EP 209 RAY DELAHANTY: It's Time to Meet the Real City Nerd

[@mapgravy]

My claim to fame is briefly working with Ray. He captained our office softball team.

[@ActiveTowns]

Ah, very cool... "you knew him when" 😅 Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed the conversation. Cheers! John

[@charleskra]

Enjoy City Nerd's channel. Very unique. He is snarky, sneakily funny, but very knowledgeable and interesting. For someone in a different life that would have been a city planner or architect, he scratches an intellectual itch.

[@ActiveTowns]

Really appreciate you tuning in. I hope you enjoyed the conversation. Cheers! John

[@dmike3507]

I agree. He's consistently one of my favorite channels on YT these days, and that's saying a lot as I'm subbed to dozens of them.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@dmike3507 Thanks so much for tuning in for the conversation and for contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

Two of my favourite KZbinrs. Thats gotta be worth something! 😉

[@ActiveTowns]

Thank you so much! 😀

[@nomadmg7485]

Hello from Switzerland!

[@ActiveTowns]

👋

[@safecyclist1]

Good to see you again John, City Nerd is cool.

[@ActiveTowns]

He is indeed! Thanks for tuning in. Cheers! John 😀

[@timbooktu1608]

Great interview. Good to get to know more about him, the CityNerd channel, and his journey.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you tuning in. Cheers! John

[@knarf_on_a_bike]

City Nerd is amazing! This is gonna be good. 😀

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh yeah! 😀

[@Urbanhandyman]

He's the only man I pay money to for his unique service. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@Urbanhandyman Money well invested in my book. Thanks for supporting The City Nerd! 😀

[@peacelovejoyandhappiness]

I really enjoyed this interview, thanks guys for taking time creating it. 🎉❤🎉❤🎉❤

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! So glad you liked it and I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@Jeschitown]

I'm a truck driver and as such for some reason i started noticing how cities are build and how the geography factors by sheer observations, and now I'm here hahah

[@ActiveTowns]

Welcome! I have a few commercial truck drivers (I'm assuming that's what you meant) who tune in on a regular basis. Cheers! John

[@charlienyc1]

Great video - thanks! We never see Ray laugh on his channel. I think you're getting a new sub, John 👍

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Thanks for the sub. 🙌 So glad you enjoyed it. Cheers! John

[@vg4413]

Following CityNerd from Germany, I am glad I found your channel. As an ordinary citizen I like pragmatic debate about urbanism. For your information, lots of people understand English in Europe.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! That's fabulous. Welcome! Yeah, y'all are freaking amazing when it comes to your ability to understand and speak multiple languages. So much respect for that. btw I do have a handful of videos from my time in Germany earlier this year, and I interviewed Ashton & Jonathan in the Freiburg Im Breisgau area from the @TypeAshton Channel (formerly The Black Forest Family Channel.) I hope you enjoy the channel. Cheers! John

[@Hurricane2k8]

Another German viewer of CityNerd here. And I can confirm the language barrier isn't the issue, most people in Europe are somewhat fluent in English, even a lot of those who say they're not. English profiency gets more problematic the older a person is though.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@Hurricane2k8 Excellent.Thanks so much watching and for sharing this perspective. I hope you enjoyed the chat and are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@RightlyDividingToday]

1:32 my last name in German is city lover😊

[@MikeS29]

Thanks for a great conversation, I'm subscribed to both channels, and can't get enough!

[@ActiveTowns]

Awesome, thank you so much! 😀

[@nicthedoor]

Great conversation. I really like the insight into solo KZbin production :) Keep up the good work John and Ray!

[@ActiveTowns]

Hey, thanks so much for watching and for the kind words. We really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@colleenharrison2942]

That was an enjoyable and interesting podcast. Loved hearing about all the different cities and what is being developed.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! So glad you enjoyed it.

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

Great video!

[@ActiveTowns]

Ah, thank you so much! Seems like you are making your way through the library. Pace yourself, and be sure to get outside when you can. hehe 😂 Cheers! John

[@definitelynotacrab7651]

@ActiveTowns Just some background listening while studying/cooking

[@ActiveTowns]

@@definitelynotacrab7651 That's cool! 🙌

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Thanks for sharing this story about Ray. I love his channel and his deadpan demeanor. I found your channel today as I was responding to a viewer on Professor Sal Mercogliano’s channel “What’s Going On With Shipping”. Dr Sal had just analyzed some content from Project 2025 as it pertains to global shipping, as did Ray recently, and a viewer in the comments section thanked me for pointing out “City Nerd” as another creator with expertise in his craft. People do read the comments; they are a way for the community to interact with one another and with the creator. And occasionally we recommend other sites to each other! 😊 It goes without saying, new subscriber to your channel, and best wishes! Daniel

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Thanks so much, and welcome to the Channel. I really enjoy Ray, not only as a creator of great content but also as a genuinely good human. I look forward to collaborating with him again at some point in the future. Enjoy poking around here on the Active Towns Channel and there's also a vast archive of older audio-only podcast episodes dating back to early 2020 - so pace yourself. Cheers! John

[@DrBilly90210]

9:00 Lived in PNW (Bellevue, WA) for 5 years. When the sun shines (July and August), there's nowhere else I've been that's as beautiful. Worst part of the year for me was late winter into spring. IIRC, I once counted 54 straight days of not seeing the sun. It just wore me down and I had to relocate.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, 54 days is harsh. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you enjoy the Channel. Cheers! John

[@TD05SSLegacy]

Bellevue is built on a windswept hill. It was cheap to build there because climate-wise it’s horrible. It’s the apex of the Seattle area convergence zone. I can see that mess from my home in Seattle and it has cloud coverage approx X percent more than my home. Sure the data exists but I can confirm with my senses. When I go there the wind chills me to the bone. And driving rain. Miserable.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@TD05SSLegacy I would last there, that's for sure hehe. Thanks so much for watching and for chiming in. It's much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@jfungsf882]

Great interview! Hopefully, in the future you'll get *Reece from RMTransit* and *Alan Fisher* on this channel for an interview as well, that would be awesome! 😉👍💯

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for watching! I'd love to have Reece on if that's something he'd be interested in, Alan said he'd be up for it someday... I just need to follow up with him, thanks for the reminder. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@visionpersistance]

Loved your Mexico City Videos…. hopefully We’ll visit one day

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, me too. Thanks for watching. 😀

[@hilarymoonmurphy]

So excited to see an interview with Ray!

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Thanks so much for tuning in, and I hope you enjoy the Channel. Cheers! John

[@hilarymoonmurphy]

US (MN) viewer here and I love Ray's Mexico content! I have learned so much from it!

[@ActiveTowns]

🙌 😀

[@icillay]

Sorry, fellas. I rarely participate in online fora, but for the use of the word "stadiums" instead of "stadia" (from both Latin and ancient Greek) i am going to have to subtract one Nerd point each. Okay, proceed.

[@ActiveTowns]

Stadia ✅😀

[@mattpotter8725]

Great interview!!! City Nerd subscriber, now an Active Towns subscriber as well. Will be checking out your other videos/podcasts in the near future.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Thanks so much for tuning in and I hope you enjoy the Channel. Cheers! John

[@scpatl4now]

I was one of the first 500 subscribers to CityNerd...back when we could fill something smaller than a stadium

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! You knew ‘em when… 😀

[@charliesullivan4304]

I'm looking forward to the promised video on the top ten ballet venues with excellent transit connections.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe 🤣 No pressure. Thanks for watching. Cheers! John

[@nikkiguerlain]

Love City Nerd!

[@ActiveTowns]

🙌

[@zamshedrahman100]

I want to say high from Ireland and you guys are both welcome to visit Ireland

[@ActiveTowns]

Hi There! 👋🏼 Yeah, Ireland is definitely on my list of places that I want to visit soon. Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you are enjoying the Channel. Cheers! John

[@zamshedrahman100]

@@ActiveTowns Yeah I hope u can visit Ireland soon and not just Dublin ,Also I suggest Waterford or even outside of Dublin and west of Ireland (Galway ) .I love what you do and keep it up . I think we need better urban planning if we want more sustainable planet .So I think that's why there is lot interest in your channel and a like . EV is great an all but we need better solution that impact a lot of people . Keep the good work .Love from Ireland . ❤😻

[@ActiveTowns]

@@zamshedrahman100 Thanks so much! Very helpful. I agree 💯Cheers!

[@hilarymoonmurphy]

His Minneapolis video was one that totally alerted me to Ray's channel.

[@ActiveTowns]

That’s a solid vid for sure. 😀

[@bryanpearson8865]

What is Ray's X factor? It's his dry wit and planning background. He can definitely crunch numbers with the best of them. I respect that he walks the talk. He has very convincing arguments.

[@ActiveTowns]

💯 Thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you enjoy the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@bryanhall1388]

Another great interview, thank you. The word nerd always amuses us, in the UK we don't say nerd, we say 'expert'. 😅

[@ActiveTowns]

Hey, thanks so much for tuning in and for the feedback. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@baddriversofcolga]

Nerd used to be used primarily as an insult towards smart people, but now it's kind of been taken back by the nerds and is sometimes used endearingly although Ray's use of it is probably kinda tongue-in-cheek as well.

[@ActiveTowns]

​@@baddriversofcolga Power to the Nerds... alas the revenge of the nerds. Hehe 🤣

[@baddriversofcolga]

@@ActiveTowns 😝

[@gumerzambrano]

Awesome interview!

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! So glad liked it. Thanks so much for tuning in, and I hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@kingstonsean]

I'm originally from suburban Montréal. My suburban friends HATE mayor Valerie Plante. 🤣🤣 Mostly because when they make one their rare forays into the city they can't easily find a parking spot.

[@ActiveTowns]

Classic! Not at all surprised. I see and hear this frequently as well. Thanks so much for tuning in. Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@ccnomad]

@CityNerd The top ten lists also make it into a game, where people are guessing along, and maybe hoping their favorites make the cut. I think the interactive spirit of this, and that it features anticipation (and fun, and stakes) is some good magic dust :)

[@ActiveTowns]

Excellent points! Thanks so much for watching and for this helpful contribution to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@eric106071]

The interviewer really did the homework before the interview. Nice work

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for tuning in! Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@lidarman2]

When I was in Engineering school at the University of New Mexico, this girl called me an 'Enginerd" so maybe Ray can adopt it based on his comments about his education--especially since allegedly he is living in the Burque now .

[@ActiveTowns]

I like it, but think you might want to hold onto it in case you decide to launch your own channel someday. hehe 😅 Cheers! John

[@kevinobrien2311]

"Seattle Rain Festival September - May"

[@ActiveTowns]

😁

[@KellyClowers]

... I never saw or heard his name, and never thought about it. I think my brain just accepted "City Nerd" as his name.

[@ActiveTowns]

😅

[@geeky_sasha6813]

I loved the video roasting the Town Square mall in Vegas.

[@ActiveTowns]

👍

[@CityNerd]

I secretly love lifestyle centers

[@ToNNoMishMash]

interesting interview as always 👍🏻

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@dontgetlost4078]

No questions about the finest dining establishment? >:p Very nice podcast!

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for tuning in. Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@403bwise]

Great interview. Just wished Ray had been asked/talked about his current residence: Albuquerque, a city I think has a lot ot offer.

[@CityNerd]

I think I was still keeping my location under wraps when we filmed the interview, but I let the cat out of the bag shortly after

[@ActiveTowns]

I'm long overdue for a return visit to Albuquerque... I'm a bit embarrassed to say it's been nearly 30 years... ouch! I feel like an Active Towns Tour Stop is in order before too long. Cheers! John

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, @CityNerd I think you're right. I only mentioned the state of NM in passing at the end, no specifics.

[@15MinDallas]

Very cool 👍

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you were able to tune in. I hope you enjoyed it and the Channel. Cheers! John PS Just subscribed to your Channel. Look forward to checking out your vids.👍

[@15MinDallas]

@@ActiveTowns oh thanks so much. Obviously no where near you guys in talent or education on this stuff but looking forward to growing :)

[@ActiveTowns]

@@15MinDallas You are quite welcome. It's all a journey. Have fun! 😀

[@daveassanowicz186]

I wish there was a way to get Active Towns and Strong Towns and City Nerd and Not Just Bikes and City Beautiful... to have a convention in Lehigh Acres, Florida. Those are the folks that need to hear your message and I'm so outnumbered here

[@ActiveTowns]

That would be cool! I'd be totally up for that. In the meantime, starting a grassroots movement locally similar to one Tesho talks about that got him engaged when he was playing pro soccer in Orlando represents the bottom-up revolution that Chuck w/ Strong Towns insists is the way forward. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a53FfmWHp6qgbas Keep me posted as to how I can support your efforts. Cheers! John

[@stewarer]

Second that motion!

[@stewarer]

Top 10 lists are cool; for me, I prefer the deep dives in particular communities, or transportation infrastructure in various similarly-sized cities (I particularly like train analyses). Also, as a transplanted Bay Area native into Portland, OR I perk up for those mentions. Really like the idea mentioned below in the comments of having a panel of Active Towns, Strong Towns, City Nerd and Not Just Bikes. Love your content!

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much! Perhaps we could get the group together someday. Btw The Strong Towns panel Ray and I served on in May was recorded and was made available as a bonus benefit to the Local-Motive Tour www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/8/15/all-aboard-the-strong-towns-local-motive I don't know if it is going to be more widely distributed. If interested, it might be worth asking. Cheers! John

[@stewarer]

@@ActiveTowns Fantastic, I'll take a look now.

[@markcramer14]

CityNerd could be aka City Nomad. Good discussion.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, exactly. Thanks for tuning in, Mark. Cheers! John

[@zoltarburger]

KZbin suggested this since I watch CityNerd. This channel would be much better if he didn't spend the first 8 minutes talking about himself. I would make it more about the guest, and start with a hook- and not the typical table talk that IRL meetings tend to start with.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for tuning in and for the suggestions. I hope you enjoyed the conversation overall. Cheers! John

[@Frahamen]

If you want a city that's both famous for it's urban transport AND ballet, go live in Wuppertal, lot's of things are Pina Bausch themed.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh, cool! lol 😅 How's the "all ages and abilities" cycle network? I might have to put it on my Active Towns Tour Stop must-visit list for next summer. Thanks so much for watching and for the comment. Cheers! John

[@lws7394]

Die Schwebebahn !! The unique hanging rail transit system ! A must for every urbanist (and Pina Bausch for ballet lovers too). One could combine Wuppertal with a visit ( 90min by train) to Münster . (From the famous Münster Road Space photo and Germany's bicycle capital.) You might follow up with a (80min from Münster) to Enschede ... erh why Enschede 🤔 ... Cycling in a Dutch city without a 'century old canal ring and cathedral' maybe ... (Enschede is a 160k (300k?) textile manufacturing city that had a late 1800s fire burn, got bombed by allies in WW2 and had a complete neighbourhood blasted by a fireworks disaster in 2000). A lot of parks and heathland, the new 'fireworks' neighbourhood, but the city has also interesting rain flood solutions (the city is on unimpermeable boulder clay soil ). And there is a 'bike highway', the F35, to neigbouring towns.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@lws7394 Love it! Yeah, I visited Münster during my month long 2015 Active Towns Study Tour. I am long overdue for a return visit to the area. Definitely want to visit Enschede, it is high on my list. Thank so much. Cheers! John

[@femboichik]

OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR!

[@ActiveTowns]

😂

[@NormanRichards]

How did John not ask bring up the reddit thing?

[@ActiveTowns]

@@NormanRichards What reddit thing? I am not reddit, so I have no clue what the thing is... is it a good or bad "thing?" Thanks for watching and for the question. Cheers! John

[@NormanRichards]

During the reddit protests earlier this year, CityNerd was declared the lord and saviour of r/fuckcars. All posts on that subreddit had to mention CityNerd in some way. I've never heard him comment on what he thought of it.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@NormanRichards Oh wow! That's hilarious. 🤣Well he just might see this, if he pops back in. Cheers! John

[@ahwhite2022]

I have to take City Nerd's snark in small, measured doses. Funny, I've seen the Charlotte thumbnail (I guess the old one) and never watched the video. Now, here I am watching an hour plus long form video and finally learning that the Charlotte video wasn't quite what I'd expected from the clickbait which I haven't been willing to commit just 15 or so minutes to.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, yeah, I'm the same way. Thanks so very much for tuning into this chat with Ray. I really appreciate it. Cheers! John

[@visionpersistance]

Key Question?………… when is Seattle going to get a NBA Team to replace the SuperSonics/ Oklahoma City Thunder?

[@ActiveTowns]

Well this is definitely outside of my pay grade... I was baffled by the many years where Los Angeles had no NFL team given the size of the market... of course, now they have two through a series of bizarre twists and turns. lol 😂

[@clayton97330]

CityNerd, since you've been to Houston now, did you see Rice Stadium next to Rice Military? I think it should have been on your top 10 stadium list.

[@ActiveTowns]

Good question, I'll let him know you asked. Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@CityNerd]

No way, I had the UH stadium in. Does Rice play football?? 🤣

[@clayton97330]

@CityNerd trolling me? Rice plays football and the stadium is between campus and Rice Village (not Rice Military, but same area of town). Rice village is a pretty walkable area and the tram runs by the stadium.

[@CityNerd]

Yeah next visit I do want to get to RIce Village and Medical Center -- I really only got as far down as Hermann Park. I wanna get outside the loop too.@@clayton97330

[@midcenturymoldy]

@@clayton97330MetroRail runs right by Rice University, but the stadium is on the complete opposite side of the campus so it’s a pretty good walk, though a very nice one if you cut through the campus.

[@jg7088]

He used to live in portland

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! We'll be talking about that. Please join us for the Premiere if you can. Cheers! John

[@john-e-be]

Given his principles and approach, why he ever "chose" Las Vegas is beyond me...

[@Urbanhandyman]

@@john-e-be The winter weather versus Seattle. In other words a climate refugee.

[@Madaboutmada]

Is part of the city nerd/active plans dress code identical frames for your eyewear lol?

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, yeah, I noticed that too. I think I'm probably "much" older, so my story is that he's copying me. Hehe 🤣 Thanks for watching. It is much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the Channel. Cheers! John

[@CowWithBeef]

For months I watched liking the content and disliking Ray, but then he made a video laughing at the comments accusing his wife of having a boyfriend and somehow that made me like Ray too.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe 😆Perhaps he humanized it for you. lol Thanks so much for watching. I hope you enjoyed our conversation. Cheers! John

[@michaelfriedman2221]

Are you two wearing the exact same glasses?

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe 😂 Valid question. Unfortunately I didn’t get the memo in time on the proper shirt to wear. 🤓 Thanks so much for tuning in. Much appreciated. If you are new to the Channel, I hope you enjoy the other offerings posted here. Cheers! John

[@johntousseau9380]

What no talk about America’s greatest eating establishment, The Cheesecake Factory? This can’t be the real CityNerd! Lol jk. Great interview!

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, I can't believe we didn't Nerd out about... I can remember going to the original eons ago. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@catlerbatty]

No way its THE CITY NERD, lookout!

[@CityNerd]

THE

[@ActiveTowns]

😁

[@jonhowe2960]

Thanks. I love CityNerd! Please don't visit Atlanta, or, if you must, be kind.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Glad you liked the conversation, and hope you are enjoying the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@bifeldman]

When Ray speaks of “we” who is his other half?

[@ActiveTowns]

You’ll have to ask him on his channel. I honestly don’t know. Most of us tend to such things private for some obvious reasons.

[@nineoneten]

Somebody ask him to do a top ten list......

[@ActiveTowns]

lol 🤣

[@nineoneten]

@@ActiveTowns Maybe you should introduce them, unless you aren't good at math !

[@clayton97330]

Not a big city, but I'd love to see your take on Savannah. Most unique city grid in the country IMO.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, I love Savannah. Was there for the CNU gathering a few years ago. Here's one of the videos I produced from the trip. It's one of the official bike tours during the Congress. kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6LdZn15jrJjmJI

[@clayton97330]

@@ActiveTowns thanks! I'll check it out.

[@TolliverMusic]

I would follow City Nerd into hell!!!

[@ActiveTowns]

To the Cheesecake Factory, we go! 🤣 Thanks so much for watching. I hope you find some more content here on the Active Towns Channel to enjoy. Cheers! John

[@kskssxoxskskss2189]

Does shared-ownership at Nebula rise to the level of being a coop?

[@ActiveTowns]

Good questions. I see that Ray sees this Question. Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@CityNerd]

I'm not gonna be very good at explaining the ownership structure! It has some co-op ish elements

[@StratonStrangler13927]

Enjoyed the video but for an interview the interviewer was talking way too much

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe...😂 Well, I do call it the Active Towns Podcast: Conversations About Creating A Culture of Activity. Note that I am not a professional interviewer, but a health promotion professional studying the link between the built environment and healthy, active living while having discussions with others doing work in this and adjacent areas... But, yeah, I should probably not talk as much.😉 Thanks for tuning in. btw, There are 220 other episodes with some pretty amazing professionals from around the globe to check out if you would like to learn some cool stuff on a variety of topics. Cheers! John

[@Ben-jq5oo]

There’s only one..😉

[@ActiveTowns]

The One And Only! hehe 🤣 Thanks for tuning in. I hope you poke around and enjoy the Active Towns Channel. Cheers! John

[@ramencurry6672]

He has this weird obsession with his hate for Phish

[@ActiveTowns]

Hmmm 🤔 well there is that I suppose 😜

[@Robert-ns2pd]

Yes, the Brightline in Florida is a step in the right direction and an example for other regions to reference. The primary funder is also heavily involved in what some consider "useless" sports like Basketball & European football. French high speed record from many years ago. I believe Japan now holds the record. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZTFZmidj7p_bKM

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks for watching and for the video. Cheers! John