The Bottom-Up Revolution
Society & Culture
About
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
- The Missing Middle Has a Missing Industry
Alkarim Devani discusses his observations on middle housing, which led to a movement to make it a viable career path. He explains the obstacles and what is needed to increase the construction of middle housing.
- Rerun: Breaking Down Barriers to Local Food
This episode revisits a conversation with Shelby Wild about the Route One Farmers Market in Lompoc, California. The market fosters community resilience and access to good food through local relationships, partnerships, and innovations like…
- Walk Your Neighborhood Like Jane Jacobs
A neighborhood walk in Portland, inspired by Jane Jacobs, encouraged participants to view familiar streets differently. Organizer Natalie Legras discusses how simple elements like map pins and conversations about local changes, from housin…
- Can Safer Streets Start With a Video Game?
After a traffic jam in the video game City Skylines shifted Bryan Kelly's perspective on urban environments, he became involved in local activism and community organizing. This led him to run for a council seat, focusing on his observation…
- Lancaster’s Locals, Newcomers, and Streets Working Together
This episode features Strong Towns organizer Nick Dennis discussing how a simple meetup in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, revealed a network of active residents. They explore community initiatives like a repurposed church serving as a neighborho…
- Why Public Spaces Fail After the Ribbon Cutting
This episode discusses the common decline of public spaces after their grand opening. Max Musicant explains that the failure to thrive is linked to post-construction factors like maintenance, programming, and ongoing responsibility for the…
- Ohio’s Traffic Granny Takes On Dangerous Neighborhood Streets
Barbara Didrichsen, also known as "Traffic Granny," shares her experience in documenting traffic issues in her Cincinnati neighborhood. She describes how these efforts led to advocating for traffic calming measures and engineering solution…
- Rethinking New Neighborhoods Between Big Plans And Incremental Change
This episode explores the Woodbury neighborhood in Moscow, Idaho, a master-planned community. Builder Levi Wintz discusses the neighborhood's approach to walkability, mixed-use development, and community life, alongside the trade-offs invo…
- Becoming the Sidewalk Lady in Athens Ohio
Stevie Hunter, also known as the “sidewalk lady” of Athens, Ohio, joins Norm to discuss her efforts to improve pedestrian infrastructure in the city. She talks about mapping parking lots, using a SPACE metric to audit streets, and advocati…
- Defying Deficit Narratives with Youth Pilot Projects
Uthish Ganesh shares his experiences returning to teach in his childhood neighborhood. He discusses establishing youth pilot projects, including a boys' group with a perfect graduation rate and a student-run food program, to challenge defi…
- Tree Canopies, Safe Speeds, and a Council Seat
Emma Durand-Wood, a Winnipeg resident, discusses her path from community involvement in initiatives like tree planting and advocating for safer speeds to successfully running for local office. She shares her experiences adapting to the new…
- Why Cities Need Community Led Crash Analysis Studios
The episode explores how community-led crash analysis studios, often initiated by local members, help cities address dangerous intersections. It details how these studios test changes, collect data, and support local champions.
- Restarting a Strong Towns Local Conversation
In this episode, Josh Olson describes his experience helping to reactivate a Strong Towns local conversation group in Madison. He details how the group sustained itself and initiated projects such as safer street trials, Parking Day, and s…
- From Parklets To Pilots, Sheboygan Reclaims Its Streets
This episode features Brian Kelly and Braden Schmidt, who detail Sheboygan, Wisconsin's journey in redesigning its streets and modernizing zoning. They explain how initial small steps fostered community-wide changes toward safer, more affo…
- How Madison Turned Small Experiments Into Safer Streets
This episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution details how Madison, Wisconsin residents successfully pushed for rapid, cost-effective street improvements after multiple accidents. It covers their process of data collection, trial implementation,…
- Inside West Allis's Playbook for Stronger Local Economies
This episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution features Steve Schaer and Patrick Schloss, who explain how West Allis, Wisconsin, transformed its economy. They detail the city's journey from industrial decline to economic growth through strategic…
- From ADUs To Improv Chicago Builds Stronger Streets
This episode features Chicago organizers Ellen Steinke and Dr. Chloe Groome discussing their efforts to re-legalize ADUs and fix single-family zoning. They also recount their campaign to save transit funding in Chicago, which included a sk…
- Building Community With The Neighbors You Already Have
Graham McBain discusses how he built community in his Sacramento neighborhood, turning his street into a place for block parties and front-yard gatherings. He shares practical ways to foster community with the people already living around…
- How Vibrant Lafayette Organizes Parents for Safer Streets
This episode discusses how Vibrant Lafayette, led by Kirk Wandy and Brian Parsons, organizes parents to advocate for safer streets and routes to school in Lafayette. They assist busy families by researching projects and identifying key opp…
- Starting Where You Stand: The Great Raleigh Cleanup Story
Preston Ross III began by cleaning up his neighborhood, eventually developing this into a nonprofit organization that includes a workforce program. This episode explores his method for community engagement and action.
- What Jasper Teaches Us About Beating Mega Projects
Mark Nowotarski traces six years of grassroots organizing against the MidStates Corridor. The episode details how a community can push back when a mega-project threatens its future and quality of life.
- Building Culture Around Beauty, Craft, And Daily Life
Austin Tunnell makes a case for prioritizing beauty and craft in construction, sharing lessons from masonry, small-scale development, and his own projects. The discussion focuses on creating places that people enjoy using daily.
- How One Front Yard Became a Neighborhood Pop Up
Lauren Penn, a Denton civic advocate, created a pop-up market in her front yard. She discusses the process, from permits to vendor selection, and how it fostered community connections.
- From Empty Lots to Budget Gaps: Mapping Portland
In this episode, Sam and Jeremiah from 'The Bottom-Up Revolution' podcast discuss their analysis of Portland's vacant lots and their financial implications. They explain their methodology for estimating city costs and modeling new tax reve…
- From Biostatistics to Better Streets in Fayetteville
Aaron Caldwell, a Fayetteville resident, applies his data skills to understand city finances and a local bond. His work includes a South Fayetteville infill project and collaborations aimed at improving urban resiliency.
- How One Tiny House Helped Shift Boise’s Housing Rules
Macy Miller discusses how building a tiny house helped her financially and provided more freedom for her family. Her initial tiny home also influenced changes to Boise's housing rules, allowing for more legal tiny houses in the city.
- Walking, Visibility, And One Mom’s Fight For Safer Streets
Abigail Hoiland discusses her Stop Umbrella initiative, which aims to improve pedestrian visibility and create safer streets. She shares how this effort fosters broader discussions about community and walking.
- How One Ballot Initiative Could Legalize Affordable Starter Homes
Andrew Mikula leads a grassroots campaign for a 2026 Massachusetts ballot initiative to legalize single-family homes on smaller lots. He discusses building a broad coalition to support incremental, family-oriented housing reform.
- How Do You Build Safe Streets in Car-Dependent Places?
Regan Freeman, director of a pedestrian and bicycle safety nonprofit, is working to improve street safety in Columbia, South Carolina. He explains his strategies for making progress in a car-dependent area.
- How Floor Plans Drive Families from Cities (and What Helps Them Stay)
This episode features Bobby Fijan, co-founder of The American Housing Corporation, who explains how apartment floor plans can lead to families leaving cities. He also discusses strategies to help young families stay in their preferred neig…
- Bringing the Strong Towns Conversation to a Growing City
Nick Frevold shares his experience launching a Strong Towns Local Conversation in Huntsville, Alabama. He discusses the process of getting started, building relationships, and generating momentum for the initiative.
- Is Crowdfunding A Good Way To Fund Local Projects?
Kathleen Minogue, founder of Crowdfund Better, explains how crowdfunding can help neighborhoods raise money for local projects. She discusses how this approach can build financial resilience and strengthen community ties.
- The Best Street Safety Win Is One Nobody Notices
This episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution features Josh Stewart discussing street safety. He shares insights on how change occurs through patience and small experiments, drawing from his experience in making streets safer.
- Can Free Range Parenting Work in the Modern City?
Lenore Skenazy, known for her advocacy of free-range parenting, discusses the importance of childhood independence. She provides tactics for parents to encourage this in modern cities and suburbs.
- How To Avoid Burnout by Bringing Joy Into Your Advocacy
Alex Montero of Strong Towns Chicago explains how their local group incorporates urbanist comedy, neighborhood tours, and social events to keep volunteers engaged and energized, leading to sustainable advocacy and policy changes.
- How Small Projects Can Expose Big City Problems
Jennifer Truman explains how her work on small projects in Raleigh, North Carolina, led her to become involved in zoning reform, transit leadership, and a pro-housing movement.
- How Love of Place Grows Into Community Leadership
Tiffany Owens Reed and New Haven Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith discuss how local, people-powered projects can lead to lasting civic impact. They explore community-building and the importance of public spaces.
- How a One-Stop Website Could Help Beat the Housing Crisis
Connor Legros, an undergrad student, explains how he is developing a website to simplify the process of building backyard cottages in Flagstaff, Arizona. He discusses how this initiative can provide better guidance and streamline approvals…
- Small Wins, Big Transformations: Introducing Mary Kate Norton
In this episode, Norm introduces Mary Kate Norton, Strong Towns' new Mobilization Coordinator and Trainer. She shares her background in grassroots organizing and offers tips for community change.
- How To Get Local Businesses On Board With Street Safety
This episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution discusses how businesses in Chattanooga, Tennessee, reacted to and ultimately benefited from street safety changes. Emily Thompson shares her experiences in advocating for increased walkability and…
- How a Georgia City Made Missing Middle Housing Legal
Brad Callender, Director of Planning and Zoning for Monroe, Georgia, discusses legalizing "missing middle" housing options in the city. He explains his process for allowing duplexes and backyard cottages to be built.
- How Bike Buses and Walkable Streets Help Kids Thrive
Megan Ramey, Safe Routes to School Manager for Hood River County, Oregon, and Tiffany discuss the importance of walkability and bikeability for children. Megan shares her experiences advocating for kid-friendly transportation.
- The Money Angle: How To Win Over Skeptics
Shawn Champagne joins Norm to discuss how Medicine Hat, Alberta, utilized the financial value of traditional urban forms to spark a grassroots movement. They explore fiscal resilience and the effectiveness of bottom-up change.
- How To Activate Volunteers and Build Trust at the Neighborhood Level
Victoria Via, an architect and leader of Strong Towns PDX, discusses how to activate volunteers and build trust within neighborhoods. She shares insights on affordable housing and the efforts of Strong Towns PDX to work with local groups a…
- How To Turn Public Data Into Stories That Drive Change
Karl Urich, a data analyst, shares his experience transforming public financial data into accessible stories for Albany, New York. He emphasizes unbiased storytelling over "gotcha" journalism and offers advice for aspiring data storyteller…
- How To Design Urban Places That People Love
This episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution features architect Will McCollum, who discusses the principles of urbanism and designing urban spaces that people love. He explores how understanding cities can help us understand what it means to b…
- What 50 Interviews Taught Me About Community Action
This episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution features Norm sharing insights from 50 interviews about community action within Strong Towns. He explains what he has learned and how listeners can get involved.
- How to Talk About Street Safety So People Actually Listen
Liza Burkin, founder of Providence Streets Coalition, joins Tiffany to discuss strategies for street safety advocacy. She shares insights gleaned from her extensive experience in community organizing, consulting, and policymaking, offering…
- How to Turn Small Community Actions Into a Big Impact
Shakeel Dalal, a former mayoral candidate, discusses his path from community involvement to running for office. He shares insights on community challenges and offers guidance for advocates.
- How To Convince Your City To Embrace Tactical Urbanism
Isaac Gonzalez, founder of Slow Down Sacramento, shares his experiences in advocating for tactical urbanism in his city. He explains how he initiated changes and provides guidance for others interested in similar advocacy efforts.