The Bottom-Up Revolution Fighting for Safe Streets in America’s Most Dangerous City
Aug 21, 2025
Kelsey Huse, a safe streets advocate and graduate student at the City University of Memphis, dives into the pressing issues of urban safety in one of America's most dangerous cities. She discusses her grassroots efforts in analyzing car crash sites and launching advocacy coalitions to promote safer streets. Kelsey also shares insights on personal experiences with urban planning, the role of social media in raising awareness, and the community's push for improved pedestrian and bike infrastructure. Her dedication exemplifies the impact of local advocacy on urban design.
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Born A Natural Pedestrian
- Kelsey grew up in Enid, Oklahoma and learned to walk everywhere from a very young age.
- That early habit shaped her lifelong desire to be a pedestrian and informed her advocacy.
Policy Shapes The Streets We Inhabit
- Reading The Color of Law radicalized Kelsey by revealing how policy shaped segregation and the built environment.
- That realization shifted her focus from tech to studying planning and street design.
Fighting A Highway Expansion In Austin
- Kelsey volunteered with Rethink35 to oppose I-35 expansion that would have displaced businesses and neighborhoods in Austin.
- The campaign promoted rerouting the interstate and reclaiming the old corridor as a walkable boulevard.
