20 Questions with Angie Schmitt

4 min read Angie Schmitt is one of the country's best known writers on the topic of sustainable transportation. She was the long time national editor at Streetsblog. Her writing and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic and NPR. She is the founder of the new firm 3MPH Planning and Consulting, a small Cleveland-based firm which is focused on pedestrian safety. Her book Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America was published in August by Island Press.

“I grew up in a sprawl subdivision. It had almost no public space. And it wasn’t connected to anywhere by sidewalks. My mom worked and couldn’t be around to always drive me so my mobility was really limited.

Now, I set up all my kids activities (daycares, schools, doctors office) within walking distance. And I have all this gear — strollers, carriers, etc — so I can drag them all over even in winter.”

What city or town do you call home? 

Cleveland 

What is your favorite place to live in other than the one you currently live in? 

Pittsburgh I love 

What is your favorite public resource in your home or favorite city or town? 

Public schools! 

What is your favorite place you can easily access via public transit? 

University Circle — our museum district 

What was your childhood dream job? 

Forest Ranger — I missed the boat! 

Could you have imagined being in the profession you are today? 

Good question. No, I would say.  

How did you end up as a writer and a planner?

I grew up in a sprawl subdivision. It had almost no public space. And it wasn't connected to anywhere by sidewalks. My mom worked and couldn't be around to always drive me so my mobility was really limited.  I was a very adventurous kid, so I hated that. Even when I was very young I was fascinated by the brownstones etc. in Sesame Street. And I would tell friends I didn't like suburbs but I did like cities and the country. After I graduated high school I chose a college based totally on liking the city (within the financial limits my parents imposed). This is not a good way to choose a college BTW. 

I didn't know about urban planning until after I graduated and I started working as a newspaper reporter. For a while I covered wealthy suburbs and then for a while I covered a very poor city (Youngstown, Ohio). And both places had big planning efforts underway that I covered. So that's how I got interested in it. Also witnessing the inequality between those places. We have a lot of inequality between cities and suburbs in Ohio and it was even worse back then. 

If you had to tell a 7th grader, what does it take to do what you do? 

I think my life/career has been shaped a lot by the fact that I really like to read and read a lot honestly. It gives you an advantage if you do the reading sometimes ha.  

What would you tell a 7th grader that you would have loved to know? 

Angie speaks at Peddler Brewing Co in Seattle

Sometimes life takes you down strange paths. Take it one step at a time. New opportunities will appear before you. You don’t have to know what you’ll be doing 20 years from now — though it helps if you do — you just have to know the next thing and start to move in that direction.  

If you could have had a different career what would you have done, or what might you do next? 

I studied nursing my freshman year of college. But I wasn’t very interested in it. I think if I would have stuck with it maybe I would have gotten into public health just because I think I’m naturally sort of civically and politically oriented.  

What is the impact you have made on your community that you are most proud of? 

I helped found both the bike advocacy and transit advocacy groups in Cleveland. They have done things like make bridges safer for people to cross and help avoid a transit fare increase.

I have always been very civically oriented. Always interested in history and politics. So I think transportation has sort of been an opening for me to be engaged civically.

When people ask me what they can do to make streets safer in their communities, I say a lot of it is just good citizenship 101 -- emailing your city councilperson, attending meetings, forming groups and alliances with other like minded people.

What is unique about your perspective? 

I am a big nerd about traffic safety. Most people don’t think much about transportation — they are more concerned about what happens when they get where they are going.  

What has been your favorite speaking engagement?  

I got to travel to the Pacific Northwest to speak in Seattle and Portland last fall — before corona. It was very exciting for me because I had never been to Portland. But a lot of my readers live out there.  

Who was the most inspiring or influential person you’ve ever met? 

Jorge Cáñez, known as “Peatonito”, once acted as a superhero protecting pedestrians in Mexico City

Two of my heroes are in my book — Right of Way. One was a former Mexico City resident (now doing work in L.A.) named Jorge Cáñez, but he goes by “Peatonito.” He dressed in a Lucha Libre costume and went around the streets of Mexico City being endearing and hilarious and reminding people to respect pedestrians. He helped start a movement of pedestrian advocates across Latin America. I really admire him. We have only done virtual talks together, but still.  

Have you ever attended a community meeting?  

If so, what was your experience? Yes, I hate them! Very boring and frustrating.  

If not, what has stood in your way? I often don’t have childcare. Hard for me to get away from my kids at dinner time.  

What is the first word you think of when you hear:  

• Community? Neighborhoods 

• Equity? Racism 

• Design? Architecture 

What is your favorite...  

Cleveland’s Reading Garden, Angie’s favorite spot [photo by: The Library as Incubator Project]

• Element in a park or public space? Always love water access. One of my favorite spots in Cleveland is the Cleveland Public Library Reading Garden. It has a water feature designed by Maya Lin (who did the Vietnam Memorial) and it's nicely enclosed like a courtyard. I wrote part of my book there.

• Street? Sidewalks, bus stops. My favorite street where I live is Detroit Avenue. It's just a normal urban retail street, with a very frequent bus route and it runs through a bunch of neighborhoods. So it's always changing a little but it has so many interesting little stores and businesses and I just love it the way you love a place you are very familiar with.

• Mode of transportation? Walking. I am a huge walker. I set up all my kids activities after they were born (daycares, schools, doctors office) within walking distance. And I have all this gear -- strollers, carriers, etc -- so I can drag them all over even in winter.

  • Specific network or route? Sometimes when I travel I always like to walk along the commercial streets by the beach. But not the street right by the water where all the restaurants are sort of expensive and touristy. Two or three streets back are less expensive little places that cater more to locals usually and more fun and interesting I think. There is a street like that in Miami Beach I love. Collins Court, I believe it's called.

What makes you feel safe when walking along at night alone? 

Angie walking her dog from the pup’s perspective

Bringing my 60 pound dog. Wearing a hood or loose clothing — so people can’t tell if I’m a man or woman or can’t tell a whole lot about me. 

Have you ever experienced barriers when visiting places with your dog? 

Yes, sometimes I can’t bring my dog places.  

Tell us about your favorite pet-friendly space? 

I walk my children to daycare and bring my dog and just leave her tied up while I get them. 

What was the best thing you have taken away from the pandemic? 

Slowing down.

What do you think is going to be the most powerful change from 2020 to 2021? 

I hope we will advance on racial justice and equity.