How Madison Turned Small Experiments Into Safer Streets

How Madison Turned Small Experiments Into Safer Streets

Author: Strong Towns March 23, 2026 Duration: 17:54
After repeated crashes into a beloved coffee shop, residents in Madison, Wisconsin pushed for a fast, inexpensive lane change instead of another long, consultant‑driven process. Josh Olson explains how neighbors gathered speed data, won a two‑month trial, and helped make the change permanent. Along the way, he shares how that work fed into broader safety goals, housing reforms, and a shift from “why don’t we” to “how can we.” ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Vote for Madison in the Strongest Town Contest! Strong Towns Madison (Site) Strong Towns Madison(Instagram) Madison Property Tax Value Per Acre (Site) Counting Cranes (Substack) 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!

There’s a quiet shift happening in neighborhoods and city halls across the continent, a push to rethink what makes a place thrive. The Bottom-Up Revolution, from the team at Strong Towns and hosted by Tiffany Owens Reed, dives into that shift by sharing real stories from within the movement. Instead of grand top-down plans, this podcast focuses on the tangible, often overlooked work of everyday people who are rolling up their sleeves to foster economic resilience right where they live. Each conversation explores the practicalities-how someone identified a small, solvable problem in their community, the steps they took to rally their neighbors, and the challenges they faced turning an idea into reality. You’ll hear about the messiness of local advocacy, the importance of building connections to create lasting influence, and the personal lessons learned along the path to a stronger town. It’s a resource for anyone who believes change starts on their own street, offering not just inspiration but a sense of shared struggle and possibility. Tune in for a candid look at the grassroots work that’s quietly reshaping our cities and towns, one concrete action at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Bottom-Up Revolution
Podcast Episodes
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build a Stronger Richmond Hill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:30
In this episode of Bottom Up Shorts, Norm is joined by Saeed Vahid, a Local Conversation leader from Richmond Hill, Ontario. They talk about how he started the Local Conversation, how the group is collaborating with city…
Diane Alisa: How To Restore the American Village [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:06
Diane Alisa is an author and founder of the nonprofit End Car Dependency. Her nonprofit helps support families by making it easier to get around safely without a car, build strong support networks, and empower children t…
Bottom-Up Shorts: How Normal People Can Make a Big Difference [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:54
Daniel Bloemker is a Strong Towns member and Local Conversation leader from Bellingham, Washington. He’s been instrumental in advancing local efforts on parking reform, housing, and community spaces. He joins Norm in thi…
Elizabeth Turman-Bryant: The Bottom Up Path to Local Leadership [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:56
Elizabeth Turman-Bryant is a councilmember in Burlington, Washington. She's passionate about community building, revitalizing historical areas, and making Burlington more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. Turman-Bryant jo…
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build Bikeable Streets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:36
Denyse Trepanier is the president of Bike Walk Alameda, a nonprofit organization in the island city of Alameda, California. She joins Norm to discuss the city's efforts to improve biking infrastructure, including the cre…
Doing the Math as a City Council Member [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:09
Steven Zittergruen is a city councilor and Strong Towns member from Decorah, Iowa. In this Bottom-Up Short, he joins Norm to discuss the ways he’s making his community stronger. His efforts include revamping Decorah’s bu…
Will McCollum: How To Design Prosperous Places [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:21
Will McCollum is a registered architect and the president and co-founder of Citymakers Collective, a nonprofit that teaches aspiring architects and planners how to design resilient, beautiful and prosperous places. He jo…
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build a City’s Economic Core [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:11
Amy Emery is a community leader focused on fostering sustainable growth and smart development in Warrenville, Illinois. In today’s Bottom-Up Short, she joins Norm to discuss several initiatives the city is running, inclu…
Sarah Rose: Using Art To Advocate for Street Safety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:36
Sarah Rose is an artist from Spokane, Washington, who uses her art to raise awareness about street safety and the protection of native insects. She is active in her city’s Local Conversation, Spokane Reimagined, and ofte…

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