Steve Dunn — New Jersey firefighter and safe infrastructure advocate — is in good traffic this week to talk bikes as financial freedom, bike commuting as a public servant and emergency responder, and work done with his organization Union County Connects. The discussion also covers suburban and urban dynamics, the economic implications of car dependence, and the need for greater collaboration and understanding between fire departments in urban planning efforts. Steve offers a hopeful perspective on the future of biking and mobility in the states.

We discuss:

00:00 Introduced to urbanism via our former guest.

01:33 Bike commuting.

06:04 Advocacy and community impact as a fireman.

08:20 Navigating suburban and urban dynamics.

19:58 Car dependency and alternative transportation.

27:35 An $11 billion turnpike expansion debate.

28:21 The psychology of infrastructure spending.

30:01 Hope for American transit and biking.

32:45 Balancing car use and sustainable living.

33:25 Advocating for bike parking and safer infrastructure.

34:18 Perceptions of car use.

46:30 The role of firefighters in the urban planning dialogue.

52:22 The future of emergency services and urbanism.

56:28 Wrapping up, and Steve's ride to work.

Further context:

Union County Connects (Steve's org).

The Biking Fireman.

Connect with Steve:

On Instagram.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nico Larco — professor and director of the Urbanism Next Center at the University of Oregon — is in good traffic this week to dive deeply into his new book, The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook, and utilizing Portland as a laboratory for developing leading urbanism practices.

We discuss:

00:00 Portland, Oregon's urban design.

02:15 Bike commuting culture in Portland.

03:07 Portland's national perception.

06:14 Authoring a new sustainable urban design framework.

27:57 Intricacies of urban design.

29:37 Trees in urban environments.

33:02 Portland's neighborhoods.

38:16 University of Oregon's Sustainable Cities Institute and Urbanism Next Center.

43:41 An academic viewpoint on tactical urbanism.

46:09 Grassroots involvement in local urban design.

47:53 Favorite commutes and final thoughts.

Further context:

Nico's new book - The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook.

From the book: Sustainable Urban Design Framework.

The Urbanism Next Center.

Portland's South Waterfront neighborhood.

Connect with Nico:

On LinkedIn.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hayden Clarkin — a NYC-based transportation engineer known widely as The Transit Guy — is in good traffic this week to talk the engineering profession, getting transit projects across the finish line, and storytelling the technical aspects of the process.

We cover the background, and current stasis, of halted congestion pricing implementation in New York City.

We discuss:

00:00 The Transit Guy namesake.

02:15 Falling in love with transit.

08:54 Visually storytelling our arguments for transit.

18:08 Challenges and misconceptions.

23:32 Congestion pricing, and looming NYC subway system questions.

31:17 Governance and policy upgrades needed, with examples in Austin and Philadelphia.

37:48 Transportation engineering education and challenges.

47:06 Wrapping up.

Further context:

On the shortage of true transportation engineers (via Strong Towns).

Some background on the congestion pricing standstill (via New York Times).

Connect with Hayden:

On Instagram.

On Twitter.

Connect with me, Brad:

⁠On Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On TikTok⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On LinkedIn⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠