Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
EPISODE 315 Melissa & Chris Bruntlett return to the pod for a conversation about their beautiful new book, Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Transformation.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
👉 Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's Modacity website: modacitylife.com
👉 Women Changing Cities bookshop.org/a/85379/9781915722409 or on Amazon at: amzn.to/3L3fEuJ
👉 Dutch Cycling Embassy: https://dutchcycling.nl
👉 My most recent episode with Chris on the Dutch Cycling Embassy work in China: youtu.be/gQS97woWcq0
👉 Melissa's new venture: modacitycreative.com
👉 My Paris Playlist: bit.ly/3EVT9Sa
Chapters
0:00:00 Covid-Inspired City Transformations
0:01:44 Meeting Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
0:04:19 The Bruntlett's Three Books
0:07:26 Why a Third Book?
0:11:43 Chris as Photographer
0:17:11 Dutch Cycling Embassy in China
0:19:22 Spreading Dutch Cycling around the Globe
0:21:47 Melissa's New Venture: Modacity Creative
0:28:26 The Premise of the New Book
0:30:55 International Scope
0:34:10 Some Electeds, Some Not
0:36:58 Bike Bus
0:39:19 Montreal
0:45:25 Getting Stuff Done ASAP
0:48:05 Mayor Hidalgo in Paris
0:53:45 Advocacy in Manila
1:00:32 Not a Book Just for Women
1:03:52 Leading with Empathy
Thank you so much for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs-up, leave a comment below, and share it with a friend. If you'd like more content like this, please subscribe to the Active Towns Channel, and be sure to "Ring" that notification bell to select your notification preferences.
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Become a Member of Active Towns right here on YouTube by clicking on the Join button and selecting the level that best suits you
2. Join the Patreon community: patreon.com/activetowns
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to all my video content)
3. If you enjoyed this video, you can also "leave a tip" by clicking on the Super Thanks button right here on YouTube or through "Buy Me a Coffee" buymeacoffee.com/activetowns
4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. at activetowns.org/donate
Credits: Video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music via Epidemic Sound: bit.ly/3rFLErD
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live: bit.ly/3rwsUup
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite: bit.ly/35DBDDU
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
Website: activetowns.org
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/activetowns.bsky.social
Newsletter: bit.ly/SubscribeActiveTownsNewsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025
EPISODE 315 Melissa & Chris Bruntlett return to the pod for a conversation about their beautiful new book, Women Changing Cities: Global Stories of Transformation.
Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):
👉 Melissa & Chris Bruntlett's Modacity website: modacitylife.com
👉 Women Changing Cities bookshop.org/a/85379/9781915722409 or on Amazon at: amzn.to/3L3fEuJ
👉 Dutch Cycling Embassy: https://dutchcycling.nl
👉 My most recent episode with Chris on the Dutch Cycling Embassy work in China: youtu.be/gQS97woWcq0
👉 Melissa's new venture: modacitycreative.com
👉 My Paris Playlist: bit.ly/3EVT9Sa
Chapters
0:00:00 Covid-Inspired City Transformations
0:01:44 Meeting Melissa & Chris Bruntlett
0:04:19 The Bruntlett's Three Books
0:07:26 Why a Third Book?
0:11:43 Chris as Photographer
0:17:11 Dutch Cycling Embassy in China
0:19:22 Spreading Dutch Cycling around the Globe
0:21:47 Melissa's New Venture: Modacity Creative
0:28:26 The Premise of the New Book
0:30:55 International Scope
0:34:10 Some Electeds, Some Not
0:36:58 Bike Bus
0:39:19 Montreal
0:45:25 Getting Stuff Done ASAP
0:48:05 Mayor Hidalgo in Paris
0:53:45 Advocacy in Manila
1:00:32 Not a Book Just for Women
1:03:52 Leading with Empathy
Thank you so much for watching! If you enjoyed this video, please give it a thumbs-up, leave a comment below, and share it with a friend. If you'd like more content like this, please subscribe to the Active Towns Channel, and be sure to "Ring" that notification bell to select your notification preferences.
If you are a fan of the Active Towns Channel, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:
1. Become a Member of Active Towns right here on YouTube by clicking on the Join button and selecting the level that best suits you
2. Join the Patreon community: patreon.com/activetowns
(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to all my video content)
3. If you enjoyed this video, you can also "leave a tip" by clicking on the Super Thanks button right here on YouTube or through "Buy Me a Coffee" buymeacoffee.com/activetowns
4. Make a donation to my non-profit, Advocates for Healthy Communities, Inc. at activetowns.org/donate
Credits: Video and audio production by John Simmerman
Music via Epidemic Sound: bit.ly/3rFLErD
Resources used during the production of this video:
- My recording platform is Ecamm Live: bit.ly/3rwsUup
- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite: bit.ly/35DBDDU
For more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:
Website: activetowns.org
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/activetowns.bsky.social
Newsletter: bit.ly/SubscribeActiveTownsNewsletter
Background:
Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I’m a health promotion and public health professional with over 35 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.
Since 2010, I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."
The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.
Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.
Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2025
