W. Robert Schultz III has been an activist in Chicago for the past several decades, championing causes including marriage equality, the abolition of the death penalty, and the protection of immigrant rights. Since 2018, he has worked as a campaign organizer for the Active Transportation Alliance, promoting access to walking, biking, and transit. Robert was inducted into Chicago's LGBT Hall of Fame in 2024.

Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth is the alderwoman of Chicago's 48th ward, which includes parts of Andersonville, Edgewater, and Uptown. She was elected in May 2023. Prior to taking office, Leni was a longtime local small-business owner and community organizer in the ward, where she has lived for over 20 years.

Erik Bootsma has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. He is a registered architect in the state of Virginia and has been in private practice since 2014, focusing on ecclesiastical architecture. Erik is interested in the role that architecture and urban design play in urbanism.

Rishab Mehan is the Director of Development Planning at the Chicago Housing Authority. His main priorities are working with and for communities in Cabrini-Green and along South State Street to plan and implement redevelopments on underutilized public land. Rishab previously worked as a housing policy planner in Toronto.

Mark Richardson is the Chief Technology Officer at Rich Analytics. He is also the Founder and Technical Lead of the HousingNowTO.com affordable-housing tracking and transparency project.

Nicole Rodriguez is the President of the board of Urban Phoenix Project, an organization that is working to create a more livable city where people can comfortably walk, bike, take transit, and enjoy quality urban spaces. She has a varied background in urban planning, urban forestry and sustainability.

Rachel Aldred is a Professor of Transport at the University of Westminster and Director of the University's Active Travel Academy. Her research focuses on sustainable mobilities and especially active transport.

Lauren Viera is a professional writer and communications consultant with over 25 years of experience. She loves Chicago so much that she wrote a book called The 500 Hidden Secrets of Chicago.

Alderwoman Maria Hadden is the first Black, queer woman elected to the Chicago City Council. She represents the 49th Ward, sometimes called "Little Chicago," because of the racial, ethnic, and economic demographics that most reflect Chicago's diversity. Maria has a background in community organizing and participatory democracy.

Molly Fleck lives in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood with her husband and son. She serves on the Sheffield Neighborhood Association’s Board of Directors and Oscar Mayer Magnet School’s Local School Council. You will often find Molly riding her bike around Chicago.

Sammy Schneider is an architect, and Steven Vance is an urban planner. They both live in Chicago and are members of Urban Environmentalists, an organization that advocates for cities and towns with abundant housing, work and play only a short bike or transit ride away; safe and independent mobility for all; lively and green public spaces; clean air and water; and affordability for all who wish to live there. The opinions that they express in this interview are their own and not those of Urban...

Jon Stone is a London-based journalist. He's passionate about cities and urbanism, and he shares this passion through his YouTube channel, London Cycle Routes, where he posts videos showing people how to cycle between a variety of places in London.

Pablo Rodriguez is an aspiring urban planner with a passion for trees and urban green space. He is a certified TreeKeeper. The TreeKeeper Certification Course, offered by Openlands, gives participants an appreciation for trees in the Chicago area through learning about urban forestry in the age of climate change and best practices in tree planting and care to build a more resilient urban forest.

Kevin Klinkenberg has worked as an urban planner since 1993. He blogs about urban planning and design issues and hosts The Messy City Podcast. Kevin is the author of Why I Walk: Taking a Step in the Right Direction, a personal story of the benefits of living in a walkable neighborhood.

Matt Martin is the alderman for the 47th Ward, an office that he has held since 2019. Prior to being elected alderman, Matt worked as a civil rights lawyer at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where he focused on important issues including police reform, immigration, healthcare, and worker’s rights.

Emmanuel Nunez is a biomedical engineer who is advocating for improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in Houston. He is currently focused on the preservation of recent pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure improvements on a portion of 11th Street that goes through the Houston Heights neighborhood. These improvements are under threat as Mayor John Whitmire who was elected in 2023 has expressed disdain for similar projects across the city.

Carrie Shepherd is a reporter for Axios Chicago. She was previously a reporter, producer, and editor at WBEZ, Chicago's National Public Radio station and a producer at City Cast Chicago.

Becca and James are an English couple who've lived in a number of countries. They are currently living in Philadelphia. I met them when I gave them a personalized tour of Chicago during their visit in 2023.

Paige Saunders is a Montreal-based video journalist who focuses on opportunities to improve our government and cities. His work ranges from urban issues like transit and housing to digital government and electoral reform.

Jay Foreman is an English comedian, YouTuber, cartography and urban planning enthusiast, educator, and singer-songwriter. He grew up in north London, and continues to live in London.

Kristin Fehrman is an artist and writer who has lived a car-free life for the last 10 years. She is passionate about sharing her experience of car-free living with others. After living for several years in San Francisco, New York, and Boston, Kristin moved back to her hometown in northern Michigan before moving to Detroit.

Alan Fisher produces the Armchair Urbanist, a YouTube series about urban planning, transportation, and history, primarily focused on North America. He had the unique experience of growing up in a walkable American small town, and this contributed to his interest in cities and urbanism.

Jeremy Glover's interest in cities began while he was a college student in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his passion for cities blossomed while living in New York City. This led Jeremy to pursue a career as a transportation planner. His focus is on rebalancing streets to provide more opportunities for active transportation while promoting density in areas that are well-served by public transportation.

Maddy Novich is a New Yorker who uses a cargo bike to get around the city. You can find her on Instagram at cargobikemomma where she shares her experience of riding a cargo bike, answers questions, and posts advice for people who are new to riding a cargo bike.