Back from a July break full of walking, observing, and listening in Portland, Oregon. Avid pedestrian, burgeoning transit user, performing arts educator, actor (and Brad's fiancé) Aly Marchant is back on the show, too, reflecting on the practice of triangulation — understanding movement as not just A to B or A to C, but also the relationships between points B and C — and how doing this in your city helps in identifying the strengths and shortcomings of an infrastructure system.
We also touch on: Rediscovering childhood geography as an adult. Hub-and-spoke vs. grid transit systems. District identity. Portland's Tilikum Crossing bridge as a transit investment. Division Street and Southeast neighborhoods. Mount Tabor. Why stumbling into things is how American lifestyles are shifted. Swimming-accessible water. The value of navigating alone, together.
Timeline:
00:00 Back from summer break in Portland.
04:35 Growing up somewhere but not knowing downtown well.
05:24 The concept of triangulation through walking.
08:47 Hub-and-spoke transit vs. grid connectivity.
10:16 Columbus Arena District example.
12:18 Portland's Tilikum Crossing bridge example.
16:54 Why a dedicated transit bridge matters for city resilience.
21:10 FX2 bus and Division Street route.
25:31 Mount Tabor walk from 50th.
27:08 Neighborhoods, stormwater management, water access.
29:22 Brad's favorite commute: light rail plus exploration.
30:33 Wrapping up and back next week with guests.
