In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck explains why federal and state government policies can’t solve the housing affordability crisis and how that power actually lies with local leaders.
Read MoreThis fall, seven states will have the opportunity to cut — or abolish, in some cases — property taxes. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss whether that’s a good idea. (Spoiler: It isn’t.)
Read MoreMaumee, Ohio, winner of the 2024 Strongest Town Contest, is facing a big sewer infrastructure challenge — and it’s not alone. In this episode, Chuck explains the history of sewer infrastructure, how the Clean Water Act affects cities across North America and the very limited options cities have to handle this kind of challenge.
Read MoreSeth Zeren, a neighborhood developer and founding member of Strong Towns, joins this week’s episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to talk about his experiences as an incremental developer with a midsize real estate firm.
Read MoreThe governor of New York recently announced the dissolution of the city’s congestion pricing program after years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. Here’s the Strong Towns take on it.
Read MoreIn this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck responds to a recent Substack column that criticized the Strong Towns stance on the Suburban Experiment and infrastructure spending.
Read MoreErin Joyce, the mayor of Braintree, Massachusetts, joins host Tiffany Owens Reed today to discuss what it’s like to build strong towns as an elected official.
Read MoreYou’ve heard of YIMBYs and NIMBYs, but have you heard of YIGBYs? The “Yes In God’s Backyard” movement focuses on leveraging land owned by religious institutions to alleviate the housing crisis.
Read MoreIlana Preuss is the founder and CEO of Recast City, a program that helps cities build strong downtowns by empowering small-scale manufacturers. Today, she joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to discuss the importance of small-scale manufacturing and her experiences as a city builder.
Read MoreFamily Dollar is shutting down many of its urban stores, while Dollar General is expanding in rural areas. This week’s episode explores the reasons behind their differing success and the effect dollar stores have on neighborhoods.
Read MoreIncremental development is the most resilient and financially responsible way for communities to grow and improve. Town builder Monte Anderson joins us today on Upzoned to talk about his experience as an incremental developer and the important principles of the field.
Read MoreDanny Pearlstein is the policy and communications director at Riders Alliance, a nonprofit transit advocacy organization in New York City. Today, he joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to discuss congestion pricing, car dependency and public transit in the Big Apple.
Read MoreIn this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Doug Barrick, the town manager of Rutherfordton, North Carolina, to talk about what it’s like to participate in the Strongest Town Contest and how Rutherfordton is working to become a stronger town.
Read MoreNonprofit organizations straddle the line between the private and public sectors, a position that some argue makes them a breeding ground for corruption. Is the nonprofit sector too poorly regulated and overly trusted? And what does this mean for local governments?
Read MoreCan your city escape the housing trap simply through blanket rezoning? How should your city handle historic designations that are blocking housing development? Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn answers these questions and more in this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast.
Read MoreIt’s Member Drive Week here at Strong Towns. To celebrate, Chuck’s reading some of his best articles that you might’ve missed. Today, he’s reading “Most Public Engagement Is Worthless,” which explains why, instead of focusing on what people think they want, planners should focus on people’s actions and then adjust their policies to compliment the way real people actually live.
Read MoreJohn Pattison is Strong Towns’ community builder. In this special Member Week episode, he discusses the Local Conversations program, how it empowers people to improve their cities, and how becoming a member supports the program.
Read MoreLast month, Strong Towns hosted the National Gathering in Cincinnati. In this episode, Abby sits down with Strong Towns founder Chuck Marohn to discuss the event from his perspective, how it differs from CNU, and how Gatherings might change in the future.
Read MoreIt’s Member Drive Week here at Strong Towns. To celebrate, Chuck’s reading some of his best articles that you might’ve missed. Today, he’s reading “The Cost of an Extra Foot,” which explains why engineers love overdesign and what that means for cities’ finances.
Read MoreSusan Graham and Ally Smither have very different life experiences — one as a former nurse and the other as an opera singer — but they’ve come together to pursue the same goal: Stopping highway expansion in Houston.
Read More