City Dweller
City Dweller
Jared W
In each episode I talk with a city dweller to learn about their perspective on city life.
Elsa Mehanna: A Parisian Architect and Artist Inspired by Walks Around Cities
Elsa Mehanna is a young architect and artist with a deep love for art and design. She loves to explore Paris on foot, as well as other cities that she visits during her frequent travels.
Aug 14
24 min
Ted Maxwell: The Battle Over Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly Streets in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Ted Maxwell lives in Bethnel Green, a neighborhood in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Only 29% of households in Tower Hamlets own a car, one of the lowest rates of car ownership in the United Kingdon. He is part of Save Our Safer Streets, a group of Bethnal Green residents and business owners who want to keep and improve the newly built pedestrian-friendly streets in the area that are being threatened with removal by Tower Hamlets Council.
Jul 31
31 min
Karl Gnadt: Managing a Small-City Transit System in Champaign-Urbana That Outperforms Systems in Some Larger Cities
Karl Gnadt, is the Managing Director of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD), a bus system that serves Champaign-Urbana, a small metropolitan area of almost 250,000 people that's home to the University of Illinois. The MTD carries more riders annually than the public transit systems in Indianapolis or Nashville.
Jul 17
27 min
Nathan Knize: The Chicago-Based Co-Host of Silent Generation, a Podcast That Explores a Variety of Topics Through the Lens of Urbanism
Nathan Knize is a librarian who lives car-free in Chicago. He is the co-host of Silent Generation, a cultural analysis podcast that surveys the cultural consequences of car-oriented development in the mid-20th century. It explores what was lost between the Silent Generation and Generation Z. The topics that they discuss include aesthetics, fashion, history, and urbanism.
Jul 3
30 min
Zach Welden: Advocating for an Urbanist Transformation in Chicago's Lakeview Neigborhood
Zach Welden is the founder of Lakeview Urbanists, a group that brings together neighbors in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood to advocate for safer streets, great transit, more housing, and more greenspace.
Jun 19
26 min
Christian Lenhart: The Rio Grande Plan, A Proposal to Reconnect Salt Lake City and Restore Train Service to the Historic Rio Grande Depot
Christian Lenhart is a civil engineer and one of the people behind The Rio Grande Plan, a citizen-driven vision for removing railroad crossings, revitalizing a neighborhood, and reusing the historic Rio Grande Depot. He previously worked for the Utah Transit Authority and is a daily commuter on TRAX, Salt Lake City's light rail system.
Jun 5
31 min
Dan "Arnie": Building Community Through Running a Coffee Truck in a Diverse London Neighborhood
Dan, who also goes by Arnie, ran a coffee truck in Arnos Park, in North London, for eight and a half years. During that time, he built a strong sense of community with people who frequented the park. The truck closed at the end of 2025.Warning: This episode includes a brief description of someone dying by suicide.
May 22
20 min
Dustin Manker: A Chicagoan Who Bridges the Divide Between Cycling for Transportation and Recreational Cycling
Dustin Manker cycles on a daily basis as his primary way of commuting and exploring Chicago. On weekends, he enjoys participating in recreational group rides. Dustin is also part of a bicycle racing team, Indigo Cycling Chicago. He chronicles his experiences of cycling around the city on his YouTube channel, Dustin the Wind.
May 8
26 min
John Bauters: "America's Bike Mayor" Demonstrated That a US City Can Prioritize Walking and Cycling
John Bauters served as a city council member in Emeryville, California, a dense suburb in the San Francisco Bay Area, from 2016 to 2024, including serving as mayor for part of that time. His work to transform Emeryville into a community that prioritized active transportation, housing, and environmental justice earned him the nickname "America's Bike Mayor."
Apr 24
32 min
Christophe Najdovski: Working as a Deputy Mayor to Transform Paris into a Greener, More Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly City
Christophe Najdovski served as a Deputy Mayor of Paris from 2008 to 2026, first under Mayor Bertrand Delanoë and then under Mayor Anne Hidalgo. He played an instrumental role in helping to make Paris a greener and more pedestrian and bicycle-focused city.
Apr 10
24 min
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