Active Towns

In this episode, I connect with University of Colorado Denver Professor Dr. Wes Marshall for a fun and fascinating discussion about some of the safer streets research that he and his students have conducted over the past decade. Wes Marshall, Ph.D., is a Professor of Civil Engineering and an affiliate faculty member in Planning and Design at the University of Colorado Denver. Wes focuses on transportation research and teaching dedicated to creating more sustainable, equitable, and resilient transportation systems, particularly in terms of road safety, active transportation, and transit. He has a vast body of work and we discuss several of his most notable studies that have gained attention over the past few years, including his 2019 research paper that highlighted enhanced safety of protected bikeways for all roadways users, not just people cycling.Additional Helpful Links:Active Towns Landing Page for this EpisodeProfessor Norman GarrickActive Towns Landing Page for Peter Norton's EpisodeActive Towns Landing Page for Fietsstraat/Bicycle Priority Street EpisodeActive Towns Landing Page for Jonathan Fertig's EpisodeCentral Park Community (formerly Denver's main airport)New UrbanismStreet Network 101 Explains Grided street network versus Tree-like street network as seen in most suburban communitiesLinks to the research papers we hit on:Why cities with high bicycling rates are safer for all road users www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140518301488Does street network design affect traffic safety? www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457510003179Effect of Street Network Design on Walking and Biking https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3141/2198-12Community design, street networks, and public health www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140514000486Scofflaw bicycling: Illegal but rational www.jstor.org/stable/26211757Advancing healthy cities through safer cycling: An examination of shared lane markings www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2046043018300583Understanding the impacts of integrating New Urbanist neighborhood and street design ideals with conventional traffic engineering standards: the case of Stapleton www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549175.2014.896826Here are a few YouTube explainer videos made about Wes' research:Why Cities with High Bicycling Rates are Safer for all Road Users A Proactive Approach to Redefining Child Road Safety - and Vision ZeroThe Impacts of Uber & Lyft on TransportationComplete list of Wes' ResearchDenver Streetsblog InterviewFour 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 Erin Riediger for a dive deep into the details of how and why there's a surprising Dutch bike culture bomb exploding in the prairie city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Erin Riediger is in the final stages of officially becoming an architect. You’ll quickly learn that she’s passionate about creating equitable cities which partly explains how she got interested in advocating for safer cycling for everyone. And she’s also a talented storyteller and the producer of the Plain Bicycle Podcast series. We talk about it and the fascinating story surrounding the surprising transformative power that the simple, upright, plain if you will, Dutch-style bicycle has had and is having on Winnipeg and how it all came to be.Additional Helpful Links:This episode's landing page on the Active Towns website - to see some amazing photos that Erin sent our wayErin on TwitterThe Plain Bicycle ProjectWinnipeg TrailsChris & Melissa Bruntlett: Building the Cycling City The Dutch Blueprint for Urban Vitality published by Island PressThe Active Towns Podcast episode featuring Chris Bruntlett with The Dutch Cycling EmbassyFour 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, we head back up to the province of British Columbia, Canada for a conversation about Restorative Natural Areas with Vancouver-based Katherine Howard and Jo FitzgibbonsJoanne "Jo" Fitzgibbons is a Ph.D. doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia and a Sustainability Scholar with the Urban Biodiversity Hub Katherine Howard is a Project Manager with the City of Vancouver currently working on its comprehensive master plan, she was involved with developing VanPlay, the city’s parks and recreation services master plan.Jo and Katherine share how the development of the Restorative Natural Area (RNA) Index tool assisted the City of Vancouver and contributed as a layer in the Equity Initiative Zone mapping as part of VanPlay, the City's Parks and recreation services master plan.Additional Helpful Links:Equity Initiative Zones article that Katherine wrote for TheCityFixFort Collins, Colorado - Nature in the CityFour 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 Kelly Rodgers, a Ph.D. doctoral candidate in Urban Studies at Portland State University and the founder of the non-profit evidence-based resource platform, Streetsmart.Streetsmart is an amazing non-profit platform and resource clearinghouse for integrating climate change, public health, and equity concerns into transportation. Specifically the platform is evidence-based and helps users make the case for healthy investments and prioritize strategies that meet community goals. The focus is on proven strategies that can help communities meet their goals for increasing physical activity, walking, and bicycling; reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions; and improving equity and inclusion. Kelly provides some background about the origins of the name for this effort, how she came to start it, and how it ties in with her doctoral program. The conversation centers around how communities can use the Streetsmart platform as a practical tool to help facilitate and support change.Additional Links and Helpful Resources:STARS (Sustainable Transportation Analysis & Rating System) Kelly serves on the Steering Committee of PHEAL (Planning for Health Equity, Advocacy, and Leadership), pronounced "feel" - Mission:To reaffirm and expand the commitment of those involved in community planning and public health; to break down the obstacles preventing transdisciplinary, transformative collaboration; to dismantle oppressive systems, beliefs, values, and practices that negatively affect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, low income, immigrant, and other historically marginalized/under-represented communities (historically overburdened communities with health disparities); and to reorganize our systematic approaches to lead toward the path that will genuinely create and nurture healthy, equitable, and prosperous communities.ITE - Mission: To provide the global community of transportation professionals with the knowledge, practices, skills and connections to serve the needs of their communities and help shape the future of the profession and transportation in the societal context.Vice-chair, ITE Standing Committee on Transportation and HealthTRB Transportation Research Board - which is part of the National Academy of ScienceMember, Transportation Research Board, Standing Committee onTransportation and Public Health (AME70)American Public Health Association, Center for Climate, Health, and EquityFour 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, the first of a new year and new season, I head up to Ontario, Canada (virtually) for a discussion with Jamie Stuckless and Darnel Harris about the policies associated with e-assist bikes and an innovative cargo-bike library. Jamie Stuckless is a Hamilton-based advocate and policy wonk who has become increasingly interested in and working on the needed legislative updates with regards to e-bikes and other electric mobility devices. We reference a recent article that she published about her first substantial experience riding an electric assist bike.While Darnel Harris is the Executive Director of Our GreenWay an NGO working to create a more resilient and equitable Northwest Toronto, a far flung, industrial exurb of the city of Toronto. We reference an article that Darnel published along with Sam Starr about the the post-pandemic future of electric assist cycles.Additional Helpful Links:Episode Landing Page on the Active Towns website Jamie's websiteJamie wrote a policy piece for the Ontario Good Roads Association Jamie and Darnel have both done a bit of writing for this e-bikes website: https://ebikes-international.com/Cycling Without AgeFour 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 ★

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 ★