Best Overhead Wire Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 182: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Housing on Top 36:33

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21d ago36:33

36:33

This week we're Han Solo but we're sharing news about fire departments and their impacts on cities, how Boston and Denver are considering putting housing together with other public services like libraries and police stations, and a bill that would allow transit agencies to get projects environmentally certified in state. And much much more!!! Below…

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Replay: Sustainable Infrastructure for Cities and Societies 1:01:42

23h ago1:01:42

1:01:42

We're joined by Professor Michael Neuman to talk about his book Sustainable Infrastructure for Cities and Societies. We chat about why trees are important models for infrastructure development, the important lessons of Barcelona for the world, and why infrastructure is lately seen as a monetary asset instead of a public good. This week we're going …

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Episode 560: If You Want to Win, You've Got to Fight 58:27

7d ago58:27

58:27

This week we're joined by Carter Lavin to discuss his new book If You Want to Win You've Got to Fight: A Guide to Effective Transportation Advocacy. We discuss the mess and practice of politics, how we have more power than we think as advocates, and how we can get the policy results we deserve. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Blue…

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Episode 559: The Unfinished Metropolis 45:22

14d ago45:22

45:22

This week on the Talking Headways podcast, we're joined by Benjamin Schneider to talk about his book The Unfinished Metropolis: Igniting the City-Building Revolution. Ben chats about the unfinishedness of cities, the larger origins of NIMBYism, and how much our economy and built environment cater to cars. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow…

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Episode 558: Parking Reform with Tony Jordan 53:09

21d ago53:09

53:09

This week we're joined by Tony Jordan, President of the Parking Reform Network at the Mpact Transit + mobility conference in Portland. We talk about getting rid of our cars, the arbitrary requirements for parking around the country, and Donald Shoup's legacy. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Fl…

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Flashback: Episode 459: Crossings 50:47

24d ago50:47

50:47

This week we're going back to Episode 459 exactly two years ago to chat with author Ben Goldfarb to talk about his book, Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. We discuss how roads cut off ecosystems, wildlife crossings, and animal mobility at different scales. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Thr…

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Episode 181: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Fran Sans 40:30

1M ago40:30

40:30

This week on Mondays at The Overhead Wire we're Han Solo, but we've got some interesting news from the world of transportation and urban planning to share. We talk briefly about tram trains, the NAVI electric vehicle program, Chicago's big win, and much much more! Below the fold are the show notes with all the items we cover in our digest show. Mai…

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Episode 557: Emotional Consumption in Chinese Cities 54:25

1M ago54:25

54:25

This week on the Talking Headways podcast we're joined by Olivia Plotnick, Founder of Wai Social in Shanghai China. We discuss her summer trip to over 30 different Chinese cities to experience different retail, the impacts of high speed rail, and the social e-commerce ecosystem. We also discuss how competition has made Chinese retail sharper, elect…

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Episode 556: From Bahrain to Connecticut 43:17

1M ago43:17

43:17

This week we're joined by Cortni Desir, Executive Program Manager for Public Transportation at the Connecticut Department of Transportation at the Mpact transit + community conference in Portland. We discuss her international influences, upgrading bus stops, customer experience, homelessness and transit, and being curious. +++ Get the show ad free …

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Episode 555: Three Principles for Federal Transportation Policy 44:31

2M ago44:31

44:31

This week we're joined by Corrigan Salerno of Transportation For America. We discuss three transportation principles for a better federal transportation bill, how to create better reporting data for MPOs, and better bus manufacturing. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theov…

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Episode 180: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Signal Timing 40:00

2M ago40:00

40:00

This week on Mondays at The Overhead Wire we chat about signal timing tinkering in Houston, the impact of commute times on sleep disorders, Phoenix's lack of water for sprawl, and how many times Raleigh had to bid for contractors to build bus rapid transit. Below are the show notes: Houston signal timing off - Rice Thresher Whitmire thinks he knows…

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Episode 554: Getting California High Speed Rail Done 57:23

2M ago57:23

57:23

This week we're back live for another show from Manny's in the Mission featuring Streetsblog SF editor Roger Rudick interviewing California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri. They chat about reducing costs, systems in other countries, and take questions from the audience. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, I…

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Episode 553: Life After Cars 54:35

2M ago54:35

54:35

This week Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon of the War on Cars podcast join the show to talk about their new book: Life After Cars – Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile. We discuss opposing views, Turtle Jesus, and potential offramps towards car free cities. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram…

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Replay: Episode 78 - Measuring Carbon Emissions at Street Level 41:10

2M ago41:10

41:10

This week on Talking Headways we're flashing back to exactly ten years ago to Episode 78 with Dr. Kevin Gurney, now at Northern Arizona University. We chat about measuring emissions at the street, block, and neighborhood level and the data that enables it. I wanted to flash back to this one this week because I recently saw Kevin pop up in a New Yor…

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Episode 552: Under a Highway in Birmingham Alabama 39:01

3M ago39:01

39:01

This week on the Talking Headways podcast we're joined by Ben Donsky of Agora Partners to discuss City Walk BHAM in Birmingham Alabama, a public space project that connects two sides of the city separated by a highway. We chat about positive public space and what it takes to make projects like this happen. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follo…

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Episode 179: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Another Trip to China 31:33

3M ago31:33

31:33

We're Han Solo again but this time I'm sharing some thoughts from my trip to China in addition to the news. We've got stories about traffic lights in Japan, the creation of a new electric company, and housing costs. And of course there's much much more. Below are the show notes: Middle class housing - National Housing Conference China builds quickl…

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Episode 551: Architectural Epidemiology 46:39

3M ago46:39

46:39

This week we're joined by Adele Houghton of the Harvard School of Public Health and Carlos Castillo-Salgado of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to discuss their new book Architectural Epidemiology: Architecture as a Mechanism for Designing a Healthier, More Sustainable, and Resilient World. We chat about how to connect the social…