Last week, Cody Townsend and I talked about the profusion of short term rentals that have become increasingly common in mountain towns. This week, our guest is Dr. Jenny Stuber, a sociologist and author of the book, Aspen and the American Dream.

Jenny talks about some of the policies that the town of Aspen has employed, and which of them might be applicable to other towns trying to navigate the needs of full-time residents, part-time residents, local workers, and the visitors that many of these towns rely on.

So whether you live in a mountain town or love to visit them, our hope is that this conversation will help you better understand and think through the various factors and forces at play, and how we all can work to mitigate them.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Jenny’s history with Aspen (3:25)
• Growth in mountain towns (7:21)
• “Standing up to capital” (16:22)
• Locals & visitors (22:59)
• Affordable housing (30:36)
• The “not in my backyard” problem (37:16)
• The Covid factor (46:16)
• Short-term rentals (52:49)
• Economic Development offices (1:01:32)
• Manufacturing in mountain towns? (1:06:44)

RELATED LINKS

• Purchase ‘Aspen & the American Dream’
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 2
• Mountain Town Economics, Pt 3
• Become a Blister Member

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