Upzoned

A few weeks ago, the first Strong Towns National Gathering took place in Charlotte, NC. While people buzzed back and forth between sessions, Upzoned host Abby Kinney sat at a table and invited those walking by to join her on the podcast. This week, you’ll hear Strong Towns members from all over talking about who they are, what they’ve seen in their communities, and what they’re doing. Also, it’s Member Week at Strong Towns, and podcasts like Upzoned wouldn’t be possible without our members! Join today to support the movement and the advocates who are making our places stronger and more financially resilient. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Note: When trying to make our communities a better place, we look for the “smallest next thing” that can be done. Strong Towns is no exception: it’s how we function as an organization. We’re always taking the smallest next step and learning as we go, and sometimes, it’s not perfect. The audio recorded for this podcast is an example. We experienced a handful of technical glitches and as a result, the audio is low quality, and sometimes difficult to hear. Because of all the people who put work into this episode, we opted to still publish despite the technical issues throughout. We hope you enjoy listening to people on the ground. Next year, we’ll be better prepared to record audio on site! Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

In Kansas City, Kansas, parking regulations have threatened to demolish a local coffee shop for a parking lot. An out-of-state developer is trying to meet the city’s strict parking requirements for a new apartment complex across the intersection, and the coffee shop owner, T.J. Roberts, is trying to save what’s become a special community hub. On this Upzoned episode, host Abby Kinney talks with Roberts about his inspiration for building community, and his struggle to keep his coffee shop, Kinship Cafe, from getting torn down. Also on the show is Dennis Strait, a principal at architect firm Multistudio, to talk about why city builders should care about a coffee shop over convenient parking spaces. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “‘It’s heartbreaking.’ Why parking rules threaten one of KC area’s few Black coffee shops,” by Kevin Hardy, The Kansas City Star (May 2023). Urban3 Land Use Analysis on Kansas City. Help Save Kinship Cafe (GoFundMe). Kinship Cafe (Instagram). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Not everyone who left the office for remote work returned after the pandemic lockdown ended. Many employees stayed remote, and, in doing so, they left behind a swath of empty office buildings in downtowns across North America. Developers see these abandoned places as easy cash, that is, if you can find the right sort of abandoned office space. On this episode of Upzoned, urban developer Andrew Ganahl talks with host Abby Kinney about the challenges of this pattern of growth, but also the good that could come out of it. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “The developers who see dollar signs in abandoned downtowns,” by Alex Mayyasi, The Hustle (April 2023). Andrew Ganahl (Twitter). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Have you ever wondered why multifamily housing has the same, copied look in most places? Part of the reason is due to the way regulations require architects to build stairs. On this Upzoned podcast, host Abby Kinney talks with special guest and architect Kevin Klinkenberg about how building codes and zoning laws can be helpful, yet at the same time limit building possibilities. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Why Does American Multifamily Architecture Look so Banal? Here’s One Reason,” by Michael Eliason, The Architect’s Newspaper (March 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Kevin Klinkenberg (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Like all major cities in America, Seattle is facing a housing shortage. And 100 years ago, Seattle faced a housing shortage bigger than the one it has now. The initial response to the historic shortage was to build small, boxy, apartment buildings holding four to six apartments (called Cowboy Hotels) that blended in with the houses already established in the neighborhood. In this Upzoned episode, host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn talk about Cowboy Hotels and their financial possibilities. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Small Apartments From 100 Years ago Offer Townhome Alternative,” by Joshua McNichols, KUOW, (March 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Homelessness in rural areas can look different than in bigger cities: as noted in a recent article by The Daily Yonder, rural homelessness is more “hidden,” and is expressed through couch surfing, roommate arrangements, and housing insecurity versus seeing people without homes on the street. What can we do to address the housing crisis in rural communities? Join host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn on the Upzoned podcast as they talk about this growing problem and possible solutions. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Tackling Rural America’s ‘Hidden’ Housing Crisis,” by Taylor Sisk and Jan Pytalski, The Daily Yonder (March 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

High-earning Americans are renting instead of buying homes. Some even say they plan to rent indefinitely. Why is that? In this week’s Upzoned episode, join host Abby Kinney and guest Norm Van Eeden Petersman as they talk about this trend. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Three Million U.S. Households Making Over $150,000 Are Still Renters,” by Will Parker, The Wall Street Journal (March 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Norm Van Eeden Petersman (Twitter).

“What happens when old buildings have reached the end of their life, either their useful life in terms of safety or their desirable life in terms of modern living?” a Next City article asks. The piece goes on to say that when buildings throughout the U.S. get demolished, the once useful construction materials often end up in landfills. But there’s a growing movement to try and disassemble buildings carefully, and rescue building materials to be used in other projects. In today’s Upzoned episode, host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn talk about this growing movement. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “How A Deconstruction Company And Salvage Shop Are Keeping Building Materials Out Of Landfills,” by Cinnamon Janzer, Next City (March, 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter).

The 15 Minute City: a term to describe mixed use neighborhoods, has become a political concept where critics believe the idea could result in an infringement on personal freedoms. On this Upzoned podcast, host Abby Kinney and special guest Kevin Klinkenberg, talk about this contentious topic of the 15 Minute City and answer the question: Are the concerns people have (about 15 minute cities) warranted, or is this something that we should all be rolling our eyes at and moving on from? ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “The 15 Minute City - Where Urban Planning Meets Conspiracy Theories,” by Chris Standford, The New York Times (March, 2023) “The Messy City Podcast” by Kevin Klinkenberg. Abby Kinney (Twitter) Kevin Klinkenberg (Twitter) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom

It’s important to build safe and productive streets, but how do we ensure those streets are a place people want to be and live in? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that buildings interact with the public realm in a delightful way? Design is hugely impactful in our daily lives: it can determine if a place is somewhere for people, or if it’s unlivable and unusable. And design isn’t wholly up to the “eye of the beholder.” It’s possible to quantify beauty. Today on the Upzoned podcast, join host Abby Kinney as she welcomes a special guest: Tristan Cleveland, Strong Towns member, urban planner at Happy City, and PhD candidate with Healthy Populations Institute. In this episode, Abby and Cleveland talk about his recent Planetizen article, “The Responsibility of the Building to the Street.” ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “The Responsibility of the Building to the Street,” by Tristan Cleveland, Planetizen (February 2023). Tristan Cleveland (Twitter). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Despite global advantages and new technologies, we are getting worse at construction. At least, that’s the case that Ezra Klein makes in his New York Times article, “The Story Construction Tells About America’s Economy Is Disturbing.” Today on Upzoned, join host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn as they talk about this idea and add on to the conversation with an explanation on the difference between “complicated” and “complex.” ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “The Story Construction Tells About America’s Economy Is Disturbing,” by Ezra Klein, The New York Times (February 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Portland’s Cully neighborhood is about to embark on a big urban renewal experiment with the intention of maintaining that area's current affordability. Yes, you heard that right. In the past, the term “urban renewal” was mainly associated with mid-20th century schemes that displaced residents by seizing and demolishing large swaths of neighborhoods in order to modernize them with highways, roads, and other infrastructure elements. Now, Cully hopes to use similar tools for the better. Under what the city has labeled an “urban renewal” plan, it would borrow against future tax revenues to invest in programs and purchases that are intended to stabilize residents and businesses (versus tearing them down for pavement projects). In this Upzoned episode, host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn talk about the reality of a top-down plan like this and how it can be dangerous for communities to think this way, even if they only intend to do good. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “NE Portland’s Cully neighborhood fights displacement, climate change with urban renewal. But will it work?” by Gosia Wozniacka, The Orgonian (January 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

The state of Missouri has a $6 billion budget surplus due to an increase in tax revenue and unspent federal aid. Governor Parson wants to use $859 million of it to expand I-70, the major transport route which connects Kansas City and St. Louis. This expansion would bulldoze through key areas in downtown St. Louis, areas west of downtown, and even the suburban areas of Columbia (which sits right near the middle of the interstate). Lots of people, even those unfamiliar with the Strong Towns perspective, think this expenditure proposal is a bad idea. Today, join host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn on the Upzoned podcast as they discuss this story and potential avenues for better spending. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Missouri Gov. Parson Wants $859M to Expand I-70. Here Are His Other Budget Priorities,” by Kacen Bayless and Jonathan Shorman, The Kansas City Star (January 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

The U.S. is crying out, saying we NEED more carpenters, plumbers, and other people in skilled trades and technical industries—but the generation about to take over the workforce, Gen Z, doesn’t seem interested. As time presses forward, we’re continuing to see more open positions, and not enough people to fill them. This could impact not only agriculture, infrastructure, housing, and transportation, but everyone’s daily lives, in general. The “shortage of workers” discourse tends to point a finger at Gen Z’s lack of work ethics, but in this episode of Upzoned, podcast host Abby Kiney and guest Daniel Herriges talk about variables that are often left out of the conversation. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “America needs carpenters and plumbers. Gen Z doesn't seem interested,” by Mary Yang, NPR (January 2023). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

In a recent Planetizen article titled, “Is Exclusionary Zoning a Good Thing?” author Michael Lewyn examines a theoretical argument presented by Judge Glock in the American Affairs Journal: that because people move to places that have zoning laws, zoning must be good. In this Upzoned episode, host Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn unpack the zoning debate between these two authors and how zoning is truly impacting cities. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Is Exclusionary Zoning a Good Thing?” by Michael Lewyn, Planetizen (January 2023). “Two Cheers for Zoning,” by Judge Glock, American Affairs (Winter 2022). “Small Developers and the Construction Labor Shortage—time to dig deep,” by R. John Anderson, R John the Bad (December 2021). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

It's been a great year here on Upzoned; thanks for listening. We wanted to close out 2022 with one last message, and to wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

An increasing risk of wildfires has made insurance carriers wary of certain areas in Colorado—according to a recent Denver Post article—raising their premiums and, in some cases, opting to not cover them, at all. In just the past few years, heavily forested areas of the state have been hit hard by wildfires. The Marshall Fire of December 2021, for instance, caused $2 billion in damages and has turned out to be the most expensive wildfire in the state's history. Quite often, homeowners discover that they're underinsured when these things happen, meaning their insurance policies don't provide enough money to rebuild their homes once a fire occurs. In mountain communities like Aspen, Vail, Telluride, Steamboat Springs, and others, insurance companies are starting to pull out, altogether. So, what are homeowners to do? Abby Kinney and co-host Chuck Marohn discuss the situation in today's episode of Upzoned. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Will insurance companies opt to leave Colorado?” by Noelle Phillips, The Denver Post (November 2022). Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

It's #BlackFridayParking week at Strong Towns, which means we've got a special parking-related episode of the Upzoned podcast today. Host Abby Kinney, co-host Chuck Marohn, and special guest Edward Erfurt (director of community action at Strong Towns) come together to discuss three stories from three different cities—Burlington, Vermont; Nashville, Tennessee; and Cambridge, Massachusetts—all of which are taking big steps to eliminate parking minimums. And in some cases, the cities are even looking at establishing parking maximums! Does it make sense for cities to have a blanket policy on parking, one way or the other? How can communities have these conversations about parking, especially when there are people—residents and developers alike—who argue and push back against parking reform? ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “Burlington may eliminate parking minimums for builders city-wide. Here are the possible effects,” by Lilly St. Angelo, Burlington Free Press (October 2022). “Bill to Eliminate Minimum Parking Requirements to Go Before Council,” by Connor Daryani, Nashville Scene (November 2022). “Cambridge eliminates minimum parking requirements,” by Kaushar Barejiya, The Massmedia (November 2022). Learn more about #BlackFridayParking. Abby Kinney (Twitter). Chuck Marohn (Twitter). Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

A recent VICE article shares the conclusions of a report published by an NYU research group. The research, led by Alon Levy, spans some 15 years and demonstrates the extent to which transit projects in the U.S. are inflated compared to other countries around the world—and what we can do about it. For instance, the cost of constructing a subway in New York is double what it costs in Tokyo and 10 times what it costs in Paris. The research found New York to be the most expensive place to build transit in the world, and the lack of efficiency means we get less transit for more money, and we have a lot of public sector debt. Why is this the case? Levy offers several reasons, which Abby and Chuck unpack in today's episode. And by the way, it's Member Week at Strong Towns! We’re celebrating our members and everything that they do to make their communities stronger and more resilient. If you want to join this movement of a million local heroes, then do so by becoming a Strong Towns member today.