Aside from better infrastructure, varying and incongruent laws make biking very challenging. Should I ride on the sidewalk, or on the road? Where do I belong? Will I actually get a ticket if I make a judgement call?

Through the wacky ways that we regulate bikes in the states, we see starkly how they are not viewed as a viable transportation method (yet).

We scratch the surface on the head-scratching confusion; it's no wonder that folks are too overwhelmed and afraid to start biking, even if they want to.

Rest in Peace, Johnny Gaudreau.

We discuss:

00:00 Briefly on Johnny Gaudreau's death.

04:08 Cars and alcohol.

08:52 Legal inconsistencies in cycling and bike laws.

21:03 The Idaho Stop and its benefits.

24:42 Wrapping up.

Further context:

On the Idaho Stop (via the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).

Dr. Nadina Galle — ecological engineer and author of new book, The Nature of Our Cities — is in good traffic this week to hash out the crossroads of cities, nature, and technology. We talk proper park planning and tree management, and the cities leading the way. The nature side of the urbanism conversation is something we’ll be exploring more deeply here, soon. Nadina is the perfect person to help frame the needed emphasis.

We discuss:

00:00 Dr. Nadina Galle is in good traffic.

01:09 Publishing a book in two languages.

03:04 Embracing technology in urban design.

04:55 Smart cities and urban ecosystems.

11:11 Global leaders in urban nature solutions.

19:02 Opportunities in urban nature.

33:46 On ecological engineering.

33:52 The Miyawaki method and technological integration.

34:57 Building biodiversity in cities.

36:56 More on ecological engineering.

38:47 Communicating complex concepts.

42:30 The Internet of Nature concept.

44:42 North American urban greening outlook.

51:44 Wrapping up.

Connect with Nadina:

The book.

nadinagalle.com.

On Instagram.

On Twitter.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Joan Lyons — transportation planner and urbanism writer — is in good traffic sharing on the Women Moving People project, which focuses on emboldening women's perspectives in the planning and transportation industries. We agree strongly on the importance of early exposure to urbanism for children and students.

Joan also talks her career as a transportation planner in Louisiana, Denver, and North Carolina.

Plus, a look at passenger rail corridors being identified, and funding challenges, across the states.

We discuss:

00:00 Women Moving People: a project overview.

10:43 Introducing urbanism to coming generations.

15:48 Personal tales on public transit.

32:55 North Carolina's unique transportation landscape.

43:20 Regional connectivity and passenger rail initiatives.

48:40 Challenges in transportation funding.

54:54 Sign up for your city's newsletter, and fill stuff out.

01:01:22 Wrapping up.

Further context:

Women Moving People.

A look at identified passenger rail corridors, particularly in North Carolina and Ohio (via Trains.com).

Transportation management organizations (e.g. Boulder Transportation Connections).

Connect with Joan:

On Instagram.

On LinkedIn.

Connect with me, Brad:

On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On inefficiency of single-use spaces. Questioning the norm of planning for exceptions rather than the rule. Cities and individuals make choices based on rarer needs, leading to underutilized spaces. In homing differing usages in one space — like a morning coffee shop turning into a bar at night, or a parking lot hosting a farmer's market — we can deduplicate resources, overhead, and infrastructure. We discuss: 00:00 Shared space. 01:46 Decision-making for the exception, vs. the rule. 06:29 Examples of shared spaces, and deduplicating resources and infrastructure. 10:54 On Stoa. 13:54 Combining retail-specific spaces. 17:52 Upcoming topics and conversation. Further context: On Stoas (via Sidewalk Labs).

Kev Polk — founder of Edenicity — is in good traffic this week discussing a permacultural approach to urbanism. This is: ecologically sound cities that provide housing, food, energy, and transportation in a cohesive system. Kev shares his path from space exploration to realizing the importance of localized systems and cities in addressing environmental crises. Kev emphasizes the potential for greater freedom and convenience (the American wishlist) through thoughtful urban design and holistic planning.

We discuss:

00:00 Welcome to the new studio.

00:21 On Edenicity as a concept.

01:24 Permaculture and urban planning.

02:12 From space exploration to permaculture.

03:38 Cities as the solution to environmental issues.

05:01 Opportunities in urban permaculture.

11:57 Examples of successful urban permaculture.

20:45 Holistic system design, governance, and execution.

28:54 Lessons from the roundabout project in Bloomington, Indiana.

29:48 Experiences in Ohio.

31:22 Tiny house community roadblocks.

36:13 Promoting abundance and freedom, instead of austerity.

42:22 Fake green vs. real green.

46:38 EV specticism.

48:42 Wrapping up.

Further context:

Edenicity on YouTube.

Biophilic building design in Singapore (via Summer Rayne Oakes).

Electric vehicles by state (via Exploding Topics).

Connect with Kev:

On Youtube.

Connect with me, Brad:

On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

On the hobby of spot-checking availability in nearby parking garages, and American driving and parking data.

We discuss:

00:00 Counting unused parking spots in downtown Columbus, Ohio. 00:27 Parking garage supply and demand. 01:47 Reevaluating urban land use. 02:44 U.S. parking data. 03:57 Parking case study: Des Moines, Iowa. 06:09 Larger implications of car-centric infrastructure. 11:11 Personal finance and transportation costs. 14:46 Coming Thursday: Kev Polk (Edenicity).

Further context:

Number of parking spots, compared to cars on the road in the U.S. (via Fast Company).

The parking density of American cities (via Bloomberg CityLab).

Cities' 'parking scores' (via Parking Reform Network).

Average car ownership count by household (via Forbes).

Average American household size (via Statistica).

Ryan Short — cofounder of CivicBrand — joins good traffic to emphasize why cities and towns of all sizes should care more about branding. We talk the need for civic pride and intentional urban design, qualitative and quantitative data collection, and using community perspective to refine strong, holistic, evergreen messaging.

From Dallas, to suburban North Carolina, to mountain town Colorado, Ryan's perspective is forged from work in communities of all stripes. He's truly of wealth of successful precedents for proper placemaking.

We discuss:

00:00 On CivicBrand, and branding cities.

04:29 On community engagement.

05:30 Car-centric design has ruined civic identity.

08:12 How to approach community engagement and placemaking.

16:37 Collecting data at community meetings.

25:23 Qualitative data in branding.

26:03 Personal taste versus city identity.

27:18 Toyota's branding as a model for cities.

30:44 Civic pride and economic growth.

34:13 Case study: High Point, North Carolina.

40:18 Learning from small towns.

45:16 Wrapping up.

Further context:

CivicBrand.

Connect with Ryan:

On LinkedIn.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Recently, my partner Aly reflected on our walks in Columbus (OH) feeling safer than elsewhere in the states. We discussed the why behind this perceived feeling, and articulated the claim into five attributable rationales. We decided to rehash those, here.

As planners, designers, and urbanists get deeper into the technical, it's important to keep the way that a place or piece of infrastructure simply feels top of mind.

Rob Parker — president of the Town at Trilith — is in good traffic this week to share on constructing a walkable town around creatives and the film industry. 40 minutes outside of Atlanta, a 235-acre neighborhood is taking shape. It’s budding around one of the largest film studios in the U.S., and is looking to become a cradle for creatives, on the way to establishing a revamped, stronger model of an industry town.

Even amongst all of the glitz and glamour of movie studios — simple, practical walkability is top of mind.

We discuss:

00:00 Centering a town around a leading Atlanta movie studio (the home of multiple Marvel productions).

01:44 Building and curating a walkable community, specifically designed for creatives.

07:20 Intentionality in crafting diverse, ‘missing middle’ housing options.

11:53 New, greenfield development that doesn’t feel fake, cheap, or cookie-cutter.

15:14 Challenges and solutions of a ‘new urbanist’ development project.

29:28 Connectivity and transportation between suburban and rural towns.

37:37 Balancing cars and walkability.

42:28 Wrapping up.

Further context:

The Town at Trilith.

The studio.

Connect with Rob:

On LinkedIn.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Musing from recent neighborhood walks. Notably: counting single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) entering and exiting the city during rush hour. Surely, some of these are coming from — and going to — similar areas of the metro. There has to be a better way. And, they're all driving increasingly-large SUVs, too.

Bigger, heavier cars. More inefficient, wasted space.

There is much we can glean from a basic neighborhood wander. This is one such observation; what is one of yours?

We discuss:

00:00 Observations from neighborhood walks, amongst rush hour commuters.

04:27 The inefficiency of single occupancy vehicles.

11:28 The exploding popularity of larger vehicles in the U.S. (SUVs, trucks, etc.).

16:44 More on inefficiencies in American cities.

21:30 What have you noticed in your neighborhood?

For context:

U.S. commuter data (via CSIS).

Market share by vehicle type, 1975-2021 (via Center for Sustainable Systems, University of Michigan).

Cost of empty airline seats (via Forbes).

Most popular vehicle type in each state (via iSeeCars).

This is a brief excerpt from my appearance on the Real Finds podcast, last week. Within, we examine why walkability, livable neighborhoods, and human-scale environments should be top of mind for commercial real estate professionals and business owners.

Find the full hour here.

Thanks to Gordon Lamphere for the audio.

Road signs seem to get read less than a seventh-grade history textbook. Even the most ubiquitous, exact signs like — STOP — are seemingly up for interpretation (everyone is an artist now, or something). Unfortunately, we're not obeying those crafty yard signs that encourage slowing down, either. Signs that give dynamic feedback — thanks to a radar function that feeds a display board — do make an impact, but not enough. Thorough, safer urban design is the way to lower speeds, and thus lower pedestrian and bike fatalities and accidents.

The bottom line: we humans aren't good at judging the proper speed at which to drive. Whatever number is listed, we add nine-ish mph. We need an environment (streets) that demand driver caution, care, and presence.

Also, data to follow up on last week’s Tara Hill Drive conversation. Hint: traffic calming measures work (see links below).

We discuss:

00:00 Slow down: duck crossing.

01:38 Becoming desensitized to pedestrian safety?

02:28 Effectiveness of road signage.

07:31 Dynamic, electronic feedback signs.

10:07 Why we need urban design and traffic calming infrastructure.

10:59 Data on speed and fatalities on U.S. roads.

16:59 Case study follow up (from last week): traffic calming in Dublin, Ohio.

23:47 The new studio, soon.

25:57 Wrapping up.

For context:

On street sign design (via Behavioral Scientist).

On the chance of being killed by a car, correlated with vehicle speed (via ProPublica).

On the efficacy of radar speed signs (via Radarsign).

NHTSA speed data (via The League of American Bicyclists).

Tara Hill Drive (Dublin, Ohio), BEFORE the traffic calming implementations.

⁠Tara Hill Drive AFTER the traffic calming implementations.⁠

Schools are back in session — and in less than a week, we're already fielding car line and traffic complaints.

There has to be a better way to empower children's movement.

We discuss:

00:00 Back to school.

01:22 The daily commute struggles.

03:08 Alternatives: The bike bus movement.

05:47 Practical tips for parents and students.

10:54 Commuting while in college.

16:44 Empowering student and teacher movement.

21:33 Next week.

Reflecting on traffic calming infrastructure seen this week in suburban Dublin, Ohio, on Tara Hill Drive.

When car-dominated suburbs build infrastructure like neighborhood traffic circles, it's an acknowledgment that we surely know how to design safer streets, and thus every street designed on the contrary is an active choice against resident livability.

The road to stronger, safer, and more livable neighborhoods is not a mysterious one.

In addition, we briefly touch on an impactful Twitter thread from the week. It's on road accident death rates, how we compare to Russia (not good), and how to operate amongst the attributable dangers here in the states. The credit belongs to Mark Abraham, and you can find the thread here. It's worth your time.

We discuss:

00:00 Live from the new home: Columbus, Ohio!

02:27 Traffic calming measures spotted in suburban Columbus.

04:00 We know the proper way to design safe streets.

10:54 Rising traffic deaths in the U.S. (we've passed Russia).

14:21 Wrapping up.

Thanks for bearing with me during our studio move. Apologies for any sub-optimal sound, this week.

Live from the move from Tempe, Arizona to Columbus, Ohio: noting constant roadway maintenance, contextualizing intercity v. intracity transportation, and looking forward to getting out of this car.

Also, just a tad bit of CNU Cincy FOMO.

Steve Nash — NBA hall-of-famer and founder of BLOCK training — is in good traffic to chat on the concept of healthspan, and how quality of life and neighborhood design interconnect. We talk baking mobility and movement into everyday life, training intentionally, and stacking habits in a scalable way. Steve shares the framework and ethos behind his current endeavors with BLOCK, and origins in mobility training during his playing days and childhood.

Culdesac founder Ryan Johnson is also back on the show this week — he shares perspective on building walkable places in the U.S. that prioritize the health and habits that Steve champions.

We discuss:

00:00 Steve Nash and Ryan Johnson are in good traffic. 00:58 Healthspan definitions and pillars. 03:18 Healthspan in daily life. 04:28 The role of walkable communities in enhancing healthspan. 05:04 Moving from hall-of-fame pro athlete to founder of BLOCK training. 07:11 On the daily eight’ health habit builder. 18:08 The community element of BLOCK training. 25:42 Reflections on movement, mental health, and longevity. 29:16 Stress and coping mechanisms in professional sports. 32:39 How Steve Nash led through physical touch in the NBA. 41:03 Political polarization and walkable neighborhoods in the U.S. 57:05 Reflecting on walkable commutes.

Further context:

BLOCK training, Steve’s current project.

Healthspan, explained.

Some Steve Nash highlights, for good measure.

The study on Steve leading the NBA in physical touches with teammates.

Connect with Steve:

On Instagram.

On LinkedIn.

On Twitter.

Connect with Ryan:

On LinkedIn.

On Twitter.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Aly Marchant — my transit-taking girlfriend and a good traffic regular — is back for a walkthrough of being a women on public transportation. She shares recent challenges, protocols to help avoid and navigate uncomfortable situations, our collaboration towards mitigation as a couple, the role of young men, and optimism for female riders.

For context:

⁠Gender distribution of public transit travelers in the United States (via Statista).⁠

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Expanding highways and adding lanes doesn't solve traffic. If it did, the cities that have been doing so for decades would have fixed their traffic woes. But, they're worse than ever.

Through the continuously misguided approach to transportation, we've learned a lot about the principle of induced demand, and Jevons paradox. In short, when we increase capacity in the name of efficiency, what we actually increase is demand and use. Thus, efficiency actually goes down.

What if we were to induce the demand for other methods of transportation? With more and better bike infrastructure, would we not see a rise in those biking? Paris has done just this, and it is working. Biking has now passed driving in the city, as a means of transportation.

Your move, *insert name of American city*.

For context:

A great walkthrough on why expanding highways doesn't solve traffic (via Business Insider).

Increased roadway capacity induces additional vehicle miles traveled in the short-run, and even more in the long-run (via National Center for Sustainable Transportation).

Shots of the Salt River Shore and Rio Salado Pathway in Phoenix, Arizona (via AllTrails).

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This week, we briefly touch base on three prevailing sentiments, from recent comment sections:

1. There is a massive difference between a personal lifestyle choice, and a scalable development pattern.
2. Folks seem to think the only kind of real estate or housing that one can buy is a detached, single-family home on a large lot. Of course, this is not true.
3. "Not everyone wants to live in a city!" Yes, correct. Just as not everyone wants to live in any specific place. Yet, more people live in cities than anywhere else (>80% of the U.S. population (via Census.gov, UMich)). We need to plan, design, and build accordingly.

We also reflect on a weekend trip spent walking Salt Lake City neighborhoods, and observing positive infrastructure improvements amidst a sprawling metro.

One note: in this episode, we referenced episode 29, in conjunction with recent comment sections. We meant episode 28. Catch up on that audio here.

For context:

On Salt Lake City bike infrastructure improvements (via The Salt Lake Tribune).

A new SLC bus stop + buffered bike lane, approaching an intersection.

A protected intersection, in downtown Salt Lake City.

A UTA train pic (underrated, and greatly enjoyed).

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dan Burden — America’s most legendary walkability and bikeability expert, and director of innovation at Blue Zones — is in good traffic to share a lifetime’s worth of work on making cities and streets more livable. He’s played a role in walkable design projects in thousands of communities, in all 50 states.

Dan is also the mastermind behind the 4,300 mile long TransAmerica bike route, and leader of the famous bike journey from Alaska to Argentina.

We discuss:

00:00 Dan Burden is in good traffic.

00:45 Dan’s first autonomous vehicle (Waymo) ride.

04:06 Biking into a career in urban planning and design.

13:35 Getting tapped to be the nation’s first bike and pedestrian coordinator… in Florida.

18:50 Walkability gaining momentum in American cities.

36:33 The three stages of cultural bike adoption.

37:38 Maintaining optimism throughout a long career in city planning.

43:37 Planning for the future of urban transportation.

52:35 Navigating political and social landscapes in city building.

01:00:37 Urban planners are storytellers.

01:12:22 Reflecting on a 50+ year career.

For content:

Biking across the U.S., thanks to Dan.

Dan’s work archive.

Blue Zones.

Connecting with Dan:

On LinkedIn.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Megan Kimble — Journalist and author of new book City Limits: infrastructure, inequality, and the future of American highways — is in good traffic to discuss the most infamous part of our cities. Megan contextualizes the current fight over the widening of I-35 through downtown Austin, navigating a freeway-crazed Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and extensive research into the relationships between American cities and their highways. We talk the history, present struggles, and future ramifications of investing in auto-centric infrastructure.

Megan’s new book is out today, April 2nd, wherever you buy your books.

We discuss:

00:00 Megan Kimble is in good traffic.

01:34 Urbanist origin story: Tucson to Austin.

03:24 Texas' current highway expansion fights (in Austin, Dallas, and Houston).

05:08 I-35 expansion in Austin.

08:33 Funding transit vs. highways in Texas.

11:31 Grassroots movements and state decisions.

17:56 The case for removing urban highways.

19:41 Model highway removal projects in Rochester, New York.

27:09 More on Tucson urbanism.

29:55 The racial context of American highways.

35:49 A walkable collegiate commute in Tucson.

37:34 Where to find Megan’s new book.

For context:

Megan’s book — City Limits: infrastructure, inequality, and the future of American highways — out now.

On Austin’s current I-35 challenge.

Connect with Megan:

On Twitter.

On Instagram.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Using the word suburb to describe both small towns and endless sprawl seems like a mistake. Small towns — even when on the periphery of a larger city — sometimes do gentle density even better than cities do. Sprawl is the beast that we are up against.

We also touch on the misconception that cities and growth are bad for the environment, and why the rural v. urban debate is a false polarization. A common enemy is involved.

We round out this week’s good traffic by listening to republican governor of North Dakota (recently flirted with as a potential Trump VP pick) Doug Burgum’s recent comments on zoning and walkability at the National Governors Association winter meetings. Many other (perhaps unsuspecting) political figures have shared similar sentiments, as of late. The short of it: republicans and conservatives have plenty of reasons to support walkability and urbanism, too.

00:00 The subcategories of suburbs: small towns and sprawl.

09:30 The false tension between rural and city, and why we may be on the same page.

15:28 Walkability is bipartisan; republican leaders are in favor.

For context:

Doug Burgum on walkability (via National Governers Association).

How much does a mile of road cost? (via Strong Towns).

The cost of sprawl in U.S., summarized (via California YIMBY).

Kansas City’s outsized land area growth, as compared to population growth, in the mid-1900s (via Strong Towns).

Maddy Novich — @cargobikemomma on Instagram — is in good traffic this week to talk raising and transporting a family by bike. Maddy moves throughout New York City daily via one of her many cargo bikes. We discuss the relationship between parenting and car-reliance in the U.S., and how parents can begin replacing car trips with bike trips sooner than they might think.

In the episode, you might just find your next minivan. Hint: it's not a Honda Oddessey.

We discuss:

00:00 Meeting Maddy, @cargobikemomma.

02:01 How and why Maddy's family started biking everywhere.

06:03 How to gain confidence on a cargo bike or e-bike.

11:21 Cargo biking in different American cities.

14:54 The deeply-rooted relationship between parenting and cars.

27:25 Biking inspires independence, autonomy, and self-sufficiency in children.

29:22 Biking with kids in New York City.

33:08 How parents benefit from their kids biking.

34:46 Preventing e-bike theft using routine activity theory.

43:09 Bike and cargo bike recommendations.

48:58 Wrapping up.

For context:

On routine activity theory (via Simply Psychology).

Different styles of cargo bikes (via Momentum Mag).

Connecting with Maddy:

On Instagram, @cargobikemomma.

Maddy's newsletter.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kyla Scanlon — author of In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work — is in good traffic to talk oil and gas economics and sociology, consumer sentiment and election voting driven by vibes, the implications of widespread car ownership, and more at the X of econ and urbanism.

Kyla’s book is the best entry-level econ read out there. Read it, ASAP. You can get your copy, here.

We discuss:

00:00 Kyla Scanlon is in good traffic.

01:13 On the new book.

03:40 Housing market complexities.

06:52 The vibes economy, election years, and gas prices.

11:17 Subsidies and green energy.

18:39 Transportation alternatives.

23:29 Cycling infrastructure and safety.

28:20 Human behavior and economics.

28:43 Challenges of car-centric infrastructure.

32:14 Market demand for walkable neighborhoods.

34:47 Congestion pricing and public transit.

38:51 The financial burdens of car ownership.

44:32 Effective communication in urban planning and design.

46:33 Wrapping up.

Further context:

The book (again).

Connect with Kyla:

kylascanlon.com

Kyla’s newsletter.

Kyla’s podcast — Let’s Appreciate.

On TikTok.

On Instagram.

On YouTube.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Corey Woods — Mayor of Tempe, Arizona — is in good traffic while leading a walkable, healthy, and multi-generational college town, suburb, and rapidly-growing city, all at the same time.

We converse on the beauties and challenges of density, tourism, and different forms of transportation in one of the United States’ most underrated cities. Notably, we touch on Prop 478, which is on the table (in March 2024) to positively amend the Tempe General Plan 2050 to empower needed real estate development and more multimodal transportation (bikes, light rail, streetcar, etc.).

We discuss:

00:00 How one becomes a mayor.

04:25 Why Tempe, Arizona?

07:42 Working alongside a university and college campus to plan a walkable city or town.

09:24 Growth and longevity of a city, and understanding differing viewpoints on change.

12:36 On Prop 478 and the Tempe General Plan 2050.

21:47 Urbanism and walkability in Tempe.

27:11 Planning for the seasonality of a college town.

30:48 Regional collaboration for transportation and development in Phoenix.

33:57 Balancing tourism and resident needs.

36:00 Mayor Woods loves kombucha.

36:43 Tourism’s role in economic development.

40:13 A mayor's day-to-day.

45:30 Widening the urban planning and urban design community.

53:49 Wrapping up.

For context:

On Prop 478, and the Tempe General Plan 2050.

Mayor Woods’ re-election campaign.

Connecting with Mayor Corey Woods:

On Instagram.

On X.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Interest in cults is extremely high, at the moment; Americans' Netflix and podcast queues suggest as much. Why are these notorious communities always so walkable and human-centered in their designs? Can we create community-oriented places without another, separate shared purpose?

Aly Marchant - actor, teacher, and my thought-provoking girlfriend - is back in good traffic for a conversation on the cultural zeitgeist. Even Oppenheimer gets a mention on this urban design show.

Mallory Baches — President of the Congress for the New Urbanism (or, CNU), and urban designer — is in good traffic to hash out the details of the New Urbanism movement, and the overall progression of urban design, urban planning, and urban development in the U.S. We discuss: 00:00 On Mallory, and the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). 04:10 How have urbanism and urban development evolved in the U.S.? 04:43 What is a “congress” for urbanism? 06:06 A background on new urbanism. 08:36 The history and criticism of the New Urbanist movement, and of urban planning movements as a whole. 15:53 On transit-oriented development, and density, in the U.S. 21:06 Southern urbanism: walkable cities in the Sun Belt and American south. 29:12 Selecting cities for an urban planning and design conference. 34:15 A commute into Chicago. A couple of quotes: “Sprawl is continuing. And so 30 years later, [CNU’s] mission to reverse that trend is still as important as ever.” “We call ourselves a Congress and we talk about intentionally being based on the idea of debate, exploration, and critique where necessary. That sort of approach to understanding cities is fundamentally evolutionary in nature. “The idea of connecting transit with new development — transit-oriented development, transit-accessible development — there are a lot of acronyms, a lot of ways to describe the idea of designing your mass transportation systems and your higher intensity development to happen in conjunction with each other.” For context: On New Urbanism. On CNU (the organization). On CNU 32 in Cincinnati, Ohio (the annual conference). Connecting with Mallory: On LinkedIn. On Twitter.

Connecting with me, Brad: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠

A Columbus Dispatch article recently came out discussing why suburbanites aren't visiting the mixed-use Short North neighborhood as often. It prompts the question: should we be depending on suburban residents for the success of our city neighborhoods (especially when they have to drive there)? Or, should we be recalibrating the conversation around density and increased residency in/around these neighborhoods?

In this vein, we touch on Minneapolis' recent progress (via Pew) in deploying the urbanism playbook. A hint: they're doing a great job.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mr. Money Mustache — a leading voice on financial freedom, prolific writer, and conscious craftsman — is in good traffic to survey the impractical costs of cars, ways to cut down on unnecessary expenses, and how to create more environmentally friendly, livable urban spaces. MMM actionably advocates for forging a lifestyle that centers essentials, better transportation options like biking and walking, and conscious choices toward lowering waste.

We discuss:

00:00 At the intersection of personal finance and urban design.

05:45 The personal finance of our transportation choices.

11:17 Frugality in today's economic climate.

14:48 The role of government in urban planning.

20:56 Individual and community financial responsibility.

27:02 Passive housing and sustainable building.

33:47 Incentivizing transportation choices.

35:39 The cost of car dependency and the freedom of bikes.

45:33 Embracing localized living.

48:55 Walking commutes and the luxury of time.

Connecting with MMM:

The blog.

On Instagram.

On Twitter.

Connecting with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠

Dr. Tayana Panova — a psychologist focused on the long-tailed effects of American suburbs and sprawl — is in good traffic to talk the X of urbanism (or lack thereof) and psychology. Dr. Panova summarizes how American urban and suburban design over the last century has had profound effects on our mental, social, and physical wellbeing. She centers the need to reshape people in our urban environments; making them more walkable and conducive to human connections. Tayana also previews her upcoming book, which further studies these points.

We discuss:

00:00 Dr. Tayana Panova is in good traffic.

00:44 The intersection of psychology and urbanism.

01:59 The state of youth psychology in a suburbanized nation.

02:27 Perceptions of the suburbs.

06:35 Technology molds psychology… especially cars.

10:00 The impact of car dependence on our minds.

12:35 The concept of control in urban planning.

15:38 The freedom paradox.

20:32 Shaping POV, via travel.

28:24 A pure joy found in walkable spaces.

29:47 The relationship between urban design on mental health.

35:36 A suburban dilemma.

42:44 Room for improvements.

49:15 The joy of commuting in well-designed cities.

Further context:

• ⁠⁠Writings, at the Social Life Project.⁠⁠

Connect with Dr. Panova:

• ⁠On TikTok.⁠
• ⁠On Twitter.⁠

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠

Ryan Johnson — CEO and founder of Culdesac — is in good traffic, amidst building the first car-free neighborhood in the United States, in Tempe, Arizona. We talk the evolution of American neighborhoods, working with cities instead of against them, and the future of mobility beyond private car ownership. Ryan also speaks on the potential pathways to living car-free, as well as the math, places, and ebikes that enchant those paths.

Appropriately, we’re live from the new good traffic studio at Culdesac Tempe, in Tempe, Arizona. We'll be live from the site all Spring.

We discuss:

• 01:40 What it’s like to actually live in the first car-free neighborhood in the States.
• 02:49 The widely supported importance of walkable neighborhoods.
• 03:40 The unique physical fabric of Culdesac.
• 04:07 The evolution of housing in the U.S., and the need for betterment.
• 05:47 The decision to build in Tempe, Arizona as a proving ground.
• 08:28 The role of cities (like Tempe) in supporting housing.
• 10:44 The value of usable space in urban design.
• 12:45 More on car-free living.
• 17:25 Routing the trajectory of American urbanism.
• 20:12 Ryan’s journey to living car-free in multiple cities and countries.
• 21:57 Taking a Lyft from Phoenix to Sedona, and the perception of rideshare as a formidable and affordable transportation option.
• 23:49 The cultural adoption of autonomous vehicles and rideshare as norms.
• 29:44 Ryan’s ebike collection, and inviting new folks on rides.
• 32:28 A memorable commute in Rio de Janeiro.

Further context:

• Views from the growing neighborhood.
• Culdesac.com, for more.

Connecting with Ryan:

• ⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn.
• On Twitter.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠

There's been a mixed and varying reaction to scooters in our cities (even amongst urbanists). With Bird's recent bankruptcy — following a whirlwind few years — it's an interesting time to take stock of our cultural opinion of micromobility as a whole.

Did the unregulated, wild-west-esque attempt at democratizing micromobility actually set us back in gaining public support for new ways of moving around the American downtown?

A side note: we just moved — we're now live from Culdesac Tempe.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠

Jonathon Stalls — A walking artist, and leader of Pedestrian Dignity and Intrinsic Paths — is in good traffic (by way of Denver, CO) to talk the power of human mobility and transportation’s most foundational form: walking. Jonathon adds a poetic and expressive element to the inanimate and harsh likes of pavement, engineering, and cities at large.

His storytelling is unrivaled in its ability to convey the realness and rawness of human movement in our American cities, outside of the automobile.

We discuss:

• 00:44 The walking artist.
• 07:33 The Pedestrian Dignity project.
• 09:20 The impact of urban planning on the accessibility of places.
• 17:46 The contentious relationship between cars and accessibility.
• 23:54 Group walks with the Denver DOT, city leaders and engineers, and dosing actionable empathy.
• 32:34 The bus experience.
• 33:17 Perception problem with buses in the U.S.
• 34:31 The weight of dignity in transportation.
• 34:48 The built environment is often so rough and rigid.
• 35:46 The sensorial perspective in urban planning.
• 41:02 Walking and movement, with neuroscientific supports.
• 44:15 Walking across the U.S., and other long-distance walking experiences.
• 46:19 Walking as a creative and healing practice.
• 54:04 Urbanism in Denver, Colorado.
• 01:03:17 Engaging with Pedestrian Dignity.

Further context:

• Jonathon's book: WALK - Slow Down, Wake Up & Connect at 1-3 Miles Per Hour.
• Small-town walkability precedent: Long Beach, Washington.
• America Walks.

Connecting with Jonathon:

• ⁠⁠On TikTok.⁠⁠⁠
• On Instagram.⁠⁠
• Intrinsic Paths.
• Jonathon's Patreon.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Jon Jon Wesolowski — The Happy Urbanist, content creator, and Chattanooga community leader — is in good traffic for a conversation about the conversation itself. Jon Jon is the most effective creator of entry-level, accessible urbanism content. He's bringing in new ears and minds at a rapid rate, and the collective is better because of it. We also talk the upward trajectory in Chattanooga, as well as recent worldwide travels.

We discuss:

• 04:32 Urbanism in media.
• 08:13 Experiencing urban infrastructure firsthand, as a classroom.
• 09:09 Things cars broke.
• 13:26 Recent European family travels, car math, and derived insights for Tennessee.
• 17:20 The Happy Urbanist: Jon Jon’s bet on optimism.
• 18:07 Creating engaging urban planning content.
• 19:10 A video about guardrails, and other accessible entry points into the conversation.
• 28:39 The charm of Chattanooga, Tennessee: a burgeoning walkable city.
• 29:11 The potential of a city like Chattanooga.
• 32:22 Economic versus environmental benefits of urbanism.
• 37:54 The anarchist story of Athens, Greece.
• 48:00 Historical urban narratives: Athens and Ljubljana.
• 49:02 A commute in Athens.

Further context:

• On guardrails.
• Things cars broke (on Instagram).
• The Chattanooga Urbanist Society.
• When anarchy intersects with urbanism, in Athens, Greece.⁠

Connecting with Jon Jon:

• ⁠On TikTok.
• ⁠On Instagram.⁠

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Donald Shoup — economist, author, and distinguished research professor at UCLA — is in good traffic this week re-emphasizing the economic implications of free parking and its hidden costs, advocating for reforms such as market-based pricing for curb parking and parking benefit districts. He delves into the nuances between doctrine and dogma, sharing his perspective from a summary of lifelong research and practice in cities nationwide. The conversation explores various cities (including good traffic's home base in Columbus, Ohio) that are implementing these changes, promoting the idea that paid parking and strategically managed space can improve urban environments dramatically.

We discuss:

00:00 Donald Shoup is in good traffic.

00:37 Doctrine vs. Dogma in urban planning.

01:53 Challenging minimum parking requirements.

03:48 The evolution of parking policies.

04:44 On parking economics within research and universities.

07:23 On American parking reform.

10:20 Parking benefit districts and performance parking.

10:49 Unexpected success stories.

18:29 The political landscape surrounding parking.

19:26 Value of an economist approach to the parking conversation.

24:16 Parking cash outs and employer transit stipends.

28:57 The hidden costs of free parking.

32:58 The direction of parking reform.

36:40 Wrapping up.

37:35 A Shoup pitch: paid parking and free podcasts.

Further context:

Donald's book: The High Cost of Free Parking.

The Shoup Doggma, referenced in this episode.

A summary of the three reform tools discussed, from Vox.

Connect with Donald:

shoupdogg.com

On LinkedIn.

On Twitter.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Coby Lefkowitz — developer, writer, urbanist, and tweeter — is in good traffic to discuss the longstanding distrust of the big, bad developer in the urbanism conversation, and how partnership (versus vilification) is the pathway to building better places.

Coby is the Founder of Backyard — a development group focused on gentle density in great American cities.

We discuss:

• 01:43 Getting into urban development as a twenty-something.
• 06:57 Contextualizing the role of developers in urban planning.
• 16:45 What is ‘gentle density?’
• 17:03 Coby’s blossoming operation: Backyard.
• 21:41 The importance of simple beauty in the built environment.
• 25:23 Successful examples of gentle density and missing middle housing development across the U.S.
• 30:56 The art of creating simple beauty in urban planning and real estate development.
• 36:27 The challenge of housing affordability.
• 41:31 On upzoning.

Further context:

• Backyard (Coby's operation).
• Gentle density and optimism in Charleston, SC.

Connecting with Coby:

• On Twitter.
• Coby's homepage.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Taylor Schaffer — President and CEO of Downtown Indy Inc. — is in good traffic to share an ongoing story on the proliferation of placemaking, urbanism, walkability, and the potential to live car-free or car-lite in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This is the first-ever episode of the new good traffic subseries: Walkable Pockets. We'll traverse underrated, often unsuspecting, pockets of the U.S. where one can find walkability at the crossroads of affordability. The usual suspects for walkable community are often either too pricey, too far, or too impractical for many folks to move or travel to. This series will bring walkable neighborhoods (or, pockets), and the potential of a less car-dependent lifestyle closer to home, and within budget.

We discuss:

• 00:31 A background on the current state of urbanism in Indianapolis.
• 01:34 Indianapolis' walkability and sense of place.
• 02:29 Exploring Monument Circle and its placemaking transformation into car-free, activated space.
• 04:21 The role of events and community engagement in urban planning.
• 12:21 Data collection and analysis in placemaking and urban design.
• 13:26 The cruciality of active management in public spaces.
• 26:13 The trajectory of downtown Indianapolis.
• 35:05 Living in downtown Indianapolis, and the potential to live car-free or car-lite both practically and affordably.
• 36:40 Indianapolis' Cultural Trail and active transportation infrastructure.
• 40:33 Current and future development projects, ongoing.

Further context:

• Find all discussed projects and progress here (via Downtown Indy, Inc.).
• Downtown Indy, Inc.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Holiday markets and festivals are great. The traffic we sit in to get to them is quite the opposite. If we built more of the walkable environments that we love (those which festivals replicate), we wouldn't have to sit in standstill traffic, merely to access them for a couple of hours.

Also, U.S. traffic deaths are on the rise. It's a uniquely American predicament.

Further context:

• The rise in U.S. traffic deaths (via NYT).
• The Columbus Zoo traffic jam, last weekend (via the Columbus Dispatch).

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

An evening episode, following a weekend at MLS Cup in the underrated city of Columbus, Ohio. Festivals, sporting events, concerts, and holiday gatherings are all great entryways into the concept of walkable cities; people are empowered to explore an environment on foot - often on streets closed to cars, and opened up to people. They're a trojan horse, if you will. This audio is a reflection from one of those (don’t worry, if you don’t like soccer this one is still for you!).

We discuss:

• Overheard at MLS Cup. Urbanism takeaways from a weekend in downtown Columbus, Ohio.
• Large sporting events, concerts, and holiday festivals as trojan horses for walkable cities.
• Downtown stadiums determine the depth of a fan base.
• Lack of parking scares people in the short term, but it’s ultimately what makes them love places in the long term.
• Can we build walkable neighborhoods without an explicit, quantifiable, common interest?
• Why are some of the cities with the worst weather the best for biking and walking? Infrastructure matters.
• How Minneapolis, Portland, and NYC overcome weather to encourage active mobility and transportation.

Further context:

• Columbus Crew's stadium location, and how to walk, bike, or transit there.
• The best cities for biking in the U.S. (Note: the weather is not a deterrent).

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

The first installment of a new subseries: a weekly walkabout (working title). We'll take stock of recent readings and stories, experiences while navigating via foot and bike, and comments received on social. Aly Marchant (who you may remember from conversation 6) joins and leads the chat from her very relatable perspective, as she still feels this whole urbanism thing out.

We discuss:

• Outsiders' understandings as a metric of communicative success.
• Daylighting - the concept, implementation, and impact.
• What are bump outs, curb extensions, bollards, and beg buttons?
• A background in some entry-level infrastructure.
• Bike lane placement, in relation to parked cars.
• A bollard love story.
• From the comments: Can one still prioritize walking, (and active transportation) as a parent? We think so.

Further context:

• On daylighting (via Bloomberg CityLab).
• On bump outs, curb extensions (via the City of Minneapolis).
• On bollards (via Eye on Annalopis).
• On diagonal crosswalks, pedestrian scrambles (via Strong Towns).
• The World Bollard Association.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Coach Sam Balto — a physical education teacher, active transportation catalyst, and Portland bike bus leader — is in good traffic to open up on sustainable and healthy transportation options for children, disrupting the school car line, and what it all means for the collective movement of our cities.

We discuss:

• 00:01 Coach Sam Balto is in good traffic, and he’s driving the bike bus.
• 02:08 What is the bike bus? On the concept and origins in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.
• 04:02 The impact of bike buses and active transportation on the physical and mental health of our youth.
• 05:00 Parental involvement and feedback in the urbanist movement.
• 10:57 The role of social infrastructure in our cities.
• 18:53 The future of scaling bike buses in U.S. cities.
• 27:05 Teacher’s potential role in the urbanism equation, and what happens when we give kids the tools they need.
• 39:56 Reflections from a recent visit to walkable college town Tempe, Arizona.
• 45:05 How to connect with Coach Balto.

Further context:

• A Balto-led Portland bike bus in action.
• bikebus.world
• On the bike bus inspiring legislature.
• On the worldwide bike bus momentum.

Connecting with Sam:

• On TikTok.
• On Instagram.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠

• ⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Obi Johns — Rising Columbus, Ohio real estate professional (and budding urbanist) — is in good traffic to address the state of the American dream, how walkable neighborhoods have begun to replace the suburban fantasy of old, and how realtors are selling in the shifting market.

We discuss:

• The American Dream.
• Home buying and real estate in 2023.
• Millennials and Gen Z want to live in walkable neighborhoods and cities.
• Capitalism is signaling in favor of walkable environments.
• Columbus, Ohio is still, somehow, underrated.
• Bridge Park (Dublin, Ohio), and what suburbs building walkable places tells us.
• Marketing walkability (or, not even needing to...), and more urbanist real estate trends.

Greater context:

• The Bridge Park project.
• My take on Bridge Park.
• Brad and Obi explore one of Columbus’ most walkable neighborhoods.
• Anticipated freeway cap projects in Columbus.

Connecting with Obi:

• On Instagram.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.

• ⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.

Tesho Akindele - Former Major League Soccer and Canadian national team player turned urbanist and real estate developer - is here for the pitch on why athletes make great urbanists, and a dialogue on the intersection of sports and American cities.

We discuss:

• The importance of urbanism becoming a part of popular culture, rather than just criticizing it.
• The urbanist pitch to athletes, and why athletes make great urbanists.
• Living and playing in sprawling cities like Orlando, Florida and Dallas, Texas.
• Shaping the built environment in mid-large American cities like Charlotte, North Carolina.
• The role that sporting clubs should (and are beginning to) play in U.S. cities.
• Locker room urbanism talk.
• Growing in the real estate development profession.
• Community impact, and why there is nothing like bettering the built environment.
• Our new campaign: players biking to stadiums on gameday (s/o Klay Thompson).
• Building better neighborhoods.

Explore further:

• Camp North End - Tesho's current work in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• A brief bio.

Connecting with Tesho:

• On Twitter (X)
• On Instagram

Connecting with me, Brad:

• ⁠On Instagram⁠

• ⁠On TikTok⁠

• ⁠On LinkedIn⁠

The prompt for this week's audio was David Zipper's recent Vox article, titled "Why Norway — the poster child for electric cars — is having second thoughts."

Electric cars as the salient solution to climate change does a disservice to another brand of innovation: simplicity that works. Or, as we call it, biking, walking, public transit, and the like.

We discuss:

• David Zipper's article on Norway's past decade of heavily incentivizing electric vehicle ownership.
• Why EVs cannot be the bulk of the solution to our cities' climate challenges.
• The geometry and economics of cities and their space.
• The common disconnect between Federal goals and cities' best interests, and how funding for one can severely undermine the other.
• Eisenhower's Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, and the risks of blanketed national policy and subsidy.
• Bifurcation and classism.
• Cautionary learnings for American planners and politicians.
• What American's can do to evangelize simple innovation that works.

Explore further:

• "Why Norway — the poster child for electric cars — is having second thoughts" by David Zipper (Vox)

• Background on Eisenhower's Federal-Aid Highway Act, from KPBS in San Diego.

Connecting with me, Brad:

• On Instagram

• On TikTok

• On LinkedIn

Barry Greene Jr. - The “Density Dad”, plant and record shop owner, car-free commuter, and Richmond urbanist - is in good traffic this week to discuss how parenting and entrepreneurship intersect with cities and urbanism.

We Discuss /

• Misunderstanding density.
• How cities help parents.
• Creating the modern third place for people.
• Richmond, Virginia and parking minimums.
• Leading a local plant and record shop with NO off-street parking!
• Living car-free in Richmond, Virginia.
• What cities can learn from towns.
• Anyone can start a community hub in their neighborhood.
• Writing as Density Dad on Substack.

Connect with Barry /

On Instagram - https://instagram.com/barrygreenejr and https://instagram.com/density.dad

On Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrygreenejr

On Substack - https://density.dad

Explore further /

Shades of Moss - Richmond, Virginia's plant and record shop - https://www.shadesofmoss.com

Connecting with me /

On Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bbiehl/⁠

On TikTok - ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@citiesforpeople⁠

On LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradbiehl/⁠

Sam Westby — touring cyclist, bike commuter, and content creator — is in good traffic this week to talk all things biking. We delve into Sam's recent Tour Divide ride, traversing from the Canadian border to the Mexican border on varying surfaces. The conversation also touches on the evolving bike culture in cities like Boston, and the impact of ebikes. We touch on an upbringing in a cycling-focused family. We also discuss Sam's PhD work in network science, with potential applications in urban cycling infrastructure.

We discuss:

00:00 Sam's epic Tour Divide ride.

01:29 Bike touring preparation and decision making.

04:25 Diet and nutrition on biking excursions.

07:15 Bike community while on the road.

10:25 Urban vs. touring cycling.

16:27 Early beginnings and family influence.

22:03 Cycling amidst rapidly improving Boston infrastructure.

24:55 Boston's hardy biking culture.

26:29 Electric bike shares.

28:34 Social interactions.

30:04 The ebike debate and sufficient infrastructure.

34:09 PhD work in network science.

39:04 Navigating urban cycling via technology.

47:13 Best commutes and memorable rides.

Further context:

The Tour Divide ride.

Sam's video on biking across the U.S.

Connect with Sam:

On Instagram.

On YouTube.

On TikTok.

On Strava.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Alyssa Marchant - actor, teacher, and my beautiful urbanist girlfriend - is here this week for an important conversation on how walkable cities, bikes, and public transportation have been the life-changing foundation for our relationship and love life.

We discuss:

• Building a relationship and an active lifestyle at the same time.
• Solving relationship problems by taking long walks with your partner.
• Simple, fun, and cheap dates.
• Walking and biking as a creative exercise for actors and creatives (Timothee Chalamet spoke on this, recently).
• How density helps art, with Austin's rising comedy scene as an example.
• A practical route to longevity with your romantic and life partner.

Connecting with Aly:

On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alyssa.marchant/?hl=en

Online - https://www.alyssamarchant.com/

Connecting with me:

On Instagram - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/bbiehl/⁠⁠

On TikTok - ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@citiesforpeople⁠⁠

On LinkedIn - ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradbiehl/⁠

Draven Pointer - architectural designer at Better Block, craftsman of street furniture, woodworker, and Marvel maniac - joins the traffic from Dallas, Texas.

We discuss:

• Building better blocks, and getting started in your neighborhood.
• The built environment continues making adult friendships impossible.
• Americans' love for college (and why walkable cities are to thank!).
• Street furniture and its outsized impact.
• What if SimCity had mandatory parking minimums (yikes)?
• Open-source placemaking resources.
• Local hardware stores, Home Depot, and finding local experts all around you.

Explore further:

Better Block Wikiblock street furniture library - https://www.betterblock.org/wikiblock

Better Block projects - https://www.betterblock.org/our-work

Connecting with Draven:

On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dray_arch/

Connecting with me:

On Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/bbiehl/⁠

On TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@citiesforpeople⁠

On LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradbiehl/⁠

Teal Lehto - known as Western Water Girl for her thorough storytelling and commentary on the worsening water crisis in the U.S. - brings the water conservation conversation to the city.

We discuss:

• Why the conservationist and urbanist movements don't come together more often?
• Las Vegas, Nevada as an urban model for water conservation.
• Decoupling population growth from water usage.
• Water rights in the Western United States.
• What cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles need to start doing for the future of their water, people, and their built and natural environments.
• Desalination, Arizona's wishful and wildly expensive plans, and finding a sustainable path forward for the state.
• Lawns in the desert.
• Agriculture, eating beef, and what city dwellers can do to play a role in progress.

Connect with Teal:

• On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@westernwatergirl
• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westernwatergirl/

Connect with me:

• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbiehl/

• On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@citiesforpeople

• On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradbiehl/

Paul Stout - @TalkingCities on TikTok, prolific creator, future landscape architect, and Culdesac alum - sits down for a chat on all-things content, cities, cars, and crafting practical places for people.

We discuss:

• Being THE original TikTok urbanist.
• Sharing the Gen-Z perspective on walkable cities at the United Nations this summer.
• Introducing hundreds-of-thousands to urban planning and design.
• Admiring cars... just not in cities.
• Most of your favorite urban planners were landscape architects.
• Mexico City's stellar Bus Rapid Transit, and what New York City and others can learn.
• A dreamy, simple bike commute in Salzburg, Austria.
• The economic arguments against car ownership.
• Utrecht's last 20 years of human-centered planning.
• The power of precedents in design and rallying support.

Connect with Paul:

• On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkingcities

Connect with me:

• On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbiehl/

• On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@citiesforpeople

• On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradbiehl/