The Bottom-Up Revolution

Mark Hoppen is a former city manager and Strong Towns member who’s been quietly strengthening communities in Washington state for decades. In this Bottom Up Short, Norm and Mark talk about why someone should pursue a career in city management, what real priorities look like in that role, and how to lead with both care and practicality. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Gig Harbor Boatshop (site) Bring the conversation to your community by booking Norm as a speaker! Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Adult friendships are difficult. A big part of that is our built environment, which is often designed in a way that stifles social connection instead of supporting it. Kat Vellos is an author, facilitator, and connection coach who’s working to change that. She and Tiffany discuss the importance of community building, ways to redesign our built environment, and other steps residents and local leaders can take to help their community thrive. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Jack London Square Oakland's Grand Lake Farmer's Market See more from Kat: We Should Get Together (site) “We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships” (book) 1-on-1 coaching Platonic Action Lab (course) Downloadable tools: Better than Small Talk and the Better Conversations Kit Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Ashley Salvador is a city councilor in Edmonton, Alberta. She’s a national leader in housing reform, zoning modernization, and urban revitalization. Ashley joins Norm on this Bottom-Up Short to discus one of her recent initiatives, which focuses on reducing the number of derelict and dangerous properties in the city. Ashley shares how she helped bring Canada’s first Derelict Tax Subclass into effect and how it’s driving revitalization. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES More from Ashley: “Cleaning Up Our Communities: Canada’s First Derelict Tax Subclass a Success” “Will Edmonton Be the First Major Canadian City to Eliminate Parking Minimums?” “Want more local businesses in your neighborhood? Then legalize ‘Accessory Commercial Units.’” “The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Building Gentle Density and a Grassroots Campaign for City Council” Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Jeral Poskey is the founder and CEO of Swyft Cities, a California-based tech company that's spearheading a totally new transportation system. Jeral explains his unique approach to creating realistic transportation innovations. He describes the transportation system Swyft Cities licenses and how it could address the issues that many cities face — like traffic, land wasted on parking, and difficulty with infill development. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Gelato Classico on Castro Season's Noodles and Dumplings Garden Ox9 Lanzhou Handpulled Noodles California Street Complete Street Bay Trail Follow Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Whoosh - the transportation technology that Swyft Cities licenses for key regions including North America and the Middle East. Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Dr. Alicia Pederson is a writer and advocate who encourages cities to adopt courtyard urbanism, a style of development where mixed-use buildings surround a shared courtyard. Today, she joins Norm to explain the benefits of this development style and how to advocate for it. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Drawing by Leon Krier 6 housing reforms that could help make courtyard blocks possible. Read more from Alicia: Urban Courtyard (X/Twitter) “Chicago’s affordable housing plan demands a courtyard block blueprint” Chicago Tribune “The courtyard block solution to Chicago’s family flight problem” Chicago Tribune “A better way to approach the challenge of Lincoln Yards” Crain’s Chicago Business Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Meet Burhan Azeem, a city councilor in Cambridge, Massachusetts. A graduate of MIT, he’s the youngest councilor in the city’s history and has a special focus on housing affordability and street safety. Burhan has successfully expanded zoning for affordable housing, removed parking minimums, and helped build bike lanes throughout the city. He also helped found a nonprofit that impacts housing policy on the state level. Today, he and Tiffany sit down to discuss how he got to this point and what he’s working on next. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Café 1369 Kendall Rooftop Garden Greenline Bike Path Burhan Azeem (site) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

What happens when a city’s design puts lives at risk—and someone decides to speak up? In this episode, you’ll meet Army Master Sgt. Ben Hultquist, one of the leaders of Strong Towns Fayetteville, a Local Conversation in North Carolina. After a string of preventable deaths, Ben testified in city hall. Now, that testimony is helping turn the conversation in Fayetteville toward people-first design and safer streets. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Strong Towns Fayetteville (Facebook) Learn how to make your streets safer with the Crash Analysis Studio model. Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Linda Appel Lipsius is the executive director of Denver Urban Gardens, where she supports a network of over 200 gardens and food forests that produce 650,000 pounds of food annually. She also helps launch initiatives to help make Denver a greener, more food-resilient place. Linda and Tiffany discuss the importance of nature in urban resilience and the benefits of community gardening, from access to healthy food to community building and mental health improvement. Linda explains how a permaculture design philosophy can help cities become more resilient. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Denver Urban Gardens Local Recommendations: Little Owl Coffee The Kitchen Museum of Contemporary Art Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Wendy Nash is the founder of Get Around Caboolture, a grassroots transportation initiative in Caboolture, Australia. She and Norm discuss the group's efforts to promote more transportation options, including hosting the first Week Without Driving outside the U.S. Wendy emphasizes the importance of tailoring messages to different audiences and explains why she would like to see more comedy in advocacy. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Get Around Caboolture Strong Towns Academy Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Brandi Thompson is the “accidental” co-founder and leader of Strong Towns ABQ, a Local Conversation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She’s lived in eight states and has worked as a rattlesnake wrangler, a grant writer, and a teacher. She currently works as a flight nurse, providing care to patients who need to be air-lifted to the hospital. Today, Brandi sits down with Tiffany to discuss the strategies that have helped Strong Towns ABQ successfully advocate for zoning reform and against highway expansions. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Strong Towns ABQ (site) Local Recommendations: Old Town Plaza Bike In Coffee High and Dry Brewing Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Alyssa Lee and Kay Crumb are leaders of Strong SacTown, one of the largest and most successful groups in the Strong Towns Local Conversations program. Based in Sacramento, California, the group has 140 engaged members, balances multiple ongoing initiatives, and successfully collaborates with city staff. In this Bottom-Up Short, Alyssa and Kay share their advice for building and sustaining a successful Local Conversation. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Strong SacTown (site) Alyssa Lee discussed this topic in more depth at the 2025 Strong Towns National Gathering. You can check out her presentation slides here. Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Craig Cassar is a first-term city councilor in Hamilton, Ontario. Prior to serving in public office, he acquired nearly 25 years of private sector leadership experience. Craig is a believer in the Strong Towns philosophy of city building, an advocate for active and public transportation, and a passionate environmentalist. Today, Craig and Tiffany discusses the challenges Hamilton faces and the progress the city has made. They also talk about the importance of a holistic approach to city building, including creating synergy between urbanism and environmentalism. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Craig Cassar (site) Local Recommendations: Tiffany Falls Dundas Valley Trail System James Street North Art Crawl Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Jesse Russell is a small-scale developer and Strong Towns member from Bend, Oregon. He joins Norm to discuss the ways he’s helping create more attainable homes in his hometown. He also explains how he works with the community and city officials to remove barriers to good development. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Hiatus Homes (website) Bend made it to the Final 4 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! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Eric Higbee is a landscape architect and writer who teaches university courses on community engagement at the University of Washington Department of Landscape Architecture. He works on community design and planning projects through his award-winning landscape architecture practice, Convene. Today, Eric joins Tiffany to discuss the importance of community engagement, why attempts at this kind of engagement often fail, and how to succeed at it. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Read more from Eric in his Substack, The Answer is Community Convene (site) Local Recommendations: Third Place Books Café Vitta UpGarden Columbia City Business District Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

In today’s Bottom-Up Short, Norm is joined by Kevin McDonnell, the mayor of Petaluma, California, and Dave Alden, co-leader of Petaluma Urban Chat. Kevin and Dave discuss their Know Before You Grow initiative, a community-driven effort focused on smart, financially strong development. They share how this initiative has helped direct attention toward building housing in Petaluma’s downtown, where services already exist and infrastructure is more financially viable. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Petaluma Urban Chat (site) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here! This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Dr. Patricia Tice has been an transportation engineer, planner, researcher and self-proclaimed geek for nearly 30 years. She spent the first decade of her career doing hundreds of traffic impact studies. In 2011, she started her own consulting firm and, a few years later, completed a PhD in transportation engineering. In this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, Patricia talks about her research into human behavior, as well as the role of human interaction and LEGO in urban design. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Read more from Patricia on her Substack ProFound City Insights Local Recommendations: Winter Garden Farmers Market Way Chocolate and Coffee Scoops Old Fashioned Ice Cream Market to Table Restaurant Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Vignesh Swaminathan is an engineer, transportation planner, and content creator. Formerly the the CEO of a civil engineering firm, he now works as a project engineer and has over 1.7 million followers on TikTok, where he discusses urban infrastructure and transportation planning. Tiffany and Vignesh discuss how transportation planning affects other aspects of cities such as housing. Vignesh explains how he works with quick-build projects, intersection design, and social media to make cities stronger. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES See more from Vignesh: At the National Gathering! On TikTok On Instagram Local Recommendations: Downtown San Jose Bay Trail San Pedro Square CalTrain Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Danny Wind is a Local Conversation leader and Regional Transportation Commission member from Lake County, California. In this Bottom-Up Short, Danny discusses their Open Street Map Project, which gives people a space to share photos and descriptions of the everyday challenges they face. Danny explains how this method of humbly observing where people struggle is a powerful force for change and how it intersects with their Regional Transportation Commission work. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Read more about Danny: “A Love That Helps Your Place Live Up To Its Full Potential” Learn more about the Strong Towns approach to public investment. Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Noah Roth is the founder of Streetcraft, a platform that uses visual storytelling and urban design to explore and improve the built environment. He joins Tiffany to talk about what led him to this form of advocacy, how visualizations can bring people on board with a project, and what he’s learned since starting his platform. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Want to hear more from Noah? Get your National Gathering tickets today! Streetcraft (YouTube) Local Recommendations: Sleeping Bear National Dunes The Flying Noodle Farm Club Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Danny Lapin is a revitalization specialist with the New York State Department of State. He and Norm discuss the ways that New York state is encouraging bottom-up community development, as well as Danny’s strategies for getting buy-in from communities that are wary of state programs or intervention. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Danny Lapin (LinkedIn) Read more about Danny: “A Strong Towns Voice in State Government” Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Rachel Leonardo is the video producer at Strong Towns. She has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and specializes in breaking down complex topics into clear, actionable ideas that inspire local change. Rachel and Tiffany discuss the importance of collaboration in building great places that foster community, culture, and connection. They explore how social media can encourage that collaboration and how it intersects with Strong Towns’ mission. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Want to hear more from Rachel? Get your National Gathering tickets today! See Rachel’s work: Studio Leonardo (YouTube) Strong Towns (YouTube) Local Recommendations: Bar Casa Jesus Mari Posada de Sorauren Gosaria Coffee Shop Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Hazen Elwood is a student, a member of Strong Towns Calgary (in Alberta, Canada), and a community manager with the organization For the City. Today, Norm and Hazen discuss ways to build an advocacy network and the power of raising local awareness through storytelling. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Unsprawling (site) Calgary 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 Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Justine Underhill is an elected city council member in Falls Church, Virginia, and an award-winning video journalist and independent filmmaker. She’s worked for international and domestic news organizations, created an award-winning docuseries, and started an educational YouTube channel. Justine joins Tiffany to discuss how media can be used to connect with people and drive change. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Want to hear more from Justine? Get your National Gathering tickets today! Learn more about Justine’s work: YouTube Channel Falls Church Forward Local Recommendations: Panjshir Restaurant Saturday morning farmer's market Cherry Hill Park Northside Social Café Kindred Godfreys Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

How do you turn three people with snow shovels into an initiative that gets covered on the news, triggers a city-funded pilot program, and inspires people to stay in the city long-term? That’s what Andrew Neidhardt and Dustin Moore of Walkable Albany, a Local Conversation in New York, are here to explain. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Walkable Albany (site). Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Rosaline Hill is a registered professional planner and awards-winning architect from Ottawa, Canada. She’s consulted on zoning for the city of Ottawa and is the founder and principle architect of BuildingIn, a planning program that helps municipalities reach their housing goals through infill development. Today, Rosaline joins Tiffany to discuss the complexities of housing reform. She explains how she created a 3D modeling program that helps municipalities visualize and argue persuasively for development. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Equator Coffee Capital Pathway Bike Trail Learn more about Rosaline’s work: BuildingIn (site) Walkable Ottawa (site) Ottawa Cohousing (site) Learn about the six simple code reforms local officials can implement today to welcome new housing. Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

In this episode of Bottom Up Shorts, Norm is joined by Saeed Vahid, a Local Conversation leader from Richmond Hill, Ontario. They talk about how he started the Local Conversation, how the group is collaborating with city officials, and how the expansion of the Greater Toronto Area has affected Richmond Hill. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Strong Richmond Hill (site). Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn). Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Diane Alisa is an author and founder of the nonprofit End Car Dependency. Her nonprofit helps support families by making it easier to get around safely without a car, build strong support networks, and empower children to be part of their communities. Diane joins this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to discuss the impact of car-dependent design on families and the importance of building integrated communities (or "villages"). ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Support the work of advocates like Diane by becoming a Strong Towns member today! Local Recommendations: Downtown Provo “Love Letter to Suburbia: How to Restore the American Village” by Diane Alisa End Car Dependency (website) Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Daniel Bloemker is a Strong Towns member and Local Conversation leader from Bellingham, Washington. He’s been instrumental in advancing local efforts on parking reform, housing, and community spaces. He joins Norm in this Bottom-Up Short to discuss these efforts and the progress the city has made. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Want to support advocates like Daniel? Become a Strong Towns member today. Bellingham won the “Most Progress in Building Better Budgets” award in the Strongest Town Contest. There are many great lessons that cities of all sizes can learn from their hard work.

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 is the president of Bike Walk Alameda, a nonprofit organization in the island city of Alameda, California. She joins Norm to discuss the city's efforts to improve biking infrastructure, including the creation of a network of low-stress bikeways and neighborhood greenways. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Bike Walk Alameda (site) Alameda made it to the Sweet 16 in this year’s Strongest Town Contest, from a list of almost 40 nominees. 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!

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 is a community leader focused on fostering sustainable growth and smart development in Warrenville, Illinois. In today’s Bottom-Up Short, she joins Norm to discuss several initiatives the city is running, including an incubator program for local businesses and a zoning overlay that allows for mixed-use development. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Warrenville made it to the Sweet 16 in this year’s Strongest Town Contest, from a list of almost 40 nominees. There are many great lessons that cities of all sizes can learn from their hard work. Click here to read more about their progress, and remember to vote today in the Championship Round! Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

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 is the director of the Greenfield Business Association in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She joins Norm on this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities that Greenfield faces and how it’s becoming a stronger town. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Read more about Greenfield: Hope for More Affordable Housing Options Is Growing in Greenfield (article) Strongest Town Nomination Visit Greenfield (site) Feeling inspired? Vote for Greenfield in the Strongest Town Contest! Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

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 is a city council member in Richfield, Minnesota. A Strong Towns member of seven years, Hayford Oleary has helped reintroduce duplexes, reduce parking mandates, and support walkable, financially strong neighborhoods in his community. In this episode of Bottom-Up Shorts, he and Norm discuss the progress Richfield is making in becoming a stronger town. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Richfield made it to the Sweet 16 in this year’s Strongest Town Contest, from a list of almost 40 nominees. There are many great lessons that cities of all sizes can learn from their hard work. Click here to read more about their progress, and remember to vote next week in the Final Four matchup! Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

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!

Travis Goedken is the city manager of Decorah, Iowa. In this Bottom-Up Short, he joins Norm to talk about a few of the practices and reforms that are making Decorah strong, including making its budgeting easier to understand for residents, embracing a highly collaborative planning process, and opening up new housing options by finding creative loopholes in restrictive state laws. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Feeling inspired? Vote for Decorah in the Strongest Town Contest! Travis Goedken (LinkedIn) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!