The Strong Towns Podcast

Joyce Mandell is a mom, community organizer, sociologist, community development specialist, and urban studies professor who has lived in Worcester, Massachusetts for over twenty years. She blogs at Jane Jacobs in the Woo where she looks at her city through the eyes of the famous urban activist. Chuck Marohn interviews Joyce to discuss the energy and community growth happening in Worcester, the fight against the impending destruction of a historic church in Worcester, and how her daily morning walk helps connect her with her neighborhood. Check out Joyce's blog and read her entry in last year's Strongest Infrastructure Project contest.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's travel woes amidst the Delta airlines disaster last week. (Spoiler: He did eventually make it home.) Chuck turns it into a broader lesson about fragility and efficiency. Mentioned in this podcast: "Lessons from the Delta Implosion" by Chuck Marohn "How Fire Chiefs and Traffic Engineers Make Places Less Safe" by Steve Mouzon Events in Mount Pleasant, MI this Thursday The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan Thank you for your Service by David Finkel Hardcore History w/Dan Carlin - World War I episodes "To stop a road widening project, be persistent" by Rachel Quednau Two Former Mayors - 1 Republican and 1 Democrat - Find Common Ground in Conversation - from the podcast

In this podcast interview, recorded live at the Strong Towns Summit last week, Chuck Marohn speaks with Joey Durel—a Republican former mayor of Lafayette, LA—and Michael McGinn—a Democrat former mayor of Seattle, WA. They discuss what led them to run for office, the transportation issues they handled as mayors, and what lessons they learned during their time in leadership.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's packed event schedule including events in Eau Claire, WI and Omaha, NE last week, and one in Wabash, IN this week. They also talk about a legal case against dangerous road design. Mentioned in this podcast: Event in Wabash, IN "L.A. agrees to pay $9.5 million in wrongful death case" from the Los Angeles Times After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split by Lesley Hazleton The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan Thank you for your Service by David Finkel Two perspectives on Amazon: "Why Urbanists Need to Talk about Amazon" by Kea Wilson and "Okay, let's talk about Amazon then" by Chuck Marohn. Join us this Friday at 11:30am CT for a Slackchat on this topic. (Sign up for Slack here.)

Chuck and Rachel debrief about the Strong Towns Summit and share the highlights of the event, including a smart, #DotheMath-related presentation by government staff from Fate, TX. Chuck and Rachel also discuss an upcoming event in Austin, TX (with a bonus public meet-up) and some recent favorite books. Mentioned in this podcast: "A Fateful Summit" (reflections on Fate, TX's presentation at the Summit) April 6 event in Austin, TX Watch videos from the Strong Towns Summit The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History by Paul Andrew Hutton Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them by Joshua Greene

Chuck and Rachel discuss the Strong Towns Summit, which begins on Thursday (and a few tickets remain for purchase!), plus they announce the winner of the #StrongestTown Contest. Chuck also discusses a documentary film he's being featured in. Mentioned in this episode: Strong Towns Summit Summit transportation document: "A Transportation Revolution" Strongest Town Contest The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver The Road by Cormac McCarthy "Almost half of Americans have dogs. Do they also need cars?" by Gracen Johnson

Today we’re sharing the audio from a webcast we recorded earlier this week with representatives from the two final towns competing in our StrongestTown Contest—Traverse City, Michigan and Guelph, Ontario. You can view the webcast here if you prefer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjqrxgoiLuc Make sure to vote for the Strongest Town in this final match-up by 5pm CT on Friday, March 24. Cast your vote here: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/3/20/the-final-strongesttown-contest-showdown-a-live-webcast

Kea Wilson (Strong Towns' Director of Community Engagement) fills in for Chuck Marohn on this weekly podcast hosted by Rachel Quednau. They discuss Kea's recent writing and an upcoming article she's working on about time banking in St. Louis, MO. They also provide some behind the scenes info about the impending Strong Towns Summit in Tulsa, OK and an update on the Strongest Town Contest. Mentioned in this podcast: The Cowry Collective in St. Louis, MO Nebraska Bike Walk Summit and Meet Up where Chuck Marohn is speaking later this week Strong Towns Summit in Tulsa, OK. Read about workshops here. Vital Little Plans by Jane Jacobs Dark Age Ahead by Jane Jacobs The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack Strongest Town Contest

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Lafayette, LA). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. Mayor Cam Guthrie and resident Mike Watt share about their town's fantastic location and famous festivals, as well as how they're handling the challenge of new growth. See photos of Guelph here and read the town's initial entry here.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Guelph, ON, Canada). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. Carlee Alm-LaBar, Director of Planning, Zoning, and Development for the Lafayette Consolidated Government, discusses her town's unique culture, their strong connection with the local university and their take on planning for their financial future. See photos of Lafayette here and read the town's initial entry here.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Traverse City, MI). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. In this episode, Mayor Jon Costas of Valparaiso, IN discusses his town's collaborative nature, its thriving downtown and the impact of its local university. See photos of Valparaiso here and read the town's initial entry here.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Valparaiso, IN). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. In this episode, Rick Brown and Russ Soyring of Traverse City, MI explain why their town's natural beauty, walkable neighborhoods and creative housing solutions make it a strong community. See photos of Traverse City here and read the town's initial entry here.

In a solo podcast, Chuck Marohn continues an ongoing conversation about infrastructure spending. (Listen to the first episode in this conversation, "Is there a crisis?".) Chuck discusses his letter to President Trump and the need to create a new infrastructure funding system, not keep dumping more money into the existing system. The key is giving local leaders the power to choose how that money is spent.

In their weekly update podcast, Chuck and Rachel discuss the final article in Chuck's series about the economic impacts of the Shreveport highway project. They also dish about the current standings in the Strongest Town Contest and reveal how their brackets have fared. Mentioned in this podcast: "The Economics of the I-49 Connector, Part 3" by Chuck Marohn Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones Strongest Town Contest

Rachel and Chuck discuss last week's campaign against an inner-city highway in Shreveport, plus the beginning of the 2017 #StrongestTown Contest. Mentioned in this podcast: Shreveport content from last week The Economics of the I-49 Connector: Part I and Part II Strong Talk - a video conversation with two Shreveport residents Strongest Town Contest (see the entries and vote here) Download a Strongest Town bracket The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins The Lego Batman Movie

Steve Shultis is a long-time member of Strong Towns, a blogger at RationalUrbanism.com, a resident of inner-city Springfield, MA, and a frequent guest on the Strong Towns podcast. He and Chuck talk about traffic deaths and his interactive graphic Death Race 2016 which compares criminal homicides with traffic deaths. He also discusses media coverage about homicides vs. traffic deaths. Read Steve's past articles on Strong Towns. Listen to Steve's previous podcast interviews on urban schooling from 2015 and 2016.

Rachel and Chuck discuss the 2016 Strong Towns Annual Report. They also invite submissions for the Strongest Town Contest (deadline is Friday, Feb. 17). Mentioned in this podcast: 2016 Strong Towns Annual Report Strongest Town Contest Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade by Robert Cialdini The Content Trap by Bharat Anand

Josef Bray-Ali is a Los Angeles resident, bike shop owner, long-time Strong Towns member and current candidate for city council. In this interview with Chuck Marohn, he discusses his experience as a small business owner and a community organizer for safe streets. He also talks about what motivated him to run for city council and the ways he's implemented Strong Towns ideas in his city. Joe Bray-Ali's writing and videos on our site: "A Strong Citizen in Los Angeles" "Making my City More Bike-Friendly for $0" "Why One Strong Towns Member Chose to Run for City Council"

Chuck and Rachel discuss the recent Strong Towns Staff & Board Meeting in Chicago, which included lots of planning and assessment, plus some authentic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. They also discuss Jonathan Haidt's work on moral foundations and a technique to clean up a toxic Facebook feed. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE "Our Contentious Culture" Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999 movie) We Eat Our Own by Kea Wilson This week's slackchat is hosted by Kea Wilson and it'll be at 1pm CT on Thursday.

Our nation has an infrastructure funding crisis.....or do we? Related Posts: What clearly makes us richer The real reason your city has no money Poor neighborhoods make the best investments Gladwell's question to Thaler (YouTube)

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's letter to President Trump and ways to encourage investment in small-scale infrastructure projects instead of big ones. They also talk about recent books they've enjoyed and the growth of the Strong Towns movement. Mentioned in this episode: "A Letter to POTUS on Infrastructure" and an upcoming Slackchat to discuss that letter #InfrastructureCrisis stories on our site "New Milwaukee Housing Program Takes the Easy Route" "Strong Talk: How do we create more housing options?" recorded live January 20 The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Righteous Mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion by Jonathan Haidt Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Chuck and Rachel chat about recent articles which have garnered a ton of attention on the internet over the past week. They also discuss the non-partisan nature of Strong Towns, particularly in light of new readers coming to the site in the last week (as evidenced by the quote above). Finally, they announce that public tickets are now available for the Strong Towns Summit. Get yours before they're gone. Mentioned in this podcast: "The Real Reason Your City has no Money" "Poor Neighborhoods Make the Best Investments" "Is Strong Towns my Tribe?" "Reinventing Poor Cities at Scale" Sign up to participate in Strong Talk or submit your topic ideas. Strong Towns Summit info and tickets In case you're eager for more podcasts, here's Chuck Marohn interviewed on 3 different podcasts.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's recent writing on federal infrastructure spending and today's article, "A Utah Republican Might Have the Best Urban Transportation Plan." They also discuss books they're reading (Rachel finally got around to starting Hillbilly Elegy) and political language in the context of Strong Towns. Mentioned in this podcast: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance The Road to Ruin: The Global Elites' Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis by James Rickerts The Content Trap: A Strategist's Guide to Digital Change by Bharat Andand

Author James Howard Kunstler chats with Chuck Marohn about the newest book in his World Made by Hand series, The Harrows of Spring. You can also listen to James Kunstler in previous Strong Towns podcasts including from February, 2014, September 2014 and November 2015.

Chuck and Rachel discuss their holidays, favorite books they read over the break, and infrastructure spending in America. They also share an exciting announcement at the end of the podcast. Mentioned in this podcast: The Road to Ruin: The Global Elites' Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis by James Rickerts The Content Trap: A Strategist's Guide to Digital Change by Bharat Andand The Road Taken: The History and Future of America's Infrastructure by Henry Petroski When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi "Five Ways Federal Infrastructure Spending Makes Cities Poorer" by Chuck Marohn

Seth Zeren is a founding member of Strong Towns, a new father and a real estate developer based in Providence, RI. In this podcast conversation, Seth and Chuck talk about the results of the election and its impact on the national dialogue. This is our last podcast of 2016. Thank you to all our listeners. Have a wonderful holiday and we'll see you in the new year!

In the final Week Ahead podcast of 2016, Chuck and Rachel discuss their recent trip to Chicago and a spirited panel discussion Chuck participated in. They also talk about Chuck's Monday article and the Best of 2016 articles being published throughout the week. Finally, they chat about the upcoming Strong Towns Summit and Chuck's cookie baking adventures. Mentioned in this podcast: "Our Shared Journey" by Chuck Marohn Best of 2016 articles Strong Towns National Summit

Heyden Black Walker is a Strong Towns "super member" in Austin, TX. She's an urban planner and advocate and serves on the board of the CNU-Central Texas Chapter and on the City of Austin Pedestrian Advisory Council. Today, Chuck Marohn and Heyden Walker discuss the highway I-35 project in Austin, which Heyden wrote about on Strong Towns earlier this year. They talk about the implications of a surge in federal infrastructure spending and the local impacts of federal spending in places like Austin. This interview is part of our ongoing conversation on federal infrastructure spending. Want to hear more from Heyden Walker? Listen to her previous Strong Towns podcast interview from CNU23.

Thomas Fisher is a Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota, and serves as Director of the Metropolitan Design Center. He's a graduate of Cornell University in architecture and the author of several books including Designing to Avoid Disaster and Designing our Way to a Better World. In this conversation with Chuck Marohn, Professor Fisher discusses a design-thinking approach of bottom-up vs. top-down decisionmaking, and the danger of building the wrong types of infrastructure for the future of America. This interview is part of our ongoing conversation on federal infrastructure spending.

Kyle Smith is an independent urban planning consultant in transportation, land use, and housing. He recently served as Executive Director of the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce in Chicago and also worked for the Center of Neighborhood Technology where he wrote a report called “Stalled Out: How Empty Parking Spaces Diminish Neighborhood Affordability.” Rachel Quednau interviews Kyle for the Strong Towns podcast to discuss the results of this report as well as better parking strategies that will serve towns, developers and residents, instead of holding them back.

Chuck and Rachel discuss last week's member drive and an event in St. Mary's, PA, plus this week's Black Friday Parking event. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: Strong Towns member testimonials #BlackFridayParking

Chuck, while driving through a Minnesota blizzard, shares some reflections on small town America, the tension between urban and rural areas and the Strong Towns movement. Become a member of Strong Towns at www.strongtowns.org/membership.

As part of our membership drive, Chuck Marohn invited Strong Towns members to submit their questions—any question—and today, on a late-night, Mountain Dew-fueled podcast, he's answering them. Become a member of Strong Towns today. To see a list of the questions answered in this podcast, visit this page: www.strongtowns.org/journal/2016/11/16/chuck-answers-your-questions

On Day 2 of our member drive, Chuck sits down with the two youngest Strong Towns advocates.

This episode kicks off a week of Member Drive-related podcasts. Today, Chuck and Rachel talk about the importance of the Strong Towns movement, especially in light of the recent presidential election. They also chat about what their most proud of from Strong Towns this year, and what they are most looking forward to in 2017. This episode spells out exactly why Strong Towns needs new members and what their contributions will be used for. BECOME A MEMBER OF STRONG TOWNS. Mentioned in this episode: "It's Time for Strong Towns" Slackchat w/Chuck & Rachel on Tuesday Election 2016 (Podcast Reflections)

After some travel and contemplation, Chuck Marohn offers some thoughts on the presidential election, Strong Towns and the future of America.

In this special edition of the Strong Towns podcast, we bring you a short interview with Gracen Johnson, a Strong Towns contributor and member who wrote an essay for our new book, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume II. Rachel Quednau interviews Gracen Johnson about making the hard decision to move to a new town, plus her recent wedding, her work with the Incremental Development Alliance and her philosophy that "love will save this place." Get your copy of our new book today. Mentioned in this podcast: Incremental Development Alliance "New Life for an Old School"

Russ Roberts is a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and the host of the podcast, EconTalk. He's also starred in two rap videos about John Maynard Keynes and F.A. Hayek, and is the author of several books, including most recently, How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness. In this interview, Chuck Marohn and Russ Roberts discuss the political appeal of infrastructure spending vs. the economics perspective. They also talk about how to ensure a good return on investment and how to focus on smaller-scale projects. This interview is part of our ongoing conversation on federal infrastructure spending.

Chuck and Rachel discuss recent events in Madison and Texas, including a surprise meeting with the Mayor of Austin. They also welcome new members, chat about housing affordability in Portland, and invite listeners to participate in a Halloween Walking Tour. Mentioned in this podcast: Strong Towns' pitch deck (where the image on the right came from) "Spiking a Rising Tide" (Portland housing affordability article) "Halloween with Strong Towns"

Chuck Marohn interviews Kate Kraft, the Executive Director of America Walks to talk about infrastructure spending and creating more walkable places across America. She advocates for a balanced, people-centered transportation system and discusses different ways to achieve that. This interview is part of our ongoing conversation on federal infrastructure spending.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's busy travel schedule from last week (Thunder Bay and Bellingham), and this week's Texas tour to San Marcos, Austin, Arlington and Fort Worth (plus Rachel's speaking engagement in Madison). They also talk about Chuck's dental woes, new Strong Towns members, and housing affordability and transit issues. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: "Distorting Housing Prices" by Chuck Marohn Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime from Global Epidemic to Your Front Door by Brian Krebbs The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild Black Jeopardy with Tom Hanks

As part of Bike Week at Strong Towns, we interviewed a long time member and friend, John Simmerman. He's the founder of Active Towns and travels around the world sharing his love of active living and promoting bikeability and walkability. John shares the many ways that towns can create a "culture of activity" in their communities—one that is welcoming and safe for people of all ages. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: Active Towns Shed the Monster video

In this special edition of the Strong Towns podcast, we bring you a short interview with Nate Hood, a Strong Towns contributor and founding member who wrote an essay for our new book, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume II. Nate Hood chats with Chuck Marohn about pedestrian safety efforts—the good, the bad and the ugly—in his hometown of St. Paul, MN. Get your copy of our new book today. Special offer: We've extended the opportunity for new Strong Towns members to receive an autographed copy of our new book. Become a member by Friday, October 14, and we'll mail you a free copy.

Ed Erfurt is a long-time friend and member of Strong Towns. He recently moved to Ranson, WV and serves as Assistant City Manager there. Today, he discusses his perspective as a local leader in a small town on what infrastructure is worth investing in, how to get a real return on your investment and how to avoid getting "caught up in free money." This interview is part of our ongoing conversation on federal infrastructure spending.

It's been a little while since we did a Week Ahead podcast, because Chuck's been on the road doing tons of events. In today's podcast, he talks about recent events in several cities in Oregon as well as Shreveport, LA. Chuck and Rachel also announce a new job opening. Finally, they dive into Strong Towns' newly-released book, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume II. Mentioned in this episode: Job opening Our new book Strong Towns' organizational sponsors Video tours of Edina, MN Upcoming events in Thunder Bay, ON and Bellingham, WA

In this special edition of the Strong Towns podcast, we bring you a short interview with Andrew Price, a Strong Towns contributor who wrote two essays for our new book, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume II. Andrew chats with Rachel Quednau about life in Hoboken, NJ, and takes a look back at two of his essays which are featured in the book. Get your copy of our new book today.

In this special edition of the Strong Towns podcast, we bring you a short interview with Daniel Herriges, a Strong Towns contributor who wrote an essay for our new book, Thoughts on Building Strong Towns, Volume II. Daniel chats with Rachel Quednau about the inspiration for his essay, "Moving the Overton Window," his vision for the Strong Towns movement, and his experience as a masters student in the urban planning program at the University of Minnesota. Get your copy of our new book today.

Ray LaHood served as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 2009-2013. Prior to that, he served in the House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 18th congressional district. In this interview with Chuck Marohn, Mr. LaHood discusses bipartisan collaboration on infrastructure decisions and his views on the presidential candidates' position on drastically increasing infrastructure spending. He answers questions like, "If we're going to invest in infrastructure, where should that money come from? Who should decide how it is spent?" He also discusses his view on gas tax increases, and small-scale vs. large-scale projects. His book, Seeking Bipartisanship: My Life in Politics, is available now. This interview is part of our ongoing conversation on infrastructure spending

Former Seattle Mayor -- and friend of Strong Towns -- Mike McGinn joins us to talk about the nation's infrastructure crisis and what he would do to make sure that a surge in federal infrastructure spending isn't wasted.

On the day of the first presidential debate, Chuck records a solo Week Ahead podcast to look back at last week's event in Knoxville, this week's event in Edina and a little annoucement on next week.