Active Towns

Active Towns

Conversations about Creating a Culture of Activity: Profiling the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities.

Episodes

December 3, 2025 β€’ 67 mins

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Matthew "Tepi" Mclaughlin from Perth, Australia, for a conversation about the institutional subsidization of motonormativity that directly contributes to epidemic levels of physical inactivity.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Human Kinetics Journal article with Grant Ennis
πŸ‘‰ Episode with Grant Ennis
πŸ‘‰ 15 Minute City ...

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In this episode, I connect with Michel Durand-Wood, the Elmwood Guy behind the popular blog Dear Winnipeg, for a conversation about his efforts to engage his community in discussions surrounding municipal finance, channeling a Strong Towns approach, and mobilizing a coalition of neighborhood groups to take immediate action on the streets with the city's (reluctant) support. We also talk about his new book, You'll Pay For T...

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In this episode, I connect with Dorothy "Dot" Fennell and Zack DeClerk, co-founders of CargoB, a cargo bike-sharing scheme based in the Boston area. Inspired by the Dutch program Cargoroo, CargoB, employs a fleet of UrbanArrow bakfiets-style cargo bikes for folks to check out and use as needed.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ The CargoB website
πŸ‘‰ The Oslo ...

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In this episode, I connect with Michela Grasso, a researcher and writer with the Urban Cycling Institute in Amsterdam, for a discussion about some of her recent projects, including the publication of A Manifesto for Cycling Futures and Planning the Cycling City: A Field Guide.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Meredith Glasser video playlist
πŸ‘‰ Urban Cycling ...

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In this episode, I reconnect once again with Melissa & Chris Bruntlett from Delft, NL, for a conversation about their beautiful and inspirational new book, Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Transformation.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's Modacity website
πŸ‘‰ Women Changing Cities on Bookshop.org or on Amazon
πŸ‘‰ ...

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In this episode, I connect with Peter Bird, a resident of Heidelberg, Germany, and a doctoral researcher at the Technical University (TU) Eindhoven in the Netherlands, to continue my discussions* about the Cycling Cities Initiative. He is studying and documenting the historical context of Minneapolis as an impressive North American example of a Cycling City.
*ICYMI: Refer to Episode 311 feat. Prof. Ruth Oldenziel

Helpfu...

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In this episode, I connect with the President of Brompton USA, Juliet Scott-Croxford, for a discussion about some exciting new developments 50 years after the first classic Brompton was built, including the release of the versatile new G-Line with 20-inch wheels and a UL-approved e-assist power system.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Brompton USA website
οΏ½...

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In this episode, I am joined by Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear to discuss their new book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, which was inspired in part by their podcast, The War on Cars. Topics discussed include the origins of The War on Cars podcast name, having a good car management plan like the one implemented in Ghent, school streets, bike buses, the enhanced sociability of traffic-...

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October 10, 2025 β€’ 55 mins

In this episode, I reconnect with Prof. Ruth Oldenziel from the Technical University in Eindhoven for a discussion about the global Cycling Cities Initiative, which kicked off in 2016 with the publicationΒ  of the Cycling Cities: The European Experience coffee table book, which I happen to have in my house. We talk about the maturation of the project, including the upcoming release of the Cycling Cities: The African Experie...

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In this episode, I connect with Michael Lovato, a former professional triathlete and champion at the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 distances, for a conversation about Boulder real estate, quality of life measures, and how the Boulder Valley promotes and supports a culture of activity.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Lovato Properties website
πŸ‘‰ Love Where You L...

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September 27, 2025 β€’ 79 mins

In this episode, I connect with David Prytherch, Professor of Geography at Miami University in Oxford, OH, for a conversation about transforming our streets back into people-oriented places and his recently published book, Reclaiming the Road: Mobility Justice Beyond Complete Streets.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Reclaiming the Road in the Active Towns book...

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In this episode, I connect with Dr. Catherine Elliot, an American living in Winterthur, Switzerland, just outside of ZΓΌrich, for a discussion about strategies for overcoming motonormativity, some research that she's been involved with in this realm, including the concept of E-Bike City, and the Moveable initiative.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Thanks to Chr...

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In this episode, I connect with Peter Nouwen from 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands for a discussion about the productivity benefits of having healthy, active employees and the curious, nonsensical policy practices of many employers that incentivize driving a car rather than taking transit, walking, or cycling to work. We launch into the discussion by channeling Jason Slaughter's Not Just Bikes Gym of Life video and give...

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In this episode, I finally connect with Nick Falbo to nerd out on the history of protected bike lanes and protected intersections in the United States, how we got so off-track, and how he is leveraging the Dutch cycle network design standards to build world-class infrastructure here in North America while working with the Dutch firm Mobycon.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the ch...

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August 29, 2025 β€’ 60 mins

In this episode, I finally connect with Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York, for a ride down memory lane, reminiscing about his time in Missoula, MT, his role as Executive Director at Transportation Alternatives in NYC, and serving as the final driver in Central Park and then we catch up on his more recent activities focussing on Parks and Trails from his new home base in Upstate New York. ...

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In this episode, I connect with Jennifer Hamelman, the Former Director of Routes at the Adventure Cycling Association, for a conversation about the USBRS (United States Bicycle Route System), the joys of bicycle travel and bicycle touring, and what she'd like to do next related to food systems.

Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
πŸ‘‰ Adventure Cycling Association
...

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In this episode, we'll head back to the Netherlands for a somewhat surprising conversation with Christian Ratering, a Senior Policy Maker with the village of Renkum, about some bold actions being taken as part of an official policy, the Renkum Mobility Vision Plan (MVP), to make the community truly safe and inviting for all ages and abilities. We'll also discuss his doctoral studies about how people with a variety of anxie...

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In this episode, I welcome back Chris Bruntlett to the podcast for a chat about his reflections on his recent visit to China representing the Dutch Cycling Embassy. I think you'll be surprised at the scale and pace of the cycling infrastructure (re)emerging across the country.

Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening ...

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To kick off Season 10 of the Podcast, I have a conversation with Amy Cohen and Patty Avery, two dedicated volunteers with the Families for Safe Streets organization, about how this national initiative is taking bold steps to confront the epidemic of traffic violence and change the narrative surrounding the preventable casualties of motor vehicle crashes on our streets, including policies to address the built environment an...

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In this episode, I welcome back Tim Gill, the author of the book Urban Playground, for an encore conversation about the need for more family friendly places that reduce car dependency and return independence to roam to our children, elderly, and those unable to drive a motor vehicle.

Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred lis...

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