Claim OwnershipThe Bottom-Up Revolution
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Description
The Bottom-Up Revolution features the stories of the Strong Towns movement in action. Hosted by Tiffany Owens Reed and Norm Van Eeden Petersman, 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. Each episode features a Strong Towns advocate who is making positive change in their community.
314 Episodes
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Discover how Denton mom and civic advocate Lauren Penn turned her front yard into a thriving micro market for local makers and families, all without a big budget. She shares what it took, from permits and vendors to a rainy launch day, and how a small, homegrown experiment can help knit a neighborhood together.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Pop-Up Market Makers (Instagram)
Pop-Up Market Makers (Site)
Stronger Denton
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
Downtown Portland is full of vacant lots, surface parking, and struggling storefronts—and every one of them has a price tag. Sam and Jeremiah break down how they estimated the city’s road and pipe costs, modeled new tax revenue from redeveloping a downtown highway, and started pushing for a vacancy fee. Their approach offers a clear template for linking land use to your city’s bottom line.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Roste Chocolate House
PDX Coffee Club
Strong Towns PDX (site)
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
After moving through nine states, Aaron Caldwell chose Fayetteville as home—and started using his data skills to decode city finances and a key local bond. In this episode, his work on a modest South Fayetteville infill project, close collaboration with city staff, and a growing circle of locals working to make the city more resilient show what Strong Towns looks like through one resident’s life.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Aaron Caldwell (LinkedIn)
Local Recommendations:
Hammontree's
Feed and Folly
Maxine's Tap Room
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
After the recession upended her architecture career, building a tiny house on wheels helped Macy Miller recover financially and dramatically lower her housing costs. She shares what that decision has opened up for her family—more freedom, more flexibility, and a life that better fits their values—and why similar options could matter for many others. When her small home in a central Boise neighborhood drew attention at city hall, Macy stayed in the conversation, helping the city pilot and eventually change its rules to make room for legal tiny houses.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Book People
Hello Everything
Mikey’s Gyros
Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute
One World Cafe
Hodgins Drug and Hobby
Minimotives.com
Tiny House Petition
Tiny House Tour
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
After seeing a neighbor struck by a car — again — Abigail Hoiland set out to make people walking impossible to overlook. She shares how Stop Umbrella works on real crosswalks and how one quirky tool can spark bigger conversations about community, walking, and safer streets.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Connect with Abigail Hoiland
Stopumbrella.com
LinkedIn
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
Andrew Mikula is leading a grassroots campaign to put affordable housing on the Massachusetts ballot in 2026. The initiative would legalize single-family homes on smaller lots. Today, he shares how he's building a broad coalition — from bankers to housing advocates — to make incremental, family-oriented housing reform possible.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Connect with Legalize Starter Homes
Site
Facebook
Instagram
Read more:
"Why Are Developers Only Building Luxury Housing?" by Daniel Herriges
"Our Self-Imposed Scarcity of Nice Places" by Daniel Herriges
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
Columbia, South Carolina, is the 12th deadliest metro for pedestrians in America. Columbia resident Regan Freeman is working to change that, as the director of a statewide pedestrian and bicycle safety nonprofit. Regan explains how he’s making progress despite the challenges — by meeting people where they are, showing what’s possible, and working both locally and at the state level.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Indah Coffee
Farmer’s Market XChange
Cola Town Bikes
Palmetto Bike Walk
People for Bikes Feature
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
Most city apartments are designed for roommates, not families with babies. Bobby Fijan, co-founder of The American Housing Corporation, explains how floor plans force parents out of cities — and how to help young families stay in the neighborhoods they love.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Rival Bros Coffee (site)
The American Housing Corporation (site)
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
Nick Frevold launched a Strong Towns Local Conversation in Huntsville, Alabama — and found more demand than he expected. He shares what it took to get started, build relationships, and turn concern into real momentum.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Strong Towns Huntsville (site)
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
What if your neighborhood could raise the money it needs without waiting for grants or traditional funding? Kathleen Minogue, founder of Crowdfund Better, explains how crowdfunding builds financial resilience while strengthening community bonds and local ownership.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Common Ground Coffee & Market
Idaho Capital Asian Market
Oldspeak Book Beer Bar
Boise Farmer's Market
Crowdfund Better (site)
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
Some of the most important street safety victories don’t make the news.
After a personal tragedy, Josh Stewart devoted himself to making streets safer. Today, he shares hard-earned lessons about how change really happens — and why patience and small experiments matter more than headlines.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Hear more from Josh in his first episode on Bottom-Up Shorts.
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
When a nine-year-old rides the subway alone, is that neglect or normal childhood? Lenore Skenazy, a speaker, writer, and reality show host who was once dubbed "America's worst mom," makes the case for why kids need more independence and shares tactics for how parents can give it to them in the modern city or suburb.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Lety’s Bakery
Let Grow (site)
Free Range Kids (site)
See more from Lenore:
“Why I Let My 9 Year Old Ride the Subway Alone” (article)
Free Independence Kit
Lenore’s TedTalk
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
Strong Towns Chicago learned that fun isn't frivolous — it's essential for sustainable advocacy. Leader Alex Montero shares how the Local Conversation group uses urbanist comedy, neighborhood tours, and social events to keep volunteers energized and engaged while winning real policy changes.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Want in on the action? Find a Local Conversation near you!
Alex Montero (Linktree)
Strong Towns Chicago (Linktree)
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
Jennifer Truman didn’t set out to be a housing or transit advocate, but after running into the same problems while designing small projects in Raleigh, North Carolina, she started asking bigger questions. In this episode, she explains how noticing friction in everyday work led to her involvement in zoning reform, transit leadership, and launching a pro-housing movement.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
CITYBUILDER (site)
The Rocket Shop (site)
Jennifer Truman (site)
Recommendations/Show Notes:
Dix Park
Trophy Brewery
The Can Open Food Truck Park in Durham
Oakwood Pizza Box in Raleigh
Two Roosters Ice Cream
Black and White Coffee and Videri Chocolate in downtown Raleigh
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
What does it look like to actively love the place you live? Tiffany Owens Reed talks with New Haven Alder Caroline Tanbee Smith about community-building, public space, and how small, people-powered projects grow into lasting civic impact.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Criscuolo Park
Ozzy’s Pizza
The Crooked Goat
Taqueria Oyameles
Caroline Tanbee Smith (site)
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
Norm sits down with Connor Legros, an undergrad student studying city planning and administration. Connor explains how he's creating a one-stop-shop for building backyard cottages in Flagstaff, Arizona. He shares how better guidance and streamlined approvals can support local housing and reduce the burden on city staff.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Learn how to make housing easier to build in your community with the Strong Towns Housing Toolkits.
Connect with Connor:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
In this special episode, Norm introduces Mary Kate Norton, Strong Towns' new Mobilization Coordinator and Trainer. Mary Kate shares about her background in grassroots organizing, leadership development, and coalition building. She also offers some tips for people hoping to make change in their communities.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Find a Local Conversation near you.
Mary Kate Norton (LinkedIn)
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
When a tragic car crash forced street safety changes in Chattanooga, Tennessee, local businesses panicked about losing customers. But they soon discovered that foot traffic beats car traffic every time.
Emily Thompson, entrepreneur, author, and marketing chair of the North Shore Merchant Collective, explains how she helped push for increasing walkability and reclaiming space for people — and how those efforts made surrounding businesses more successful.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Frazier Five and Dime
I Go Tokyo
Verre Noir
Basecamp
Almanac Supply Co (site)
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
What happens when a planner stops following broken rules and starts rewriting them instead?
Brad Callender, director of planning and zoning for Monroe, Georgia, legalized the housing people actually need. Duplexes and backyard cottages are now popping up across town. He joins Norm today to explain how he did it as a department of one.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Brad Callender (LinkedIn)
Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
Megan Ramey has advocated for kid-friendly transportation for over a decade, culminating in her role as the Safe Routes to School Manager for Hood River County, Oregon.
Megan and Tiffany discuss the importance of walkability and bikeability for children, and Megan shares lessons she's learned from advocating in cities as big as Boston and towns as small as Hood River.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
Local Recommendations:
Historic Columbia River Highway
Ten Speed Coffee Shop
Love and Hominy
Walk And Roll Hood River County Schools (site)
Bikeabout (site)
Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram)
Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
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