The Strong Towns Podcast
The Strong Towns Podcast is a weekly conversation on the Strong Towns movement, hosted by Strong Towns Founder and President Charles Marohn and frequently featuring special guests. The podcast explores how we can financially strengthen our cities, towns, and neighborhoods and, in the process, make them better places to live. Join Chuck in examining how everything from urban design to economics to systems theory to psychology helps inform this core question.
Episodes
Why is housing so expensive, and what can local communities actually do about it? In this live recording, Chuck unpacks the roots of America's housing trap and shares actionable reforms that any community can implement.
Additional Show Notes- This presentation was recorded live from Wayne, Pennsylvania. Click here to bring Chuck to your own city!
- Check out Strong Towns’ housing toolkits for more strategies to bring housing t...
Family farms are struggling to survive across America, with whole communities hanging in the balance. In today's episode, Chuck sits down with Brian Reisinger, author of "Land Rich, Cash Poor." They unpack the structural issues leading to the decline of farms and rural communities, as well as opportunities to rebuild resilience.
Additional Show Notes- Bring Chuck to your own city!
- Learn how to support small dev...
Strong cities know who they are. In today's episode, Chuck is joined by Ryan Short, founder of Civic Brand. They discuss how uncovering a shared identity guides smarter decisions, strengthens civic pride, and helps communities thrive.
Additional Show Notes- "The Civic Brand: The Power & Responsibility of Place" by Ryan Short
- Civic Brand (site)
- Ryan Short (LinkedIn)
- Chuck Marohn (Substack)
Chuck breaks down the financial math behind urban decline in this live recording of a Wilmington event, with opening remarks from Delaware Governor Matt Meyer. Learn why growth is bankrupting your city — and how to reverse it.
(Note: Audio improves at 5:16 when Chuck takes over.)
Additional Show Notes- Check out some of the images Chuck references in the episode.
- Bring Chuck to your own city!
- Connect with Strong Towns Wilmingto...
Author Diane Alisa just wanted her kids to have what she didn't: freedom to roam, community, and a childhood that doesn't require a minivan. Somewhere along the way, she realized the suburban dream itself might be the problem. Today, she and Chuck dig into what the Suburban Experiment cost us — and what comes next.
Additional Show Notes- Want to hear more from Diane? Check out her episode on The Bottom-Up Revolution!
- “Love Lett...
Chuck records from the road after speaking at a housing summit in Pennsylvania. He reflects on why the Strong Towns message resonates with local officials struggling to address the housing crisis, as well as the challenges facing the movement and plans for the future.
Additional Show Notes- Member Week is almost over! Join the movement today.
Strong Towns members are making their places stronger everywhere from the Bahamas to Mongolia. Chuck and Member Advocate Norm Van Eeden Petersman discuss how people in Colombia and Uganda can speak the same language about streets, and what that means for building better places everywhere.
Additional Show Notes- It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement today!
Can New Urbanists learn from suburbia's success? In this special episode, Chuck sits down with CNU founder Andres Duany, who shares big ideas he says the movement isn't ready to hear. They discuss how New Urbanism captured territory in the battle for cities, why its failing to hold that territory, and where Strong Towns fits into the fight.
Additional Show Notes- It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement today!
Chuck sits down with Carlee Alm-LaBar, Strong Towns' chief of staff, to talk about what it's like managing a growing movement that's focused on action. Learn how the organization is evolving to help thousands of members make real change in their communities.
Additional Show Notes- It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement by making a donation of any amount.
In this special Member Week episode, Chuck explores Strong Towns’ strategy, from its origin as a blog to its future in 2026 and beyond. He then answers audience questions about Strong Towns’ funding, his advice for elected officials, and more.
Additional Show Notes- It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement by making a donation of any amount.
You can also check out the video version of this podcast here: https:/...
Today, Chuck sits down with Laura Foote, executive director of YIMBY Action. They dive into America’s housing crisis, debate the future of zoning, and explore what it will take to fix broken incentives and build more homes.
Additional Show Notes- YIMBY Action's new implementation guide
- Strong Towns' new housing toolkit
- YIMBY Action (site)
- Laura's email: laura@yimbyaction.org
- Chuck Marohn (Substack)
Hey listener, you h...
Chuck Marohn tackles 16 real questions from city officials wrestling with the messy reality of housing reform. From a lack of transit to competition from big developers, he explores the challenges of getting more housing on the ground.
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.
- "Unleash the Swarm" by Daniel Herriges (e...
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 prospero...
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 Quinone...
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 ...
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...
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.
Additional Show Notes- The book Joe and Chuck refer to at the end of the episode is "Overbuilt: The High Costs ...
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, ...
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.
- C...
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