Justine Underhill and I chat about her journey to becoming a city councillor in Falls Church, Virginia! We meander our way through the discussion, talking about tons of different topics.

Justine Underhill is a city councillor in Falls Church, Virginia, and a content creator who uses her YouTube channel to break down complex urban design and economic issues. With a background in economics and performing arts, she combines data-driven storytelling with advocacy for safer, more walkable, and housing-abundant communities. Her journey into urbanism began in New York City and led her from community organizing to running for elected office.

~~ Find Justine ~~

Website: https://justineunderhill.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@justine-underhill

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justineundy

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/justineunderhill.bsky.social

================

Some topics we explore are:

• How Ben discovered Justine via Reddit’s “f**k cars” community

• Traffic calming designs (e.g., concrete balls) and public objections

• Vision Zero philosophy: Reducing crash severity over eliminating crashes

• Justine’s background: Economics/theatre education to urban advocacy

• The NYC scooter executive’s life-changing perspective on car-dominated spaces

• Personal urbanism awakening: From yelling at taxis to policy change

• Running for city council in Falls Church, VA

• YouTube as a tool for debunking misinformation

• Door-knocking campaigns for community engagement and election wins

• Housing shortages and ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units)

• Economic benefits of walkable cities vs. suburban sprawl

• Street redesigns: Safety vs. parking trade-offs

• Why bikes are better than cars in post-apocalyptic scenarios (and filmmaking challenges)

• Prepper tips: Urban resilience and food shortages

• Falls Church’s development boom and local backlash

• The “shadow debate”: Talking to residents vs. assuming their concerns

• Financial barriers to small-scale development

• Why asking “Who owns the streets?” changes everything

================

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: [email protected]

• 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 July 19th, 2025 using RiversideFM.

A/V syncing issues are really getting annoying with Riverside's 24fps vs external camera's typical 23.976. Sigh.

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.