The Strong Towns Podcast We Broke North American Cities. Here’s How To Fix Them.
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Sep 18, 2025 Exploring the downfall of North American cities, the discussion dives into how post-WWII policies transformed urban landscapes into sprawling debt-ridden entities. Chuck highlights the historical trends of incremental city building that once fostered resilience. He reveals the financial pitfalls of current municipal strategies and emphasizes the importance of lower barriers for development. Practical fixes, including starter housing and incremental repairs, are presented as pathways to rejuvenate and strengthen urban environments.
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Incremental Growth Built Resilient Cities
- Traditional cities grew incrementally: start small, then thicken and build up over generations.
- That long, messy process produced resilient urban fabric familiar throughout human history.
Grandfather's Barn During The Depression
- Chuck recounts his grandfather living in a neighbor's barn during the Great Depression and being fed in hard times.
- The story highlights how communities sheltered people when formal systems failed.
Post‑War Rebuilding Reimagined Cities
- Post‑WWII America repurposed industrial capacity into suburban growth and highways, creating rapid economic expansion.
- That policy choice rewired how cities were built and how prosperity was measured.
