The Urbanist Agenda

In 2001, Portland built the first of their new streetcar system, which was a success, especially in attracting new development to the transit corridor. This kicked off a bunch of new transit projects in other US cities, eager to bring their own new development projects, and taking advantage of transit funding from the Obama administration. But somewhere along the way they forgot that there's more to transit than just a way to attract new development projects.The Problem With America's New StreetcarsA streetcar not desired?Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Los Angeles is (in)famous for its car-dependent sprawl, but there are pockets of good urbanism, and there are people working hard to build more of them. I talked with Ellory Smith from Streets For All Los Angeles about her outlook on where LA is going, as well as our new YouTube channel, I Love the City!Streets For All: https://www.streetsforall.org/I Love the City: https://youtube.com/@ilovethecityDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode ad-free and sponsor-free, by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Canada's housing crisis is one of the worst in the world. But why? In this episode I talk to Mike Moffatt, Canadian economist and housing expert about what's going on in the Canadian housing market, as well as the common factors that are creating a housing crisis in almost every major city in the developed world.The Missing Middle Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@MissingMiddlePodcasthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-missing-middle-with-mike-moffatt-and-cara-stern/id1707954472https://open.spotify.com/show/5USYeY0Z2sDp8uEfQ08EEqDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode ad-free and sponsor-free, by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesMike Moffatt: https://mikepmoffatt.medium.com/i-used-to-do-other-stuff-4b556eb2e8c6See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trams are great. They create and enable some of the best urbanism around. And yet the streetcars in Toronto are slow and unreliable and painful to take. What is Toronto doing wrong, and what could other "streetcar" cities learn from their mistakes?Financial capital of Canada pauses so streetcar driver can move tracks with big stick: https://www.thebeaverton.com/2016/06/financial-capital-of-canada-pauses-so-streetcar-driver-can-move-tracks-with-big-stick/Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode ad-free and sponsor-free, by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesRMTransit: https://youtube.com/@rmtransitSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What should you do when your city won't fix things, even after years of advocacy? The answer might be guerrilla urbanism, aka tactical urbanism. I talk to Bike Curious about the people who are tired of waiting, and just get things done by themselves. Is it legal? Well ... it's sometimes better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.Tactical urbanism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_urbanismExplainer: Tactical Urbanism - https://urbantoronto.ca/news/2022/09/explainer-tactical-urbanism.49521Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action for Long-Term Change - https://issuu.com/streetplanscollaborative/docs/tactical_urbanismManchester man draws penises around potholes so the city will fix them - https://www.theverge.com/2015/5/2/8535259/penis-pothole-activism-wanksy-englandSafe Street Rebel - https://www.safestreetrebel.com/A Slower Safer Wiggle - https://www.safestreetrebel.com/blog/a-slower-safer-wiggle/Safety Activists Close a Lane on Franklin - https://sf.streetsblog.org/2024/03/14/safety-activists-close-a-lane-on-franklinCity Wide Slow Rides - https://www.safestreetrebel.com/slow-rides/People Protected Bike Lane (Polk) - https://www.safestreetrebel.com/polk/Just A Minute (Valencia) - https://www.safestreetrebel.com/valencia/Crosswalk Collective - https://crosswalksla.org/our-crosswalks.htmlGuerrilla bus stop benches - https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/guerilla-bus-stop-benches-are-spurring-berkeley-officials-to-install-official-seating-for-transit-passengers/Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaBike Curious: https://twitch.tv/bikecuriousNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

New York City was about to roll out congestion charging. The cameras were up, the staff were hired, the metro projects were financed, and thousands of people were lined up to make public transit better ... and then the governor cancelled it on vibes.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing_in_New_York_Cityhttps://thewaroncars.org/2024/06/07/kathy-hochuls-congestion-pricing-flip-flop-fiasco/https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/05/new-york-city-toll-hochul-democrats-00161930https://hellgatenyc.com/lawsuit-congestion-pricing-teachers/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965856409001256https://www.transportportal.se/SWoPEc/CTS2012-3.pdfhttps://nyc.streetsblog.org/2017/11/28/congestion-pricing-was-unpopular-in-stockholm-until-people-saw-it-in-actionDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaThe War on Cars: https://thewaroncars.org/Not Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Level boarding is simple enough: the floor of the train should be level with the platform. But it's not very common, is it? Why? And what can we do about it? Because once you learn the details of level boarding, you'll realise just how important it is.The Campaign for Level Boarding: https://www.levelboarding.org.uk/Passengers suffer serious injuries boarding Elizabeth line trains at west London stationhttps://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/elizabeth-line-ealing-broadway-bbc-transport-for-london-b1163562.htmlDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaGareth Dennis: https://garethdennis.co.uk/Rail Natter: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlPJmKp10F4pGqXgT3yg0sBEYSmvMnAWtNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a bike lane was installed on Valencia Street in San Francisco, one business owner hated it so much he went on a hunger strike. Bike lanes are almost universally positive for business, so why do some business owners hate them so much? Jon from Bike Curious joins me to discuss.San Francisco restaurant owner goes on 30-day hunger strike over new bike lane: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/18/san-francisco-bike-lane-hunger-strike/73359978007/Advocates Punk SFMTA’s Valencia Bike Lane Clusterf*ck: https://sf.streetsblog.org/2023/07/21/advocates-punk-sfmtas-valencia-bike-lane-clusterfckWhy this Toronto restaurateur is giving city hall a big, icy middle finger: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.4494974/why-this-toronto-restaurateur-is-giving-city-hall-a-big-icy-middle-finger-1.4494981Brent Todarian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brent-toderian-b1592b47_want-to-make-money-build-a-business-on-a-activity-7181396470825148418-f_D8Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business | Parkdale (2016) and Danforth (2014): https://tcat.ca/resources/bike-lanes-on-street-parking-and-business-parkdale-danforth/Business is Up on Bloor After Bike Lane, New Study Finds: https://tcat.ca/business-is-up-on-bloor-after-bike-lane-new-study-finds/Measuring the Local Economic Impacts of Replacing On-Street Parking With Bike Lanes: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01944363.2019.1638816Bloor Street West Bike Lane Pilot Project Evaluation: https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/8ef6-cycling-bloor-backgroundfile-107582.pdfDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaBike Curious: https://twitch.tv/bikecuriousNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As housing and transportation prices are skyrocketing around the developed world, Japan has remained (relatively) affordable. I talk to Greg from the YouTube channel Life Where I'm From about how Japan is different - from transportation to housing policy - and about what we can learn from Japanese cities.\Relevant videos by Life Where I'm From:How an Average Family in Tokyo Can Buy a New Home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGbC5j4pG9wJapanese Zoning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfm2xCKOCNkTiny Buildings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6htrxbVN5PIRich Neighbourhoods in Tokyo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MxspoxpC3wJapanese Shopping Streets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3jTamHd1OwA Typical Tokyo Neighbourhood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TheOkz8oF_ITokyo by Bike: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0x8EAf4GSgJapan's Housing for the Middle Class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ave4FiC2k8IDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaLife Where I'm From: https://youtube.com/@lifewhereimfromNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For most of us, autonomous vehicles are this nebulous concept that might appear some time in our future, but there are other people living with this reality today - whether they like it or not. In this episode, I talk to Jon from the Twitch channel Bike Curious about what it's like to live in San Francisco, where autonomous vehicles are around you every single day and there's nothing you can do about it - except put a traffic cone on their hood.Driverless car startup Cruise's no good, terrible yearhttps://www.npr.org/2023/12/30/1222083720/driverless-cars-gm-cruise-waymo-san-francisco-accidentsDriverless Car Gets Stuck in Wet Concrete in San Franciscohttps://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/us/driverless-car-accident-sf.htmlWaymo robotaxi accident with San Francisco cyclist draws regulatory reviewhttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/driverless-waymo-car-hits-cyclist-san-francisco-causes-minor-scratches-2024-02-07/Dead-End SF Street Plagued With Confused Waymo Cars Trying To Turn Around 'Every 5 Minutes'https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/dead-end-sf-street-plagued-with-confused-waymo-cars-trying-to-turn-around-every-5-minutes/Cruise vehicle gets stuck in wet concrete while driving in San Franciscohttps://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/cruise-stuck-wet-concrete-sf-18297946.phpDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaBike Curious: https://twitch.tv/bikecuriousNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yup. Cars are REALLY expensive, and they're getting more expensive. And yet, most car owners seem completely oblivious to it.Canadians estimated to pay over $1,300 a month to own a car, report findsCar ownership cost me a LOT of money. I'm done. (YouTube)Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaRMTransit: https://youtube.com/@rmtransitNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Europe is known for its train networks, and the EU has been promoting trains as the preferred mode of travel. But the train networks are not functioning well, and it's not a coincidence that many EU countries are spending twice as much on roads than they do on rails.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/19/european-governments-railways-road-building-report-motorways-funding-railhttps://www.railtech.com/infrastructure/2023/09/19/deutsche-bahn-and-german-government-launch-infrastructure-programme-on-unprecedented-scale/?gdpr=denyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOzy1Ok58gIDirectly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaReal Time History: https://www.youtube.com/@realtimehistoryNot Just Bikes: https://www.youtube.com/@notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It occurred to us the other day that we have lived 10 years without owning a car. This didn't happen intentionally, we just moved to a walkable neighbourhood and living car-free just made the most sense. In this episode, I talk with Mrs. NJB about what it's been like to live without a car, how it made more sense for us even with two kids, and about why we'll likely never own one.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can rural people understand city folk and vice-versa? American Fietser thinks so. He went from being a die-hard truck driver to a cargo-bike riding urbanist, and it all started with a trip to the Netherlands.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaAmerican Fietser: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFietserAmerican Fietser (Twitter): https://twitter.com/AmericanFietserNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

City Simulators, such as SimCity and Cities: Skylines are very popular, both among gamers and the general public. But these are just games: they don't accurately model real cities, and that can result in misleading assumptions about what a city is, and how it functions.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaCities by Diana: https://www.youtube.com/@CitiesByDianaNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The "War on Cars" is a phrase that comes up every few years whenever some right-wing politician wants to get elected. But this phrase is nothing new, and has been around almost as long as cars themselves. In this episode, I talk to Doug Gordon from the War on Cars podcast, who has been following this phrase in the media for several years.https://thewaroncars.org/2021/11/30/not-just-bikes-with-jason-slaughter/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/28/the-war-on-motorists-the-secret-history-of-a-myth-as-old-as-cars-themselveshttps://nebula.tv/agenda/toronto-needs-a-new-mayor-with-rmtransithttps://art19.com/shows/the-urbanist-agenda/episodes/d6da1bc2-eb11-48f3-8512-90cafdaaa7b2Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/notjustbikesThe War on Cars Podcast: https://thewaroncars.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Not Just Bikes, normally a champion of all things Amsterdam, talks to RMTransit about why the Amsterdam Metro isn't good enough. And if GVB has their way, it might become even worse.https://www.at5.nl/artikelen/219864/metrolijnen-50-en-53-worden-samengevoegd-30000-passagiers-zullen-moeten-overstappenhttps://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/major-overhaul-amsterdam-public-transport-fewer-trams-more-transfershttps://www.dewestkrant.nl/tram-19-en-3-voorlopig-gered-gvb-broedt-op-ander-plan/https://over.gvb.nl/nieuws/geen-netwerkwijzigingen-in-aangepast-vervoerplan-2024/Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesRMTransit: https://youtube.com/@rmtransitSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

America has Traffic Engineers. The Netherlands has Transportation Engineers. One is concerned with moving as many cars as possible, the other builds transportation systems. In this podcast, I'm joined by Steffen Berr, an American Traffic Engineer turned Transportation Engineer who now lives in the Netherlands. We discuss the myopic approach taken by Traffic Engineers in America, and how it ultimately ruins cities.Steffen has a great article that is worth reading:https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/america-has-no-transportation-engineersStrong Towns Conversation with an Engineer: https://youtu.be/P9BUyWVg1xIWonderland Road: https://youtu.be/Ds-v2-qyCc8Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesBuild the Lanes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildthelanesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our family has lived in the Netherlands for 5 years now. In this episode, I have a conversation with my wife, Mrs. NJB, about our experiences and how it compares to other places we've lived before.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I was recently asked to comment on a news story in my hometown of Fake London in Canada: a single mom had her car break down and she couldn't afford to fix it, so she asked people how feasible it was to go car-free. In the end, she had to spend $6000 on a new transmission because living car-free was effectively impossible.It got me thinking how crazy this situation is, especially compared to where I've lived in Europe. So I've brought back certified European Adam Something to discuss how this is unlikely to happen to most Europeans, but how that could change, if right wing politicians get their way.https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-would-you-give-up-your-car-1.6877193https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/26/cyclists-berlin-right-wing-mayor-bans-new-cycle-paths/https://www.world-today-news.com/data-prague-has-twice-as-many-cars-per-inhabitant-as-vienna-or-berlin-and-they-are-old/Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notjustbikesAdam Something: https://youtube.com/@adamsomethingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.