livvy
banner
walkingspartan.substack.com
livvy
@walkingspartan.substack.com
•any pronouns with respect•
southern progressive - james baldwin stan - wrestling fanatic - all opinions are my own

ABIDE NO HATRED
Pinned
Come hang out with myself and the rest of the Strong Towns Spartanburg team!

Categories are: Spartanburg, Holiday, and General!
December 14, 2025 at 9:06 PM
My sister got in a car crash while I was in the passenger seat a few weeks ago. She told me yesterday that she now has started to see driving and the dangers associated completely different, as this was her first crash.

Now time to convert her to urbanism.
December 10, 2025 at 8:27 PM
I am kind of itching to attend an urbanism/walkability conference... I am gonna be keeping an eye on CNU and Strong Towns 👀
December 10, 2025 at 7:49 PM
@hubcitypress.bsky.social’s Zora photographed today
December 10, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I was a little skeptical about the weight of this but year the bicycle is a miraculous machine. I really can do whatever I want with a rear rack and some good bungie cords.
December 10, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by livvy
A journalist from out of town who was buying a book in the shop just pointed out that it's kind of crazy that one small town in South Carolina (Spartanburg) has both a nonprofit newsroom (@postandcourier.bsky.social) and book publisher (@hubcitypress.bsky.social).
December 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
I have been slacking this year but this week is when I start watching Christmas movies.
December 10, 2025 at 3:56 PM
new pick up!
December 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by livvy
It's time once again for my annual #treebybike post. This is the 12/19/42 cover of @newyorker.com, so one full year after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This would be the first real Christmas alone, or without a family member, for millions in the US. Gas and tire rationing had begun earlier that year.🗃️
December 8, 2025 at 3:38 PM
got breakfast at a diner this morning. guy sat next to me at the bar was reading an article titled “the most obvious habits of low IQ people.”
December 7, 2025 at 7:20 PM
This!

One of my experiences is that the folks who currently show up are often older, conservative, NIMBY, etc. Just by virtue of showing up, I have gotten more friends to start showing up to city council with me and the city council delegation knows who I am and the issues I most care about.
I really can't emphasize enough that if you care about local politics, all you gotta do is show up. Just a regular schmegular person showing up. Literally just show up consistently in person and within a remarkably short amount of time, you will have a shocking amount of influence.
December 5, 2025 at 6:22 PM
I thought these were pretty on my bike ride to the office this morning. I see beauty in everything.
December 5, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Some positive changes we have seen in Spartanburg where public space is taken back for people :)
December 4, 2025 at 7:44 PM
I may end up back in DC in February 👀
December 4, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by livvy
This kind of smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism is illegal to build in most American cities
USPS 250th Anniversary Forever Stamps are a model for walkable communities, urbanism, and car-free neighborhoods.

In this essay (1/250)
November 28, 2025 at 11:38 PM
I am so happy David Petty won his race to be Lyman's next mayor.

It was likely over a year ago when he and I drove to Lyman while he was on town council to walk around and talk about the potential of their downtown and trails there. He loves that town a lot.
www.postandcourier.com/politics/sc-...
A progressive and a moderate scored upsets over incumbent Republican mayors. Their strategies were the same.
A progressive’s win in Lyman and a moderate’s win in Georgetown offered S.C. Democrats a glimmer of hope amid fears the party lost its competitive edge.
www.postandcourier.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:50 PM
My music taste has gotten samey so I think my goal for 2026 is to listen to more albums I have not heard. I have a spreadsheet with suggestions I pulled from all over.

I am unsure if I will try to do an album a day or what but I will use a random picker wheel to choose from each month's list.
December 3, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by livvy
Make a contribution to the Hub City Writers Project this #givingtuesday at hubcity.org/support and fund the future of Southern lit!
December 2, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Reposted by livvy
Looks like Bookshop is doing one more day of free shipping for Cyber Monday + 20% off a future order. Get your copy of Life After Cars and support independent booksellers.
Final day for free shipping from Bookshop dot org. Pick up a copy of LIFE AFTER CARS for yourself or as a gift this holiday season and support independent booksellers.

bookshop.org/a/9252/97805...
Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile
Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile
bookshop.org
December 1, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Reposted by livvy
We're stocked to the gills with galleys for spring 2026. HOPE HOUSE by Joe Bond (lead novel) and THE RITZ OF THE BAYOU by Nancy Lemann (lead nonfic, reissue) are well worth your time and attention and if you're a book media person or critic, I'd love to get you one this week while things are slow!
December 1, 2025 at 7:50 PM
2026 is the year that I read "The Power Broker" by Robert Caro. I plan to roughly use @99pi.org's 2024 reading schedule and podcasts as a guide so I can manage this feat.

I also ordered the book from Hub City Bookshop right here in Spartanburg :)
December 1, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I am finally hard at work reading this and it is awesome. I really enjoyed the chapter "Cars Ruin Childhood" and found that it expanded on a lot of issues I have seen other urbanism books hint at but not great devote too much time to.
Picked up my preordered copy of “Life After Cars” by @sgoodyear.bsky.social and @brooklynspoke.bsky.social of @thewaroncars.bsky.social from my local bookshop and indie press, @hubcitypress.bsky.social !
December 1, 2025 at 5:35 PM
I am convinced I can carry anything on my bicycle's rear rack as long as I have a good set of bungie cords
December 1, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Hi folks in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, y'all should definitely consider donating time and money to William Timmons' 2026 challenger for his house seat, Courtney McClain.

I have known her for a couple of years now and she is the real deal!
www.mcclainforsc.com/home
McClainforSC
McClainforSC's campaign
www.mcclainforsc.com
December 1, 2025 at 5:24 PM