The Enthusiasm of Urban Planning and Community Engagement

Sunbelt cities like Phoenix, Dallas, and Atlanta have long prided themselves on having affordable and abundant housing. However, they’re now seeing stagnation in housing construction and rapidly rising costs. Today, Abby is joined by Rachel Leonardo, a trained architect and Strong Towns’ video creator, to discuss how rigid single-use zoning has locked cities into expensive fragility. They explore whether these cities can course correct and how they could become more resilient and prosperous in the long-term.

• Here are 6 simple ways to make housing more affordable in your community.

• “Sprawl made the American Sunbelt affordable. Now it’s breaking it.” by Marina Bolotnikova, Vox (July 2025).

• See Rachel’s work:

  • Studio Leonardo (YouTube)

  • Strong Towns (YouTube)

• Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

• Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.