The Goal is Free Range Kids w/ Prof Sara FL Kirk

In this episode, Clarence Eckerson, Jr., shares some behind-the-scenes insights into the making of his new documentary profiling the amazing 34th Avenue Open Streets installation, now viewed as a permanent linear park, formally named Paseo Park by the city. This version was recorded live and then edited.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Streetfilms website👉 Sara Lind Open Plans episode👉 Bruce Appleyard episode👉 My most recent episode with Cathy Tuttle👉 My episode with Lenore Skenazy👉 My Paris School Streets videoIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Professor Sara FL Kirk, with Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for an in-depth discussion about her research centered on environments that promote healthy, active living, what prompted her to become a safer streets activist, hint: it's the story as we heard from Tom Flood with the Urban Truth Collective, and some of her favorite initiatives she's been involved with there in Halifax.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Urban Truth Collective episode👉 Grant Ennis Dark PR episode👉 Tim Gill and Alice Ferguson Free Range Childhood episode👉 Lenore Skenazy Free Range Kids - Let Grow episode👉 Bruce Appleyard episode👉 Peter Norton playlist👉 Ian Walker and Marco Te Brömmelstroet motonormativity episode👉 Carter Lavin’s You Have to Fight episode👉 Academia and Research playlist👉 Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says About Us by Tom Vanderbilt via my Bookshop or from Amazon  👉 Tristin Cleveland episode👉 Kidical Mass video from Austin👉 My recent Bike Streets episode👉 Bike Streets website👉 Wes Marshall's recent Livestream👉 Uplift Partnership website👉 Navahine Settlement episode👉 Growing Up Boulder Mara Mintzer episodeIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

New York City is on the cutting edge of many amazing "Streets Are For People" initiatives, and Open Plans is increasingly front and center in this movement with campaigns such as School Streets, Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs), Public Space Management, Intersection Daylighting, and many more. In this episode, I connect with Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans, to discuss the projects they are working on and their universal applicability to car-centric cities worldwide.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Open Plans website👉 Streetsblog NYC👉 Streetfilms on YouTube 👉 Streetfilms website👉 My Low Traffic Neighborhood (LTN) videos👉 My Donald Shoup playlist👉 My first episode with Donald Shoup (audio-only)👉 Streetfilms Ghent School Street👉 My Short Paris School Street Video 👉 No Garbage Day Not Just Bikes Video👉 The Bruntlett’s Women Changing Cities Episode 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Ashton Rohmer, a doctoral candidate in Peace and Conflict Resolution studies, who is examining Car Supremacy and our societal acceptance of vehicular violence through her research on the ideology of car supremacy and on reimagining streets as sites of care and community. She challenges us to imagine more peaceful streets for everyone.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 "Car supremacy: Deconstructing the ideology driving our modal hierarchy" paper👉 Ashton's website to follow along with her journey👉 Brompton Bicycles👉 Buy Your Brain on Nature from my Bookshop or via Amazon👉 Buy Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam from my Bookshop or via Amazon👉 Buy Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv from my Bookshop or via Amazon👉 Buy Confessions of a Recovering Engineer by Charles Marohn from my Bookshop or via Amazon👉 Buy Killed by A Traffic Engineer by Prof. Wes Marshall from my Bookshop or via Amazon 👉 Watch my recent Livestream with Wes Marshall👉 Buy Traffic - Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt from my Bookshop or via Amazon 👉 Watch a short clip from Disney's Motor Mania👉 My Peter Norton playlistIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Professor Michael Pollack for a deep dive into his fabulous new book Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America’s Most Overlooked Resource. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Buy the book through the Active Towns Bookshop or via Amazon hereIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I welcome back my good friend and colleague, Chris Bruntlett, International Relations Manager with the Dutch Cycling Embassy, for a follow-up discussion about the resurgence of everyday cycling culture and cycling infrastructure as an official policy in a variety of cities across China.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Dutch Cycling Embassy website👉 Chris & Melissa Bruntlett - Modacity website👉 Dutch Cycling and China Part One👉 Chris in a Cameo Leipzig Velo City Bike Parade👉 Women Changing Cities episode with Melissa & ChrisIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, we dive into the details of the Navahine Settlement with the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, with Luca Cuniberti, Hawaii Youth Transportation Council member, and Doorae Shin, Navahine Settlement Coordinator with Our Children's Trust.The settlement agreement, which the court has approved, recognizes children’s constitutional rights to a life-sustaining climate and mobilizes HDOT to plan and implement transformative changes of Hawaiʻi’s transportation system to achieve zero emissions in all ground transportation, and interisland sea and air transportation, by 2045. The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement for the next 21 years until its terms have been achieved.Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is the world’s first youth-led constitutional climate case addressing climate pollution from the transportation sector. Thirteen youth from across the Hawaiian Islands brought the case in June 2022, asserting their rights to a safe and healthy climate and asking the Hawaiʻi state government to take necessary actions to meet the climate emergency and enable Hawaiʻi’s paradigm shift to a climate-safe, zero emissions transportation system. Many of the Navahine plaintiffs are Native Hawaiian youth who are already experiencing climate change harms like sea level rise, drought, floods, and fires, which have threatened their lives and their ability to practice cultural traditions such as kalo farming, fishing, and gathering. (from the Earthjustice article referenced below)Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Hawaii Youth Transportation Council (HYTC) website👉 Earthjustice Article about the Settlement👉 Our Children's Trust website👉 HYTC on Instagram👉 Tim Gill and Alice Ferguson episode on why we should listen to children for urban and street design guidance👉 No More Highway Lane Miles Episode with Chuck Marohn, Founder of Strong TownsIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I connect with Sam Johnson from the World Bank for a discussion about the connection between active mobility for all ages and abilities and livable communities, as well as, overall quality of life measures. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Invest In Livable Communities👉 Invest In Livable Communities FAQ👉 My episode with Prof. Ruth Oldenziel from TU Eindhoven👉 You can connect with Sam on LinkedIn👉 Ireland's progress in active mobilityIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

How streets are transformed into safer, more inviting places is messy and difficult. This fascinating new documentary dives deep into the details of just such a transformation in New York City, and the results are beautiful and inspiring, yet frustrating on so many levels. You'll ask: "Why does it have to be so hard?" and then you'll see the very human responses to the prospect of change and how the advocates for safer streets navigate the minefield of barriers to progress.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Changing Lanes documentary website 👉 Changing Lanes teaser 👉 Buy David Byrne's Bicycle Diaries in the Active Towns Bookshop or via Amazon 👉 My final episode with Donald Shoup and buy The High Cost of Free Parking👉 Jessie Singer’s episode👉 Clarence Eckerson, Jr. Streetfilms👉 My Peter Norton Episode playlistIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In this episode, I reconnect with Tim Gill and meet Alice Ferguson for a discussion about a recent report they collaborated on titled “Streets for Play, Streets for Freedom,” which calls for a radical, child-centered approach to decision-making around streets and transport planning.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):👉 Streets for Play, Streets for Freedom Report👉 The Urban Playground Episode with Tim Gill👉 Fighting for Family Friendly Streets Episode with Tim Gill👉 Marco’s book Movement: How to Take Back Our Streets and Transform Our Lives👉 Peter Norton Playlist👉 Dark PR episode with Grant Ennis👉 Motormativity episode with Prof. Ian Walker and Prof. Marco te Brömmelstroet👉 Lenore Skenazy - Let Grow episode👉 Mara Mintzer’s Growing Up Boulder episode👉 The Urban Truth Collective👉 Tom Flood’s workIf 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 Livestreams2. Join the Active Towns Patreon community. Contributions start at just $3 per month3. 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 citiesCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources 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 listFor 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-NewsletterBackground: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, 2026 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★