The Bottom-Up Revolution

When a tragic car crash forced street safety changes in Chattanooga, Tennessee, local businesses panicked about losing customers. But they soon discovered that foot traffic beats car traffic every time.

Emily Thompson, entrepreneur, author, and marketing chair of the North Shore Merchant Collective, explains how she helped push for increasing walkability and reclaiming space for people — and how those efforts made surrounding businesses more successful.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Local Recommendations:
  
  • Frazier Five and Dime
  • I Go Tokyo
  • Verre Noir
  • Basecamp
• Almanac Supply Co (site)
• Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
• Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

What happens when a planner stops following broken rules and starts rewriting them instead?

Brad Callender, director of planning and zoning for Monroe, Georgia, legalized the housing people actually need. Duplexes and backyard cottages are now popping up across town. He joins Norm today to explain how he did it as a department of one.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Brad Callender (LinkedIn)
• Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
• Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Megan Ramey has advocated for kid-friendly transportation for over a decade, culminating in her role as the Safe Routes to School Manager for Hood River County, Oregon.

Megan and Tiffany discuss the importance of walkability and bikeability for children, and Megan shares lessons she's learned from advocating in cities as big as Boston and towns as small as Hood River.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Local Recommendations:
  
  • Historic Columbia River Highway
  • Ten Speed Coffee Shop
  • Love and Hominy
• Walk And Roll Hood River County Schools (site)
• Bikeabout (site)
• Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
• Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Your downtown isn't a money pit — it's a money pot. When Medicine Hat, Alberta, discovered the real financial value of traditional urban form, it sparked something bigger: a grassroots movement that's now changing who runs city hall. Superintendent of Planning Shawn Champagne joins Norm to discuss small bets, fiscal resilience, and why bottom-up change actually works.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Shawn Champagne: shacha@medicinehat.ca
• Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)

In her day job, Victoria Via is an architect who designs affordable housing. In her off hours, she's one of the leaders of a powerhouse Local Conversation in Portland, Oregon. Victoria joins Tiffany to explain what affordable housing has in common with luxury projects and how Strong Towns PDX is working with neighborhood groups and city officials to transform Portland for the better.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Local Recommendations:‍
  
  • Roste Chocolate House‍
  • Kate's Ice Cream
  • ‍Orange & Blossom‍
  • Bike Summer (Pedalpalooza)‍
• ‍Strong Towns PDX‍ (site)‍
• Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
• Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

What happens when a data analyst starts studying their hometown's finances? For Karl Urich, it meant seeing Albany, New York, in a whole new light. Karl shares how he makes intimidating financial statements accessible to everyone, why unbiased storytelling matters more than gotcha journalism, and practical tips for aspiring data storytellers.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Albany Data Stories (site)
• Hudson Finance Decoder (site)
• Karl Urich (LinkedIn)
• Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)

Why do some places make us want to stay forever while others repel us? In honor of Member Week, we're bringing back a great episode with architect Will McCollum. He explores the timeless principles of urbanism, why we need to democratize that knowledge again, and how understanding cities helps us understand what it means to be human.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Local Recommendations:

  • Piedmont Park

  • Bold Monk Brewing

  • The Works Food Hall

• Citymakers Collective (Website)

• Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)

• Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Strong Towns members are doing remarkable things in their communities, but none of it requires magic abilities. Norm shares what he's learned from 50 interviews — and explains how you can get involved.

Additional Show Notes

• It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement by making a donation of any amount.

Many cities will greenlight a billion-dollar highway but struggle to paint a crosswalk. Liza Burkin has spent 12 years changing that through advocacy, private consulting, and federal policymaking. The founder of Providence Streets Coalition, she joins Tiffany to share hard-won lessons on political navigation and practical tools anyone can use to start transforming their streets.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Local recommendations:‍
  
  • Providence Pedestrian Bridge‍
  • Dave’s Coffee‍
  • The Village‍
  • Johnny Chimi’s‍
  • Woonasquatucket River Greenway‍
  • Streetmix‍
• ‍Providence Streets Coalition (site)‍
• Neighborways (site)‍
• Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
• Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Hey listener! You hear from us all the time, but today we want to hear from you. We want your feedback on this podcast and any other Strong Towns podcast you like to listen to. Please fill out this quick survey to share your thoughts: strongtowns.org/survey

Dr. Shakeel Dalal builds spaceships for a living, and he never planned to run for mayor of Longmont, Colorado. He just kept doing the next small thing that made sense. That led him from writing about city council meetings to moderating congressional debates, founding housing organizations, and running for office. Today, Shakeel joins Norm to discuss his journey, the challenges facing his community, and his advice for advocates.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Shakeel Dalal (site)
• Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)

Hey listener! You hear from us all the time, but today we want to hear from you. We want your feedback on this podcast and any other Strong Towns podcast you like to listen to. Please fill out this quick survey to share your thoughts: strongtowns.org/survey