The Bottom-Up Revolution
Strong Towns
The Bottom-Up Revolution features the stories of the Strong Towns movement in action. Hosted by Tiffany Owens Reed and Norm Van Eeden Petersman, it's all about how regular people have stepped up to make their communities more economically resilient, and how others can implement these ideas in their own places. We’ll talk about taking concrete action steps, connecting with fellow advocates to build power, and surviving the bumps along the way—all in the pursuit of creating stronger towns. Each episode features a Strong Towns advocate who is making positive change in their community.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 18, 2025 • 21min
How To Turn Public Data Into Stories That Drive Change
Karl Urich, a data analyst and the mastermind behind Albany Data Stories, shares his journey of transforming complex public financial data into engaging narratives. He discusses the importance of unbiased storytelling in journalism, highlights surprising findings about Albany's property taxes, and emphasizes community collaboration. With practical insights for aspiring data storytellers, Karl demystifies data analysis with tools like Excel and QGIS, making it accessible for everyone to engage in local issues and drive meaningful change.
Nov 13, 2025 • 1h 3min
How To Design Urban Places That People Love
Will McCollum, a registered architect and co-founder of Citymakers Collective, shares his passion for human-centered urban design. He discusses how immersive travel shapes our understanding of urban spaces and critiques the disconnect in architectural education. Will emphasizes the need for democratizing design knowledge to create resilient communities. He also highlights his current projects that balance privacy and density while showcasing the financial benefits of new urbanism. Lastly, he encourages civic participation in shaping vibrant places.
Nov 11, 2025 • 17min
What 50 Interviews Taught Me About Community Action
Discover how everyday people are transforming their communities with small, impactful actions. Learn about practical, low-effort projects like DIY bike parking and street stickers that spark change. Norm shares crucial advice, emphasizing that you don’t need permission to start making a difference. Curious about local activism? Hear how membership fosters civic engagement and drives larger movements, plus Norm's personal journey from spectator to participant. Get inspired to take action in your own neighborhood!
Nov 6, 2025 • 57min
How to Talk About Street Safety So People Actually Listen
Liza Burkin, a seasoned transportation planner and community organizer, shares her journey advocating for safer streets through her work with the Providence Streets Coalition. She discusses the challenges of getting small improvements approved in urban settings while highlighting the need for political engagement. Liza emphasizes the importance of inclusive language to win community support and provides actionable tips for grassroots advocacy. She also highlights innovative projects like Neighborways, which focus on low-cost, high-impact design to enhance urban mobility.
Nov 4, 2025 • 16min
How to Turn Small Community Actions Into a Big Impact
In this discussion, Dr. Shakeel Dalal, a PhD chemist and aerospace engineer turned community organizer from Longmont, Colorado, shares his unexpected journey toward a mayoral candidacy. He emphasizes the power of small actions in building community capacity and highlights Longmont's challenges with housing affordability. Through personal anecdotes, he discusses walkability lessons learned from his dog walks and advises advocates to connect policy changes to local values. Shakeel inspires listeners to engage locally and take practical steps toward civic involvement.
Oct 28, 2025 • 18min
How To Convince Your City To Embrace Tactical Urbanism
Isaac Gonzalez, founder of Slow Down Sacramento, talks about how he transformed Sacramento's approach to street safety and tactical urbanism. After a tragic accident motivated him to act, he leveraged quick-build strategies to create safer environments. Isaac emphasizes the importance of community advocacy and persistent education, showing how to turn action into impactful policy. His message is clear: stop waiting, start acting, and lead by example in your own community.
6 snips
Oct 23, 2025 • 48min
How To Reclaim Dignity and Safety for Nondrivers
McKenzie Ortiz, founder of Pedestrian Pride and a transportation advocate, discusses the challenges facing nondrivers in America. She shares her personal journey to advocacy, fueled by economic hardships and a preference for walking. McKenzie highlights the importance of storytelling in advocating for safe pedestrian spaces and calls for equitable infrastructure investments. With tales of isolation and local interactions, she emphasizes empowering communities to improve their streets and the need for land-use changes to enhance walkability.
Oct 21, 2025 • 17min
How To Run for Office at 24 — and Win Support
Sam Foster, a 24-year-old engineer and mayoral candidate in Marietta, Georgia, shares his journey into politics, emphasizing the power of social media to educate and engage the community. He critiques Marietta's focus on large growth projects, advocating instead for incremental, achievable improvements. Sam highlights the importance of building local coalitions through his initiative, A Better Cobb, and offers advice for aspiring candidates to be bold and authentic. His vision for Marietta focuses on leveraging its unique layout for fast, impactful change.
Oct 16, 2025 • 42min
How To Make Starting a Small Business Easy and Cheap
Zoe Tishaev and Dylan DelliSanti, advocates from the Institute for Justice, delve into how cities can simplify the process of starting small businesses. They share their personal journeys from local advocacy to urbanist policy work. The duo reveals frustrations with the startup permitting landscape and discusses innovative reforms to make it cheaper and faster. They emphasize the value of micro-retail in revitalizing downtowns and advocate for a 'do no harm' approach in policymaking for more vibrant local economies.
Oct 14, 2025 • 15min
How One Bus Driver Is Inspiring Safer Streets
Tyler Moldovan, a bus driver and community organizer from Port Huron, Michigan, shares his inspiring journey in urban advocacy. He discusses the creation of DDD Fest, aimed at showcasing international filmmakers while building local culture. Tyler emphasizes the need for traffic calming and highlights the critical role public transit plays in ensuring equity and mobility for residents. He also sheds light on missing sidewalks and how residents can mobilize for local improvement, fostering hope through community conversation and coalition-building.
