The Bottom-Up Revolution

Megan Ramey has advocated for kid-friendly transportation for over a decade, culminating in her role as the Safe Routes to School Manager for Hood River County, Oregon. Megan and Tiffany discuss the importance of walkability and bikeability for children, and Megan shares lessons she's learned from advocating in cities as big as Boston and towns as small as Hood River. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Historic Columbia River Highway Ten Speed Coffee Shop Love and Hominy Walk And Roll Hood River County Schools (site) Bikeabout (site) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Your downtown isn't a money pit — it's a money pot. When Medicine Hat, Alberta, discovered the real financial value of traditional urban form, it sparked something bigger: a grassroots movement that's now changing who runs city hall. Superintendent of Planning Shawn Champagne joins Norm to discuss small bets, fiscal resilience, and why bottom-up change actually works. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Shawn Champagne: shacha@medicinehat.ca Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Victoria Via, an architect and community advocate from Portland, shares her insights on affordable housing and community empowerment. She discusses how lessons from luxury designs apply to affordable projects, emphasizing the importance of livable communities. Victoria explains the neighborhood groups pilot that promotes local action and highlights street safety initiatives. She also shares clever advocacy strategies like mapping vacant storefronts and fostering trust with city officials. The conversation is a rich blend of community action, design, and urban transformation.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.