Active Towns

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 ★

In this episode, I connect with Brandon Lust, also known as @AmericanFietser, on Twitter for a conversation about how a pickup truck-driving guy from rural Illinois became an advocate for Dutch cycling, safer streets, and electric-assist cargo bikes.In 2017, Brandon joined his wife Tatiana on a trip to The Netherlands. She had some work to do there and they figured why not combine the travel for a bit of vacation time. What Brandon couldn’t have known at the time, was that this trip would forever alter his life and spark a curiosity to learn more about functional cycling, and ignite a passion for the simple pleasures of getting stuff done while riding a bike. Thus the @AmericanFietser on Twitter was born.The Dutch, have a couple of different words that apply to cyclists. They use the word Fietser to refer to a person who rides for everyday purposes such as meeting one’s daily needs. While they use the term “wielrenner”, literally wheel runner, to describe a sport cyclist or racer.Enjoy this ride with Brandon!Additional Helpful Links:Active Towns Landing page for this episode - access more photos and videosAmerican Fietser blogBicycleDutch – Mark WagenbuurNot Just Bikes – Jason SlaughterWork Cycles – J.C. Lind Bike Co.Gazelle BikesDefining Opafiets and Omafiets (step-through frame) blog postTern Bicycles – Perennial Cycle, MinneapolisTatiana’s First E-Bike Ride – Twitter videoWhat is 4-HFFA – Future Farmers of AmericaPeopleForBikesMobycon and the Mobycon AcademyStrongTownsSTROADS video by Not Just Bikes for StrongTownsWoonerf definition (shared space)Walk/Bike/Places ConferenceFour 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 Billy Fields, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas State University, for a discussion that addresses the freedom that comes from mobility choice, the progress being made in San Marcos, and the annual study abroad program he leads to The Netherlands. We also talk about his newly released book, Adaptation Urbanism and Resilient Communities: Transforming Streets to Address Climate Change, published by Routledge.I encourage everyone to check out this new book Adaptation Urbanism and Resilient Communities: Transforming Streets to Address Climate Change. And courtesy of Dr. Fields you may use the coupon code ESBAC for 20% off.Additional Helpful Links:Rails to Trails ConservancySan Marcos, TXInternational Sustainable Transportation Engagement Program – Study AbroadDelft, NL: WoonerfCROW ManualSustainable SafetyVision Zero – SwedenAmsterdam Street TrampolinesLondon initiatives:Mini-HollandsHealthy StreetsLow Traffic Neighborhoods20 is Plenty CampaignOur New Orleans 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 Huntsville, Alabama-based cartographer and artist David Nuttall for a conversation about his recent adventure riding every street in his sprawling, hilly city and the profound things he learned about the place he's called home for the past several decades and about himself.David Nuttall was motivated to get in a little exercise and lose a little weight by exploring his adopted hometown of Huntsville, Alabama on his trusty old mountain bike. And thus a challenge was born: ride every street in the city limits and since he’s cartographer, naturally he’d map that experience and learn what he could along the way.This is not an uber athlete endorphin-fueled adventure story, but one of patient reflection, social connection, curiosity, joy, and humanity.Additional Helpful Links:David’s art studio: ArtimapsHUBS CoopBikes & Brews Ride Facebook pageLink to Animated map of David’s RidesMap Animation by Ned Drummond – Ned’s websiteMap My Ride AppExplore Bike Share – MemphisFour 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 Briana Cohen, who serves as the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative's Austin Lead and Community Educator. We discuss the many engaging activation programs and services this beloved non-profit is providing within the Austin and San Antonio communities and she provides a wonderful glimpse into the organization and how it helps to support the communities they serve well beyond issues related to riding cycles. She also serves on the Bicycle Advisory Council for the City of Austin.The Ghisallo Cycling Initiative based in Austin, Texas provides education, engagement, and activation programs and services which help to get more people, of all ages and abilities, riding more often. Additional Helpful Links:Landing page for this Episode on the Active Towns website - for more photos and videos  City Cyclist programsGolden RollersCycle AcademyWheelie Good Snack PacksCommunity Collaborations mentioned: Woven in Among Us Rides and Legends Mosaic Portraits2020 Annual Report with full overview, photos, videosGhisallo Bike to Eat WeekGhisallo Film FestivalGhisallo Vimeo Video ChannelAustin's Smart Trips TDM ProgramCity of Austin’s Active Transportation & Street Design DivisionCity of Austin Urban Trails DivisionBogota's CycloviaTexas Coffee TradersSomething Cool Studios and the Mosaic Bike TourReconnect AustinBlack Women Who Kayak Plus - Ghisallo RideDecipher City - Stephanie Webb - Black Architects self-guided tour coming soonFour 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 Austin's District 8 City Council Member, Paige Ellis, onto the Podcast.  We talk about her biggest learnings from a 2019 PeopleForBikes study tour to The Netherlands, some recent infrastructure improvements in the city, a game-changing mobility bond she co-sponsored which passed overwhelmingly in the November election, as well as the Interstate 35 expansion challenge. Council Member Ellis is a fabulous example of a passionate, caring city leader who looks for opportunities to learn from the experiences of other cities, exhibits courage in taking big bold actions for the collective good, and embraces the use of small incremental infrastructure tests, tactical urbanism if you will, to move with a sense of urgency while evaluating the benefits and feasibility of more permanent investments.Austin, Texas is making huge strides in becoming a more walkable and bike-able city for "All Ages & Abilities" and the community's willingness to fund critical improvements bodes well for future generations. Additional Helpful Links:Active Towns Landing Page for this Episode - for access to fun videos and photos Austin's Active Mobility & Safety Bond (2020 Prop B)Austin Strategic Mobility PlanAustin's Project Connect - Transit PlanHealthy Streets - AustinAustin Active Transportation & Street Design DivisionBikeshare - MetroBikeActive Towns Podcast w/ Roland Kager Bike Transit IntegrationPeopleForBikesAustin NL Study Tour videoActive Towns Podcast Episodes about Study Tours w/ Zach Vanderkooy and Meredith GlaserHealthy Streets shortieFour 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 Laura Steel and Michael Kelley with BikeWalkKC about how the city is making progress in active mobility education, policy advancement, and, yes, even in infrastructure, finally starting to emerge on the ground.  Additional Helpful Links:This Episode's Landing Page - for more photos and videosThe BikeWalkKC YouTube ChannelBikeWalkKC - Become a MemberBikeWalkKC - Newsletter & Mailing ListDecriminalizing Walking Biking BikeWalkKC Policy PlatformKansas City Physical Activity 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 reconnect with Jennifer Ruley, the Mobility & Safety Lead Engineer for the City of New Orleans (Moving New Orleans), and Dan Favre, the Executive Director of Bike Easy, for a chat about the NOLA active mobility story, which is most definitely one of perseverance, collaboration, and commitment to transformation. Additional Helpful Links:Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - for fun photos and additional content.Moving NOLA Facebook PageMoving NOLA InstagramNOLA Complete Streets CoalitionToole Design blog post about the Big Jump Project in NOLAWalk Bike Places NOLA ConferenceFour 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 ★