The Bottom-Up Revolution

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 joins Tiffany to discuss her journey from nonprofit work to local government. She explains some of the projects she’s working on and the importance of striking a balance between the responsiveness of bottom-up activism and the influence of local government involvement. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Tacos Tecalitlan Train Wreck Bar Railroads Pizza and  Bar Taste of Thai by Wipa Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Denyse Trepanier, the President of Bike Walk Alameda, shines a light on innovative strides towards a bike-friendly future in her city. She discusses the creation of low-stress bikeways and greenways aimed at enhancing cycling safety. Highlighting community efforts, Denyse emphasizes grassroots advocacy as key to transforming urban streets. The conversation touches on the challenges of redevelopment, the importance of engaged citizens, and how past experiences shaped a vision for a more bikeable Alameda.

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 budgeting process, helping launch Decorah’s Local Conversation group, and writing about local governance. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Dear Decorah (Substack) Learn how to do the math in your own community. Decorah made it to the Elite Eight in this year’s Strongest Town Contest. There are many great lessons that cities of all sizes can learn from their hard work. Click here to read more about their progress. Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

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 joins Tiffany on this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to talk about what it takes to design environments for human flourishing, as well as the importance of educating the next generation of architects and planners. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Piedmont Park Bold Monk Brewing The Works Food Hall Citymakers Collective (Website) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Amy Emery, a community leader dedicated to sustainable growth in Warrenville, Illinois, shares her insights on local initiatives aimed at revitalizing the city. She discusses an incubator program supporting local businesses and a zoning overlay promoting mixed-use development. The conversation dives into community engagement through visual surveys that help shape architectural decisions. Emery also highlights the Merry Market, a successful local market fostering entrepreneurship and community connections—showcasing the immense pride and engagement among Warrenville residents.

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 often speaks with local reporters and at city council meetings. She joins Tiffany on this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to talk about how the intersection of advocacy and art is driving change in Spokane. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Pacific to Palouse Wine Bar Page 42 Bookstore Zola “One Block Revolution” by Summer Hess Connect with Sarah Rose: Instagram Website Spokane Reimagined (Website) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Hannah Rechtschaffen, Director of the Greenfield Business Association, shares her insights on fostering community pride in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She discusses the town’s initiatives to enhance local engagement and proudly compete in the Strongest Town contest. The conversation highlights the balancing act between preserving local culture and embracing economic growth, alongside the vital role of local businesses in community success. Rechtschaffen emphasizes the importance of celebrating local history and events to strengthen connections within the town.

Kip Santos is a trained civil engineer and construction manager who quit his job to build Local Conversations full-time. Now he splits his time between the U.S. and Canada, nurturing the groups he's founded and building missing middle housing In this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, Santos talks about what inspired him to quit his job, what his different groups are working on, and how he became an small-scale developer. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES The Strong Towns National Gathering is coming to Providence this June! Get your ticket today. Local Recommendations: Nitro Coffee Bar East Bay Bike Path Providence Athenaeum  Del’s Lemonade Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Sean Hayford Oleary, a city council member in Richfield, Minnesota, discusses his advocacy for housing reform and community development. He shares insights on legalizing duplexes and revising zoning laws to combat housing shortages. Oleary highlights Richfield's success in becoming a stronger town, notably making it to the Sweet 16 in the Strongest Town Contest. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of community engagement and citizen involvement in creating safer, more accessible neighborhoods.

Montana Gau is the founder of Strong Denver, a Local Conversation in Colorado. A software engineer by trade, he built the group into a registered nonprofit with a board of directors and several hundred members. Now, city officials are reaching out to the group for collaboration on a variety of initiatives. In this episode of the The Bottom-Up Revolution, Gau joins Tiffany to discuss Strong Denver’s origins and where the group is now. He talks about how his role shifted as the group grew, from advocating “on the ground” to creating a space where others can more effectively advocate, and the new challenges and opportunities he has because of it. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Rino Neighborhood South Broadway Washington Park Irish Rover Pub  Strong Denver (Twitter/X) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!