Active Towns

On this, the final day of the crazy year that was 2020, I look back and reflect on the 52 episodes in Season One, giving thanks to our guests and you, our listeners. I also provide some surprise bonus material at the end of the main recording; a brief overview countdown of each of the 52 episodes.See below for links to each of the episode landing pages, which feature special photos and video links.Season One Episode Landing Page Links:Active Towns Podcast IntroEpisode 1: Wading into Walkability w/ Heyden Black WalkerEpisode 2: Growing Old(er) w/ Preston TyreeEpisode 3: Reconnecting to Your Community w/ Darcy KitchingEpisode 4: It Could Be Me w/ Triny WillertonEpisode 5: Dream it, Plan it, GO FOR IT! w/ Katie DeollozEpisode 6: Ready to Ride w/ Mathias IhlenfeldEpisode 7: Getting Out There w/ Ryan Van DuzerEpisode 8: Rolling Forward with MoveATX w/ Jim WickEpisode 9: Updates from Bike Austin & Walk AustinEpisode 10: Main Street Transformation w/ Victor Dover & Raphael ClementeEpisode 11: Going Dutch w/ Chris BruntlettEpisode 12: Tactical Urbanism in a Pandemic w/ Mike LydonEpisode 13: Building Strong Towns w/ Chuck MarohnEpisode 14: It's All City Building w/ Mark NickitaEpisode 15: Composing a Compelling Narrative w/ Kea WilsonEpisode 16: Fighting Traffic w/ Peter NortonEpisode 17: Places People Love w/ Lynn RichardsEpisode 18: Inspiring Vibrancy w/ Amanda PopkenEpisode 19: Why The Overhead Wire w/ Jeff WoodEpisode 20: A Walker In LA w/ Alissa WalkerEpisode 21: Following Footprints w/ Dom Nozzi & Maggie WaddoupsEpisode 22: Active Explorations w/ Holly BennettEpisode 23: Cultivating Community w/ Kevin ShepherdEpisode 24: Startup CEO Reflections w/ Jennifer BairdEpisode 25: Streets for Everyone w/ Jill LocantoreEpisode 26: Rebuild Restore Renew w/ Roshun AustinEpisode 27: Shared Paths Boulder w/ Graham HillEpisode 28: Run This World w/ Nicole DeBoomEpisode 29: Induced Demand Innovations w/ Curtis RogersEpisode 30: A Session w/ Transportation Psychologist Bryan JonesEpisode 31: Exploring Every Street w/ Janelle NaessEpisode 32: Live Your Gold Medal Life w/ Susanne MengeEpisode 33: Discussing Our Transport Future w/ Todd LitmanEpisode 34: PeopleFor Bikes - Local Innovations w/ Kyle Wagenschutz & Sara StuddardEpisode 35: All Aboard w/ Mike ChristensenEpisode 36: Make a Difference w/ Charles BrownEpisode 37: A Bike Friendly Episode w/ Bill NesperEpisode 38: Rolling Down the Road w/ Commissioner Ellis & Fernando MartinezEpisode 39: Seville's "Overnight" Bike Network Success w/ Manuel CalvoEpisode 40: Lovable Places & People Habitats w/ Kaid BenfieldEpisode 41: A Wish For Wheels w/ Brad AppelEpisode 42: The Joy of Riding Again w/ Lennard ZinnEpisode 43: Parking Reforms w/ Donald ShoupEpisode 44: Bikepacking w/ Ryan Van Duzer (video)Episode 45: Reclaiming the Right of Way w/ Angie SchmittEpisode 46: Up For Anything w/ Pam LeBlanc (video)Episode 47: Human-Scaled Accessibility w/ Meredith GlaserEpisode 48: Rolling Down Santa Barbara's Car-Free Main Street w/ Frank Peters (video)Episode 49: Talking Fietsstraats or Bicycle Streets w/ Matt Pinder & Justin JonesEpisode 50: America Walks w/ Mike McGinnEpisode 51: How We Get Around w/ Andy BoenauEpisode 52: Taking Action w/ Jonathan Fertig (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 pe...

In this episode, I connect with Jonathan Fertig, who is no stranger to the world of tactical urbanism, as he is compelled to do something to make the situation safer for everyone. We chat about what got him started in advocacy, his move to Denver, and how his life and activity levels have shifted now that he and his wife Helen are in the outdoor playground that is Colorado. This episode is also available as a video podcastFlowers in pots, a flower in a traffic cone, red cups, 6-foot tall cardboard comic character cutouts... just some of the safer street activism materials Jonathan Fertig has employed and deployed during his years of advocacy work in Boston and Denver. Additional Links:Episode Landing Page on Active Towns website (bonus photos)Jonathan's Twitter handlePOP-UP COMICS PUSH FOR BETTER BIKE LANES - story Boston Globe article Treehugger article Cycling Weekly articleTactical Urbanism book published by Island PressMike Lydon of Street Plans and his Active Towns Podcast EpisodeBikeyface9News Complete Streets StoryDenver Bicycle LobbyDenver Streets Partnership our Active Towns Podcast Episode with Jill LocantoreBicycle ColoradoRed Cup StoryDenver Streetsblog Interview of JonathanKidical Mass Denver and Arleigh GreenwaldSTROAD definition 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:Funky Brown Business, Groovy Ska Fun Time, and Caribbean Funk by Jason Donnelly via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 Veteran podcaster Andy Boenau from Richmond, VA, for a discussion about the power of storytelling and persuasion when it comes to transforming our built environments.  Andy Boenau has a formal background as a transportation engineer, but his career has gradually evolved over the years and now he focuses much of his energy on how storytelling, marketing principles, and persuasion can help us transform our communities into more walkable, bike-able, and people-oriented places.He is the podcast host of the Urbanism Speakeasy and How We Get Around Follow Andy on TwitterAdditional Helpful Links:The Active Towns landing page for this episode - check out the cool photos Andy sent throughCNU - Congress for the New UrbanismTactical Urbanism epsiodeFour 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:Virginia Skyline by Jastin Batts, Acoustic Loop 12 by Joel Thomas Hunger, and Walk in the Park by Neil Cross via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 Mr. Michael McGinn into our virtual studios for a wide-ranging conversation about creating cities for people.  Michael McGinn served as the 52nd mayor of Seattle, WA and was recently selected as the new Executive Director of America Walks, a 20-year old national nonprofit organization that has been leading the way in advancing safe, equitable, accessible, and enjoyable places to walk and move by giving people and communities the resources to effectively advocate for change. Additional Helpful Links:Episode Landing Page on the Active Towns websiteBrompton BicyclesDavid Byrne, Bicycle DiariesStrong TownsRight of Way WebinarAngie Schmitt's Active Towns Podcast EpisodeCharles Brown's Active Towns Podcast EpisodeAlissa Walker's Active Towns Podcast EpisodeKea Wilson's Active Towns 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:Serious Deep House by Fredrik Storm, Uplifting Technology Electronic by Velimir Andreev, and Happy Arps by Christina Nemo via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 Matt Pinder and Justin Jones for a detailed discussion about the ubiquitous Dutch Fietsstraats or Bicycle Priority Streets and how North American cities can best implement these innovative facilities. Matt Pinder, a Senior Designer with Alta Planning + Design, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and Justin Jones, Manager of Bicycle Friendly Communities with the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada decided to dive into the details of the Bicycle Priority Street and its North American analogs with a series of articles posted on Matt's blog Beyond the AutomobileWhen it comes to "All Ages & Abilities" cycle network facilities the protected bike lane or separated cycle-track typically gets most of the attention, however a little known fact about the Dutch approach is that the majority of their streets feature some form of shared space, including the ever-present "Fietsstraat" or bicycle priority street.Additional Helpful Links:The episode landing page for some fun photos and other extras.The Active Towns Podcast Episode featuring Charles BrownOakland, CA - Slow Streets ProgramFour 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:Walking California Style by Keith LuBrant, Uplifting Acoustic Loop by Joel Thomas Hunger, and Gentle Happiness by Bruce Zimmerman via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 bicycle and clean air advocate extraordinaire Frank Peters of Santa Barbara, CA. The primary topic is the city's transformation of State Street, its iconic downtown main street, into a car-free zone because of the devastating impacts from Covid-19. Cities around the world have been dramatically reshaping and reimagining their public spaces, especially their downtown streets in response to the negative economic and health impacts from the novel coronavirus pandemic, Covid-19. Santa Barbara, California took the bold step of making State Street, the main shopping and dining destination in the downtown district, a car-free zone and the results have been amazing.Helpful & Relevant Links:Video version of this episode (shortened)Episode landing page on Active Towns websiteWalk Bike Places Conference Russ Roca and Path Less Pedaled Oregon Scenic BikewaysSanta Barbara Bicycle CoalitioncycleCalCoastFour 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:Ultimate Inspiration by Sander Kalmeijer, Perfect Smile by Lance Conrad, and Uplifting Forward Thinking by Jeppe Reil and Thomas Reil via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 Meredith Glaser, a Ph.D. doctoral candidate within the University of Amsterdam's Urban Cycling Institute, for a discussion about living in The Netherlands as an ex-pat from California, accelerating reform to support human-scaled accessibility, and developing an understanding about the transfer of knowledge from study tours. Meredith had originally planned to only study and work abroad for a year or so, well that has turned into a decade of living in Amsterdam, raising a family, and developing a passion for a better understanding of Dutch cycling and how other cities around the world can best learn from the experiences of The Netherlands. In this long-form interview with John Simmerman, Founder of the Active Towns Initiative and host of the Active Towns Podcast, Meredith discusses what it has been like to make such a huge change culturally and how active mobility becomes second nature because of the built form, policy structures, and societal norms.Meredith also discusses in-depth two recent papers she has published along with some of her colleagues at the Urban Cycling Institute, Learning from abroad: An interdisciplinary exploration of knowledge transfer in the transport domain and Accelerating reform to govern streets in support of human-scaled accessibilityAdditional and Helpful Links: Spokes! Ridecast video with Meredith Glaser: Where did all the traffic lights go?Amsterdam Bike Tour by Urban Planner Meredith Glaser 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:Happy Uplifting Dance Track by Fredrik Storm, Happy News by Evgeny-Kiselevich, and Road to Success by Mikael Manvelyan via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 Pam LeBlanc, a freelance writer based in Austin, TX, who is constantly creating content about adventure, fitness, and travel. In addition to chatting about some of her recent and upcoming explorations, they talk about her recently published book. NOTE: Video episode available.  Having a spirit of adventure and being pretty much "Up for Anything" has served Pam LeBlanc well over the decades as an accomplished journalist, photographer, and author.We were fortunate enough to catch Pam between several big trips to learn more about her latest adventures and the publication of her first book, My Stories, All True: J. David Bamberger on Life as an Entrepreneur and Conservationist published by Texas A&M University Press.Additional Helpful Links:Active Towns Landing Page for this episode - to access the video version, photos, and bonus materialPam's website: pamleblancadventures.com Facebook pageInstagramFour 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:Simply Adorkable by Sander Kalmeijer and Happy Walk by Simon Jomphe Lepine via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 Angie Schmitt, the author of the new book Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America published by Island Press. We discuss the many complicated and convoluted reasons why this has been happening and talk about some of the inspiring, hopeful stories of change she highlighted in the book. Helpful Links:Streetfilms video of Jorge Canez aka Peatónito ("little pedestrian") https://www.streetfilms.org/peatonito-is-in-nyc-protecting-pedestrians-from-cars-in-the-crosswalk/Streetsblog USA Pedestrian Safety: The Last Frontier - Clarence M. Ditlow, III https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_DitlowIt Could Be Me campaign, Triny Willerton Families for Safe Streets https://www.transalt.org/familiesforsafestreetsSTROAD Defined Angie’s new firm: 3mph Planning and ConsultingThe suburb where everyone can walk to school, Lakewood, OH: Streetsblog article and Streetsfilms video Disney’s Motor Mania Cartoon - Mr. Walker vs. Mr. Wheeler, videoHans Monderman - Shared StreetsFour 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:Escaping Forever by Michael Vignola, Stay with Me by Lance Conrad, and The Dark Night by Neil-Cross via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 a good friend to the Active Towns Podcast, Mr. Ryan Van Duzer, to talk about his recent bikepacking adventures and help us launch our video podcast. That's right! We will now feature a video version of a select number of our future episodes that will really benefit from having a visual component. Ryan is the perfect guest for our first video episode because of all his vibrant imagery that he produces on his DuzerTV YouTube channel. So if you'd like to watch the video podcast version of this episode click on this link: Bikepacking w/ Ryan Van Duzer - video Additional Helpful Links:- Bikepacking Magazine- Priority Bicycles- Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra Run 2021 Sign-up- League of American Bicyclists- PeopleForBikes- Our First Active Towns Podcast Interview w/ Ryan - Our on-bike video interview w/ Ryan - StreamYard - Mira the Super Dog's Instagram Account - Born to Run Book - Barefoot Ted - RAGBRAI Bike Ride Across Iowa Some of Ryan's Videos mentioned in the podcast:- Backyard Bikepacking - Tahoe Twirl Playlist- The Great Divide Playlist- Caballo Blanco Run 2017- Caballo Blanco Run 2018- Baja Bikepacking Part 1- Baja Bikepacking Part 2- RAGBRAI 2019 Videos- Ryan's Priority Bikepacking Bike- Ryan's Pack List for the Great Divide Ride- Ryan's Priority Apollo Bike Review- Ryan's Behind the Scenes Filmmaking Process- Colorado Hut Trip Playlist 2019- Ryan's mom gets an e-bike- Community Cycles Moves by Cargo-bike- Living a Car-Free LifestyleFour 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:Progressive Pop Dua Lipa Feel by Elonte Chandler, Morning Sun by Will Van De Crommert, and Happy and Inspiring by James Grant via Storyblocks.comResources 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, 2020Advocates 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 ★