Becoming the Sidewalk Lady in Athens Ohio
From The Bottom-Up Revolution by Strong Towns
April 14, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 242
About this episode
Stevie Hunter discusses her journey to improve sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure in Athens, Ohio.
In Athens, Ohio, stroller struggles on broken sidewalks and a sea of parking lots pushed Stevie Hunter to become the city’s “sidewalk lady.” She joins Norm to talk about mapping every parking lot in town, auditing rebuilt streets with a homegrown SPACE metric, and pushing for curb ramps, benches, and daylighted intersections. Their conversation shows how one resident’s daily walks turned into real influence over how a city treats its walkers. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Stevie Hunter (LinkedIn) Strong Towns Athens (Instagram) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here. This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!
People in this episode
Host: Norm Van Eeden Petersman
Guest: Stevie Hunter
Topics covered
- sidewalks
- urban planning
- community activism
- mobility
- local government
Keywords
- sidewalk lady
- parking lots
- curb ramps
- daylighted intersections
- SPACE metric
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Strong Towns
Places: Athens, Ohio
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- Students Who Got a Sidewalk Built in 14 Days · June 2, 2026 · 22 min
- Listening Your Way Into Local Change · May 28, 2026 · 31 min
- Spokane, Washington Is Betting on Buses, Benches, and Fourplexes · May 26, 2026 · 18 min
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