I reconnect with Anna Zivarts for an update on the Week Without Driving Challenge and her new venture, The Non-Drivers Alliance. Naturally, we talk about the land use patterns and infrastructure needed to facilitate a sustainable non-driving existence.Thumbnail photo credit: Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections (BCTC) see link belowHelpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Non-Drivers Alliance👉 Tour de Duzer Weekend Video👉 My Mueller Playlist👉 NRDC Who Doesn’t Have a Car👉 StreetsBlog article 👉 Pittsburghers for Public Transit👉 Paris Lime Bike...

In this episode, I reconnect with Sam Pearson, Healthy Communities Program Manager at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, to discuss active mobility implementation strategies in smaller cities and rural towns, and how to leverage existing assets such as trails and pathways.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Pennsylvania Downtown Center👉 My Pittsburgh videos - Part One and Part Two👉 Early Childhood Mobility CoalitionIf you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the follo...

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Matthew "Tepi" Mclaughlin from Perth, Australia, for a conversation about the institutional subsidization of motonormativity that directly contributes to epidemic levels of physical inactivity.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Human Kinetics Journal article with Grant Ennis👉 Episode with Grant Ennis👉 15 Minute City shirt by Tom Flood👉 My recent episode with Tom Flood👉 Strong Towns website👉 World’s Longest City doc 👉 8 INVESTMENTS👉  The Conversation Article on Investment Levels 👉  The Conversation Article on 30 km/hr speed 👉  The Conversa...

In this episode, I connect with Michel Durand-Wood, the Elmwood Guy behind the popular blog Dear Winnipeg, for a conversation about his efforts to engage his community in discussions surrounding municipal finance, channeling a Strong Towns approach, and mobilizing a coalition of neighborhood groups to take immediate action on the streets with the city's (reluctant) support. We also talk about his new book, You'll Pay For This, which is part of a multi-volume effort called The City Project.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Dear Winnipeg blog...

In this episode, I connect with Dorothy "Dot" Fennell and Zack DeClerk, co-founders of CargoB, a cargo bike-sharing scheme based in the Boston area. Inspired by the Dutch program Cargoroo, CargoB, employs a fleet of UrbanArrow bakfiets-style cargo bikes for folks to check out and use as needed.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 The CargoB website👉 The Oslo Whee Cargo Bike Leasing Program on-bike interview with Kari Anne Part One and Part Two👉 Utrecht's Bike Flip Program Profile Video👉 Boston & Cambridge 2025 CNU Tour Part One and...

In this episode, I connect with Michela Grasso, a researcher and writer with the Urban Cycling Institute in Amsterdam, for a discussion about some of her recent projects, including the publication of A Manifesto for Cycling Futures and Planning the Cycling City: A Field Guide.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Meredith Glasser video playlist👉 Urban Cycling Institute playlist👉 Urban Cycling Institute website👉 Urban Cycling Substack👉 A Manifesto for Cycling Futures👉 Planning the Cycling City: A Field Guide👉 My Almere On-Bike Interview & Tour with...

In this episode, I reconnect once again with Melissa & Chris Bruntlett from Delft, NL, for a conversation about their beautiful and inspirational new book, Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Transformation. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's Modacity website👉 Women Changing Cities on Bookshop.org or on Amazon👉 Dutch Cycling Embassy👉 Melissa's new venture👉 My Paris PlaylistIf you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following w...

In this episode, I connect with Peter Bird, a resident of Heidelberg, Germany, and a doctoral researcher at the Technical University (TU) Eindhoven in the Netherlands, to continue my discussions* about the Cycling Cities Initiative. He is studying and documenting the historical context of Minneapolis as an impressive North American example of a Cycling City. *ICYMI: Refer to Episode 311 feat. Prof. Ruth OldenzielHelpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Cycling Cities website👉 Cycling Cities Minneapolis👉 Cycling Cities Minneapolis GoFundMe👉 Peter Bird on LinkedIn👉 My Berl...

In this episode, I connect with the President of Brompton USA, Juliet Scott-Croxford, for a discussion about some exciting new developments 50 years after the first classic Brompton was built, including the release of the versatile new G-Line with 20-inch wheels and a UL-approved e-assist power system. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Brompton USA website👉 Brompton International website👉 My Interview with Brompton CEO Will Butler Adams👉 My Brompton Playlist👉 My Amtrak & Brompton PlaylistIf you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast...

In this episode, I am joined by Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear to discuss their new book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, which was inspired in part by their podcast, The War on Cars. Topics discussed include the origins of The War on Cars podcast name, having a good car management plan like the one implemented in Ghent, school streets, bike buses, the enhanced sociability of traffic-calmed streets, and so much more.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Life After Cars: on B...

In this episode, I reconnect with Prof. Ruth Oldenziel from the Technical University in Eindhoven for a discussion about the global Cycling Cities Initiative, which kicked off in 2016 with the publication  of the Cycling Cities: The European Experience coffee table book, which I happen to have in my house. We talk about the maturation of the project, including the upcoming release of the Cycling Cities: The African Experience, as well as the first from North America, Minneapolis. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Cycling Cities website👉 Help fu...

In this episode, I connect with Michael Lovato, a former professional triathlete and champion at the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 distances, for a conversation about Boulder real estate, quality of life measures, and how the Boulder Valley promotes and supports a culture of activity.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Lovato Properties website 👉 Love Where You Live Podcast 👉 The First Episode with Michael & Amanda👉 Lovato Properties YouTube Channel👉 Ryan Van Duzer's Channel👉 David Roche's Channel👉 Also, check out the fabulous new doc on David Roche's impr...