In this episode, I connect with Dave Edwards in Toronto, Canada for a discussion about his journey from an occasional recreational cyclist to a passionate advocate for everyday utilitarian riding and an executive with an electric cargo bike delivery company.Video version of this episodeCargo 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/DaveLikesBikesFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Jeff Speck author of Walkable City and Walkable City Rules for a conversation talk about some important reflections, learnings, and updates featured in a new 10th anniversary version of Walkable City which will be out soonVideo version of this episodeWalkable 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 websiteFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I chat with Jill Warren the CEO of the European Cyclists' Federation about two international events coming up in June, her personal journey to her role, and how the organization is promoting cycling of all kinds throughout Europe and beyond.Video version of this episodeThe 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 YouTubeFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Tom Flood, as known as "tomflood1" on Twitter, who shares his story of transformation from advertising and marketing for the automobile industry to becoming a parent who is now keenly aware of just how hostile our streets are, especially for our youngest and oldest community members.Video version of this episodeTom 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)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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Kathryn King, Urban Mobility Manager of New Zealand's Transport Agency for a discussion about the progress the country is making and the plans ahead for creating more streets for people to address the significant challenges we are facing globally.Video version of this episodeAfter 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 TunnelFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Chris Nolte, an entrepreneur with a passion to help get more people riding more often by providing practical solutions and entertaining, educational videos. Video version of this episodeElectric-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 websiteFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I am delighted to reconnect with Meredith Glaser, Director of the University of Amsterdam's Urban Cycling Institute, for a brief discussion about life as a parent and ex-pat in The Netherlands, freedom of mobility for children there, her recent dissertation defense/research, and we end with some exciting new education opportunities being developed at the University and Institute, including a Master's of Cycling joint program with two other universitiesVideo version of this episodeShe also 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 PrgFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Professor Piatkowski, who recently moved his family from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Oslo, Norway, to help launch a new graduate program in Smart Mobility and Urban Analysis at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), so I wanted to get his first impressions of his new home, how the family is adjusting, and better understand why they decided on Norway. Video of this episodeLanding page for this episodeDaniel 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 OsloFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Jean-François Rheault, Président-directeur général at Vélo Québec, for a deep dive into all the amazing programs, events, initiatives, and services provided by this versatile organization. Video version of the episodeLanding Page - for access to photos and videosWe 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 VideoFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Brandon for a chat about his new home, Carmel, Indiana, a location famously known as the roundabout city in North America. We discuss the amazing transformation of the Monon Trail into Monon Boulevard and the establishment of a new city center. Video version of the episodeAdditionally, 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 JasonOther 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 YouTubeFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I am honored to have Shabazz Stuart on to tell us all about Oonee: A innovative secure, and equitable bike solution for cities. Brown in Brooklyn and about to go global.Video version of this episodeShow 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.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 articleDisclosure: I personally believe so much in the Oonee vision that I made a small investment through the Republic 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Mark Wagenbuur the creative genius behind the BicycleDutch YouTube Channel and blog. Mark has a unique perspective on the transformation of The Netherlands into the most bicycle-friendly country in the world because he has lived through and documented these changes over time.Video version of this episodeShow 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. 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 @AmericanFietserFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Tatiana Sales Lust for a discussion about what it was like to learn how to ride a bike as an adult, how e-assist has given her confidence to ride more, and how game-changing it is to have access to a network of safe facilities as well as an e-cargo bike to haul real stuff on a daily basis.Video version of this episodeTatiana 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 videosHelpful 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/ BrandonFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I welcome back Jason Slaughter, the creative genius behind the fantastic Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel, for deep dive into understanding the "hidden secret" behind the success of the Dutch mobility networks.Video for this Episode - first released as a special Holiday bonus video in DecemberJason 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.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  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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Scott Epstein a candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 5 for a discussion about his vision for a more livable Los Angeles. Video for this episodeThe 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. 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 JacksonDonald Shoup:- The High Cost of Free Parking book- Parking and The City- My Parking Reform interview w/ Donald ShoupFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I'm honored to welcome Dr. Richard J (Dick) Jackson to the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about designing healthy communities, the urgency of addressing the climate emergency, especially in the medical industry, and what has him optimistic for the future. Video version of the episodeWe 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.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 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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.To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Megan Ramey, a mom and safer street advocate in Hood River, OR for a conversation about what it takes to make a difference on the street at a community level. Access the video hereI 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 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 episodeFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Tim Gill, author of the book, Urban Playground: How Child-Friendly Planning and Design Can Save Cities for a discussion about this radical yet simple planning and design concept, and we discuss why this needs to happen and how to go about doing it.Link to the video of this episode and to the landing page for photosWhat 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- SustransMy Favorite Stoic Philosophy Books:- The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday- The Lives of the Stoics by Ryan Holiday- Courage is Calling by Ryan HolidayFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I welcome Peter Norton back to the Pod for a conversation about his new book Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving and what we, as a society, really want our future to look like. 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 episodeLanding page for this episode - for access to photos featured in the video versionAutonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving published by Island PressFighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City published by MIT PressHow did the Dutch get their cycle paths video by BicycleDutchThe Best Country in the World for Driving - The Netherlands a video by Not Just BikesMy first podcast episode with Peter - Highlighting the Fighting Traffic bookFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Dutch Mobility Network Design: Lennart Nout with Mobycon and he likes to say the "Devil is in the Details" when it comes to creating "All Ages & Abilities" active mobility networks that not only encourage users to walk, cycle, and take transit more often but also to prompt motor vehicle drivers to drive slower with patience and attentiveness.- 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 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2022Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Vancouver, BC's Transportation Planning Manager, Dale Bracewell, for a discussion about how an "All Ages & Abilities" active mobility network, school streets, and other TDM programs, as well as pricing access to the city core all, plays a critical role in the city.This episode is available in a visually rich video format, which is highly recommended.Episode landing pageRoad 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 we 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 VideoE-cargo bike cycle-logistics pilot Transportation Demand Management  VanGo Sustainable Mobility Toolkit for Employers School Streets  School Streets Video Transportation SnapshotClimate Emergency Action PlanFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Sarah Abel, an architect, and planner who has become a subject matter expert in complete 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. Traveling to meaningful destinations should not be a dangerous activity where you risk serious injury or worse, however, increasingly, our streets are becoming less safe, especially for anyone not in a large motor vehicle, and it doesn't have to be this way. Sarah shares some information about the Safe Systems Approach being adopted by the United States. 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 the 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. She was previously with ITE And recently made the move to Toole Design Group Additional Helpful Links:This is the landing page for this episodeFHWA - Safe Systems ApproachDutch Sustainable Safety post by BicycleDutch Vision Zero NetworkSafety TownsTraffic GardensActive Towns Podcast Episode w/ Donald ShoupFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I return (virtually) to Delft in The Netherlands to connect with Natalia Barbour, Assistant Professor in transport and energy at TU Delft, and we have a wide-ranging discussion about her background and work, what it was like to make the move from Florida to The Netherlands, and how she and the family are adjusting to basically a car-free lifestyle after previously being car-dependent. Available in video format!Click here for the video version of this episode on our YouTube Channel  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.I 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 episodeFor 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 16:50MOOC: Towards Decarbonization of the Building and Transport Sectors | TU Delft OnlineMelissa & Chris Bruntlett, Authors of Curbing Traffic on Active Towns PodcastJason Slaughter on Active Towns PodcastNot Just Bikes ChannelNJB Trash VideoCara Seiderman/Cambridge on Active Towns PodcastFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this, our 100th episode, I am delighted to welcome a very special guest, Clarence Eckerson, Director of Streetfilms, for a discussion about reaching the milestone of 1,000 plus videos promoting more walkable, bicycle-oriented, and transit-friendly communities from around the world.For obvious reasons, you may prefer to watch the video version of this episode, here's that link.Our landing page for this episodeThe 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 ChannelStreetfilms WebsiteThe Sample Reel Clarence put together for this interviewThe Streets Have Changed: A NYC Bicycle Journey During the CoronavirusThe Innovative Way Ghent, Belgium Removed Cars From The CityGroningen: The World's Cycling CityKate McKinnon as Veronica Moss A.U.T.O. LobbyistKate McKinnon as Veronica Moss in Times SquareLaura Bliss article in BloombergJSK Visits 34th AvenueOslo: The Journey to Car-freeMike Lydon - Little Prince Plaza VideoRyan Van Duzer's YouTube ChannelRyan's Video with the Spider: Active Towns Episode with Ryan Van DuzerBicycleDutch Mark Wagenbuur YouTube ChannelNot Just Bikes YouTube ChannelEthan Kent - now at PlacemakingXProject for Public SpacesStreetsblogFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Arleigh Greenwald, Product Market Manager for Tern Bicycles and also known as Bike Shop Girl, for a conversation about how e-bikes and cargo bikes can provide pragmatic solutions to real problems and how to provide empathic support to those who are curious but are unsure what their next steps should be. Empowering Daily Life by Bike is Arleigh's mission for her content creation persona of Bike Shop Girl and is consistent with her role as Product Marketing Manager for Tern Bicycles, while Move for Tomorrow is her personal mantra as she strives to achieve a sense of life balance and wellness as a busy mom of two, spouse, active living advocate, and marketing professional.Landing Page for the episode for photos, embedded videos, and enhanced links.This episode is available as a video and features many visuals - catch it on our YouTube Channel here:  Episode 99I 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 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 FacebookPhil Gaimon - Cookie Eating Phil and a recent e-bike video he producedArleigh mentions The War On Cars Tern profile videos on YouTube - Beth NoblesArleigh's Tern GSD Accessories videoArleigh'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 videoArleigh 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/ PeopleForBikesDenver Bicycle Lobby mention Bike Here PodcasteCamm Live - Our video recording and live streaming platformArleigh mentions Ginger Runner A reminder: Next week is our special 100th episode a video conversation featuring Clarence Eckerson, Jr. with Streetfilms 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Sarah Frey, Development and Marketing Director with the Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick, for an in-depth conversation about the Trail and the impact it has had on the health and vitality of the city and its residents.Landing page on the Active Towns website for access to videos and photos of the trailIn 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 PeopleForBikesTrail expansion articleTrail Art InstallationsIndy Canal and Open SpacesWhite River TrailMonon TrailCity of Indianapolis Bikeways and MapIndy Trails and GreenwaysOur Carmel, IN videoArleigh Greenwald - Bike Shop GirlStreetfilmsFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Mike Lydon for an 18-month update from our last episode in the early days of the pandemic. We discuss some of the amazing street transformations underway around the globe, including in NYC with projects such as the Little Prince Plaza.And here's our landing page for this episode - for access to the videos and photosPop-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 also 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.And we 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 UrbanismOur episode with Victor Dover was mentionedFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I welcome back Victor Dover of South Miami's Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning for an in-depth discussion about why starting with the green parts, the parks, greenways, open spaces, wilderness, and even street trees when planning our communities is critical. We also talk about the importance of getting our streets designed right and how that can help more people feel more comfortable while walking and riding a bike.This episode has been produced as a video with some rich visuals, so to get to the full experience, click on this linkLanding page for this episodeThis episode has been produced as a video with some rich visuals, so to get to the full experience, click on this linkVictor 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 guidanceBarnes Dance or Pedestrian ScrambleCities Aren't Loud, Cars Are Loud - NJB videoDesigning Cities by Starting with the Green Parts - Frederick Law OlmstedThe Underline TrailLudlam TrailEast Coast GreenwayMiami Dade Parks Foundation - #LiveAParkLife National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA)Missoula Montana Downtown Master Plan and the Dover Kohl UpdateBenton MacKaye - helped pioneer the idea of land preservation for recreation and conservation purposesGabe Klein - a good on article about GabeIncremental Development AllianceRoss Chapin: Pocket Neighborhoods - Our Episode featuring Ross and our award winning video on Pocket NeighborhoodsClimate Planner book by Jason KingSteve Wright - a writer advising on issues of accessibilityFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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 A...

In this episode, I speak with Michael Williams about Edge Lane Roads, also commonly referred to by some people as Bicycle Advisory Lanes - a name you'll soon learn Michael doesn't particularly prefer. The type of bicycle infrastructure is quite common in The Netherlands and in Denmark and, when done well in the proper context, can serve as a critical part of an "All Ages & Abilities" network.Our YouTube video version of this episode for the full visual experienceLanding 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/0zdDIvKXMxYThe New Hampshire video: https://vimeo.com/198050122Vail 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.pdfThe Active Towns video on Vail's Gore Valley Trail (mentioned by John in the episode): https://vimeo.com/177494585Comments 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."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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Ken Rose, Chief of the Physical Activity and Health Branch, within the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the Active People, Healthy Nation Initiative which was launched in early 2020. We also discuss some of the underlying challenges and barriers making physical activity difficult for far too many people, such as lack of access to activity assets like parks and trails and limited safe and inviting active mobility choices.Active Towns landing page for this episode - for access to photos, videos, and additional contentActive 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 healthcare 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 ActivityEveryone Can Be Involved – What’s Your Role?Data, Trends and MapsPhysical Activity Fact Sheets and InfographicsPhysical Activity BasicsPhysical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd EditionState and Community Health Media Center#activepeople hashtag for social mediaProclamation templateemail: [email protected] Routes to Schools Report CardActivity-Friendly Routes to Everyday Destinations - Complete StreetsTide to TownFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Cara Seiderman, Transportation Program Manager with the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to get an update on the newly revised bike plan and discuss some of the exciting developments currently underway to create safe and inviting active mobility environments for all ages, abilities, and identities. Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode to access photos and videosIn 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.We also 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 PeoplePreston Tyree co-host of the Growing Older Podcast Bike Plan Update VideoActive Towns Video from 2019 visitMama Agata video  - Amsterdam program to help migrant women learn to cycleLeague of American BicyclistsPeter Furth Blue BikesCycling Safety OrdinanceAeronaut Brew PubNew Harvard Bikeways - 2020 Winkelerf - A  Shared Commercial StreetFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Bianca Shulaker, Associate Director of National Programs at The Trust for Public Land, for a discussion about their Park Score Index, the 10-Minute Walk Campaign, and the exciting opportunity to leverage qualitative data to meet the needs of the community.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 campaignParkScore: 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 ReportParkServe: 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: We believe 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 @10minwalkDirect contact/email: [email protected] *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 neighborhoodsAdditional Helpful Links:Dr. Richard "Dick" JacksonSOPARC 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 spacesWe All Need Parks Video10-Minute Walk VideoSafe Routes to School PartnershipComplete StreetsColorado Springs Trails and Open Space CoalitionFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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...

In this episode, I connect with Jeff Bagg, the City Planner for Easthampton, MA, for a discussion about how this historic mill town is striving to connect people to meaningful destinations by leveraging its beloved Manhan Rail Trail while expanding its connectivity and reach through new infrastructure, creative installations, and traffic calming measures.Episode Landing page for access to more information and photosEasthampton, 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 also discusses 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 DepartmentMt Tom North Trailhead ParkEasthampton Planning Dept Facebook PageEasthampton Planning Dept InstagramMassDOT Shared StreetsMill Pond LiveTactical UrbanismFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Charles Marohn, Founder of Strong Towns and author of the new book Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town for a discussion about the compelling need to reform both our transportation systems and how those systems are planned and designed. Landing page for this episodeVideo version of the episodeIn 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 PodcastNot Just Bikes - our episode w/ Jason SlaughterFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Ann Sussman, co-author along with Justin B Hollander, of the intriguing book Cognitive Architecture: Designing for How We Respond to the Built Environment for a discussion about how we can shape behavior in a positive by understanding a few key concepts related to our psychology, genetics, and how we evolved.  Landing page for this episode to access the visuals associated with the discussionThe 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 hereAs 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 editionAdditional Helpful Links:The Hapi.org - The Human Architecture and Planning Institute, IncBuilt Beautiful videoStrong Towns and the Strong Towns PodcastJan GehlDaniel LiebermanWalk Bike Places Conference Indy Cultural Trail and our video of the Cultural Trail experienceFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Abby Kinney, a Kansas City-based Urban Designer with Gould Evans and the host of the Strong Towns Upzoned Podcast, for a conversation about KC, the unique structure of the podcast, and some critical new protected cycling infrastructure that has opened up the city for her and some many others.Active Towns Landing Page for this episode for access to more photos, videosEvery 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 DesignBikeWalkKC - Active Towns Podcast episode featuring Michael Kelley and Laura Steele Active Towns Podcast with Kea Wilson original host of UpzonedGillham Cycletrack Cliff Drive - Historical VideoKevin Klinkenberg - Midtown KC NowIncremental Development AllianceJoe Minicozzi - Urban 3Eldorado Canyon - ClimbingPearl Street Mall - HistoryBentonville, ARActive Towns Dutch Cycling video montageFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Doogie Roux, a micro-mobility consultant, brand ambassador, and bicycle advocate based in Houston, Texas for a discussion of a couple of truly innovative projects he's involved with that leverage electric assist bike technology to encourage more people to ride more often. 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.You'll also 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 linksFollow Doogie on:InstagramFacebookTwitterBosch eBike SystemsThe 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 HoustonActive Towns Episode 38 featuring Commissioner Ellis and Fernando MartinezActive Towns Episode 82 featuring Jason Slaughter of Not Just BikesFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Jen Roberts, an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, in the Department of Kinesiology, within the School of Public Health, for a detailed discussion about her work and study at the intersection of health and the built environment. Active Towns Landing page for this episode for additional photos and contentPublic 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 HealthProfessor Robert’s website and Twitter accountRichard Louv – Nature Deficit DisorderParkRX – Robert Zarr, MD, MPHCampus NatureRXNatureRX at CornellUC Davis Peer Program – NatureRXhttps://healthy.ucdavis.edu/healthy-campus-resourcesRed Lining and Lack of Tree Canopy – NYT articleRain gardens and nature integration – Active Towns video of the Indy Cultural TrailTransit catchments areas: The Magic Hand of the Bike – Episode w/ Roland KagerHealth Belief Model – Dr. Marshall BeckerActive Towns Podcast episode w/ Charles T. BrownActive Towns Podcast episode w/ Kelly RodgersFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Robin Mazumder, Ph.D., for a discussion about how we as humans respond to our built environments and how we make that experience pleasurable and equitable. 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 WebsiteTwitterInstagram Robin's Addicted to Cars postDignity and Health Forbes articlePlaces of the Heart book by Colin EllardCities for People book by Jan GehlHappy City book by Charles MontgomeryCurbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City books by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett Ada County article about bike lanes in Boise and surrounding suburbsCognitive Architecture book by Ann Sussman & Justin HollanderShinrin-yoku - Forest BathingIndy Cultural TrailJason Slaughter's Not Just Bikes episodeJonathan Fertig's Taking Action episodeFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Martina Haggerty, Director of Special Projects in the Planning Department for the City of Providence, Rhode Island, for a discussion about the status of the city's active mobility initiatives, including the completion of a major signature project the Van Leesten Memorial Bridge built upon the footings of the relocated Interstate 195.Active Towns Landing page for this episode - for additional content and photosProvidence, 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. Additional Helpful Links:PeopleForBikes Big Jump ProjectPeopleForBikes Five Cities Breaking Down BarriersPeopleForBikes Best New Bikeways 2020PVD StreetsPVD Affordable HousingProvidence River RelocationProvidence Great Streets Master PlanProvidence Bike-Ped CommissionEast Bay Bike PathWashington Secondary TrailZoning Rewrite articleE-Scooter PilotE-bikes Return - Spin Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Jon Larsen - Salt Lake CityFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Ben Holland, Senior Associate at RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute), for a conversation about why we need fewer motor vehicles, not just electric vehicles, and the inherent fragility of car-centric cities. 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. We also discuss 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 AmericaTransportation for America: Driving Down Emissions RMI's Coming Back Stronger ReportRMI: Building Urbanism into Climate Policy RMI: We Need New HousingRMI: The Pandemic and Fragility of Auto-Centric CitiesRMI: Bringing Back Clean Air Bloomberg Newsletter: Need To Think Outside the Electric Car Ben's Guest Opinion regarding opening up West Pearl Street to DinersCNU - Congress for the New UrbanismCNU - Central Texas ChapterStrong TownsNRDC - (Natural Resources Defense Council)World Resource Institute (WRI)IPCC: Mitigation pathways compatible with 1.5°C in the context of sustainable developmentBetter BoulderBedrooms for PeopleSouthwest Energy Efficiency ProjectUC Davis VMT Induced Demand Calculator  RMI Colorado Induced Demand CalculatorUC Davis National Zero Carbon PlanSmart Growth America Martha Roskowski - Further Strategies Constantine Samaras - Low Carbon Transportation researcherTalking Headways/Overhead Wire Podcast Episode: Jeff Wood and BenChuck Marohn and James Howard Kunstler - Strong Towns Podcast: "Why can't we just have corner stores again..." @41:50Active Towns Podcast Episode w/ Jason Slaughter of Not Just BikesMelissa & Chris Bruntlett's Active Towns Podcast episode and their new book Curbing TrafficIndianapolis Cultural TrailFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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.

In this episode, I connect with Jason Slaughter the creator of the incredibly popular Not Just Bikes YouTube Channel. He shares what led him to become interested in urbanism and active mobility, how he and his family came to live in Amsterdam, and why he decided to launch the channel. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be? As you'll learn from this conversation, 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 discussedA video version of this Episode on the Active Towns YouTube ChannelNot Just Bikes YouTube Channel and the NJB Live ChannelNot Just Bikes Patreon - support Jason and the Channel!Not Just Bikes Videos MentionedWhat Makes a Great City – the video that started it allNEW! The video about Houston, telling the story that prompted Jason to care about urban planningWhy Dutch Bikes Are BetterWe Have No Garbage Day in AmsterdamWhy Cars Rarely Crash into Building in The NetherlandsWhy Grocery Shopping is Better in AmsterdamHow America Bankrupted its Cities – Strong Towns conceptsThe STROADS video – Strong Towns conceptsCities Aren’t Loud Cars Are Loud – a recent video in honor of Melissa & Chris Bruntlett‘s new book Curbing TrafficJason is not a cyclist and neither are most of the Dutch people who ride every dayJason mentioned a YouTuber who produces videos about driving in The Netherlands – his name is Kerleem Shaw and here’s his channelRyan Van Duzer's Grocery Shopping VideoBicycleDutch - Mark Wagenbuur and Mark's blog post & video on the 10-year Improvements in UtrechtStreetFilms - Clarence Eckerson, Jr.Strong Towns - The Strong Towns Interview of JasonStrong Towns Bottom-Up Revolution Podcast Interview of JohnPlain Bicycle Episode w/ Erin Riediger on the Active Towns PodcastCNU - Congress for the New UrbanismBooks Mentions:High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV by Keith BradsherTraffic - Tom VanderbiltMiracle Pill by Peter WalkerConcepts Mentioned:Downs-Thomson ParadoxFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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 happe...

In this episode, we head down under, for a chat with Professor Paul Tranter, Honorary Associate Professor in Geography in the School of Science at the University of New South Wales Canberra in Australia, about why we all need to just slow down a bit.Paul 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 BookSlow Cities ManifestoBuild slower cities or keep careening towards disaster – opinionSlaves to speed, we’d all benefit from ‘slow cities’ – article in The ConversationTime to hit the brakes on the “Hurry Virus”Introduction: changing cultures of speed – journal articleSpeed Kills: The Complex Links Between Transport, Lack of Time and Urban Health – journal articleActive Travel: A Cure for the Hurry Virus – journal articleChildren’s Play in their Local Neighborhoods: Rediscovering the Value of Residential StreetsBusted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia30Please.org – childrenPontevedra, Spain, wins the first EU urban road safety award – European Transport Safety CouncilPontevedra, Spain Increases Downtown Livability by Reducing Vehicle Access – article in Smart Cities DiveReclaiming the streets: the increasing trend of pedestrianisation around the worldMiguel Anxo Fernández Lores, Mayor of Pontevedra City, SpainWhy the need for speed? Transport spending priorities leave city residents worse off – article in The ConversationRaising an Unhurried ChildIn Praise of Slowness – bookIn Praise of Slowness – TED Talk************ Active Towns Podcast episode featuring Peter NortonActive Towns Podcast episode featuring David NuttallShared Streets and Woonerfs – Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-BaillieWalkscoreFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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 experi...

In this episode, I connect with documentary filmmaker Liz Canning for a candid conversation about MOTHERLOAD, a movie and a movement. 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 videosThe MOTHERLOAD website:  http://motherloadmovie.comHere is where you can rent the film:  https://vimeo.com/ondemand/motherloadThe Motherload Films site:  https://www.motherload-films.com - find out more about hiring Liz!The trailer on Vimeo: http://motherloadmovie.com/welcomeMOTHERLOAD Facebook GroupMOTHERLOAD on TwitterEpisode 1 of Global Mosaic: "Could Empowering Girls Transform the World?" Director's CutBroadcast Edit***********What a Bakfiets looks likeXtracycleJared DiamondDaniel LiebermanVelo-City ConferenceKidical Mass - Shane MacRhodes articleCritical Mass - Tim White doc "Return of the Scorcher"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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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.Music: Various Logic Pro X mixes by John Simmerman ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I catch up with Melissa and Chris Bruntlett "on the eve" of the release of their much anticipated second book, Curbing Traffic - The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives. It's a long one, as they were gracious enough to provide a brief overview of each of the ten main chapters in the book. Enjoy!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 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 MontgomeryBuilding the Cycling City: The Dutch Blueprint For Urban Vitality Melissa and Chris Bruntlett’s first bookGoing Dutch – An Interview with Chris in 2020 on the Active Towns PodcastKaid Benfield – Human HabitatShared Streets and Woonerfs – Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-BaillieFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this extended episode, I have a detailed conversation with Bruce Appleyard, Associate Professor of City Planning & Public Administration, at San Diego State University and the author of  Livable Streets 2.0 published by Elsevier, a fabulous tribute to his late father, Donald Appleyard, and his classic urbanism text Livable Streets. A livable street is like a good friend that gives you energy. In contrast, an unlivable street drains you.We discuss in detail many aspects of the book and his recent contribution to 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 websiteMike Lydon and Tactical UrbanismShared Streets and Woonerfs - Hans Monderman and Ben Hamilton-BaillieCharter for Humane and Equitable StreetsTransit and Bikes - Roland Kager's Active Towns Podcast EpisodeThe MUTCD - NACTO's positionRight of Way book and Angie Schmitt's Active Towns Podcast EpisodeContinuous, Raised Sidewalks and Sidepaths and a Not Just Bikes video on the subjectAdvisory 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 TownsSTROAD:- Definition- Not Just Bikes STROAD video 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Jon Larsen, Salt Lake City, Utah's Transportation Division Director, for a conversation about how he and his team are making progress in their efforts to create safer, more inviting street spaces for "All Ages & Abilities" across all mobility modes.Salt Lake City's historic grid features massively wide streets and incredibly long blocks, but its origin isn't rooted in car-centric design, rather it was a practical solution to freight logistics - the ability to do a u-turn with a team of oxen or horses driving a cart or carriage. Since 2017 Jon Larsen and his team have been striving to reimagine what this space can be and who it serves with the systematic, incremental installation of safer, more inviting "All Ages & Abilities" active mobility infrastructure.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, but they are back on track now. 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 StateCNUCNU Utah ChapterCNU21 - SLCChuck Marohn - Strong TownsSTROAD:- Definition- Not Just Bikes STROAD videoSeattle Streets Illustrated GuideUtah Transit AuthorityPeopleForBikes - Shed the Monster videoFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★

In this episode, I catch up with Ross Chapin, an Architect who literally wrote the book on Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World and we discuss how 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. Additional Helpful Links:Active Towns landing page for this episode - for access to more photos and videosPocket Neighborhoods websiteActive Towns - Pocket Neighborhoods VideoRoss Chapin Architects websiteMissing Middle HousingCNU – Congress for the New UrbanismFour 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 Patreon2. 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 Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:Various mixes also by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteFor more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:- Website- Twitter- Newsletter- Podcast landing pages- Facebook- InstagramBackground: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, 2021Advocates 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 ★