Conversations about Creating a Culture of Activity: Profiling the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities.
Active Towns
Claim This Podcastby John Simmerman
4.9(61 reviews)
354 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation šŗšø
Podcast Overview
Conversations about Creating a Culture of Activity: Profiling the people, places, programs, and policies that help to promote a culture of activity within our communities.
Language
šŗš²
Publishing Since
2/25/2020
1 verified contact email on file for Active Towns
Pitch yourself as a guest, propose sponsorships, or reach out directly to the host.
Recent Episodes
July 31, 2026
Downtown Greenway Transformation w/ Dabney Sanders
<p>Their downtown was dying, then they did this. In this episode, I am honored to connect with Dabney Sanders, the outgoing Project Manager responsible for helping pull together this fantastic four-mile Downtown Greenway in Greensboro, North Carolina.</p><p><strong>Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):</strong><br>š <a href="https://downtowngreenway.org/">Downtown Greenway website</a><br>š <a href="https://youtu.be/xrgARK6zVp8">My Indy Cultural Trail Video</a><br>š <a href="https://youtu.be/VpCvHdbazCc">My Razorback Greenway video</a></p><p>š¤ This episode mentions my beloved Brompton folding bicycle. I highly recommend buying your own Brompton from your local dealer if you have one or from my favorite Boulder, Colorado-based store, <a href="https://www.freedomfoldingbikes.com/">Freedom Folding Bikes</a> (yes, they can ship the bike directly to you - that's what they've done for me)<br>š Mention Active Towns for a special deal on accessories and add-ons. More information on <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/23/ukraine-family-boulder-freedom-folding-bikes/">Freedom Folding Bikes can be found here</a></p><p><strong>If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:</strong><br>1. Become an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ActiveTowns">Active Towns Member on YouTube</a> for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams<br>2. Join the Active Towns <a href="https://www.patreon.com/activetowns">Patreon community</a>. Contributions start at just $3 per month<br>3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/activetowns">"Buy Me a Coffee"</a><br>4. Make a <a href="https://www.activetowns.org/donate/">donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc.</a>, to help support my pro bono work with cities</p><p><strong>Credits:</strong><br>- Video and audio production by John Simmerman<br>- <a href="https://bit.ly/3rFLErD">Music via Epidemic Sound</a></p><p><strong>Resources used during the production of this video:</strong><br>- My recording platform is <a href="https://bit.ly/3rwsUup">Ecamm Live</a><br>- Editing software <a href="https://bit.ly/35DBDDU">Adobe Creative Cloud Suite</a><br>- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list</p><p><strong>For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:</strong><br>- <a href="https://www.activetowns.org/">Active Towns Website</a><br>- <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/activetowns.bsky.social">Active Towns on Bluesky</a><br>- <a href="https://bit.ly/SubscribeActiveTownsNewsletter">Weekly Update e-Newsletter</a></p><p><strong>Background:</strong><br>Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and Iām 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.</p><p>Since 2010,Ā 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."</p><p>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.</p><p>Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.</p><p>Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2026</p><p><br></p> <strong> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/activetowns" rel="payment" title="ā Support this podcast on Patreon ā ">ā Support this podcast on Patreon ā </a> </strong>
July 24, 2026
A Network First Approach with Avi Stopper, Founder of The Bike Streets Project
<p>This is a conversation with Bike Streets founder Avi Stopper about how our cities can start building Bike Networks Now, not 30 years from now, using a Network First strategy.</p><p><strong>Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):</strong><br>š <a href="https://bikestreets.com/">Bike Streets website</a><br>š <a href="https://youtu.be/Zo-JaBUbyhw">My recent Bike Streets ride with Avi</a><br>š Avi Stopper on the <a href="https://youtu.be/cdNGGQIWdYA">Pod Ep 292</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/azHyJdGDdVs">Ep 184</a></p><p>š¤ This episode mentions my beloved Brompton folding bicycle. I highly recommend buying your own Brompton from your local dealer if you have one or from my favorite Boulder, Colorado-based store, <a href="https://www.freedomfoldingbikes.com/">Freedom Folding Bikes</a> (yes, they can ship the bike directly to you - that's what they've done for me) <br>š Mention Active Towns for a special deal on accessories and add-ons. More information on <a href="https://www.cpr.org/2024/10/23/ukraine-family-boulder-freedom-folding-bikes/">Freedom Folding Bikes can be found here</a></p><p><strong>If you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:</strong><br>1. Become an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ActiveTowns">Active Towns Member on YouTube</a> for exclusive member-only content and Livestreams<br>2. Join the Active Towns <a href="https://www.patreon.com/activetowns">Patreon community</a>. Contributions start at just $3 per month<br>3. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through <a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/activetowns">"Buy Me a Coffee"</a><br>4. Make a <a href="https://www.activetowns.org/donate/">donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc.</a>, to help support my pro bono work with cities</p><p><strong>Credits:</strong><br>- Video and audio production by John Simmerman<br>- <a href="https://bit.ly/3rFLErD">Music via Epidemic Sound</a></p><p><strong>Resources used during the production of this video:</strong><br>- My recording platform is <a href="https://bit.ly/3rwsUup">Ecamm Live</a><br>- Editing software <a href="https://bit.ly/35DBDDU">Adobe Creative Cloud Suite</a><br>- Equipment: Contact me for a complete list</p><p><strong>For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:</strong><br>- <a href="https://www.activetowns.org/">Active Towns Website</a><br>- <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/activetowns.bsky.social">Active Towns on Bluesky</a><br>- <a href="https://bit.ly/SubscribeActiveTownsNewsletter">Weekly Update e-Newsletter</a></p><p><strong>Background:</strong><br>Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and Iām 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.</p><p>Since 2010,Ā 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."</p><p>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.</p><p>Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.</p><p>Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2026</p><p><br></p> <strong> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/activetowns" rel="payment" title="ā Support this podcast on Patreon ā ">ā Support this podcast on Patreon ā </a> </strong>
July 17, 2026
Traffic Gardens with Fionnuala "Finn" Quinn
Host John Simmerman interviews Fionnuala "Finn" Quinn, founder of TrafficGardens.com, exploring traffic gardens' role in creating safer, more inviting communities.
354 total episodes available with 21 transcripts
Recent guests on Active Towns
Guests from recent episodes ā sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Fionnuala "Finn" Quinn
Guest
Eileen McGinnis
Guest
Jim Sayer
Guest
Victor Dover
Guest
Beth Osborne
Guest
Clarence Eckerson Jr
Guest
Sara FL Kirk
Guest
Sara Lind
Guest
Ashton Rohmer
Guest
Michael Pollack
Guest
Becca Denley
Guest
Adam Denley
Guest
Similar Podcasts
Discover related shows you might enjoy
The Strong Towns Podcast
Strong Towns
The Urbanist Agenda
Not Just Bikes
The War on Cars
The War on Cars, LLC
The Urbanist
Monocle
Fresh Air
NPR
Throughline
NPR
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
Pushkin Industries
Science Friday
Science Friday and WNYC Studios
Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast
The Overhead Wire
The Ezra Klein Show
New York Times Opinion
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Cal Newport
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
NPR
Your Undivided Attention
The Center for Humane Technology, Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
Gastropod
Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley
Deep-dive analytics for Active Towns
Frequently asked questions
Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
- What is Active Towns?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 10 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
Legal Disclaimer
Pod Engine is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected with any of the podcasts displayed on this platform. We operate independently as a podcast discovery and analytics service.
All podcast artwork, thumbnails, and content displayed on this page are the property of their respective owners and are protected by applicable copyright laws. This includes, but is not limited to, podcast cover art, episode artwork, show descriptions, episode titles, transcripts, audio snippets, and any other content originating from the podcast creators or their licensors.
We display this content under fair use principles and/or implied license for the purpose of podcast discovery, information, and commentary. We make no claim of ownership over any podcast content, artwork, or related materials shown on this platform. All trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
While we strive to ensure all content usage is properly authorized, if you are a rights holder and believe your content is being used inappropriately or without proper authorization, please contact us immediately at hey@podengine.ai for prompt review and appropriate action, which may include content removal or proper attribution.
By accessing and using this platform, you acknowledge and agree to respect all applicable copyright laws and intellectual property rights of content owners. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or commercial use of the content displayed on this platform is strictly prohibited.