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This podcast features stories of the Strong Towns movement in action. Hosted by Tiffany Owens Reed, it’s all about how regular people have stepped up to make their communities more economically resilient, and how others can implement these ideas in their own places. We’ll talk about taking concrete action steps, connecting with fellow advocates to build power, and surviving the bumps along the way—all in the pursuit of creating stronger towns.
Episodes

Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Bottom-Up Shorts: How a Rodeo Arena Can Strengthen a Rural Community
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
Tuesday Dec 17, 2024
In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Joshua Hopkins, the newly elected mayor of Chugwater, Wyoming. They discuss Hopkins’ path to becoming mayor and how he created a rodeo ring that provides a third place for his community and supports local businesses and walkability.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Thursday Dec 12, 2024
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is Offering People More Transportation Options
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Sara Studdard is a community engagement and communications expert. She’s also a partner at City Thread, a nonprofit consulting firm that specializes in helping city governments design and implement active mobility plans.
Studdard joins this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to explore how having a variety of mobility options (walking, biking, public transit, etc.) benefits communities, as well as the importance of effective messaging and communication.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Local recommendations:
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City Thread (site).
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Save Main Street
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Sully Israel, leader of Strong Towns Santa Barbara, a Local Conversation group. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Barbara’s main street was closed to car traffic, which revitalized the area. Now, Israel and his group are working to keep the street closed to cars and address the community’s other needs in the public realm.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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See more from Sully on his YouTube channel Sullyville or connect with him on LinkedIn.
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Strong Towns Santa Barbara (site).
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Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn).
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
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Subscribe to The Bottom-Up Revolution on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Podbean or via RSS.

Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Bottom-Up Shorts: Helping People Become Incremental Developers
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Ken Kunka, a consultant and coach for small-scale developers. A former building and permitting manager, Kunka helps others develop their craft as builders of stronger communities, with a focus on infill development. Here’s how he does it.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Friday Nov 29, 2024
Friday Nov 29, 2024
Jaime Izurieta is an architect, designer and author from Montclair, New Jersey, who focuses on the interaction between users and the built environment. He’s also the founder of Storefront Mastery, an award-winning creative agency that works with place management organizations to design and activate interactions between local businesses and their community.
This week, Izurieta joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to discuss the importance of designing experiences, instead of just buildings, and how local leaders can shift their perspectives of downtowns to make them more successful.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Local recommendations:
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Check out Jaime Izurieta’s book, “Main Street Mavericks.”
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Learn more about the Storefront Renaissance League.
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Bottom-Up Shorts: Starting a Bus Bench Building Program
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
Tuesday Nov 26, 2024
In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Julie Emery, one of the leaders of Strong Milwaukee, a Local Conversations group. Emery and her group are helping to make their community stronger by building bus benches. Here’s how they started their program and how it’s evolving.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Thursday Nov 21, 2024
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Reclaiming Forgotten Spaces for the Community
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Katy Clagett is a commercial real estate appraiser, but at her core, she’s an urban explorer and champion for overlooked spaces. At this year’s National Gathering, she won the Small Bets Competition for her “Flock Party” pitch of reclaiming a neighborhood alley using sheep and goats.
Clagett joins this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to talk about the ways bottom-up projects can bring neighbors together and build community, as well as her experience with spearheading this kind of project.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Local recommendations:
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
Bottom-Up Shorts: How $6 Can Make a Community More Bikeable
Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Sarah, the leader of Strong Towns Poway/Rancho Bernardo, a Local Conversations group. Sarah and several of her friends teamed up to install bike racks in places that were lacking them. Here’s how they used a really small budget and lots of determination to make something good happen in their community.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Thursday Nov 14, 2024
Bottom-Up Shorts: How Stickers Can Help You Build a Strong Town
Thursday Nov 14, 2024
Thursday Nov 14, 2024
This Member Week, we’re excited to introduce you to Bottom-Up Shorts, a new collection of 10-minute episodes that we're adding to The Bottom-Up Revolution feed. Each week, Member Advocate Norm Van Eeden Petersman will talk with inspiring guests who are taking action in their community.
This week, he’s joined by Manav Sharma, one of the leaders of Strong Towns Vancouver, a Local Conversations group. Sharma and his group were inspired to make their community stronger through the tactical deployment of stickers. Here’s how they’re doing it.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Strong Towns Vancouver sticker campaign coverage, pictures and video.
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Thursday Oct 31, 2024
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Building the Future With Wisdom From the Past
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Rik Adamski is the founder and president of Ash+Lime, a planning firm that strives to help cities and neighborhoods create thriving places by drawing on the wisdom of the past. Originally from Chicago, Adamski consulted for several of the most prominent planning organizations in the U.S. before moving to Texas and embracing a more nimble, actionable and participatory approach to developing communities.
In this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, Adamski joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to discuss his approach to urban planning, the challenges of implementing a new planning approach in cities, and the importance of community engagement and incrementalism.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
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Local recommendations:
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Ten Bells Tavern (reopening soon).
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Jefferson Boulevard.
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Stockyards District in Fort Worth.
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Ash+Lime (website).
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Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!