The Strong Towns Podcast

Chuck Marohn interviews Paul Stewart, the Executive Director of the Oswego Renaissance Association in Oswego, NY. It's a small town like so many others, that has lost population and jobs in the last several decades and is struggling to create lasting solutions to its economic challenges.

Stewart talks about his transition from being a citizen rehabbing his historic home—to an activist who started an organization to help revitalize Oswego neighborhoods and preserve homes all across the city. He discusses the ripple effects of these home improvements and his vision for his town.

In this belated interview from Suburban Poverty week, we had the chance to speak with Elizabeth Kneebone, a fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and co-author of the book, Confronting Suburban Poverty in America. Her work primarily focuses on urban and suburban poverty, metropolitan demographics, and tax policies that support low-income workers and communities.

This conversation focuses on the causes of, impacts on and responses to suburban poverty in America. We dive into transportation struggles, challenges for the elderly, and the struggle to truly address this growing and hidden problem.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's recent vacation, favorite summer movies, Suburban Poverty week and Chuck's recent essay about the future of the US economy. They also touch on upcoming events in Rockford, IL and Minneapolis, MN.

Mentioned in this podcast:

• "Pain or Death? The View from the Balloon" by Chuck Marohn
• Movies: Jason Bourne, Hell or Highwater, Ben-Hur, and Ghostbusters
• Books: Jack Reacher novels, Between the World and Me, The New Jim Crow and Seeing Like a State
• Tomas Sedlacek and the Understanding Growth series
• Suburban Poverty Week

Rachel and special guest, Michelle Erfurt (Strong Towns' Pathfinder) discuss Suburban Poverty Week and dive into the event calendar for the rest of 2016.

Mentioned in this episode:

• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
• Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

This week Chuck answers questions left over from an Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals web broadcast he participated in earlier this year. You will discover, if you didn't already know, that Chuck is not a fan of studies and technical reports (or the mindset that demands them).

Things have gone awry as Rachel takes a Monday off leaving Chuck and Strong Towns' Community Builder, Yuri Artibise, to talk about Iowa, the barbell strategy, the Canadian-based CitiesAlive podcast and the differing histories of the War of the Conquest (the French and Indian War). 

Chuck and Rachel discuss an upcoming event in Iowa, plus Chuck's recent article on semi trucks and why we don't actually need to build our cities around them. They also touch on some other recent Strong Towns stories and two excellent podcasts Chuck just listened to.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Richard Duncan: Creditism has Replaced Capitalism," from the McAlvany Weekly Commentary
• "Yanis Varoufakis’s Greek Tragedy," from Radio Open Source with Christopher Lydon

It's time to end the routine traffic stop. They are dangerous for public safety officials, create resentment in targeted neighborhoods and -- worst of all -- do not address the underlying safety problem inherent in speeding and other traffic violations.

The Week Ahead podcast is back after a few week's hiatus. Chuck and Rachel discuss the recent Big Box Stores campaign, Chuck's new house and recent events in Oswego, NY and Ontario.

Also mentioned in this podcast:

• The Almost Nearly Perfect People: The Truth about the Nordic Myth by Michael Booth
• The Harrows by Spring by James Howard Kunstler