We Want Walkability - A Conversation with Thomas Y

For a lot of us, city design is something we don’t really think about, unless we’re stuck in rush hour traffic or playing a game like Cities Skylines. At least, that’s how things used to be. Nowadays, walkable city planning has become one of the hottest topics of debate among commentators on YouTube, Twitter, and even TikTok.

My guest, Thomas Y, is one of these YouTube creators focused on walkable urbanism. He uploaded his first video in January 2022. In the year since, he has earned over two million total views on videos about the untapped potential of Los Angeles, the suburban sprawl of Scottsdale, and the importance of public transit to city growth.

In this interview, I asked if he could speak with me about his recent success, the rise of urbanist influencers, and what this online trend means for the future of our cities. We also spoke about our own city, Phoenix, Arizona, and what walkable urbanism could look like in one of the most car-centric cities in the country.