Active Towns

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 ★