The Strong Towns Podcast

Diane Alisa, author of 'A Love Letter to Suburbia', shares her journey from suburban discontent to advocating for walkable, family-oriented communities. She highlights the downsides of the suburban dream, including materialism and isolation, arguing that it may have harmed rather than helped families. Diane discusses the importance of children's experiences and how suburban design often neglects their needs. She offers three practical steps for restoring community life, emphasizing empathy and strategic storytelling to challenge entrenched views.

Chuck shares insights from a housing summit in Pennsylvania, highlighting the challenges local officials face in the housing crisis. He emphasizes the importance of reframing the crisis to empower these officials and move beyond blame. The episode features an enthusiastic audience reaction, showcasing how his message inspires action. Chuck discusses the need to scale the movement through local conversations, address membership growth challenges, and the impact of recent policy developments. He encourages listeners to take local action and support the movement.

Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Member Advocate with Strong Towns, connects local efforts worldwide, from the Bahamas to Mongolia. He discusses the power of citizen-led action versus centralized projects, emphasizing how collective understanding of street design can unite people in Colombia and Uganda. Norm shares insights on converting local conversations into action, making Strong Towns principles applicable even in unitary governments. Finally, he highlights how to empower listeners to become local change agents through community-driven experiments and toolkits.

Andres Duany, founder of the Congress for the New Urbanism and a leading urban planner, engages in a lively discussion about the evolution of urbanism. He challenges New Urbanists to learn from suburbia's cultural dominance and critiques visual preference studies that overlook genuine suburban interests. Duany emphasizes empathy in engaging NIMBYs and the importance of addressing concerns first to build credibility. He also explores innovative solutions like redesigning grids to reduce car trips and treating garages as flexible workspaces, all while reflecting on New Urbanism's struggle to maintain its gains in urban planning.

Carlee Alm-LaBar, Chief of Staff at Strong Towns, guides the organization's shift from content to action. She shares insights on managing a dynamic team and the challenges faced in evolving the movement. Notably, they discuss transforming members from passive consumers to active change-makers in their communities. Carlee emphasizes the importance of local conversations and cohort programs, fostering collaboration among leaders. With strong relationships and thoughtful prioritization, Strong Towns is poised to make a significant impact.

Join a captivating discussion on the evolution of a grassroots movement, tracing its origins from a simple blog to a thriving nonprofit. Discover insights into audience engagement, shifting strategies, and the milestones that contributed to explosive growth. Learn about community initiatives, the importance of tangible policy outcomes, and the challenges of navigating local politics. Valuable tips for elected officials and strategies for addressing NIMBYism make this conversation a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone interested in urban development and civic action.

Laura Foote, the Executive Director of YIMBY Action, joins to tackle America’s housing crisis. They discuss the implications of zoning laws and how broken incentives have stifled housing production. Laura argues for bolder reforms at all levels and shares insights on the challenges of fluctuating local and state policies. They also explore misconceptions surrounding transit accessibility and parking, emphasizing the need for walkable communities. The conversation highlights strategies to rally support and tackle the political dynamics influencing housing issues.

Housing reform gets real as city leaders grapple with pressing questions. Discover how walkability can reshape neighborhoods and the importance of small incremental developers. Chuck Marohn tackles the challenges of zoning reform and high land values while highlighting the potential of DIY projects. Explore practical solutions like accessory bedrooms and backyard cottages to boost entry-level housing. Delve into strategies to normalize duplexes and navigate the tension between large developments and small units in the housing market.

Erick Guerra, a regional planning professor and author of "Overbuilt," dives deep into America's obsession with highway construction. He discusses how we've expanded urban highway lanes by 75% since the 1990s despite the Interstate Highway System being 'complete.' Erick highlights the significant influence of engineers on highway routing and funding incentives that drive unnecessary expansions. He also explores the negative impacts on urban safety and land value, advocating for a rethink of our highway-centric approach to city planning.

In this engaging conversation, journalist and bestselling author Sam Quinones dives into his latest book, exploring the connection between community and the tuba. He shares how curiosity about tuba players revealed deeper themes of hard work and collaboration. Sam highlights how access to instruments shapes identity and opportunity for students in music programs. He also links music with resilience against addiction, discussing the joy of practice and community. Alongside stories of virtuosity and fun events like Tuba Christmas, Quinones showcases the transformative power of music.