Why Suburbs Fail at Community (And How to Fix Them) - with Rob Attrell

Rob Attrell and I chat about his personal journey of commuting by bike for his whole life and then fairly recently moving out into the “suburbs” of Ottawa. He now bikes 20 km to work but still sees massive benefits of active transportation, cargo bikes, and how reducing car dependency can lead to healthier communities, better urban planning, and a more sustainable future for everyone. Although, he's also realizing some of the downsides of living in a suburb, after having lived in a more “core” area before this. Some of the long list of topics that we cover in this WAB podcast episode are: - discovering the podcast through a mutual connection and colleague - transitioning from a regular bike to a cargo bike for commuting - using RadWagon cargo bike for family transportation - cargo bike as a minivan replacement for daily tasks and errands - impact of cargo bikes on grocery shopping and carrying capacity - experimenting with bike accessories like panniers and baskets - commuting 20 kilometres by cargo bike to work - managing work essentials and clothing for bike commuting - suburban challenges for social connection and community spaces - children noticing traffic problems versus bike flexibility - emotional and social differences between biking and driving - founding the lesscar.ca website and its philosophy - strategies for families to live with only one vehicle - using cargo bikes to avoid needing a second car - car-sharing services like communauto as supplemental options - zoning reform debates and missing middle housing advocacy - connecting transportation choices with neighbourhood density - ottawa's LRT expansion and its potential impact on mobility - property tax tensions related to infrastructure costs - transforming suburban streets with multi-use pathways ================ Get early access to videos and exclusive behind-the-scenes content, like our extensive brainstorming sessions, full interviews, and video commentaries over at https://www.patreon.com/bendurham Do you have an insider tip or unique information on a story? Do you have a suggestion for a story you want me to cover? Submit via email: bendurhamproductions@gmail.com • where to find me • Website: https://bendurham.ca Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendurham.ca 🎥 Everything I use, in one place: https://bendurham.ca/gear-guide/ ================ WATCH and RATE the Wheels and Beyond podcast on: » Spotify: https://bendurham.ca/WAB-spotify » https://bendurham.ca/WAB-apple » https://bendurham.ca/WAB-yt ================ NERDY RECORDING DETAILS: This recording took place on the morning of May 26th, 2025 via RiversideFM. Edited and mixed in Davinci Resolve Studio. 1080p render. Audio is optimized for an ITU-R BS, 1770-4 standard at -1dBTP and -16LKFS, specifically for Spotify standards. ================ a few other titles I might try: Why Suburbs Fail at Community (And How to Fix Them) - with Rob Attrell How I Discovered Urbanism After Moving to the Suburbs Why Cargo Bikes Are the Ultimate Car Replacement Exploring the Future of Urban Mobility: Biking, Cargo Bikes, and Less Car Living Tags urban mobility, cargo bikes, biking, less car living, sustainable transportation, community engagement, urban planning, cycling benefits, bike commuting, public transit, environmental awareness, healthy living, urbanism, local advocacy, city planning, bike culture, transportation alternatives