WALK 'N TALK: Escaping the Housing Trap w/ Chuck Marohn in Cincinnati's Over The Rhine District

[@daveassanowicz186]

Active Towns and Strong Towns - It's like the Avengers and the Justice League teaming up!

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, Thanks! 🙌

[@davidneman6527]

Speaking of the Justice League and Cincinnati: the Hall of Justice is modeled after Cincinnati's Union Terminal. The new Superman movie was filmed there last week.

[@daveassanowicz186]

@@davidneman6527 Meanwhile!....

[@garyharty1902]

I'm sharing this walking video with our city council in my town. So much food for thought about creative ways to address the problems on everyone's minds including street safety, housing affordability, and having vitality in the city. I had no idea the Cincinnati had so much potential for livability. Thanks John and Chuck. That was fun.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yay! Thanks, Gary! You are quite welcome. Cheers! John

[@carstarsarstenstesenn]

Too many people focus on the negatives in the US, but there's a lot of great work being done like this. Thank you for showcasing the progress being made in our cities

[@ActiveTowns]

Agreed! That’s precisely what I’m trying to do with channel. So many great stories to tell from around the world. You are quite welcome and thank you for watching and doing what you can to help spread the word about the good things that are happening. Cheers! John

[@moonpathwoman]

Great video and great Cincinnati

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@reneolthof6811]

The big hole in the single family home scheme regarding leaving out maintenance is so obvious that it hurts to even think about all energy wasted on having to convince people of the truth on this. Secondly, I am not quite into Mr Marohn’s next step philosophy. The strongest point of the Dutch cycling infrastructure program in my view is that we adopt an AND / AND policy. It’s important to work on improvement with what is readily available NOW, but it is equally important to invest in the larger picture / project. If your roof is leaking, you must use baskets to prevent water from falling onto the carpet, but at the same time you have to fix to roof!

[@ActiveTowns]

Can’t argue with that. Our biggest challenge is that the deck is stacked to only support one option of massive car centric big money development, but that is slowly starting to change due to the hard work of many of heroic change agents. Thanks so much for tuning in and contributing to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@JustClaude13]

54:33 There's a hazard that could be dangerous for bicycles, so the engineers solved the problem by putting up a sign. That's a lot cheaper than putting in the rubber filler blocks that keep wheels from falling into the tracks. Light rail is fixed route transportation. Buses can change routes at a whim, but developers know that light rail can't shift a block over without notice, so they're more likely to invest. It's okay to build useful things for tourists. If it's useful the locals will use it.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yep. Thanks so much for watching, Claude!

[@garytempleton5097]

Central Parkway was were the Erie Canal used to be. That was drained to build a subway. Sadly, the subway was never finished and funding got cut back in the 1920s. The tunnels are still down there under the street. Original German settlers used to equate the canal to the Rhine river. When they crossed over the canal from downtown they were crossing over the Rhine...thus how the neighborhood got its name.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yes! Precisely. I’m bummed I didn’t have the time to explore those tunnels. They have to be a trip. Thanks for watching and sharing your insights

[@exstepfathersinlaw]

correction: The Miami and Erie canal. The Erie canal was elsewhere.

[@alyb9830]

Coming here late, but the American Girl Doll mention around 1:16:50 is neat because I believe he’s talking about the Kit Kittredge books, which are canonically set in Cincinnati! Such a funny coincidence!

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks so much for watching and providing this context. Cheers! John

[@colleenharrison2942]

Wonderful discussion about cities and housing. It all made sense, but the cities are already built for cars. A lot of changes are needed. Really liked the tour of Cincinnati.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so for joining us on this stroll.

[@imdoingfine]

As someone who lives in that neighborhood, it's becoming very unaffordable. But, I will say, I haven't driven a car in 5 years. The streetcar is considered bad by people generally that don't live in the neighborhoods it services. I use the streetcar every few days for running errands, whether to the library, grocery, bank, or just to go to the smale park on the river to hang out. Though it would be amazing if they would expand the service area.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for tuning in and giving a local’s take. I really enjoyed staying in the area for the week and yeah, I could see having a more comprehensive tram network could really help. Cheers! John

[@matthewhodges5123]

26:00 If you can afford it, getting an electric bike is far and away a much better option than a pedal bike. It makes things so much better, and it encourages you to get out and do it because you're not going to show up sweaty and heaving to an event, like a dinner night out or going to a movie, that you might normally drive to because "I don't want to be disheveled"

[@ActiveTowns]

Agreed! Thanks so much for watching and for the comment. Much appreciated. Cheers! John

[@sircharlesmormont9300]

Yes! This! Bikes aren't feasible modes of transportation for anyone who is going to an event that isn't super casual. Also, many car-focused cities lack adequate bike lanes. Drivers aren't used to seeing cyclists, which makes cycling a dangerous way to get around on the main "stroads" that connect different parts of town. Many of those don't even have adequate sidewalks and crosswalks for pedestrians, let alone the infrastructure for cyclists! I lack the balance to ride a bike without wiping out. Even if I could ride one, though, I wouldn't ride it to work or anywhere important. I don't need to show up to work sweaty, panicked, and possibly side-swiped. Then, there's the weather to consider. Cincinnati's weather can change drastically not just by the month or week, but by the hour. Ohio has had upwards of 60 tornadoes this year alone. Even if I could safely navigate the route to work on an e-bike, and even if I could do so in dress clothes without looking ridiculous by the time I got to work, I wouldn't want to risk getting caught in a downpour. For cycling to be more than a fair weather hobby, you really need a mild, predictable climate.

[@ActiveTowns]

Sound like walking and cycling far too dangerous, stressful, and strenuous of activities for you. By all means you should continue to drive. For those of us (60-80% of the population) who would like to have safe and viable mobility options other than driving regardless of the weather, I hope you can see the value to you in us being able to make that choice - it results in far fewer cars on the road causing gridlock and stress.

[@sircharlesmormont9300]

@@ActiveTowns I absolutely see the value in it and I definitely want to expand and improve the infrastructure to allow for those kinds of options. I actually do not drive. My motor skills aren't my friends, so I am a big proponent of public transportation, but the "last mile" problem is real. I rely on a mix of carpooling, getting rides from others, rideshares, walking, and public transportation. Ultimately, I want more choices for more people. I just want us to build out in a way that still allows easy curb-to-curb access and parking for folks who may be unable to walk or bike. I also think it's important to build secure bike parking into buildings. In the neighborhood in which I work - which is just a little north of where you were standing in OTR that day - bike theft is a huge problem. Folks cut the locks right off the bikes. They even steal bikes from inside buildings. Sometimes, people remove parts of the bike, like the front wheel, and bring it into businesses with them to try to deter theft. I'm in no way saying I don't want bike lanes and more walkable infrastructure. I do! I just want us to consider both folks who may not be healthy enough to use those means and areas in which it might not be safe to use those means.

[@ActiveTowns]

@@sircharlesmormont9300 Thanks for clarifying. I agree on all points and want to emphasize that well-designed all ages and abilities cycle infrastructure provides enhanced mobility options for individuals with a variety challenges that leave them unable to drive yet do want to use a wheelchair, adaptive cycle (including three-wheelers) or other mobility devices. Yes! We'd definitely benefit from safer, more secure infrastructure for storing these mobility devices as well.

[@Dutchreason]

I watched this whole video while doing some cleaning. The whole time thinking "why are they thinking so small" and "why are they so enthousiastic about small positives in this walk around this horrible concrete and asphalt jungle"? And as I was about to select my next video, having completed my cleaning chore... THIS VIDEO HAS ABOUT 350 VIEWS? I was expecting around 2.000.000, with around 5.000 comments.

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, thanks so much for tuning in. I totally agree on all accounts. Especially 2 million views with 5,000 comments. 🙌Cheers! John

[@miguelnajerarubio1434]

Great video!

[@ActiveTowns]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for tuning in. Cheers! John

[@vincewhite5087]

In Calgary Canada , had lots of cold this winter. When we stayed in Paris, there was a small 3 story building next to ours with a little courtyard. It was Elementary school.

[@ActiveTowns]

Cool! Thanks so much for watching, Vince!

[@enricoflor3601]

Hi John. I see streetside parking beside trees. Although you benefit from the shade, has the city or the road engineers chose to be kind and not raise the tree vs door swing as a design issue?

[@ActiveTowns]

No clue. Unfortunately, typical road engineers would remove trees as hazards so we definitely don't want to leave it up to them. Hehe If you haven't watched it yet, be sure to tune in to my conversation with Wes Marshall about his new book Killed By A Traffic Engineer: kzbin.info26LuHqFQ0bY Thanks so much for watching and for your comment/question. Cheers! John

[@enricoflor3601]

I did! Watched your interview with Wes, live 😊

[@ActiveTowns]

@@enricoflor3601 Yay! You da bomb. Thanks so much. 🙌

[@ChitownHustler8]

As the proud owner of a Urban Arrow I love how Chuck blows past the Tern to check out the UA

[@ActiveTowns]

Hehe, I know! 🤣 he definitely has good taste. Thanks so much for watching!

[@sarahrawlinson6271]

🙌🙌🙌

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks for tuning in! 🙏

[@daveassanowicz186]

@20:00 That looks beautiful to my eyes

[@ActiveTowns]

Yeah, I was really lucky to have been able to stay at this intersection for the week. Truly a delightful and vibrant place.

[@nunyabidness3075]

I was enjoying and nodding all the way up to the whole maintenance thing which I still think the evidence for is very suspect. Without getting all political, I think most cities and towns have better options than forcing change into their most desirable neighborhoods. There’s a lot of poorly used land to add dual use and high density into. I do agree in spirit on the financialization issues. Here’s an idea: Could one form a REIT that could attract local money that’s currently in 401k’s and IRA’s to finance projects? There’s a lot of retiree money looking for good return that needs diversification. Another thing: A municipality could start charging taxes on vacant commercial properties somehow, couldn’t they? There’s a lot of space sitting idle because no one can get approvals for lower rents because they need approval from the mortgage holders who can’t always even be located due to sloppy financialization. If I were city hall, I’d make a rule where the if any of the stakeholders are unreachable or otherwise delinquent, there’s some financial pain for unused or unmaintained spaces. Chase the big banks out of town and the local banks will likely step in.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much for tuning in and for this thoughtful contribution to the conversation. Cheers! John

[@chad328-ez2lv]

Who said there was a ice skating rink on Court St.? There is a large ice-skating rink in winter several blocks south of Court St. at Fountain Square. Also, that roller rink was only temporary. There is a permanent roller rink (that used to be for ice-skating in winter) in Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Point next to the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on the riverfront which almost no one ever uses. It helps to know what you are talking about before pontificating.

[@ActiveTowns]

Thanks so much the information! I appreciate the clarification. Cheers! John

[@DeadCat-42]

They turned queen city into a highway and missed a great opportunity to add a bike path and a route for alternative transportation. All that work and they had to put in speed humps to slow it down.

[@ActiveTowns]

Yep. Pretty much. Be sure to watch my two bike tour videos in the CNU 32 Playlist

[@piedmontatl]

This video is misleading. The roller rink has been discontinued because of lack of interest.

[@ActiveTowns]

Oh no! I'm so sad to hear this. When we were there in May, it was definitely in use at some level. The night before we shot this video, it was packed.

[@mCityKin]

It was up two weeks ago. They put it up on weekends, maybe a dozen times a year. Seems quite popular.