The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…City Building With Small-Scale Manufacturers

Ilana 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.

The Dollar Difference: Why Rural Poverty Benefits Dollar Stores More Than Urban

Family 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.

How To Successfully Navigate the World of Incremental Development

Incremental 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.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Fighting for Better Public Transit in the Big Apple

Danny 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.

Doug Barrick: Building a Strong Town as a Member of Local Government

In 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.

Is the Non Profit Sector a Mess of 'Misconduct, Greed and Corruption'?

Nonprofit 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?

How To Escape the Housing Trap: A Special Q&A Session

Can 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.

Member Drive Week Special: Most Public Engagement Is Worthless

It’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.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Helping Local Advocates Improve Their Cities

John 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.

An Inside Look at the Strong Towns National Gathering

Last 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.

Member Drive Week Special: The Cost of an Extra Foot

It’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.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Unexpected Allies Fighting a Highway Expansion Project

Susan 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.

From Bike Lovers to Zoning Experts: The Voices of Strong Towns

This special edition of Upzoned was recorded last week at the 2024 National Gathering. From business owners to zoning reform experts, Abby talks with attendees about their efforts to build stronger towns.

Megan Kimble: The Toll Urban Highways Take and the People Fighting Back

Megan Kimble, journalist and author of “City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways,” joins us to talk about highway expansion in Texas and the groups fighting to stop it.

How to Escape Housing (and Baseball Stadium) Traps, Plus a Little Disney Urbanism.

The Messy City is a podcast that discusses urban planning and design issues. Its host, Kevin Klinkenberg, recently invited Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn to appear on an episode. Up for discussion: Chuck’s new book, sports stadiums, and Disney World.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Reclaiming Land From Urban Highways

Brian Boland is the founder of Bridge Forward Cincinnati, an advocacy group working to reclaim 19 acres of city land from urban highways by changing the design of the Brent Spence Corridor Project.

Cincinnati Pledges $200K in Funding for Popular Bikeshare Service

The city of Cincinnati has pledged $200k to keep the popular bikeshare program Red Bike alive for another year. Joining us to talk about bikeshare programs and Red Bike’s financial difficulties is Bryce Mortera, a member of Civic Cincinnati. Are these programs really beneficial for residents? And if so, is there a more sustainable way to fund them than relying on sponsors?

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Alleviating Neighborhood Poverty at a Root Level

Christian Grey is the executive director of inCOMMON Community Development, an organization that aims to alleviate poverty at a root level by uniting and strengthening vulnerable neighborhoods.

Department of Justice Opens Criminal Investigation Into “Housing Cartel”

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the possibility that the major software company RealPage is facilitating price-fixing among large landlords and management firms.