The Urbanist Agenda
A podcast by the creator of the popular YouTube channel Not Just Bikes, The Urbanist Agenda explores the latest topics in urban planning and urban mobility from your favorite urbanist YouTubers. Each month, another important topic is put on the agenda, revealing how online urbanists plot and scheme to make cities work better for everyone.
Episodes
The Women Leaders Who Made their Cities Better (w/Melissa & Chris Bruntlett)
Women Changing Cities is the latest book from authors Melissa & Chris Bruntlett. It's an interesting collection of stores from many cities around the world highlight the groundbreaking work of female mayors, planners, advocates, and policymakers in reshaping urban spaces for the better.Women Changing Cities (the book): https://www.modacitylife.com/women-changing-citiesModacity: https:
How to Fight Back Against Anti-Urbanism Lies (w/The Urban Truth Collective)
Over the past few years there have been a lot of lies and conspiracy theories that are making it harder to build great urban places. One group has had enough, and they've formed the Urban Truth Collective to fight back.The Urban Truth Collective: www.urbantruthcollective.com BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/urbantruth.bsky.socialBrent: https://bsky.app/profile/brenttoderian.bsky.soc
The Best Way to Understand Dutch Cycling (w/Meredith Glaser)
Meredith Glaser is the CEO of the Urban Cycling Institute and a professor of cycling and urban transportation. She has found that the best way for policymakers to truly understand Dutch cycling is to experience it for themselves.Urban Cycling Institute: https://urbancyclinginstitute.org/Meredith Glaser: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/maglaserSupport this podcast and listen to every episode ea
How We Made a Travel Show w/Graham Haerther
Day Pass is the new Nebula Original series, hosted by Jason of Not Just Bikes. In each episode, Jason explores a new city ... while also riding as much public transit as possible. In this podcast, I talk to Graham Haerther at Nebula, the producer of Day Pass, as well as the cameraman for the first three episodes, about what it was like to make this show a reality.Watch Day Pass on Nebula:
Toronto's Crack-Smoking Mayor (w/Bobby Broccoli)
Rob Ford was the infamous crack-smoking mayor of Toronto, but he was always crazy, so how did he get elected in the first place? Bobby Broccoli is current working on a 4-part video series on Rob Ford, and he shares what he learned through his research.Meet Mayor Ford: https://youtu.be/nACJOKV_YYABobby Broccoli: https://www.youtube.com/@BobbyBroccoliNot Just Bikes: https://www.youtube.com/
How to Actually Improve a City (w/Brent Toderian)
Brent Toderian is the former chief planner of Vancouver, Canada. He has worked with dozens of cities around the world to achieve real change, and he has some advice for advocates who want to do the same.Brent Toderian on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/brenttoderian.bsky.social Not Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California P
Czechia's Insane Pro-Car Political Party (w/Adam Something)
Czechia just got a new political party called "Motorists for Themselves". But behind the "car-friendly" façade, they're just another far-right political party, funded by fossil fuel interests. Also in this episode: TRAINS!Motorists for Themselves (Motoristé sobě) Party Website: https://motoristesobe.cz/Adam Something: https://youtube.com/@adamsomethingNot Just Bikes: https://nebula.tv/not
Why is it SO HARD to Take a Train Across the Border? (w/Jon Worth)
The EU is heavily promoting rail as an alternative to flying and driving, but while the "big" high-speed train projects get a lot of attention, it's often maddeningly difficult to take a regional train across an EU border. Jon Worth has travelled on almost every single rail line in the EU and he has an incredible wealth of knowledge about how cross-border rail could work so much better.Th
Why I'm Ebike-pilled (with American Fietser)
"If it weren't for ebikes, I'd be driving a car" says American Fietser.American Fietser: BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanfietser.bsky.socialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanFietserNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/notjustbikesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Why I Quit YouTube (with RMTransit)
RMTransit has been making YouTube videos about cities and public transit for over 5 years. Now with over 750 videos on his YouTube channel, it's time to call it quits.Reece's Mastodon: https://masto.canadiancivil.com/@reeceReece's Transit Blog: https://reecemartin.ca/author/reecemartintransit/Cinq Personnes: https://cinqpersonnes.substack.com/Next Toronto: https://nexttoronto.substack.com
Let's Send our Pickup Trucks to Ukraine (with Build the Lanes)
Pickup trucks don't belong in European cities, so let's send them to help out in Ukraine! Stef from Build the Lanes tells us about why he's driving pickup trucks from the EU to Ukraine.Berr Battalion - https://www.help99.co/patches/nafo-berr-battalionBerr Battalion Announcement Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7tZdrGU_2cHelp99 - https://www.help99.co/69th Sniffing Brigade (Yo
The Sociology of Car-Brained Planning (with We're in Hell)
Sam from the YouTube channel "We're in Hell" normally makes video essays about sociology, but he recently went down the urban planning rabbit hole after Doug Ford threatened to take away his bike lanes. Learn what he learned in his research about the sociology of car-brained planning.Why is North American Transit so Bad?https://youtu.be/K7ag0bqGNu4The World's Dumbest Bike Lane Law Just Pa
When Transit isn't Built to be Transit (with RMTransit)
In 2001, Portland built the first of their new streetcar system, which was a success, especially in attracting new development to the transit corridor. This kicked off a bunch of new transit projects in other US cities, eager to bring their own new development projects, and taking advantage of transit funding from the Obama administration. But somewhere along the way they forgot that ther
Los Angeles Deserves Better (with Ellory Smith)
Los Angeles is (in)famous for its car-dependent sprawl, but there are pockets of good urbanism, and there are people working hard to build more of them. I talked with Ellory Smith from Streets For All Los Angeles about her outlook on where LA is going, as well as our new YouTube channel, I Love the City!Streets For All: https://www.streetsforall.org/I Love the City: https://youtube.com/@i
The Insanity of Canadian Housing Prices (with Mike Moffatt)
Canada's housing crisis is one of the worst in the world. But why? In this episode I talk to Mike Moffatt, Canadian economist and housing expert about what's going on in the Canadian housing market, as well as the common factors that are creating a housing crisis in almost every major city in the developed world.The Missing Middle Podcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@MissingMiddlePodcasthttps:
Trams are Great so why are Toronto Streetcars so Terrible!? (with RM Transit)
Trams are great. They create and enable some of the best urbanism around. And yet the streetcars in Toronto are slow and unreliable and painful to take. What is Toronto doing wrong, and what could other "streetcar" cities learn from their mistakes?Financial capital of Canada pauses so streetcar driver can move tracks with big stick: https://www.thebeaverton.com/2016/06/financial-capital-o
What to do When Your City Won't Fix Things (with Bike Curious)
What should you do when your city won't fix things, even after years of advocacy? The answer might be guerrilla urbanism, aka tactical urbanism. I talk to Bike Curious about the people who are tired of waiting, and just get things done by themselves. Is it legal? Well ... it's sometimes better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.Tactical urbanism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
NYC REALLY Screwed Up Congestion Pricing (with Doug Gordon)
New York City was about to roll out congestion charging. The cameras were up, the staff were hired, the metro projects were financed, and thousands of people were lined up to make public transit better ... and then the governor cancelled it on vibes.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congestion_pricing_in_New_York_Cityhttps://thewaroncars.org/2024/06/07/kathy-hochuls-congestion-pricing-flip-fl
All Trains Need Level Boarding (with Gareth Dennis)
Level boarding is simple enough: the floor of the train should be level with the platform. But it's not very common, is it? Why? And what can we do about it? Because once you learn the details of level boarding, you'll realise just how important it is.The Campaign for Level Boarding: https://www.levelboarding.org.uk/Passengers suffer serious injuries boarding Elizabeth line trains at west
Some Business Owners REALLY Hate Bike Lanes (with Bike Curious)
When a bike lane was installed on Valencia Street in San Francisco, one business owner hated it so much he went on a hunger strike. Bike lanes are almost universally positive for business, so why do some business owners hate them so much? Jon from Bike Curious joins me to discuss.San Francisco restaurant owner goes on 30-day hunger strike over new bike lane: https://www.usatoday.com/story
How Japan has Remained (relatively) Affordable (with Life Where I'm From)
As housing and transportation prices are skyrocketing around the developed world, Japan has remained (relatively) affordable. I talk to Greg from the YouTube channel Life Where I'm From about how Japan is different - from transportation to housing policy - and about what we can learn from Japanese cities.\Relevant videos by Life Where I'm From:How an Average Family in Tokyo Can Buy a New
Living with Self-Driving Cars (with Bike Curious)
For most of us, autonomous vehicles are this nebulous concept that might appear some time in our future, but there are other people living with this reality today - whether they like it or not. In this episode, I talk to Jon from the Twitch channel Bike Curious about what it's like to live in San Francisco, where autonomous vehicles are around you every single day and there's nothing you
Cars are (REALLY) Expensive! (with RMTransit)
Yup. Cars are REALLY expensive, and they're getting more expensive. And yet, most car owners seem completely oblivious to it.Canadians estimated to pay over $1,300 a month to own a car, report findsCar ownership cost me a LOT of money. I'm done. (YouTube)Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://
Europe Spends More on Roads than Rails (with Real Time History)
Europe is known for its train networks, and the EU has been promoting trains as the preferred mode of travel. But the train networks are not functioning well, and it's not a coincidence that many EU countries are spending twice as much on roads than they do on rails.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/19/european-governments-railways-road-building-report-motorways-funding-railhttps
10 Years Car-Free (with Mrs. NJB)
It occurred to us the other day that we have lived 10 years without owning a car. This didn't happen intentionally, we just moved to a walkable neighbourhood and living car-free just made the most sense. In this episode, I talk with Mrs. NJB about what it's been like to live without a car, how it made more sense for us even with two kids, and about why we'll likely never own one.Directly
From Pickup Driver to Cargo Bike Urbanist (with American Fietser)
Can rural people understand city folk and vice-versa? American Fietser thinks so. He went from being a die-hard truck driver to a cargo-bike riding urbanist, and it all started with a trip to the Netherlands.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaAmerican Fietser: https://www.y
The Problem with Cities: Skylines 2 (with Cities by Diana)
City Simulators, such as SimCity and Cities: Skylines are very popular, both among gamers and the general public. But these are just games: they don't accurately model real cities, and that can result in misleading assumptions about what a city is, and how it functions.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to N
Following the War on Cars (with Doug Gordon)
The "War on Cars" is a phrase that comes up every few years whenever some right-wing politician wants to get elected. But this phrase is nothing new, and has been around almost as long as cars themselves. In this episode, I talk to Doug Gordon from the War on Cars podcast, who has been following this phrase in the media for several years.https://thewaroncars.org/2021/11/30/not-just-bikes-
The Amsterdam Metro ... Kinda Sucks, Actually (with RMTransit)
Not Just Bikes, normally a champion of all things Amsterdam, talks to RMTransit about why the Amsterdam Metro isn't good enough. And if GVB has their way, it might become even worse.https://www.at5.nl/artikelen/219864/metrolijnen-50-en-53-worden-samengevoegd-30000-passagiers-zullen-moeten-overstappenhttps://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-expat-news/major-overhaul-amsterdam-public-transp
The Staggering Ignorance of Traffic Engineers (with Build the Lanes)
America has Traffic Engineers. The Netherlands has Transportation Engineers. One is concerned with moving as many cars as possible, the other builds transportation systems. In this podcast, I'm joined by Steffen Berr, an American Traffic Engineer turned Transportation Engineer who now lives in the Netherlands. We discuss the myopic approach taken by Traffic Engineers in America, and how i
5 Years Living in the Netherlands (with Mrs. NJB)
Our family has lived in the Netherlands for 5 years now. In this episode, I have a conversation with my wife, Mrs. NJB, about our experiences and how it compares to other places we've lived before.Directly support the production of this podcast, and listen to every episode early (and without ads!) by subscribing to Nebula: https://nebula.tv/agendaNot Just Bikes: https://youtube.com/@notju
Most Europeans Aren't Chained to their Cars (with Adam Something)
I was recently asked to comment on a news story in my hometown of Fake London in Canada: a single mom had her car break down and she couldn't afford to fix it, so she asked people how feasible it was to go car-free. In the end, she had to spend $6000 on a new transmission because living car-free was effectively impossible.It got me thinking how crazy this situation is, especially compared
The Superior Form of Housing (with Justin from WTYP)
Rowhouses have been around for literally thousands of years: a house that's connected to the house next to it. This type of housing is illegal in huge swaths of the US and Canada, but it's extremely common elsewhere because it is the greatest form of housing.Jason from Not Just Bikes is joined by Justin Roczniak from the Well There's Your Problem podcast to discuss why rowhouses are the s
Opening Transit Payments (with Urban Caffeine)
Paying for public transit is way too complicated, especially if you're an occasional user or tourist. Can open payments make this process easier for everyone?In this conversation, Jason from Not Just Bikes and Thea from Urban Caffeine discuss recent developments in open payments. If we're going to charge for public transit (which is a whole other conversation), how should payments be coll
Toronto Needs a New Mayor (with RMTransit)
Toronto's mayor stepped down, which gives the city a unique opportunity to make a meaningful change. Without an incumbent in the race, the field is wide open for someone new to take charge. Will Toronto choose good urbanism, or will it continue down its car-centric trajectory?In this episode, Jason from Not Just Bikes and Reece from RMTransit go through the top candidates in the Toronto m
Engineering Bad Outcomes (with CityNerd)
Traffic engineers in the US and Canada have complex guidebooks and formulas for everything they do, but somehow they still build places that are dangerous, expensive, ugly, and terrible at actually moving people. Jason (Not Just Bikes) and Ray (CityNerd) discuss how all this engineering still results in bad outcomes.All Traffic Models are Wrong (Strong Towns)https://www.strongtowns.org/jo
Closing Open Streets (with City Beautiful)
During the covid-19 pandemic, many US cities made streets off-limits to cars and opened them to people walking an cycling. These "open streets" were loved by urbanists everywhere, but now that the lockdowns are over, many of these places are being given back to motor vehicle traffic. In this episode, I talk to Dave from the YouTube channel City Beautiful about these closed open streets an
Toronto Drivers are Above the Law (with RMTransit)
Toronto has almost completely stopped issuing parking tickets to drivers, even as it faces critical budget problems. But this is just one more decision in a long line that allow drivers in Toronto to get away with almost any behaviour. From running red lights to driving literally twice the speed limit, the Toronto Police have proven, time and time again, that Toronto drivers are above the
The 15-Minute Cities Conspiracy (with Adam Something)
The 15-minute cities conspiracy has almost nothing to do with urban planning, and everything to do with climate change denialism. Urban planning has just become the latest topic to get caught up in the culture war.Relevant articles & links:https://www.desmog.com/2023/02/16/revealed-the-science-denial-network-behind-oxfords-climate-lockdown-backlash/https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/
Welcome to the Urbanist Agenda
A podcast by the creator of the popular YouTube channel Not Just Bikes, The Urbanist Agenda is an exploration of the latest topics in urban planning and urban mobility from your favourite urbanist YouTubers.Each month we'll put another important topic on the agenda and pull back the curtain to discover how online urbanists plot and scheme to make cities work better for everyone.See Privac
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