Tree Canopies, Safe Speeds, and a Council Seat

Tree Canopies, Safe Speeds, and a Council Seat

Author: Strong Towns April 2, 2026 Duration: 34:30
Emma Durand-Wood never planned on public office. But what began as challenging a pawn shop, planting trees, and pushing for safer speeds in her Winnipeg neighborhood grew into coalitions and, eventually, a successful run for local office. She talks about stepping into the role, facing the information fire hose, and keeping family and community at the center. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations:‍ JC's Tacos Historic Elmwood Cemetery Emma Durand-Wood (Site) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) 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: 50

The Bottom-Up Revolution
Podcast Episodes
A Student-Built Map Exposing New York's Worst Landlords [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:40
In New York City, the average rent is $4,700 a month and climbing. Over 500,000 housing violations are on file in the city, but the government database where they live is so outdated that most renters never see them. Far…
What Pickleball Revealed in a Rural Town [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:44
Van Buren, Maine, had a problem no town wants: it owned more than half of its downtown buildings through tax acquisition. When Luke Dyer became town manager after a long career in law enforcement, he was facing vacant st…
Running for Office Without a Political Background [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:02
Horry County, South Carolina has grown so fast that the median household can no longer afford the median home. Dylan Thompson has lived there his whole life, and he's running for county council because he thinks the peop…
The Housing Choices Cities Are Missing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:58
Zoning reform matters, but Eric Kronberg says it is not enough on its own. Cities also need useful building types, realistic development math, better street design, thoughtful tax policy, and a clearer vision for what go…
Strong Towns and the Art of Repair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:07
Before Strong Towns became a national movement, its ideas spread through conversations, conferences, friendships and people willing to make room for a difficult message. For Member Week, Norm talks with Founders Circle m…
The First Strong Towns Member [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:53
Nate Hood was the first person to donate to Strong Towns, back when the movement was still a blog, an irregular podcast, and a small circle of people asking better questions about cities. Norm Van Eeden Petersman talks w…
Building Community On Church Land Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:14
Eli Smith, director of the Faith-Based Housing Initiative, joins the show to talk about churches turning underused land and aging buildings into housing and everyday community spaces. He explains how his team helps congr…
The Lane That Kept Bringing Crashes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:43
A car had crashed into the same Madison coffee shop three times. That was enough for Josh Olson and Strong Towns Madison to push for a change on Willie Street — a dense, locally-owned corridor that doubles as a commuter…
Small‑Town Housing, Big Feelings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:31
In Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, housing debates are tied to favorite trees, familiar views, flood scars, and whether younger residents can afford to stay. Planning commissioner and neighborhood organizer Taylor Lightman talk…
Students Who Got a Sidewalk Built in 14 Days [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:09
Evan Clark and Natalie Eger are college students studying sociology in Lexington, Virginia, and they came back from the 2025 National Gathering in Providence, RI fired up to do something. In the past year they've built a…