Week in Review
In case you missed it....
Featured
Maricela Sanchez is a city council member and anesthesiologist from Prosser, Washington. She has lived in several major cities, including LA, San Francisco and NYC. She joins today’s episode to discuss how her travels and profession molded her perspective on what makes a town safe and resilient. (Transcript included.)
A new bill in the Illinois General Assembly would require the state DOT to conduct traffic studies after crashes involving pedestrian fatalities. This is a great step in the right direction, and it highlights how local officials can take action too.
In this episode, Abby is joined by Chicago aldermen Matt Martin and Andre Vasquez to discusses the Western Avenue corridor study, one of the most ambitious planning efforts Chicago has seen in decades. (Transcript included.)
Parking regulations impose unnecessary restrictions on adding new housing. Many cities recognize this problem but struggle with how to address it effectively. Dubuque, Iowa, offers a real-world example of both the problems and an effective response.
This special episode explores the Strongest Town Contest, including what cities can learn from previous winners and a preview of this year's Contest. Joining the discussion are Strong Towns staffers Lauren Ronnander and John Pattison, as well as Stephen Gawron, the former mayor of the 2018 Strongest Town, Muskegon, Michigan. (Transcript included.)
On a recent Upzoned episode, I joined Abby Newsham to discuss Massachusetts’ effort to sue a city over exclusionary zoning near transit stations. After it aired, we received some thoughtful critiques from listeners who felt the conversation missed key historical and legal context. I’d like to address those critiques today.
Today, Chuck is joined by Ben Hunt, the creator of Epsilon Theory, to discuss the concept of the Widening Gyre, a “social equilibrium where bad people and bad ideas drive out good people and good ideas.” They cover how it manifests in American culture and how a community-focused approach is the best way out.
A new order from the U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing a different approach to transportation spending. If implemented, it could deliver long-overdue reforms, the kind Strong Towns has long supported. However, the specifics raise serious concerns.
Do speed cameras actually make roads safer, or are they just another enforcement tool that fails to address the underlying design issues that cause speeding in the first place?
Stanis Moody Roberts is a business owner from Portland, Maine, who has been organizing local opposition to a highway expansion for the past year. He joins today’s episode to discuss this journey and the progress his community has made.
The Growth Ponzi Scheme encourages city governments to take on obligations they can never hope to sustain. Purcellville, Virginia, offers a stark example of where this path leads.
In historic cities, land was treated as a scarce resource and every inch of it was used with ingenuity. This created productive and charming places that could meet the evolving needs of residents. Here are a few ways we can bring that traditional productivity and adaptable charm to modern cities.