Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast

Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast

Author: The Overhead Wire Language: English Episodes: 100
Each week, Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast digs into the conversations shaping our cities and streets. Host Jeff Wood, from The Overhead Wire, guides these discussions, which sit at a unique crossroads where the practical realities of urban planning meet the urgent goals of sustainable transportation and thoughtful economic development. Rather than offering abstract theory, the episodes connect policy to the pavement, exploring how decisions made in government offices and community meetings directly affect how people live, move, and work. You’ll hear from a range of voices-planners, advocates, officials, and journalists-who are actively working on these fronts. The dialogue in this podcast is grounded in current events and news, providing context and depth to the week’s most pressing topics in urbanism. It’s for anyone curious about why their city looks and functions the way it does, and for those invested in building more equitable and accessible communities. The tone is engaged and informative, turning complex, interconnected subjects into clear, compelling conversation. Tune in for a regular dose of insight on the forces designing our public realm.
Episodes
Episode 181: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Fran Sans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:30
This week on Mondays at The Overhead Wire we're Han Solo, but we've got some interesting news from the world of transportation and urban planning to share. We talk briefly about tram trains, the NAVI electric vehicle pro…
Episode 557: Emotional Consumption in Chinese Cities [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:25
This week on the Talking Headways podcast we're joined by Olivia Plotnick, Founder of Wai Social in Shanghai China. We discuss her summer trip to over 30 different Chinese cities to experience different retail, the impac…
Episode 556: From Bahrain to Connecticut [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:17
This week we're joined by Cortni Desir, Executive Program Manager for Public Transportation at the Connecticut Department of Transportation at the Mpact transit + community conference in Portland. We discuss her internat…
Episode 555: Three Principles for Federal Transportation Policy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:31
This week we're joined by Corrigan Salerno of Transportation For America. We discuss three transportation principles for a better federal transportation bill, how to create better reporting data for MPOs, and better bus…
Episode 180: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Signal Timing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:00
This week on Mondays at The Overhead Wire we chat about signal timing tinkering in Houston, the impact of commute times on sleep disorders, Phoenix's lack of water for sprawl, and how many times Raleigh had to bid for co…
Episode 554: Getting California High Speed Rail Done [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
This week we're back live for another show from Manny's in the Mission featuring Streetsblog SF editor Roger Rudick interviewing California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri. They chat about reducing costs, syste…
Episode 553: Life After Cars [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:35
This week Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon of the War on Cars podcast join the show to talk about their new book: Life After Cars – Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile. We discuss opposing views, Turtle Je…
Replay: Episode 78 - Measuring Carbon Emissions at Street Level [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:10
This week on Talking Headways we're flashing back to exactly ten years ago to Episode 78 with Dr. Kevin Gurney, now at Northern Arizona University. We chat about measuring emissions at the street, block, and neighborhood…
Episode 552: Under a Highway in Birmingham Alabama [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:01
This week on the Talking Headways podcast we're joined by Ben Donsky of Agora Partners to discuss City Walk BHAM in Birmingham Alabama, a public space project that connects two sides of the city separated by a highway. W…
Episode 179: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Another Trip to China [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:33
We're Han Solo again but this time I'm sharing some thoughts from my trip to China in addition to the news. We've got stories about traffic lights in Japan, the creation of a new electric company, and housing costs. And…