For Kelsey Huse, movement is a way of life, shaped by the cities she’s lived in and the streets she walks and bikes every day. Now a graduate student in City and Regional Planning at the University of Memphis, Kelsey is helping reimagine how urban design can support physical fitness and community well-being.
Kelsey moved between Oklahoma, Kansas City, Philadelphia, and Austin before landing in Memphis in August 2024 to be closer to family and join the master’s program. It was her time living in Philadelphia that shaped her philosophy around movement and accessible public transit. “My life felt so expanded,” she explains. “I could walk to friends’ houses, bike everywhere, and hop on a $10 bus to New York or DC.” That freedom made daily activity effortless, not something she had to schedule or force into her routine.
When she moved to Austin, that ease disappeared. “I had to drive everywhere. I missed being on my bike and feeling connected to my community,” she says. That frustration turned into advocacy when bike lanes began disappearing. Kelsey organized petitions, spoke out publicly, and recognized that when no one in a community speaks up, nothing changes. “No one is going to build what I want unless I advocate for it myself,” she says.
Today, she sees active transportation as the intersection of mental fitness, physical health, and community connection. “Because I bike for transportation, I don’t have to think about working out,” she says. “That’s the beauty of environments designed for movement. If activity is built into daily life, it doesn’t feel like a chore.” Aside from biking for transportation, Kelsey is also on the leadership team of the Memphis Social Bicycle Club.
Kelsey believes urban infrastructure plays a critical role in public health. Roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and crossings influence whether people feel safe enough to walk, bike, or push a stroller. She’s witnessed how small changes can have big impacts, like when a pedestrian signal in Midtown was adjusted after community complaints, giving walkers a few extra seconds before traffic turned.
Her approach to change is practical and grassroots. “Log a 311 request. Email your city council member. Talk to your neighbors. Document what’s happening,” she says. Social media has become one of her most powerful tools for organizing and raising awareness. While backlash exists, she estimates it’s only a tiny fraction. “Most Memphians know the streets aren’t safe. They want change, and they don’t always know how.”
If she could redesign one space in Memphis, Kelsey points to Union Avenue. “It needs to be rethought completely. There are so many crashes, and it doesn’t serve people who want to walk or bike.” Ultimately, her mission is to help Memphians imagine something better and to encourage them to join her in advocating for the community’s basic needs. “My goal is to change minds and show that another version of our city is possible,” Kelsey says.
Connect with Kelsey on March 16 at Novel at 6 p.m. for a community discussion titled “Life After Cars” Lifeaftercars.com and follow along with her on Instagram @memphisurbanism.
By Zoe Harrison
Photo by Tindall Stephens
