DenverUrbanism Special Episode: Interview with Chuck Marohn (Founder of Strong Towns)
Sep 10, 2025
Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns and an advocate for financially stable cities, discusses ways to strengthen urban landscapes like Denver. He explores the tension between large developments and incremental growth, emphasizing community engagement in planning. Marohn highlights the importance of integrating transit with development to create thriving neighborhoods. He tackles current challenges, such as high office vacancies and budget issues due to remote work, and presents strategies for repurposing vacant spaces to promote urban vitality.
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Episode notes
Financial Strength Tied To Livability
- Strong Towns links resilient city finances with livable places that offer abundant housing and safe streets.
- Strong cities combine good balance sheets with quality urban life, according to Chuck Marohn.
Historic Grids Enable Adaptation
- Historic, gridded neighborhoods are inherently adaptable and can evolve incrementally from homes to high-density forms.
- This DNA supports a wide spectrum of building types and easier long-term evolution, Chuck Marohn explains.
Suburban DNA Resists Change
- Postwar suburban development has a different DNA: low connectivity, cul-de-sacs, and stroads that resist change.
- Those places were designed not to evolve, making adaptation and complexity harder over time.
