The Bottom-Up Revolution

Strong Towns
The Bottom-Up Revolution

This podcast features stories of the Strong Towns movement in action. Hosted by Rachel Quednau, 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.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Building a Coalition for Long-Term Change

    In this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, host Tiffany Owens Reed is joined by Chloe Groome and Aaron Feldman, co-leads of the Local Conversation group Strong Towns Chicago. They discuss the initiatives that Strong Towns Chicago is working on, including legalizing fourplexes throughout the city and getting city officials involved in tactical urbanism. They also talk about the challenges the group faces and their strategies for overcoming those difficulties, including building a coalition with other advocacy groups. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local recommendations: The winter Christkindlmarket Summer streetfests. Four Moon Tavern. Live music concerts. Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. Strong Towns Chicago (Instagram). Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

    57 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Bottom-Up Shorts: How a Rodeo Arena Can Strengthen a Rural Community

    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 Tri-County Mercantile. Read more from Strong Towns about Chugwater. Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

    15 min

  3. DEC 12

    The Bottom-Up Revolution Is Offering People More Transportation Options

    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 Local recommendations: Nowhere Coffee. Westwood Neighborhood. City Thread (site). “Communication Strategies That Work” (blog). “How to Activate Local Support Through Messaging” (blog). Case Study: Providence, Rhode Island. Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

    47 min

  4. DEC 10

    Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Save Main Street

    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 See more from Sully on his YouTube channel Sullyville or connect with him on LinkedIn. Strong Towns Santa Barbara (site). Local coverage of efforts to keep State Street car free. Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! Subscribe to The Bottom-Up Revolution on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Podbean or via RSS.

    16 min

  5. DEC 3

    Bottom-Up Shorts: Helping People Become Incremental Developers

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

    14 min

  6. NOV 29

    The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Improving Downtown Success by Building Experiences

    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 Local recommendations: Le French Dad Bakery. Local Coffee Montclair. Watchung Booksellers. Tino’s Artisan Pizza. Storefront Mastery (site). Check out Jaime Izurieta’s book, “Main Street Mavericks.” Learn more about the Storefront Renaissance League. Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

    1 hr

  7. NOV 26

    Bottom-Up Shorts: Starting a Bus Bench Building Program

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

    13 min

  8. NOV 21

    The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Reclaiming Forgotten Spaces for the Community

    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 Local recommendations: Manheim Gardens. Broadway Cafe. Flock Party before-and-after images. Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

    44 min
See All (100)

4.8
out of 5
80 Ratings

About

This podcast features stories of the Strong Towns movement in action. Hosted by Rachel Quednau, 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.

Information

  • Creator
    Strong Towns
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Bottom-Up Revolution

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