The Strong Towns Podcast

Every month, we host Ask Strong Towns to give you a chance to ask your burning questions about our vision for change, and how the Strong Towns approach might apply in your unique place. The live Ask Strong Towns webcast is open to all Strong Towns members, but afterward, we share the audio on our podcast. In today’s episode, Chuck and Kea discuss several audience-submitted questions on topics ranging from TIF and bonds to historic preservation to how to campaign on a Strong Towns platform. Here are the questions discussed in this episode: Down-zonings are a common tool around here for the local aldermen to get what they want. I’m a believer that they make the development process longer, more expensive and, subsequently, lead to gentrification. What’s the Strong Towns take on down-zonings? What are appropriate things that a city should issue bonds for? What resources are available for a small town without a big planning department or budget to review their zoning code and best practices? Many are excited about the new Strong Towns initiative in Akron, Ohio. What happens if it’s a resounding success and demand skyrockets? Is there ever a good TIF project proposal? Is incrementalism diametrically opposed to historic preservation or do these two movements in fact share common goals? Local elections are coming up this fall and some candidates are wondering about how to introduce Strong Towns concepts without scaring voters off. Do you have thoughts on how to campaign on Strong Towns? If you could get a candidate to read ONLY two articles to get the essence of the Strong Towns thought process, which would they be? (Kea’s and Chuck’s answers reference: The Real Reason Your City has No Money, So You Want to Build a Strong Town and 9 Ways to Change an Elected Official’s Mind) My city leadership has been slow to confront our housing issues. What would you say to a local leader to make them see that housing is a problem that deserves their attention and priority, particularly when those impacted are underrepresented among the (small town) political elite? A lot of your articles are depressing. What gives you the most hope for America's towns and cities? Visit the Ask Strong Towns page to learn more about this webcast, submit a question and get info about the next episode (happening June 28th).

Chuck and Rachel discuss Strong Towns' role in CNU26 in Savannah, GA, including live podcast recordings, an interactive debate, a Strong Towns 101 presentation and a meet-up. Get all the details here. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST Overview of Strong Towns activities at CNU How to Join in on Strong Towns Events at CNU (whether you're attending or not) "The Little Law Office That Could" by Rachel Quednau Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History by Brian Kilmeade The Death of Democracy: Hitler's Rise to Power and the Downfall of the Weimar Republic by Benjamin Carter Hett Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water, Revised Edition by Marc Reisner Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Flint Town (Netflix series)

Kea Wilson is Strong Towns' Director of Community Engagement and, as of a couple days ago, the proud owner of a new four-family building in her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. This is the second property that she and her partner have purchased and managed as landlord and developers and today we brought her on the Strong Towns podcast to talk all about that experience. (She's also been detailing her journey toward purchasing this property in a series of articles on the website this week.) In this in-depth and honest podcast conversation, Kea and Rachel discuss: What does being a developer look like and why do it in the first place? How do you weight the costs and benefits of a given property (both monetary and non-monetary), and make the choice to pull the trigger on a purchase? Is it possible to provide quality affordable housing and still break even or make a profit as a small scale developer without deep pockets? What are the challenges and benefits of being a landlord? How can we incentivize more landlords to care about their tenants and neighborhoods? What financial, social or political systems would need to change to make this the norm? MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: In Defense of Housing: The Politics of Crisis by Peter Marcuse and David Madden Mr. Money Mustache (blog) Bigger Pockets (real estate investing resource) Incremental Development Alliance "Who can afford to invest in a poor neighborhood?" (series) by Kea Wilson Podcast: Why a Simple, Frugal Life Will Make you a Happier Person (with Kea Wilson) "Find a Place You Love that Needs You" by Sarah Kobos "Stuck: Why rent- and mortgage-burdened Americans don't always move to cheaper pastures" by Kea Wilson The Greenlining Institute

Rachel's guest this week is Strong Towns member and occasional writer, Alex Baca. Alex just published an article on Strong Towns called "Homeownership for whom?" about the flawed model of homeownership as a platform for building household wealth — and who is excluded by that model. Alex and Rachel discuss the position of homeownership in American culture and the economy. They also chat about Alex's thoughts on bikeshare and recent updates in the bikeshare world like dockless bikes and scooters. Mentioned in this podcast: Homeownership for whom? by Alex Baca Gerontopoly: Homeownership, Wealth and Age by Joe Cortright Strong Towns events in Peoria, IL What Cities Need to Understand About Bikeshare Now by Alex Baca (on CityLab) Here’s What You Can Read If You’d Like to Think About Cities In Exactly The Way That I Do — an extended book list by Alex Baca Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation Follow Alex on Twitter @alexbaca.

Today we've got the audio from a recent Ask Strong Towns webcast conversation featuring friend of Strong Towns and Principal at Urban3, Joe Minicozzi, and hosted by Chuck Marohn. You can watch the video from this webcast as well as see a list of questions covered here: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/4/30/ask-strong-towns-2-with-joe-minicozzi Visit the Ask Strong Towns page to learn more about this webcast, submit a question and get info about the next episode: https://www.strongtowns.org/ask-strong-towns

Rachel's guest this week is Strong Towns Growth Manager, Max Azzarello. He discusses his nomadic lifestyle and the reason he might be settling down somewhere permanently soon. He also talks about why he drives a scooter and a recent book he's been digging. Mentioned in this Podcast Public Murals for Positive Change - An Interview with Pasqualina Azzarello Ask Strong Towns Celebrity Edition feat. Joe Minicozzi (today at 10:30 am CT) May 1 event in Wichita, KS May 3 event in Chattanooga, TN May 9-10 events in Peoria, IL A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster by Rebecca Solnit How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Wild, Wild Country (TV series)

Chuck has been meeting with local leaders across the country for the last several months in closed door conversations. One question he often asks these elected officials and city staff is "What do you wish people understood better about your job?" He consistently receives a very similar set of answers: "We wish the public understood how difficult this job is." "We wish people grasped how limited our resources are." "We wish people appreciated how much we do and had a little more patience." ...and on and on. The truth is that wishing these things will never make them happen, he argues. City leaders have to do their jobs despite the lack of resources and appreciation. If you want to work for a city government and make decisions on behalf of your town, you will receive critiques and high expectations, says Chuck. Here's the real question: How do you do the job despite these things? Hear Chuck's answers on this latest episode of our podcast.

Rachel's guest this week is Chuck Marohn, and he recaps a recent series of events in Akron, Ohio as well as his article for today, The Real Reason Your Local Mall is Failing. Mentioned in this podcast: The Real Reason Your Local Mall is Failing Join us for upcoming public events in West Grove, PA, Wichita, KS, and Chattanooga, TN. Strong Towns members are invited to attend our April 30 Q&A Webcast with special guest Joe Minicozzi of Urban3. Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

This week's guest is Strong Towns Development Director, Bo Wright, who discusses the organization's new partnership in Akron, Ohio, which will spur a yearlong conversation on how to make the city a strong town, supported by the Knight Foundation. Bo talks about what we hope to accomplish this year in Akron and why it matters to everyone — not just Akron residents. Contact [email protected] if you have a request for a future guest on this podcast. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: Learn more about our work in Akron here: www.strongtowns.org/akron Join us for a Curbside Chat and meet-up in Akron on Tuesday, April 17 If you're in the Akron area, please join our Strong Akron Facebook group to follow this conversation. The Long Game podcast by Jon Ward The Achievement of Wendell Berry by Fritz Oehlschlaeger The Party Faithful: How and Why Democrats Are Closing the God Gap by Amy Sullivan Depolarize! Podcast Visit www.StrongTowns.org/Podcast for the show notes.

Who is against you? That's a question Chuck Marohn is often asked when he presents Strong Towns ideas at events and in conversations. One group in particular is a growing voice in opposition to Strong Towns. These are the folks who say: "We really like Strong Towns. We like your ideas... But don't you see that the problems you're discussing are so big and intertwined with so many other challenges that we can't afford to act incrementally? We have to take major steps to solve major problems. Small-scale actions are not going to cut it here." Today on the podcast, Chuck responds.

Rachel's guest this week is Strong Towns member and contributor, Arian Horbovetz, who blogs at The Urban Phoenix and lives in Rochester, New York. He discusses the universal challenges that Rust Belt towns deal with, his optimistic yet pragmatic view on urban revitalization, and his sociologist's perspective on these trends. Mentioned in this podcast: TheUrbanPhoenix.com The Big Urban Mistake: Building for Tourism vs. Livability by Arian Horbovetz Join us tomorrow for a Strong Towns presentation and Meet-up in Thompsonville, MI The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism by Bruce Katz and Jeremy Nowak (also check out our January 2018 podcast interview with Bruce Katz about this book) The Impolite Company podcast

Every month, we host Ask Strong Towns to give you a chance to ask your burning questions about our vision for change, and how the Strong Towns approach might apply in your unique place — and give us a chance to share our answers with the world, so it might help other Strong Citizens. The live Ask Strong Towns webcast is open to all Strong Towns members, but afterward, we share the audio on our podcast. Here are the questions Chuck and Kea discussed today: What makes for a good urban road? What are the key metrics which we can use to judge whether a town is strong? I know it's not the municipal bond rating... I live in a city where the economy and population are growing. How can we build momentum for a Strong Towns approach in a place like this? What are your thoughts on home-sharing systems like AirBnB and short-term hotels? You present a simple and compelling argument for why our development pattern is causing our cities to go bankrupt. What factors are not being considered when we look at tax value per acre maps? What needs to happen so that more people can be engaged in local decision making and planning processes? My town has a walkable main street with some vacant land surrounding it. Should we prioritize strengthening our main street or developing the vacant land into something more productive? What's the low-hanging fruit? Where do you start building Strong Towns if you're a regular person, not an elected official or leader? Just riding a bike to work doesn't seem like it will make a big difference... Visit the Ask Strong Towns page to learn more about this webcast, submit a question and get info about the next episode: www.strongtowns.org/ask-strong-towns

Rachel's guest this week is Chuck Marohn who recaps a recent trip to Massachusetts and discusses his article today on autonomous vehicles. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: April 3 event in Colorado Springs, CO Automated vehicles will makes our streets worse by Chuck Marohn The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South by Radley Balko & Tucker Carrington If you have a recommendation for a podcast guest, hit up Rachel at [email protected]

A couple weeks ago, Chuck Marohn shared an image on Facebook that sparked a contentious conversation. It was an illustration of a potential retrofit project, turning a suburban big box site into a slightly denser — but still quite auto-oriented — development. Comments rained in from other Strong Towns advocates, many in agreement, others pushing back. Then the developer who originally posted the image called us and asked to talk. So we invited him onto our podcast. Bob Barber is a founder partner at Orion Planning+Design, a Mississippi native and the former planning director for the City of Hernando, MS. In this conversation with Chuck Marohn, Barber discusses the challenges and different approaches to pushing for change in smaller, more suburban communities. In his experience, the people who approach change from a positive angle in the communities where he works have a much better chance of building a strong town than the people who begin by putting the community down and pointing out where it has gone wrong.

Today we're sharing the audio from the Championship Webcast in our Strongest Town Contest, hosted by Rachel Quednau and Kea Wilson. We're down to the final two communities: Muskegon, MI and Kent, OH. Visit this page to vote for whichever you think is the strongest after listening to the podcast: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/21/watch-and-vote-in-the-strongest-town-contest-championship-here

Welcome to the third round of our annual Strongest Town Competition! 4 towns are facing off right now and 2 will advance to the championship based on your votes. We invite you to listen to the podcast interviews that representatives from each conducted with Strong Towns staff to discuss their economic strength and resilience. Visit this page to vote: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-annapolis-md-vs-muskegon-mi Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, hosts this conversation with Mayor Gavin Buckley and Sally Nash, Chief of Comprehensive Planning for Planning and Zoning in Annapolis. They discuss the ways that the city's waterfront is integrated into the life of the community, unique small business and placemaking efforts in historic neighborhoods, how Annapolis is handling the challenges ahead and more. Listen to the Muskegon, MI podcast, then vote for the strongest town in this match-up: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-annapolis-md-vs-muskegon-mi Voting closes at 12pm CT on Friday, March 23.

Welcome to the third round of our annual Strongest Town Competition! 4 towns are facing off right now and 2 will advance to the championship based on your votes. We invite you to listen to the podcast interviews that representatives from each conducted with Strong Towns staff to discuss their economic strength and resilience. Visit this page to vote: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-pensacola-fl-vs-kent-oh In this conversation, president of Strong Towns, Chuck Marohn, chats with Kent City Manager Dave Ruller. They discuss unique planning processes in the city, the energy that college towns offer, and how the community approached a recent controversial issue. Listen to the Pensacola, FL podcast, then vote for the strongest town in this match-up: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-pensacola-fl-vs-kent-oh Voting closes at 12pm CT on Friday, March 23.

Welcome to the third round of our annual Strongest Town Competition! 4 towns are facing off right now and 2 will advance to the championship based on your votes. We invite you to listen to the podcast interviews that representatives from each conducted with Strong Towns staff to discuss their economic strength and resilience. Visit this page to vote: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-annapolis-md-vs-muskegon-mi In this conversation, president of Strong Towns, Chuck Marohn, discusses Muskegon, Michigan with Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce President, Cindy Larson. They chat about Muskegon's unique farmer's market, challenging developments in the city's past, the advantages of being a lakefront community, and more. Listen to the Annapolis, MD podcast, then vote for the strongest town in this match-up: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-annapolis-md-vs-muskegon-mi Voting closes at 12pm CT on Friday, March 23.

Welcome to the third round of our annual Strongest Town Competition! 4 towns are facing off right now and 2 will advance to the championship based on your votes. We invite you to listen to the podcast interviews that representatives from each conducted with Strong Towns staff to discuss their economic strength and resilience. Visit this page to vote: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-pensacola-fl-vs-kent-oh In this episode, Rachel Quednau, Communications Director of Strong Towns, talks with Christian Wagley of Pensacola, Florida about a unique citizen engagement and education effort, a transformative road diet on the city's Main Street, how the community is prudently utilizing settlement money from the BP oil spill, and more. Listen to the Kent, OH podcast, then vote for the strongest town in this match-up: http://strongtowns.org/journal/2018/3/20/round-3-pensacola-fl-vs-kent-oh Voting closes at 12pm CT on Friday, March 23.

In this episode, Chuck Marohn discusses the dynamics of school funding and facilities in his community. While some schools are well cared for and receive regular improvements, a historic neighborhood school has been slated for demolition. One of the reasons? Because the school next door wants an additional parking lot. Why do our communities make these decisions? How do we fight back while balancing the financial needs of so many other services (and other schools) that our cities have to provide for?

Rachel's guest on this week's episode is Strong Towns Director of Community Engagement, Kea Wilson. She talks about some recent articles she's written on safe streets issues in her city of St. Louis, MO. Kea and Rachel also discuss the current standings in the Strongest Town Contest. Round 2 kicks off tomorrow so don't forget to tune in and vote. Mentioned in this Episode When your city hates your traffic calming measures by Kea Wilson What if you and your neighbors redesigned your town's worst intersection? by Kea Wilson Announcing the Winners of Round 1 in our Strongest Town Contest Join us on Wednesday at 11am CT to discuss the contest on Slack. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson The Honestly Adoption Podcast

Chuck Marohn returns to the Week Ahead podcast to report on recent events in Bismarck, North Dakota; West Palm Beach, Florida; and Thomasville, Georgia. Then he and Rachel dish about the 16 towns selected for the 2018 Strongest Town Contest. See the final bracket, read each town's submission and cast your votes here. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: Sioux Falls, SD presentation on March 5 Fishers, IN presentation on March 8 Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Resurrecting Easter: How the West Lost and the East Kept the Original Easter Vision by John Dominic Crossan God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World by Stephen Prothero

This week's guest is Sarah Kobos, a Strong Towns member and contributor who lives in Tulsa, OK. She talks about how she became an "accidental urbanist" and started getting involved with city planning in her community. She also discusses the slow but rewarding process of rehabbing a rental property. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: "Is zoning overlay the magic wand you've been looking for?" by Sarah Kobos "You care about the subdivision regulations. You just don't know it (yet)." by Sarah Kobos "Find a place you love that needs you" by Sarah Kobos Join us on February 27 in Thomasville, GA Join us on March 5 in Sioux Falls, SD The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein

Jeff Speck is a nationally-recognized expert on building walk-friendly, people-oriented places. His book, Walkable City: How Downtown can Save America, One Step at a Time, is beloved by planners, leaders and residents of cities big and small; and his planning firm, Speck & Associates, works in communities across the country. We recently invited Jeff onto our webcast to chat with Chuck Marohn about how to build slower, safer streets and why this goal is so important if we want to live in prosperous, successful cities. This is the audio from that webcast. To watch the video and see a list of questions, visit this page. And don't forget to nominate your community for our Strongest Town Contest! Nominations are due by February 26.

Rachel invites Strong Towns member and contributor Daniel Herriges onto the podcast to discuss his ongoing series about gentrification and why this issue has so firmly divided two groups of people who could actually gain a lot from working together. Rachel also shares an important reminder: Nominations for the Strongest Town Contest are due February 25. Apply today! Mentioned in this podcast: By Any Other Name: Gentrification or Economic Exclusion by Daniel Herriges (Part 1) Who benefits from neighborhood improvements? by Daniel Herriges (Part 2) Rough Waters: Gentrification and Cataclysmic Money by Daniel Herriges (Part 3) Strongest Town Contest info and application Join us February 20 in West Palm Beach, FL for a public event led by Charles Marohn.

One year ago, a woman in suburban Oregon crossed the street while under the influence of alcohol and was struck by a driver and killed. Her husband's lawyer couldn't find an engineer in his state who was willing to stand up to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and speak out about the dangerously designed street that played a part in this woman's death. So the lawyer called Chuck Marohn, President of Strong Towns, and he recently traveled to Oregon to testify as part of the case again the DOT. In this episode, Chuck reviews the case and discusses the dangerous design of the road that led to an innocent mother's death.

Richard Florida, author, editor and Professor at the University of Toronto, is part of a growing chorus of prominent thinkers across the country who are speaking out against the race to the bottom that Amazon's search for a second headquarters has induced. Strong Towns is fully in agreement that cities should compete on their merits and strengths, not on the amount of local tax dollars they're willing to pony up. So Florida wrote a letter and invited urban leaders, developers and economists to sign onto it — Chuck Marohn included. The letter asks elected officials in the HQ2 finalist cities to sign a mutual non-aggression pact that rejects egregious tax giveaways and direct monetary incentives for Amazon. So far, more than 1,100 people have signed it. You can join them. In this short conversation wtih Chuck Marohn, Florida discusses the letter and what motivated him to get it going.

In this episode with featured guest, Chuck Marohn, Chuck discusses his complicated relationship with Kansas City, MO culminating in a recent successful event there. Chuck also introduces the newest member of his family, Gryffindor the puppy! And Rachel introduces the 3rd annual Strongest Town Contest — with some new twists. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE STROADing in Kansas City by Chuck Marohn Nominate your city for the Strongest Town contest! Applications due February 25. Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier by Edward Glaeser This week's Slackchat on #slowthecars (Friday, Feb. 9 at 11:30am CT) The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan by Rick Perlstein Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age by Fiona Maddocks

Chuck Marohn reviews the recently leaked White House infrastructure plan and discusses the ways in which it aligns with Strong Towns principles, as well as the places where it falls short. Read more about it here and follow our ongoing infrastructure conversation here.

Rachel's guest this week is Strong Towns member and contributor Alexander Dukes, who just concluded an ongoing series on our site called A Town Well Planned. He talks about the inspiration for and response to his series, plus what it's like to be a community planner in the US Air Force. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE A Town Well Planned series Curbside Chat in Kansas City, MO (January 30) Presentation in St. Cloud, MN (February 2) Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond

In this short, bonus episode, Chuck reads one of his recent articles about the chasm between the values of the average person and the values of the engineer. See the text of the article here.

Across the country, a movement of local doers is taking hold — one where problem solving happens from the bottom up instead of the top down. We're seeing this in everything from the way we educate ourselves to the tools we use to get places. The energy is coming not just from governments but also business leaders, teachers and scientists, and the solutions are interdisciplinary, too. This is what Bruce Katz, Centennial Scholar at the Brookings Institution, argues in new book, co-authored with Jeremy Nowak, The New Localism: How Cities Can Thrive in the Age of Populism. In this episode, Chuck interviews Bruce Katz about his book, this new localism movement and how it could shape a better future for all Americans.

In this episode, Rachel has Chuck Marohn on as her guest to discuss a special Strong Towns focus on the need to build safer, slower streets. They also talk about some upcoming webcasts, with a side of football. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST Slow the Cars by Chuck Marohn Design Speed is a Value Statement by Chuck Marohn Gross Negligence Webcast - February 1 at 12pm CT Curbside Chat in Indianapolis - January 25 A Webcast Conversation with Jeff Speck - February 15 at 12pm CT Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths by Bruce Feiler

If you're from any part of America besides Los Angeles, you've probably dissed the California city at one point or another. It's full of smog, traffic and vain movie stars, right? But that narrative misses out on so much of what L.A. has to offer. Not only is the city an exciting and rewarding place to live for many people, it's also, surprisingly, a great place to raise a family and — believe it or not — a good place to walk and bike. Alissa Walker is living proof of this. She's the Urbanism Editor for Curbed and a long-time resident of Los Angeles. She's made the city work for her and actually says that walking or biking is often easier than driving in her neighborhood. When she realized this a few years back, she ditched her car and has been enjoying bus rides, bike rides and walks with her family ever since. She's also watched the city around her change as investments in public space, walking, biking and transit grow. Alissa's hopeful that cities like hers will continue to figure out ways to welcome and accommodate families. This thoughtful and fun conversation with Alissa Walker will challenge your Los Angeles stereotypes and help you think about what it means to build a family- and woman-friendly city.

Rachel hosts Strong Towns member and guest writer Tim Wright as her featured guest on this Week Ahead podcast. Tim discusses an incremental park improvement project he's been leading in his town of Shreveport, Louisiana, plus a favorite new book that had surprising relevance with Strong Towns issues. (We encountered a couple sound quality issues in this recording so we apologize for that.) Mentioned in this podcast: Inspired Park Project Takes Root in Shreveport by Tim Wright Visit the Local Conversations page to find Strong Towns members taking action in your region. Learn more about the inner-city highway project that residents are fighting against in Shreveport. The Cost of Living by Arundhati Roy Fauda (TV show on Netflix)

This week Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn discusses risk, his own approach to investing and what it means for local governments to make investments that minimize risk and maximize potential gains. Referenced in the podcast: Blowing Up by Malcolm Gladwell

In this episode, Rachel asks Chuck Marohn why our cities need a 12 step program to get them out of their financial struggles. Rachel and Chuck also discuss some upcoming online opportunities for readers and listeners to engage in the Strong Towns movement. If you've got an idea for a Strong Towns staff member or contributor that you think would be a good guest for this podcast, email Rachel. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE A 12-Step Program for Financially Insolvent Cities by Chuck Marohn This week's open Slackchat with Chuck will take place at 12pm CT on Wednesday. Join us for a free webcast about the American Infrastructure Crisis, January 16 at 11am CT. Open Source with Christopher Lydon (podcast) The Longest Shortest Time (podcast)

In this episode, Kea Wilson interviews Melody Hoffmann, author of Bike Lanes are White Lanes, which examines how the burgeoning popularity of urban bicycling is trailed by systemic issues of racism, classism, and displacement. Melody discusses the many factors that contribute to a person's comfort with biking beyond just the presence of protected bike lanes and why the "build it and they will come" mentality is flawed. She also shares examples of cities that are actively working within diverse communities to create safer transportation options for everyone.

In the inaugural podcast of 2018, Rachel hosts a conversation with Chuck Marohn to discuss fresh content, recent favorite books and exciting announcements to kick off the new year.

Chuck and Rachel ask for help choosing new intro music for this podcast (vote here!). Then they recap recent events in Florida and share the best podcasts of 2017. Finally, they close with Chuck's favorite books from the year. Mentioned in this podcast: Vote for our new podcast music: https://www.strongtowns.org/survey Our Best Podcast Episodes from 2017 Favorite Books from 2017 Speaking of Faith: Why Religion Matters--and How to Talk About It by Krista Tippett

Strong Towns members Bo Wright and Haile McCollum wrote dueling essays this year, debating the merits and drawbacks of small town southern life. Bo's October essay "Why I'm Leaving My Small Southern Town," inspired Haile to write her own: "The Case for Small Southern Towns." So we brought them on the podcast to discuss further. Rachel Quednau hosts this friendly, spirited conversation about what Bo and Haile find valuable about life in the small town south, and what they'd like to see change. They talk about how small towns suit people differently at different phases of their life, and how small towns can be both ideal and challenging places in which to get involved with the life of the community. Finally, they discuss the particular need for the Strong Towns message in small southern towns.

Chuck and Rachel discuss a recent event in Washington state, which inspired today's article: "The Ideology of Traffic." They also chat about an upcoming meeting in Chicago and Best of 2016 content. MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST: "The Ideology of Traffic" Best of Strong Towns Global Grid's Top 20 Urban Planning Websites of 2016 Webcast: Creating a Strong Towns Comp Plan Strong Towns article archive

Chuck and Rachel discuss a recent trip to Montreal and the language differences present there. They also share several exciting announcements including new Strong Towns t-shirts, a new Strong Towns book, and the 2017 Annual Report. Plus they share a final update on the membership drive. Mentioned in this Podcast: Event in Panama City, Florida Strong Towns 2017 Annual Report Introducing our New Book The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug Get the new Strong Towns t-shirt and Strong Towns book in our Shop!

The infamous "master builder" of New York City, Robert Moses, is the subject of a new rock musical, opening today (November 30) in New York. In this podcast episode, Kea Wilson interviews Karen Carpenter, director of the musical, Bulldozer: The Ballad of Robert Moses, as well as the musical's writer, Peter Galperin. They discuss why they selected this controversial figure as the subject for their musical and how they went about depicting his vision and story within the show. They also talk about other characters — like Jane Jacobs — who are part of the musical and the actors they selected to fill these roles. Finally, Karen and Peter touch on the positive accomplishments of Robert Moses and how his influence shaped New York for good and for bad. Bulldozer dramatizes Robert Moses’ evolution from a young idealist fervent with a desire to build the greatest city in the world to a power-insulated enemy of the people, corrupted, lost and alone. Performances run today (November 30) through January 7 at the Theatre at St. Clement's at 423 West 46th Street in the heart of Manhattan's theatre district. Get more information and tickets at bulldozer.nyc.

In this podcast episode, Chuck and Rachel review the highlights (lowlights?) from Strong Towns' annual #BlackFridayParking event and share some exciting news... They also provide an update on the 2017 member drive. We're so close to our goal of 2,000 members. Help us get to #2000Strong by joining today. Become a member of Strong Towns: www.strongtowns.org/membership

This Friday is our annual #BlackFridayParking event — a nationwide action drawing attention to the harmful nature of minimum parking requirements. Each year on Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year, people across North America are invited to snap photos of the (hardly full) parking lots in their communities to demonstrate how unnecessary these massive lots are. Participants then upload those photos to social media with the hashtag #blackfridayparking. Get more info about how to participate here: www.strongtowns.org/blackfridayparking In this podcast, Chuck Marohn interviews Monte Anderson, owner of Options Real Estate and founding member of the Incremental Development Alliance, based in the Dallas area. Monte discusses the challenges that parking minimum laws create for developers, and how these requirements especially exclude small-scale developers. He also discusses how to approach parking needs in a more auto-centric region of the country and how to find the right amount of parking that's truly necessary to serve a commercial or residential development.

Strong Towns staff members Chuck Marohn and Bo Wright check in on the final day of our 2017 Member Drive to talk about their hopes for the future of the Strong Towns movement. They discuss the intentional choices that the Strong Towns organization has made about how we disseminate our message and push for change, and they talk about our vision for reaching more communities to transform the cultural conversation in America. Chuck and Bo also share some of the organization's plans for 2018, including creating some platforms and opportunities that our members have specifically requested. Take a listen to find out what's in store for next year. If you've been procrastinating this week, now is the time when we really need you to step up. Take a minute to join this movement as a member of Strong Towns. We're doing big things together and we want you to be part of it! Visit www.strongtowns.org/membership to join today.

A year ago, Shreveport, Louisiana was on the brink of building a highway right through the poor inner-city neighborhood of Allendale. As residents came together and rallied against this project in order to protect their homes and their community, Strong Towns became an inspiration and a voice for their efforts. In addition to sharing stories about the people and the community that would be ripped apart as a result of this highway, Strong Towns also focused on the fundamentally flawed economic arguments propping up the project in the first place. We proved just how financially harmful this highway would actually be, in opposition to local leaders claiming that the project would benefit their city. You can see all our work on Shreveport here. As a result of this national focus on the issue, lawyers from across the country including the Sierra Club's legal team have now stepped in to offer assistance and the fight against the highway is gaining momentum. In our latest podcast episode, Chuck Marohn chats with John Perkins about how Strong Towns helped shift the conversation in his town of Shreveport, Louisiana in powerful ways. We want to help other communities like the Allendale neighborhood fight back against harmful projects. We want to help more towns grow strong and resilient for all of their residents. If you care about this mission, join us: www.strongtowns.org/membership.

In this podcast episode, Chuck breaks down Strong Towns' core insight about the American growth model — what's wrong with it and why it's bankrupting our country — then talks about how this movement responds to that problem in a thoughtful, non-partisan manner. There are no simple answers. Success for our country will not come from the federal government or the corporate sector and trickle down to our communities. Rather, when we focus on the struggles of real people and make small, incremental investments over a period of time to improve them, that's when we'll see broad prosperity in our nation. That's when we'll be building Strong Towns. Together, we can revolutionize our approach to growth and development. We can make our places stronger than they've ever been. Join the movement that's changing the world. Become a member: strongtowns.org/membership? Mentioned in this Podcast: Tomas Sedlacek — check out our series on his economic theories The Curbside Chat

In this podcast on the second day of the Strong Towns Winter Member Drive, Chuck shares a bit about the history of Strong Towns and the wake up call he had while working as an engineer — building the very roads and big box stores he now recognizes as harmful for our towns and cities. To build stronger towns, we have to shift the cultural conversation in American. It's a big challenge but with your help, we know we can do it. Join the Strong Towns movement today. We've still got a ways to go before we get to our goal of 2000 members. Don't procrastinate. Become a member now.