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The Bottom-Up Revolution

Strong Towns
Strong Towns
Community Engagement
Urban Planning
Community Development
Strong Towns Movement
Affordable Housing
Urbanism
Urban Design
Housing Crisis
Walkability
Local Government
Community Advocacy
Architecture
Public Transit
Transportation
Transportation Planning
Denver
Incremental Development
Public Transportation
Zoning Laws

The Bottom-Up Revolution features the stories of the Strong Towns movement in action. Hosted by Tiffany Owens Reed and Norm Van Eeden Petersman, it's all about how regular people have stepped up to make their communities more economically resilient, and how others can implement these ideas in their own places. We’ll talk about taking concrete action steps, connecting with fellow advocates to build... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes100Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

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Artwork for The Bottom-Up Revolution

Latest Episodes

Alkarim Devani has built over 1,000 homes in Calgary — fourplexes, row houses, a 212-unit heritage restoration — and noticed something strange: people kept asking about the small projects. That observation turned into a doctorate, a national educatio... more

It’s farmers market season, so we’re revisiting this conversation with Shelby Wild, whose work in Lompoc shows how a weekly neighborhood market can reshape a community’s food system. This rerun highlights the deep local relationships, creative partne... more

In Portland’s Hollywood district, a neighbor-led walk inspired by Jane Jacobs helps people see a familiar street in a new way. Strong Towns PDX organizer Natalie Legras shares how she pulled together a low-key neighborhood walk that feels more like h... more

A traffic jam in a video game changed how Bryan Kelly saw his city. He traces the path from playing City Skylines and watching Not Just Bikes to noticing stroads, long waits at traffic lights, and people biking on sidewalks along Sheboygan’s Eighth S... more

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Recent Guests

Alkarim Devani
Co-founder of Middle and RoundSquare; housing policy and development advocate
Middle and RoundSquare
Episode: The Missing Middle Has a Missing Industry
Shelby Wild Brown
Executive director of Route One Farmers Market
Route One Farmers Market (Lompoc, CA)
Episode: Rerun: Breaking Down Barriers to Local Food
Natalie Legras
Leader with Strong Towns PDX in Portland, Oregon
Strong Towns PDX
Episode: Walk Your Neighborhood Like Jane Jacobs
Bryan Kelly
Leader of Sheboygan Active Transportation, local advocate
Sheboygan Strong Towns Local Conversation Group / City of Sheboygan
Episode: Can Safer Streets Start With a Video Game?
Nick Dennis
Representative of Lancaster, Pennsylvania community in the Strongest Town Contest
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Community
Episode: Lancaster’s Locals, Newcomers, and Streets Working Together
Max Musicant
Founder and President of the Musicant Group, placemaking consultant
Musicant Group
Episode: Why Public Spaces Fail After the Ribbon Cutting
Barbara Didrichsen
Traffic Granny, community advocate
Cincinnati neighborhood advocacy
Episode: Ohio’s Traffic Granny Takes On Dangerous Neighborhood Streets
Levi Wintz
Developer and builder focused on creating walkable, community-centered neighborhoods
Woodbury project / Town Builders podcast
Episode: Rethinking New Neighborhoods Between Big Plans And Incremental Change
Stevie Hunter
Advocate in Athens, Ohio focusing on accessibility and pedestrian/cyclist advocacy
Athens Disability Commission (Accessibility and Advocacy Committee)
Episode: Becoming the Sidewalk Lady in Athens Ohio

Hosts

Tiffany Owens Reed
Co-host focusing on community-led urbanism and policy reform; affiliated with Strong Towns and The Bottom-Up Revolution.
Norm Van Eeden Petersman
Co-host associated with Strong Towns; leads and voices on Bottom Up Shorts and related Strong Towns initiatives.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 146 ratings
  • Ad placement is unaccountably disruptive

    Always ironic to have someone mid-sentence on the importance of thoughtful design in the physical world only to be cut off entirely without warning for a strongtowns event ad, sich that one has no idea what the thought was by the time the podcast resumes. Please work on the design of the podcast itself. Five stars to support the work.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jo mama 2277
    United States25 days ago
  • A+

    New host is fantastic!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MonkeysInACan
    United States3 years ago
  • Great Podcast

    This podcast is super inspiring. Rachel is a fantastic interviewer, and the range of guests are fascinating.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CateAVL
    United States4 years ago
  • More Personal Dive into Strong Towns

    Loving the format and the stories from people active in their communities.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mdelesd1
    United States4 years ago
  • Such interesting comments conversations about grass roots projects

    Fascinating ground-up projects in so many communities. I’ve started following the work of several interviewees because the conversations were so compelling. Locally based projects can take so many forms!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    listeninglou
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host's interviewing style is engaging and conversational, making complex urbanism topics accessible.
Guests are varied yet consistently aligned with grassroots, bottom-up change.
Positive and practical: listeners appreciate actionable insights and real-world guest stories.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Walk Your Neighborhood Like Jane Jacobs
Q: What tips or suggestions would you offer to someone who wants to set up a Jane's Walk?
Natalie emphasizes starting small, showing up consistently, advertising through existing networks, and keeping the format casual—five to twenty participants, no need for fancy planning, and being open to interruptions and discoveries along the route.
Walk Your Neighborhood Like Jane Jacobs
Q: Can you describe what a Jane's walk is, and how to do one, and what it's been like to host one?
Natalie describes hosting Jane's Walks in Hollywood, Portland, highlighting the simple setup, using Google Maps pins, engaging neighbors, and letting conversations grow organically as they walk from place to place.
The Missing Middle Has a Missing Industry
Q: What is a good way for people to reach out and follow your work?
LinkedIn is the preferred contact channel, along with email via the Middle U/Middle School website; the guest expresses openness to policy discussions and future city collaborations.
The Missing Middle Has a Missing Industry
Q: What gives you hope in your work?
Hope comes from observing examples like Battistella's Canock Gardens and the potential for middle housing to be a pathway to city-building, with more ambitious projects possible as the ecosystem matures.
The Missing Middle Has a Missing Industry
Q: What tips would you offer to others who want to follow in your path?
The speaker emphasizes that it's not as hard as people think, encourages embracing discomfort, and focuses on getting people to the starting line with the right framework and support so projects can succeed.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Bottom-Up Revolution

What is The Bottom-Up Revolution about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show profiles grassroots urbanism in action, highlighting how regular people drive neighborhood-scale change to build economically resilient towns. Episodes weave hands-on case studies—from walkable, human-scale design and tiny housing to pedestrian safety and crowd-funded community projects—into practical playbooks for local transformation. A standout theme is turning ideas into measurable action: testing street changes, engaging residents, and using affordable tools to empower neighborhoods. The format balances personal journeys with scalable strategies, making it useful for listeners who want implementable steps and real-world examples.

Noteworthy aspects include a strong emphasis on bottom-up reform, a broad spectrum of urbanism-re... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Bottom-Up Revolution?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Bottom-Up Revolution:

1. The Strong Towns Podcast
2. Upzoned
3. The War on Cars
4. The Urbanist Agenda
5. The Messy City Podcast

How many episodes of The Bottom-Up Revolution are there?

The Bottom-Up Revolution launched 8 years ago and published 100 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Bottom-Up Revolution?

Recent guests on The Bottom-Up Revolution include:

1. Alkarim Devani
2. Shelby Wild Brown
3. Natalie Legras
4. Bryan Kelly
5. Nick Dennis
6. Max Musicant
7. Barbara Didrichsen
8. Levi Wintz

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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