EPISODE 156, SEASON 4:
In this episode, I reconnect with
Gracen Johnson, an Ottawa-based urbanist, affordable housing advocate, and dedicated dog owner/runner
We discuss architecture, zoning, active mobility, and how having a dog enables her to meet so many people.
Watch the video version of this episode to get the full effect.
We also talk about her writing and video work in the early days of the Strong Towns organization, as well as her contributions to the Incremental Development movement. I also learned that she is originally from and initially started her running routine in London, ON, or as Jason Slaughter with Not Just Bikes likes to call it, Fake-London.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
– Strong Towns
– CNU
– Urban3
– Order your own set of STEP Cards
– My recent episode w/ Chuck Marohn
– My episode w/ Pekka Tahkola in Oulu, Finland
Four Easy Steps to Support My Efforts:
1. Become an Active Towns Ambassador by “Buying Me a Coffee” or by pledging as little as $1 per month on Patreon
2. If you enjoyed this episode, please give it a “thumbs up,” leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share it with a friend.
3. Subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform and the Active Towns YouTube Channel
4. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my store
Credits:
All video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music:
Epidemic Sound
Resources used during the production of this episode:
– My awesome recording platform is Ecamm
– Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
For more information about my Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit my links below:
– Website
– Twitter
– Newsletter
– Podcast landing pages
– Facebook
– Instagram
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.”
My Active Towns suite of channels feature my original video and audio 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 have found 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. To donate, click here.