Active Towns

In this episode, I connect with Jamie Sabbach from Salida, CO, and the 110 Percent organization for a very Strong Towns-esque conversation about parks and how cities need a better plan to maintain them and a better approach to programming more sustainable facilities, such as sidewalks and pathways versus large, costly sports complexes and fields. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 110 Percent website 👉 Strong Towns 👉 Verdunity website 👉 TPL 10 Minute Walk campaign 👉 Ryan Short’s new book Civic Brand If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Anna Zivarts for an update on the Week Without Driving Challenge and her new venture, The Non-Drivers Alliance. Naturally, we talk about the land use patterns and infrastructure needed to facilitate a sustainable non-driving existence. Thumbnail photo credit: Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections (BCTC) see link below Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Non-Drivers Alliance 👉 Tour de Duzer Weekend Video 👉 My Mueller Playlist 👉 NRDC Who Doesn’t Have a Car 👉 StreetsBlog article 👉 Pittsburghers for Public Transit 👉 Paris Lime Bikes with Child Seats 👉 DC Week Without Driving -- who participated (and who didn’t) 👉 Boulder Chamber Transportation Connections (BCTC) 2025 WWD summary article If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Sam Pearson, Healthy Communities Program Manager at the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, to discuss active mobility implementation strategies in smaller cities and rural towns, and how to leverage existing assets such as trails and pathways. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Pennsylvania Downtown Center 👉 My Pittsburgh videos - Part One and Part Two 👉 Early Childhood Mobility Coalition If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Matthew "Tepi" Mclaughlin from Perth, Australia, for a conversation about the institutional subsidization of motonormativity that directly contributes to epidemic levels of physical inactivity. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Human Kinetics Journal article with Grant Ennis 👉 Episode with Grant Ennis 👉 15 Minute City shirt by Tom Flood 👉 My recent episode with Tom Flood 👉 Strong Towns website 👉 World’s Longest City doc 👉 8 INVESTMENTS 👉 The Conversation Article on Investment Levels 👉 The Conversation Article on 30 km/hr speed 👉 The Conversation Article on How to Stop Speeding 👉 The Conversation Article on Vision Zero Successes If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Michel Durand-Wood, the Elmwood Guy behind the popular blog Dear Winnipeg, for a conversation about his efforts to engage his community in discussions surrounding municipal finance, channeling a Strong Towns approach, and mobilizing a coalition of neighborhood groups to take immediate action on the streets with the city's (reluctant) support. We also talk about his new book, You'll Pay For This, which is part of a multi-volume effort called The City Project. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Dear Winnipeg blog 👉 The City Project books 👉 Reimagine Elmwood community effort 👉 Strong Towns website 👉 Joe Minicozzi and Urban 3: Financially Sustainable Communities by Design 👉 Portage and Main article from 2018 👉 Another Portage and Main article from 2018 👉 Portage and Main article from 2024 👉 Probe Research Report 2024 👉 My final interview with Prof. Donald Shoup If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Dorothy "Dot" Fennell and Zack DeClerk, co-founders of CargoB, a cargo bike-sharing scheme based in the Boston area. Inspired by the Dutch program Cargoroo, CargoB, employs a fleet of UrbanArrow bakfiets-style cargo bikes for folks to check out and use as needed. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 The CargoB website 👉 The Oslo Whee Cargo Bike Leasing Program on-bike interview with Kari Anne Part One and Part Two 👉 Utrecht's Bike Flip Program Profile Video 👉 Boston & Cambridge 2025 CNU Tour Part One and Part Two 👉 My Personal Boston Tour with Peter Cheung 👉 Cambridge City Staff NACTO Tour 2019 If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Michela Grasso, a researcher and writer with the Urban Cycling Institute in Amsterdam, for a discussion about some of her recent projects, including the publication of A Manifesto for Cycling Futures and Planning the Cycling City: A Field Guide. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Meredith Glasser video playlist 👉 Urban Cycling Institute playlist 👉 Urban Cycling Institute website 👉 Urban Cycling Substack 👉 A Manifesto for Cycling Futures 👉 Planning the Cycling City: A Field Guide 👉 My Almere On-Bike Interview & Tour with Wouter Rademaker If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I reconnect once again with Melissa & Chris Bruntlett from Delft, NL, for a conversation about their beautiful and inspirational new book, Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Transformation. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's Modacity website 👉 Women Changing Cities on Bookshop.org or on Amazo n 👉 Dutch Cycling Embassy 👉 Melissa's new venture 👉 My Paris Playlist If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Peter Bird, a resident of Heidelberg, Germany, and a doctoral researcher at the Technical University (TU) Eindhoven in the Netherlands, to continue my discussions* about the Cycling Cities Initiative. He is studying and documenting the historical context of Minneapolis as an impressive North American example of a Cycling City. *ICYMI: Refer to Episode 311 feat. Prof. Ruth Oldenziel Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Cycling Cities website 👉 Cycling Cities Minneapolis 👉 Cycling Cities Minneapolis GoFundMe 👉 Peter Bird on LinkedIn 👉 My Berlin Video If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with the President of Brompton USA, Juliet Scott-Croxford, for a discussion about some exciting new developments 50 years after the first classic Brompton was built, including the release of the versatile new G-Line with 20-inch wheels and a UL-approved e-assist power system. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Brompton USA website 👉 Brompton International website 👉 My Interview with Brompton CEO Will Butler Adams 👉 My Brompton Playlist 👉 My Amtrak & Brompton Playlist If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I am joined by Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear to discuss their new book, Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, which was inspired in part by their podcast, The War on Cars. Topics discussed include the origins of The War on Cars podcast name, having a good car management plan like the one implemented in Ghent, school streets, bike buses, the enhanced sociability of traffic-calmed streets, and so much more. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Life After Cars: on Bookshop.org or on Amazon 👉 My Bruce Appleyard episode 👉 My recent episode with Tim Gill 👉 Bike Bus video playlist 👉 Montclair Bike Bus profile 👉 My Paris School Streets video 👉 15 Minutes Cities conspiracy shirt by Tom Flood 👉 My Peter Norton playlist If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Prof. Ruth Oldenziel from the Technical University in Eindhoven for a discussion about the global Cycling Cities Initiative, which kicked off in 2016 with the publication of the Cycling Cities: The European Experience coffee table book, which I happen to have in my house. We talk about the maturation of the project, including the upcoming release of the Cycling Cities: The African Experience, as well as the first from North America, Minneapolis. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Cycling Cities website 👉 Help fund the African book 👉 Peter Norton playlist 👉 My final episode with Prof. Donald Shoup If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Michael Lovato, a former professional triathlete and champion at the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 distances, for a conversation about Boulder real estate, quality of life measures, and how the Boulder Valley promotes and supports a culture of activity. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Lovato Properties website 👉 Love Where You Live Podcast 👉 The First Episode with Michael & Amanda 👉 Lovato Properties YouTube Channel 👉 Ryan Van Duzer's Channel 👉 David Roche's Channel 👉 Also, check out the fabulous new doc on David Roche's improbable return to and triumph at Leadville 100 2025 If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with David Prytherch, Professor of Geography at Miami University in Oxford, OH, for a conversation about transforming our streets back into people-oriented places and his recently published book, Reclaiming the Road: Mobility Justice Beyond Complete Streets. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Reclaiming the Road in the Active Towns bookshop and on Amazon 👉 Amtrak Tour link 👉 Tucson trip video no. 1 and no. 2 👉 My 2024 European trip 👉 My episodes with Peter Norton 👉 My Pittsburgh videos - Part One and Part Two 👉 My Oakland conversation with Warren Logan 👉 My Oulu, Finland episode with Pekka Tahkola 👉 NACTO - National Association of City Transportation Officials, here's my episode on the NACTO bikeway guide Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Catherine Elliot, an American living in Winterthur, Switzerland, just outside of Zürich, for a discussion about strategies for overcoming motonormativity, some research that she's been involved with in this realm, including the concept of E-Bike City, and the Moveable initiative. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Thanks to Chris Bruntlett with the Dutch Cycling Embassy for connecting us 👉 Motonormativity "Car-Brain" episode 👉 NYT Opinion Slomo video 👉 Professor Wes Marshall's book Killed by a Traffic Engineer or on Amazon here 👉 My Livestream here on YouTube with Wes 👉 My episode with Dr. Dick Jackson 👉 My recent episode with Tom Flood 👉 My Families for Safe Streets episode 👉 My most recent Tour de Fat profile video 👉 Fort Collins Bike Co-Op story about Raphael Cletero 👉 E-Bike City (EBC) best link 👉 EBC Project Website for the General Public 👉 University Website with publications 👉 EBC Presentation of Main Findings 👉 EBC Visualizations for download 👉 EBC Storymaps 👉 The E-Bike City: Designing sustainable streets. Summary PDF of findings 👉 All EBC animations/3D videos 👉 EBC Explainer animation 👉 EBC 3D video 👉 Bikeable, walkable, moveable, schoolable website 👉 Moveable Explainer video Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Peter Nouwen from 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands for a discussion about the productivity benefits of having healthy, active employees and the curious, nonsensical policy practices of many employers that incentivize driving a car rather than taking transit, walking, or cycling to work. We launch into the discussion by channeling Jason Slaughter's Not Just Bikes Gym of Life video and give a hat tip to Mark Wagenbuur with the BicycleDutch Channel Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Not Just Bikes' The Gym of Life video 👉 Bicycle Dutch Channel 👉 Wendy Suzuki TED Talk 👉 J ohn Ratey’s book Spark 👉 My Utrecht lunch crowd video 👉 My ride from Houten to Utrecht video 👉 Pete's commute ride video 👉 Pete's Strava 👉 Gym Of Life-Strava team Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I finally connect with Nick Falbo to nerd out on the history of protected bike lanes and protected intersections in the United States, how we got so off-track, and how he is leveraging the Dutch cycle network design standards to build world-class infrastructure here in North America while working with the Dutch firm Mobycon. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Mobycon website 👉 Bill Schultheis episode 👉 Ryan Russo episode 👉 NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide 👉 PeopleForBikes website 👉 Tom Vanderbilt’s book Traffic 👉 Mia Birk’s Joy Ride 👉 BicycleDutch Channel 👉 Talking Roundabouts with Lennart 👉 My Mueller Playlist 👉 Austin Dutch-Inspired Playlist Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I finally connect with Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Parks & Trails New York, for a ride down memory lane, reminiscing about his time in Missoula, MT, his role as Executive Director at Transportation Alternatives in NYC, and serving as the final driver in Central Park and then we catch up on his more recent activities focussing on Parks and Trails from his new home base in Upstate New York. This is a fun one featuring cameos from our favorite A.U.T.O. lobbyist, Veronica Moss, also known as Kate McKinnon, Clarence with Streetfilms, JSK, and even Robert "Bob" De Niro. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Parks & Trails New York 👉 Empire State Trail 👉 Adventure Cycling Association 👉 Karen Overton and Recycle-A-Bicycle 👉 My on-bike interview with Dan Burden 👉 Ep 304 Jennifer Hamelman 👉 Rails to Trails Conservancy 👉 Transportation Alternatives 👉 Barton Springs Road project playlist 👉 Meet Veronica Moss aka Kate McKinnon on Streetfilms 👉 Kate’s Veronica Moss spoof Times Square Redo 👉 Veronica Moss visits Times Square Streetfilms 👉 Ep 275 with Prof Donald Shoup 👉 Jan Gehl - Cities For People 👉 Carmel, IN Monon Blvd video with American Fietser 👉 Richard Louv - The Nature Principle 👉 Amy Camp Trail Towns 👉 Trust For Public Land 👉 10-Minute Walk to Parks Campaign Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Jennifer Hamelman, the Former Director of Routes at the Adventure Cycling Association, for a conversation about the USBRS (United States Bicycle Route System), the joys of bicycle travel and bicycle touring, and what she'd like to do next related to food systems. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Adventure Cycling Association 👉 Rails to Trails Conservancy 👉 My Bike League episode with Bill Nesper 👉 My on-bike interview with Dan Burden 👉 Ride with GPS 👉 USBRS Map 👉 My episode with Jill Warren (EuroVelo) 👉 My Brompton Playlist 👉 My episode with Heidi Beierle 👉 My East Coast Greenway episode 👉 Adventure Cycling Short Routes Prg 👉 Ryan’s Channel 👉 My bicycling with Butterflies episode with Sara Dykman 👉 Warm Showers 👉 Indigo Produce Growing Community episode Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, we'll head back to the Netherlands for a somewhat surprising conversation with Christian Ratering, a Senior Policy Maker with the village of Renkum, about some bold actions being taken as part of an official policy, the Renkum Mobility Vision Plan (MVP), to make the community truly safe and inviting for all ages and abilities. We'll also discuss his doctoral studies about how people with a variety of anxiety disorders navigate their world and interact with mobility infrastructure. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Renkum MVP document 👉 Urban Cycling Institute article about the MVP 👉 Melissa Bruntlett’s new consulting venture, Modacity Creative Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I welcome back Chris Bruntlett to the podcast for a chat about his reflections on his recent visit to China representing the Dutch Cycling Embassy. I think you'll be surprised at the scale and pace of the cycling infrastructure (re)emerging across the country. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Dutch Cycling Embassy 👉 Chris and Melissa's Books 👉 Chris's Presentation on Austin at Velo-city If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

To kick off Season 10 of the Podcast, I have a conversation with Amy Cohen and Patty Avery, two dedicated volunteers with the Families for Safe Streets organization, about how this national initiative is taking bold steps to confront the epidemic of traffic violence and change the narrative surrounding the preventable casualties of motor vehicle crashes on our streets, including policies to address the built environment and deal with the egregious of speeders and reckless drivers causing a significant amount of carnage in our communities. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Families for Safe Streets 👉 Transportation Alternatives 👉 There Are No Accidents episode 👉 Reclaiming the Right of Way by Angie Schmidt 👉 Speed Limiters page 👉 Stop Super Speeders America Walks 👉 World Day of Remembrance 👉 It Could Be Me 👉 The White Line: Changing Driver Behavior 👉 The Vision Zero Network 👉 What is Daylighting video from Streetfilms 👉 FFSS Story Map If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I welcome back Tim Gill, the author of the book Urban Playground, for an encore conversation about the need for more family friendly places that reduce car dependency and return independence to roam to our children, elderly, and those unable to drive a motor vehicle. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 Previous Episode with Tim Gill and the Episode Landing Page 👉 Urban Playgrounds book in the Active Towns Bookshop and on Amazon 👉 Most recent episode with Peter Norto n 👉 Episode with Isabelle Clement Wheels for Wellbeing 👉 Episode with Anna Zivarts 👉 Wes Marshall’s livestreaming episode 👉 Killed by a Traffic Engineer book in the Active Towns Bookshop or on Amazon 👉 Episode on Indigo 👉 Profile of Culdesac 👉 My episode with Cyprine Odada Mitchell in Nairobi, Kenya If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Seth Kaplan, author of the recent book "Fragile Neighborhoods" and a recent article "The Real User Interface: Recovering Our Neighborhoods," for a conversation about the challenges of our current community designs and how we can make our neighborhoods less fragile, or to channel Nassim Taleb, make our neighborhoods "Anti-Fragile" once again. Seth argues that our planners and engineers have built a physical landscape optimized for cars but minimized for actual human relationships, suggesting that the automobile is arguably the technology that has made the biggest impact on our associational life while our spread-out community design isolates and divides, weakening the bonds that tie us together. This is especially problematic for children, whose opportunities for spontaneous free play—and the constructive friction that self-organized activities create—are further limited when the physical landscape discourages exploration. He emphasizes that having meaningful destinations within comfortable walking distance is key to building strong ties between us. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel): 👉 The Real User Interface: Recovering Our Neighborhoods post 👉 Seth's website 👉 Seth on LinkedIn 👉 Buy Fragile Neighborhoods book on Amazon or by supporting local bookstores here on Bookshop.org 👉 Strong Neighborhoods paper 👉 My Let Grow episode with Lenore Skenazy 👉 Anxious Generation website 👉 Strong Towns website 👉 Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) website If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I finally connect with Beth Osborne with Smart Growth America for an in-depth conversation about the Transportation For America Program. Note: A few days after recording this episode, Beth stepped in to serve as the Interim CEO of Smart Growth America. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to support the channel): 👉 Transportation for America Website 👉 Smart Growth America Websit e 👉 Strong Towns Website 👉 Strong Towns YouTube 👉 Chuck Marohn's YouTube 👉 Not Just Bikes STROAD Video 👉 Grant Ennis - DARK PR episode 👉 Wes Mashall’s book, Killed by a Traffic Engineer 👉 Wes Marshall's Active Towns Livestreaming episode 👉 Interim CEO Press Release If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways: 1. Become an Active Towns Member on YouTube for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams 2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community . Contributions start at just $3 per month 3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee" 4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. , to help support my pro bono work with cities Credits: - Video and audio production by John Simmerman - Music via Epidemic Sound Resources used during the production of this video: - My recording platform is Ecamm Live - Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite - Equipment: Contact me for a complete list For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below: - Active Towns Website - Active Towns on Bluesky - Weekly Update e-Newsletter Background: Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility. Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving 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." The Active Towns Channel features my original video 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 once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful. Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★