Start with the green parts first

In this episode, I reconnect with Victor Dover for an in-depth discussion of why starting with the green parts, the parks, greenways, open spaces, wilderness, and even street trees when planning our communities is so critical.

We also talk about the importance of getting our streets designed right and how that can help more people feel more comfortable while walking and riding a bike.

Including, as appropriate, the implementation of a Dutch-like cycle network and roadway design standards and safe systems approach. This would include learning from The Netherlands when it comes to both protected and separated bikeway design, shared street strategies such as fietsstraten (bicycle priority streets), and shared street designs such as woonerven and Edge Lane Roads.

Links:
Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning: https://www.doverkohl.com/

Dover Kohl YouTube Channel:    / doverkohl  

Congress for the New Urbanism: https://www.cnu.org/

Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns 1st edition: https://bookshop.org/a/85379/97811180... or https://amzn.to/3GxmyQO

Barnes Dance or Pedestrian Scramble: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestr...

Cities Aren't Loud, Cars Are Loud - Not Just Bikes (Amsterdam) video:    • Cities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud  

Designing Cities by Starting with the Green Parts - Frederick Law Olmsted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi...

The Underline Trail: https://www.theunderline.org/

Ludlam Trail: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/recr...

Missoula Montana Downtown Master Plan: https://www.doverkohl.com/downtown-mi...

Ross Chapin, Pocket Neighborhoods: https://rosschapin.com

My award-winning video on Pocket Neighborhoods:    • Pocket Neighborhoods | Ross Chapin  

Climate Planner book by Jason King: https://bit.ly/3HZAbJK

Steve Wright - a writer advising on issues of accessibility:   / stevewrightcommunications  

All video, audio, and music production by me, John Simmerman

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Background: Hi Everyone, my name is John Simmerman. I’m a health promotion professional with over 30 years of experience and my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization of how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.

In 2012 I launched the non-profit Advocates for Healthy Communities as an effort to help promote and create healthy, active places.

Since that time I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be, in order 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".

This is my personal Active Towns Channel and it 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.

Thanks for tuning in, I hope you find this content helpful.

Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2022

Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501c3 organization (EIN 45-3802508) dedicated to helping communities create a Culture of Activity. Any donations collected are used specifically to support the organization's mission.

To make a donation to Advocates for Healthy Communities go here: https://bit.ly/a4hc-donate