Active Towns

In this episode, I reconnect with Mike Sewell, with Gresham Smith in Louisville, KY, for a conversation about a new innovative empathic analytics system he is working on to evaluate just how comfortable public spaces and All Age & Abilities facilities actually are. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effectHe also reflects upon some of the delightful people-places he and his family visited while on vacation, including Mackinac Island, MI, The Netherlands, and Paris.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Gresham Smith website- Mike's testimony to congressFour 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 Kyle Wagenschutz, Sara Studdard, and Zoe Kircos, who have recently launched the non-profit organization City Thread: Stitching together the fabric of our communities. Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect City Thread is a firm dedicated to helping communities achieve big things by collaborating with diverse teams of elected officials, city staff, community leaders, funders, and residents to identify problems, brainstorm solutions, and develop a shared vision to accelerate mobility and place-based projects.They draw from recent successes in cycle network campaigns that they helped coordinate in Austin, Denver, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Providence. In these cities, they employed community engagement strategies, polling science, and customized messaging campaigns to help reduce resistance and bolster support for the buildout of these cycle networks.For more information on the results, see my interview with Movetia Salter; Kyle and Sara actually have little cameos in that episode: Ep 139 The healing power of cycling with friendsHelpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- City Thread website- Ep 34 Season 1 - My earlier conversation w/ Sara and Kyle- My Shoal Creek Blvd 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 get into some "good trouble" with Cathy Tuttle a Portland, OR-based advocate and thought leader in the movement to create more people-oriented, sustainable places. We discuss her diverse background, her previous work in Seattle, the recent Car Master Plan she created for Portland, and the need for cities, states and nations to address the climate emergency with a sense of urgency.Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effectCities frequently have bicycle network plans, pedestrian plans, and even vision zero road safety plans, yet most have absolutely no actual plan for cars; they are just kind of allowed everywhere. Well, Cathy Tuttle, who is always in support of some good trouble rolled up her sleeves to create a Car Master Plan for Portland, OR and you will be shocked to learn what she discovered. We also discuss the delightful car-free city of Pontevedra, Spain, and the political will needed to create such places.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Bike Loud PDX - Pedalpalooza- PSU Seminar: Why Your City Needs a Car Master Plan- My episode with Dr. Dick Jackson- My episode with Dale BracewellFour 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 Movetia Salter, a resident of the Mueller community in Austin, TX for a conversation about her transformative cycling story rooted in a cancer diagnosis, a new city across the country, and her rediscovery of the joy of riding a bike, especially with others.Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effectAustin's Movetia Salter caught my attention when she was recently featured in a PeopleForBikes video highlighting the progress the city has made in building out its high-comfort bike network. I was delighted when she agreed to chat with me on the Podcast and I suspect you will be as moved and inspired by her story as I was.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- People For Bikes video- City Thread (Sara & Kyle)- Major Taylor Austin Cycling- Austin Black History Ride - Get There ATX - Austin’s Yellow Bike Project - Ghisallo Cycling Initiative - Priority Bikes (my affiliate link)- Ep 72 with Briana Cohen - Ghisallo Cycling Initiative - My playlist of Austin’s Dutch-inspired Cycle Network 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 ★

Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effectA few months ago I started noticing these amazing Tweets with videos and photos of swarms of kids riding their bikes in Portland, OR. Sam Balto aka @coachbalto on Twitter was the man behind these Tweets and the massive success that is the Bike Bus he coordinated for his school in an attempt to provide a safer, healthier way for his students to get to school. I hope you enjoy this ride with Coach Balto.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Follow Sam on Twitter- Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by Dr. John Ratey- Mark Fenton- Jonathan Fertig on Twitter- Mike Lydon’s episodes Ep 12: Tactical Urbanism in a Pandemic Era  Ep 97: A Pipeline of Pilots to Permanence - Book by Mike Lydon & Anthony Garcia: Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change- Ep 107 Megan Ramey Bike train conductor mom shows the way - Ep 123 Will Norman London's Walking & Cycling Commissioner  - Streetfilms London School Streets video - “School Streets” Portland versus Paris bikeportland.org article Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon(As a thank you will have early and commercial-free access as well as bonus content and special discounts in the Active Towns Store)2. If you enjoyed this episode please give it a "thumbs up", leave a comment, and share it with a friend.3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform and on the Active Towns YouTube Channel4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store(note: See no. 1 for access to special discounts in the store)Credits:All video and audio production by John SimmermanMusic:- Intro and Outro mixed by John SimmermanResources used during the production of this episode:- My awesome recording platform is Ecamm- Adobe Creative Cloud SuiteStudio Equipment:- Main MIcrophone Sennheiser Pro Audio MKH416-P48U3- Rode RODECaster Pro Podcast Production Studio- Additional Microphone - Shure MV7- Camera - Sony ZV-E10 (currently sold out)- Lens - Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens- Elgato Cam Link 4k- Elgato Streamdeck XL*- Elgato Streamdeck (*you may not need the XL)Editing Computer System:- Apple MacBook Pro 16" 2021 M1 Pro- LG 34WP88C-B 34-inch Curved 21:9 UltraWide QHD (3440x1440) IPS Display with Ergo StandAll video, audio, and music production by me, John SimmermanFor 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 find 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. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I am delighted to reconnect with Scott Bricker, co-founder and Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh (aka BikePGH) for a discussion about the progress the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been making in its quest to build out a network of high-comfort facilities appropriate for all ages and abilities.Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effectBiking in Pittsburgh is truly moving forward and I get the details directly from Scott Bricker, co-founder and Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh (aka BikePGH) on the tremendous progress that has been made over the past 20 years since he helped launch the BikePGH advocacy organization.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- BikePGH website- PeopleForBikes Final Mile profile- PFB 2 Days On 2 Wheels Pittsburgh video- My episode w/ JFR Velo QuebecFour 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 delighted to share my conversation with Jessie Singer the author of the new book There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster - Who Profits and Who Pays the Price. We examine how the word "accident" has morphed into meaning that nothing could have been done to prevent it, but when the events are examined, they are the inherently predictable and preventable results of a system and an environment. Tune in to learn more.Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effectWe hear it all the time "a tragic accident occurred and x number of people were hurt or even, all too often killed", but was it really an accident or a result of a poorly designed and often complex, multivariable system.Jessie felt compelled to explore the word "accident" and its nuanced, complicated, and even insidious history because tragedy struck close to home with the killing of her best friend one day while he was riding in a supposedly-safe "protected" bike lane. Eventually, she wrote and recently published There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster - Who Profits and Who Pays the Price. Our human nature pulls us in the direction of blaming someone, anyone, most likely the person directly involved in the incident because surely they must pay. Perhaps. But what if the real responsibility lies further up the chain of events at the system level? That's precisely what I explore with Jessie in the conversation and I hope you find it interesting and perhaps even thought-provoking enough to prompt looking at things more systematically with an eye toward truly preventing future traumatic events from happening.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Jessie's website- Book - There Are No Accidents- Fortune's best-of book listFour 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 go behind the scenes of the Oh The Urbanity! YouTube Channel with Jasmine Steffler and Patrick Murphy, Ottawa-based content creators, who have a passion for understanding all things urbanism, including access to affordable housing, active mobility, and transit.Video version of the episodeThe "dynamic duo" behind the amazing Oh The Urbanity! Channel is none other than Jasmine and Patrick and I am delighted and honored to feature them as guests on this episode, number 135, for those keeping track. We talk about how they came to start the channel, how their many moves have shaped their narratives, and what drives them to do this work, which by the way is outside of their "normal" day jobs. Topics covered include protected bike lanes, separated cycle paths and multi-use paths, winter cycling, as well as housing availability, and affordability. The main cities covered include Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- Oh The Urbanity! Channel- Oh the Urbanity! on Twitter- Oh The Urbanity! on Patreon- RM Transit - Paige Saunders - My interview with Pekka Tahkola- Pekka's Channel- My Episode w/ Don Shoup- Donald Shoup books:    - The High Cost of Free Parking book   - Parking and The City- My Riding from the Airport vidFour 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 Aishwarya Krishnamoorthy, Communications and Marketing Manager and Piep van Heuven, Director of Government Relations at Bicycle Colorado to discuss the challenges ahead and some of the encouraging progress being made at the state and local levels.Video version of this episodeA series of pro-bicycle and safer streets legislation coupled with commitments to divert funding to bike and pedestrian infrastructure is solidifying the "Mile High" city of Denver and the entire state of Colorado as some of the bicycle-friendly places in North America. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):Bicycle Colorado websiteBoulder Adventure LodgeDenver Streets Partnership websiteMy episode with Jill Locantore, ED of Denver Streets PartnershipFour 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 Erin Riediger, a Winnipeg-based architect, active mobility advocate, and the producer of the Plain Bicycle podcast series. We discuss the status of the city's underground Dutch bike takeover effort also affectionately referred to as a Culture Bomb.Video version of this episodeThere has been a proliferation of old used Dutch bikes showing up on the streets of Winnipeg and it's a part of a master plan by the Plain Bicycle Project to drop a little "culture bomb" in an effort to make the city of Winnipeg more livable and equitable. Erin previously produced a podcast series simply called the Plain Bicycle Podcast telling the fascinating story behind the project.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- My first episode with Erin- Prairie Architects where Erin works- My episode with Mark Wagenbuur aka Bicycle Dutch- Plain Bicycle Project website- Plain Bicycle Podcast series- Peg City Car Co-op- Curbing Traffic book by Melissa & Chris BruntlettFour 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 ★