Adam Hirschhorn is a candidate for Mayor of Fort Collins in the 2025 election. He has more than 13 years of experience as a Wikipedia editor and a background in music composition. Hirschhorn is active in political organizing and community engagement, focusing on issues such as climate change, sustainability, affordable housing, and mutual aid. He frequently connects with constituents directly by riding local bus routes.
Episode Summary
In this episode of Dear Fort Collins, host Nick Armstrong interviews mayoral candidate Adam Hirschhorn as part of a series spotlighting local candidates ahead of the November 2025 election. Hirschhorn discusses his motivation to run, citing global and local challenges such as climate change, housing affordability, and rising authoritarianism.
Hirschhorn outlines his proposal for a “resilience and sustainability campus” in North Fort Collins as a way to address climate adaptation and affordable housing simultaneously. He emphasizes densification, underground living for climate resilience, and infrastructure planning to prepare for climate-driven disasters such as heat waves and flooding.
He also talks about supporting small businesses and mutual aid networks as tools to resist corporate influence in local politics, as well as his commitment to LGBTQ+ visibility and inclusion. The conversation touches on housing affordability, infrastructure preparedness, arts and culture, and waste reduction. Hirschhorn closes with reflections on community strength and personal motivations.
Key Takeaways
- Hirschhorn frames climate change, affordable housing, and rising corporatism as interconnected challenges.
- Proposes a resilience and sustainability campus in North Fort Collins to combine housing, sustainability, and preparedness.
- Emphasizes predictive planning to address flood, heat, and infrastructure risks.
- Advocates for mutual aid and strong local small business networks as counterbalances to corporate consolidation.
- Supports LGBTQ+ visibility and keeping Fort Collins a safe and inclusive community.
- Critiques perceived inefficiencies in city spending and calls for more cooperative approaches to infrastructure.
- Sees strong community networks as a way to “mob up, branch out, and dig in” against future challenges.
Notable Quotes
- “Somebody’s got to save your bacon.”
- “You really need to be able to anticipate the problem, have some predictive ability to understand the magnitude of what we face.”
- “I’m a 13-year Wikipedia editor, and I have a strong grounding in facts and community.”
- “Let’s not count our chickens yet, but I think we’ve got a real great shot at taking control of the situation.”
- “Mob up, branch out, and dig in.”
Resources / Links
- Dear Fort Collins website: https://dearfortcollins.com/
- Dear Fort Collins YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dearfortcollins
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