Ohio’s Traffic Granny Takes On Dangerous Neighborhood Streets

Ohio’s Traffic Granny Takes On Dangerous Neighborhood Streets

Author: Strong Towns April 21, 2026 Duration: 15:31
Barbara Didrichsen, known locally as “Traffic Granny,” describes how everyday walks filled with close calls in her Pleasant Ridge neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio pushed her to start documenting crashes and traffic problems on her streets. She and Norm talk through simple first steps, like signs and flags, and how they used those results to argue for stronger engineering fixes. Their conversation shows what long-term, resident-led traffic calming looks like on the ground. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Barbara Didrichsen (LinkedIn) Cincinnati Riding Or Walking Network (CROWN) (Site) Cincinnati's Infrastructure (Article) 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
How Will Gardner Is Helping Build a Stronger South Coast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:53
Will Gardner is the founder of South Coast Places For People, a new nonprofit — and Strong Towns Local Conversation — in Massachusetts. He previously founded Alma del Mar Charter Schools and now spends much of his time p…
Adding Third Places To Unlock a Small Town’s Potential [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:01
Today, Norm is joined by Jess and Dan Sollaccio from Warrenton, Oregon. Jess is a city commissioner and a small-scale housing developer. Dan is a commissioner for the Warrenton Budget Committee and works remotely for a f…
Fighting for Safe Streets in America’s Most Dangerous City [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:11
Memphis, Tennessee, was ranked the #1 most dangerous metro area by Smart Growth America in 2024. That’s not stopping Kelsey Huse, a safe streets advocate and grad student studying city and regional planning. She’s tackli…
The Young Voice Shaping Salt Lake City's Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:55
Eva López Chávez is a city council member in Salt Lake City, Utah. Eva has been involved in many layers of local government, including working as a city staffer and construction project manager. Today, she and Norm discu…
How Taking a Walk Can Make Your City Stronger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:35
Ashley Thornton is the founder of Waco Walks, an organization devoted to promoting walkability in Waco, Texas. She was inspired to start the organization after spending a year with walking as her primary form of transpor…
This Is Local Leadership Without the Ego [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:27
Mark Hoppen is a former city manager and Strong Towns member who’s been quietly strengthening communities in Washington state for decades. In this Bottom Up Short, Norm and Mark talk about why someone should pursue a car…
Beating the Loneliness Epidemic, One Step at a Time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:37
Adult friendships are difficult. A big part of that is our built environment, which is often designed in a way that stifles social connection instead of supporting it. Kat Vellos is an author, facilitator, and connection…
How To Use Property Taxes to Clean Up Your Community [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:29
Ashley Salvador is a city councilor in Edmonton, Alberta. She’s a national leader in housing reform, zoning modernization, and urban revitalization. Ashley joins Norm on this Bottom-Up Short to discus one of her recent i…
Will This Transportation System Be More Popular Than Cars? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:20
Jeral Poskey is the founder and CEO of Swyft Cities, a California-based tech company that's spearheading a totally new transportation system. Jeral explains his unique approach to creating realistic transportation innova…
Courtyard Urbanism: The Best of Both City and Suburb [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:24
Dr. Alicia Pederson is a writer and advocate who encourages cities to adopt courtyard urbanism, a style of development where mixed-use buildings surround a shared courtyard. Today, she joins Norm to explain the benefits…