Strong Towns Local-Motive: How To Use Social Media To Build a Movement and Create Change
(Source: Unsplash/Adem AY.)
It’s a social media world out there. These days, more and more people are connecting online. They’re learning about what’s going on in their towns through online groups, making new friends online, and learning online.
There are some pretty big channels in the urbanist world that have utilized social media to spark change, and as part of the Strong Towns Local-Motive tour, we’ve added a pre-recorded bonus session featuring a panel of well-known content creators.
This expert panel, recorded at the 2023 National Gathering, features innovative and popular creators sharing their experiences reaching people using video, social media, podcasts, and other forms of communication.
You’ll learn how to get started on content creation, with pro tips to leverage various platforms and content types to reach new audiences receptive to the Strong Towns message.
But before you hop aboard for the session, we’ve created a list of just a few of our favorite pieces of content from each creator for you to check out:
Tiffany Owens Reed
She’s a Strong Towns columnist, Bottom-Up Revolution podcast host, and creator of Cities Decoded. Her mission: to help you better understand cities. Check out some content highlights below:
Listen: “The Bottom Up Revolution Is…Working Alongside Local Government.”
Read: “Designing for Integrated Lives.”
Check out the Cities Decoded website.
John Simmerman
He’s the creator of Active Towns, a podcast and YouTube channel. Simmerman aims to help people understand how our built environment influences human behavior and impacts our health and physical activity.
What’s it like to ride a bike in Paris? Watch John’s experience here.
Listen to an older episode from when Chuck Marohn was on the Active Towns Podcast.
Check out the Active Towns website.
Ray Delahanty
The channel CityNerd was born out of Delahanty’s frustration over the limited scope of things he was able to explore and share as a transportation planning and engineering consultant. A few years ago, Delahanty started sharing his thoughts on cities through his YouTube channel, CityNerd. As a transportation planning and engineering consultant, he had a lot to share. Check out some highlights below:
Fighting a highway expansion? This video just might give you some facts to share.
Check out CityNerd Youtube Channel.
Alan Fisher
In shorter, witty videos, Alan Fisher has been questioning our built environment. His “About” description is host to the single phrase, “The Numbers don't lie, and they spell disaster for you suburbs.”
Want to check out an Alan Fisher video? Watch this one on “Philadelphia’s Ghost Subway Line That’s Rising From The Dead.”
Check out Fisher’s YouTube channel for a full list of videos.