Elke Van Den Brandt on Transforming Brussels
Elke Van den Brandt has transformed Brussels' streets – and taken a political battering for doing so.
As the city’s mobility minister, she’s championed slower speeds, safer roads and public spaces that feel more like “living rooms than corridors”.
We talk about her 30km/h city-wide limit, the backlash it sparked, the silent majority that supports it and the power of empathy, small projects and showing up in person.
It was a superb insight into how political bravery, behavioural science and empathy (backed up by strong leadership) can work together to reshape cities for the better.
Elke Van den Brandt has transformed Brussels' streets – and taken a political battering for doing so.
As the city’s mobility minister, she’s championed slower speeds, safer roads and public spaces that feel more like “living rooms than corridors”.
We talk about her 30km/h city-wide limit, the backlash it sparked, the silent majority that supports it and the power of empathy, small projects and showing up in person.
It was a superb insight into how political bravery, behavioural science and empathy (backed up by strong leadership) can work together to reshape cities for the better.
You can subscribe to The Freewheeling Podcast at Apple or Spotify Podcasts.
Lars Strömgren on Creating a Cycling City
I spoke to Lars Strömgren, Stockholm’s Vice Mayor for Transport and Urban Environment, about the city’s journey from car-centricity to a cycling-friendly capital.
We talked about his childhood on the back of his grandmother’s bike, the cultural shifts that made cycling mainstream and the urban planning philosophy that underpins Stockholm’s transformation - including how storytelling, kid-focused design and even building with wood all fit into a sustainable transport vision.
In this episode, I’m joined by Lars Strömgren, Vice Mayor for Transport and Urban Environment in Stockholm, and one of the people most responsible for Sweden’s cycling boom.
We explore how Stockholm went from a city with less than 1% cycling modal share in the 1980s to one of the most bike-friendly places in Europe. Lars reflects on how his childhood on his grandmother’s bike shaped his passion for urban planning, and why he sees infrastructure, narrative and community engagement as the holy trinity of sustainable mobility.
We talk about the normalisation of cycling (and how it shifted from working-class mode to middle-class badge of honour), the fight to introduce zero emission zones and how livable streets can go from controversial to loved.
Lars also shares why it’s hard to take a photo of clean air, but easy to show people enjoying a tree-lined street!
We also discuss some unexpected angles: how my local high street in Walthamstow inspired parts of Stockholm, what it means to use storytelling as a tool in planning and why building cities out of wood might be the next frontier in sustainability.
You can subscribe to The Freewheeling Podcast at Apple or Spotify Podcasts.