The Strong Towns Podcast

Since finishing the Interstate Highway System in the 1990s, the U.S. has added 75% more urban highway lanes — and we're on track to double it again. Erick Guerra, author of "Overbuilt" and professor of regional planning, joins Chuck to discuss why we can't stop building highways we don't need and how our transportation funding system creates cities that are more dangerous and less prosperous.

Additional Show Notes

• "Overbuilt: The High Costs and Low Rewards of U.S. Highway Construction" by Erick Guerra
• Erick Guerra (UPenn site)
• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Chuck is joined by Sam Quinones, author of “Dreamland” and “The Least of Us,” to talk about his newest book “The Perfect Tuba.” They discuss how a curiosity about tuba players turned into a deep exploration of hard work, community, and finding joy and purpose in difficult circumstances.

Additional Show Notes

• "The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Bass Horn, Band, and Hard Work" by Sam Quinones
• Connect with Sam Quinones:
  
  • Website
  • Twitter/X
• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Chuck is joined by Joe Minicozzi, founder of the geoaccounting organization Urban3. They talk about the impact of AirBNBs and other short-term rentals on housing affordability, how our tax systems benefit rentals while hurting families, and how our cities can get the system back on track.

Additional Show Notes

• Want to fix your city's housing market? Download our new housing toolkit, "Who Will Build the Housing-Ready City?" to get started.
• Joe Minicozzi
• Urban3 (site)
• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Michigan is on the forefront of housing innovation, with many cities throughout the state experiencing a resurgence in population and housing options. Today, Chuck talks with Dan Gilmartin, the executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League, which was instrumental in this revival.

Additional Show Notes

• Want to bring more housing to your community? Download our brand-new housing toolkit, "Who Will Build the Housing-Ready City?" for free!
• Michigan Municipal League (site)
• Dan Gilmartin (Twitter/X)
• Chuck Marohn (Substack

Chuck is joined by Joe Minicozzi, founder of the geoaccounting organization Urban3. They compare notes on the highway projects each of their cities is facing and discuss whether these projects bring value. They also talk about how Airbnbs affect the housing market and whether they should be taxed as houses or hotels.

How do you make streets safer without gentrifying an area? Will self-driving cars change the way we build cities? Are engineers tracking congestion the right way?

Chuck discusses these questions and more with Vignesh Swaminathan, a civil engineer and project manager at Kimley-Horn. Also known as Mr. Barricade, Vignesh has built a massive online following by making street design understandable and fun. As Chuck says in the episode, “This is not your grandpa's engineer.”

• Connect with Mr. Barricade:
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • Email: vignesh.swaminathan@kimley-horn.com
• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

How did we go from building strong, prosperous cities to weak, debt-ridden ones? In this episode, Chuck tracks the cultural and economic impacts of World War II on our development pattern. He explains what must change if we want to build strong cities again.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• This episode is a recording of a presentation Chuck gave in Denver. Click here to see some of the images Chuck references.
• Get the Finance Decoder.
• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Why are America’s streets so dangerous — and what can we do about it? In this episode, Chuck talks with Wes Marshall, author of “Killed by a Traffic Engineer” and professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver. From the history of traffic engineering to the failures of Vision Zero, they explore how design decisions shape safety — and what it will take to build streets that protect everyone.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Look Both Ways with David & Wes (Podbean)

• Wes Marshall (site)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Chuck is joined by James Anderson, head of the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. Under his leadership, the program has helped thousands of cities worldwide embrace an innovative, people-based approach to local governance.

Today, Chuck and James discuss why local governments matter now more than ever. Then they explore ways that residents, advocates, and organizations can encourage city leaders to embrace innovation.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Bloomberg Philanthropies (site)

• Bloomberg Cities Network (site)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Chuck is joined by Quint Studer, the founder of the Center for Civic Engagement in Pensacola, Florida. They discuss Strong Towns’ involvement in Pensacola’s renewal and the Civic Leader Summit that will be held there in September.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Civic Leader Summit

• Quint Studer (site)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

• Want to bring the conversation to your city? Book Chuck Marohn as a speaker.