Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Charlotte

Can Athletes Help Solve Urbanism’s PR Problem? Soccer Star Tesho Akindele Thinks So

Camp North End in Charlotte, N.C., which Tesho Akindele is helping to develop, and Tesho himself. Photos:Camden and Hailey George, CC and Andy Witchger, CC

If the typical professional athlete talks about transportation at all, it's usually in the context of a mulit-million SUV commercial. Soccer star Tesho Akindele, though, isn't the typical athlete — and as he transitions out of his career on the field, he wants to make a full-time job out of building walkable, bikeable, equitable cities.

Today on The Brake, we talk to Tesho about how he fell in love with urbanism, why he uses his platform to talk about parking minimums, and the secret to getting non-wonks on board the movement to end car dependency and create people-centered places.

Tune in below, on Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else you listen, and follow Tesho on Twitter @Tesho13.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday’s Headlines Just Keep Trucking’ On

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is rolling back the Biden administration's mileage benchmarks for heavy trucks.

February 6, 2026

Government by AI? Trump Administration Plans to Write Regulations Using Artificial Intelligence

The Transportation Department, which oversees the safety of airplanes, cars and pipelines, plans to use Google Gemini to draft new regulations. “We don’t need the perfect rule,” said DOT’s top lawyer. “We want good enough.”

February 6, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines Are 2 Fast 2 Fare-Free

Fare-free bus systems are now in the U.S. DOT's crosshairs.

February 5, 2026

Reimagining Freedom: How Older Adults Can Benefit from Connecting with Other Nondrivers

Seniors often struggle when it's time to give up the keys. But they're not alone.

February 5, 2026

Forget Free Buses: NYC Should Instead Seek ‘Audacious’ Subway Expansion

The same billion-dollar outlay that Mayor Mamdani hopes to allocate for fare-free buses should be spent instead on rewriting the subway map.

February 4, 2026
See all posts