The Strong Towns Podcast

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Carlee Alm-LaBar and Kevin Blanchard, former city staff members in Lafayette, Louisiana. Carlee is now Strong Towns’ chief of staff, while Kevin is CEO of the nonprofit Downtown Lafayette, which promotes infrastructure development and business revitalization.

Carlee and Kevin discuss the challenges of balancing competing demands and priorities when working in local government, particularly when trying to make smarter financial decisions. They also share recommendations for how local governments and residents can work together constructively.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Download the Strong Towns Finance Decoder to get to the bottom of your city’s finances.

• Kevin Blanchard (LinkedIn)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode, Chuck explains why our current situation, though tense, actually presents a great opportunity for advocates of street safety, walkability, and bikeability. He then lays out a number of common misconceptions and errors that advocates will have to avoid if they want to take advantage of this opportunity.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck discusses how the design of an environment affects people psychologically. He explores how cities can use that knowledge to make streets safer, using a crash in Hyattsville, Maryland, as an example.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Get the full crash report from Hyattsville, Maryland.
• Learn more about the Crash Analysis model.

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Mark Moses, author of “The Municipal Financial Crisis: A Framework for Understanding and Fixing Government Budgeting.” Up for discussion today:

• The dangers of relying on “balanced budgets."

• The difference between city and business finances.

• The issues with privatization and regionalization.

• And more!

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Download the Strong Towns Finance Decoder to uncover the truth about your city’s finances.

• Connect with Mark Moses:

  • X/Twitter

  • Website

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck shares a keynote speech he gave at a statewide transportation conference in Kansas. He discusses the limitations of traditional traffic safety techniques and the consequences of designing high-speed roads through cities and towns, both in terms of safety and finance.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Rick Cole is the chief deputy controller of Los Angeles and a councilmember in Pasadena, California. He’s known for tackling challenging city budgets and has been honored for his work as a public official several times, including with a Excellence in Management Award.

Cole joins Chuck Marohn on this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast to discuss city finances and how they can be improved. Their conversation includes the following topics:

• What does it mean for budgets to be value statements?

• How do you direct city finances in a truly effective way?

• What role should the public play in a city’s financial decisions, and how can city staff and officials enable their productive participation?

• And more!

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Learn more about the Strong Towns approach to finance.

• Rick Cole (LinkedIn)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

This week, Chuck is joined by Shayne Kavanagh, senior manager of research for the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The GFOA provides training and resources to city finance officers. In his role, Kavanagh develops new approaches to budgeting, financial reporting and revenue that can better address the problems local governments are trying to solve.

Chuck and Kavanagh discuss the role of finance officers as “decision architects.” Kavanagh gives a closer look at the world of local government finance and shares some tactics that finance officers can use to improve their processes.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Connect with Shayne Kavanagh:

  • GFOA site

  • LinkedIn

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

What cities have successfully financed housing at the local level? How does tax increment financing work? When should cities stop subsidizing large-scale housing projects? Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn answers all these questions and more in this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• There are six code reforms your city officials can implement today to welcome more housing to your community. Learn more here.

• Do you want 1-on-1 coaching with Chuck on how to bring more housing to your community? Sign up for the Accelerator coaching program before spots run out!

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck addresses the craziness of the current political climate. Using recent policy changes and public responses as examples, he explores how we’ve created a political climate of either-or: Either you decide to take a chainsaw to bankrupt and failing systems or you refuse to acknowledge that they’re bankrupt and failing.

Chuck shows how the Strong Towns approach provides a third path, where problems are recognized and addressed in a healthy way. He also gives a sneak peek at how Strong Towns is planning to help advocates and cities embrace this path.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• “It Was Never Going To Be Me” by Ben Hunt (Epsilon Theory article)

• “Ben Hunt: Surviving the Widening Gyre Through Hope and Community” (Strong Towns Podcast)

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck talks about housing development and zoning code reform with Seth Zeren, a neighborhood real estate developer in Providence, Rhode Island. They dive into the six code reforms recommended in “The Housing-Ready City: A Toolkit for Local Code Reform,” covering why they’re important and how they help developers, residents and cities.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Get your National Gathering ticket before they sell out!

• “The Housing-Ready City: A Toolkit for Local Code Reform.”

• Want to go deeper? The spring session of the Accelerator starts April 7. Reserve your spot today!

• Chuck Marohn (Substack).