The Bottom-Up Revolution

In this engaging discussion, Adam Greenfield, a transportation advocate and co-founder of Rethink35, joins Miriam Schoenfield, a board member and UT Austin professor, to tackle the controversial I-35 highway expansion in Austin. They dissect how such projects exacerbate traffic and harm communities. The duo highlights grassroots activism, legal challenges, and the socioeconomic impacts of highway widening. They emphasize the importance of collective action and community well-being, celebrating local efforts to foster sustainable urban planning and civil rights.

Jessica Peacock, fighting to reopen her great-grandparents' neighborhood grocery store in Walnut Terrace, shares her journey through the rezoning process, discusses the importance of community involvement, and explores the social significance of the family-owned store. She reflects on her experience as a teacher, explains the concept of zoning and its impact on black communities, overcomes financial constraints and personal growth, and envisions the grocery store as a hub for community programs.

Jon Jon Wesolowski, a content creator on TikTok and Instagram and founding member of the Chattanooga Urbanist Society, shares his journey towards urbanism, frustrations with city council, creating pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods, taking agency in urban projects, advocating for change, their adventures in Europe, and exploring local businesses in Chattanooga.

Jennifer Gaughran, a marketing professional, and organizer of the Strong Towns Toastmasters group in San Diego, talks about living in a walkable neighborhood, transitioning from car commuting to biking, the importance of mixed neighborhoods, navigating a dangerous parking lot, transitioning Toastmasters clubs online during the pandemic, and being present and involved in the community.

On this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, host Tiffany Owens Reed chats with Dustin LaFont. LaFont is the proud executive director of Front Yard Bikes, a youth workforce development program providing safe spaces for youth in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, to learn bike mechanics, welding, urban gardening, cooking, riding safety, and providing after-school jobs. LaFont first began repairing bikes with a few kids on his front yard in the summer of 2010, but as demand grew, the community rallied behind the project. Through the years, Front Yard Bikes has included over 2,000 youth and more than 10,000 bikes. With two after-school sites and a full-service bike shop in Mid City, Front Yard Bikes has become the largest community bike shop in the state and hopes to do even more with the amazing youth that champion the good work. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Front Yard Bikes (website). Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Check out Highland Coffees, City Roots, Chow Yum, and French Truck Coffee. Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Alisha Loch is a Strong Towns member, a mother of three, and a founding board member of Norwood Together, a community development corporation in Norwood, Ohio—which was a finalist in the 2022 Strongest Town Competition. A lover of cities, Loch enjoys community events, parks, porches, and anything that increases the small-town feel of Norwood. She is passionate about working alongside other residents to keep her neighborhood vibrant for future generations.  Strong Towns members like Alisha Loch are making a difference in their communities. Will you join them by becoming a member today?

Scott Jones, co-founder and executive director of We Love Long Beach, discusses the power of simple gestures of hospitality in building deeper connections with neighbors. They delve into the uniqueness of Long Beach, the organization's initiatives to bring neighbors together, the importance of personal invitations, and how building relationships within a neighborhood can lead to problem-solving and resilience.

Aimee and Cody Frederick, café owners and conversation leaders, discuss their radical commitment to their city and their love for hospitality and building community. They share anecdotes about pumpkin spice lattes, relocating to Richmond, and their journey from running a restaurant chain to opening their own café. They talk about stumbling upon an opportunity to open a coffee shop in Richmond and the importance of creating a sense of place in a town. They also address the potential of Richmond, challenges they face, and the need to focus on core principles in creating welcoming communities and magnetic places. Lastly, they explore the impact of local businesses in downtown Richmond and the importance of hospitality in improving cities.

Shelby Wild, executive director of Route One Farmers Market, talks about breaking barriers to local food in California's Lompoc Valley. Topics include increasing access to local food, offering EBT and Market Match, curbside pickup during the pandemic, launching a mobile farmer's market, and the power of strategic alliances.

On this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, host Tiffany Owens Reed is joined by Marques King, a licensed architect, practicing urban designer, and small-scale developer operating out of Detroit, Michigan. Originally from Detroit, King returned home after spending a decade in Washington, DC, and now runs a design firm that specializes in incremental development projects. His work is driven by a desire to see a more sustainable future for his city by providing human-scale neighborhoods that are accessible to a wider variety of people across the social-economic spectrum. King also serves as a faculty member of the Incremental Development Alliance and is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Preservation & Planning. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Marques King (Twitter/X). Fabrick (website). Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Check out the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), Islandview Villages, The Red Hook, Marrow, Yum Village, and the Detroit Riverfront. Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!