How to Escape Housing (and Baseball Stadium) Traps, Plus a Little Disney Urbanism.
May 13, 2024
auto_awesome
Chuck Marohn, President of Strong Towns, discusses urbanism topics with Kevin Klinkenberg. They explore housing traps, sports stadium logistics, and Disney World's urbanism principles. The conversation is insightful, covering the intersection of housing and finance, responsible stadium funding approaches, and Disney's design philosophy.
Understanding the financial aspect of housing is crucial for addressing the housing crisis.
Balancing housing as an investment versus a basic need is a key challenge for economic stability.
Strong Towns National Gathering fosters a collaborative environment for building resilient communities.
Deep dives
Importance of Publishing the Housing Book
The podcast discusses the creation of the book 'Escaping the Housing Trap' as part of a five-book series, focusing on the financial aspect of housing. The author, an engineer, highlights the merging of financial and housing insights with co-author Daniel Hargis, emphasizing the interconnectedness of housing and finance in the economy.
Challenges in Housing Policy and Financialization
The conversation delves into the dynamics of the housing market, portraying housing as a financial product that needs to rise in value for economic stability. The discussion uncovers the delicate balance between housing as a financial investment and as a basic need, revealing the intrinsic challenge of maintaining affordability while ensuring economic growth.
Strong Towns Advocacy and Community Building
The podcast shines light on the Strong Towns National Gathering as a platform for advocates and community members to come together and share insights on building resilient communities. The conversation extends to the energy and diversity within the Strong Towns movement, fostering a collaborative and empowering environment for individuals passionate about local development and placemaking.
Public Investment in Sports Facilities
The podcast discusses how public investment is crucial for building new sports facilities in cities like Kansas City to retain sports teams. Examples like New York's zoo and San Francisco Giants' stadium receiving public subsidies highlight the importance of such investments to prevent teams from relocating due to inadequate infrastructure.
Urban Design and Disney World
The episode delves into the meticulous urban design of Disney World, emphasizing its well-thought-out spaces and attention to the human experience. Contrasting it with traditional city planning, the discussion posits that cities could benefit from Disney's focus on creating immersive, well-maintained environments. The conversation underscores the need for cities to prioritize long-term durability and user experience over short-term perfection, drawing lessons from Disney's approach to place-making.
The Messy City is a podcast that discusses urban planning and design issues. Its host, Kevin Klinkenberg, recently invited Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn to appear on an episode. It was a great conversation, so we’re sharing that audio with you here on the Strong Towns Podcast, too. Up for discussion today: takeaways from “Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis,” the logistics of building new sports stadiums, and how Disney World simultaneously embodies and contradicts Strong Towns’ principles.