An abandoned rail embankment runs two miles through Bronzeville, past landmarks and blocks that shaped Black Chicago. John E. Adams, Founder and Executive Director of the Bronzeville Trail Task Force, has spent years making the case that it should carry people instead of freight. He joins us to talk about the route, the history built into it, and what stands between the proposal and a finished trail.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Links:

Strong Towns Chicago: https://strongtownschicago.org/

Bronzeville Trail Task Force: https://www.bronzevilletrail.org/

Do you know someone who would make a great Strong Towns Chicago Podcast guest? Let us know at [email protected]

Chicago City Council's Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards had a hearing on a proposed single stair ordinance on June 4, 2026. We spoke to Abundant Housing Illinois lead Steven Vance about what happened during the meeting and what is next for single stair reform in Chicago.

Links:

- Strong Towns Chicago: strongtownschicago.org

- Abundant Housing Illinois: abundanthousingil.org

Do you know someone who would make a great Strong Towns Chicago Podcast guest? Let us know at [email protected]

A single change to the building code, allowing one staircase instead of two in small buildings that meet safety standards, could make it financially viable to build thousands more homes across Chicago. 47th Ward Alderman Matt Martin joins us to explain why this seemingly mundane reform is one of the most powerful tools available for addressing Chicago's housing shortage, how he's been working with the fire department and city departments to get it across the finish line, and what everyday Chicagoans can do right now to make it happen.Matt also reflects on his path from civil rights law to City Hall, the proactive upzoning work his office has done along Western Avenue and Broadway, why family-sized apartments are disappearing, and what a 15-minute neighborhood actually looks like, happening right now at the Western Brown Line stop in Lincoln Square.Links:- 47th Ward Office: ward47.com- Strong Towns Chicago: strongtownschicago.org- Abundant Housing Illinois: abundanthousingil.orgDo you know someone who would make a great Strong Towns Chicago Podcast guest? Let us know at [email protected]

Bennett Lawson was elected Alderman of Chicago's 44th Ward covering most of the Lakeview neighborhood in 2023. We talk about the impact of the citywide ADU ordinance that he sponsored, what resources are available to homeowners and tradespeople to build ADUs, and how housing legalization is gaining traction in Chicago and Illinois.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• Chicago ADU Program (site)
• 44th Ward (site)
• Alex Montero (LinkedIn)

Do you know someone who would make a great Strong Towns Chicago Podcast Guest? Let us know here.

Nora Leerhsen became Acting President of the Chicago Transit Authority in February 2025. We talk about her unconventional path to the CTA after an early career in teaching and law, the role public transportation plays in a city's social and economic health, how the agency is approaching Chicago's transportation challenges, and opportunities from recent Illinois transit reform legislation.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

• CTA Connections (YouTube channel)
• Moving Experiences: Stories of the CTA (podcast)
• CTA Frequent Bus Network (site)
• Alex Montero (LinkedIn)
• Do you know someone who would make a great Strong Towns Chicago Podcast Guest? Let us know here.

Strong Towns Chicago, CNU Chicago, and Abundant Housing Illinois hold a panel to engage with small local builders and developers who work on 2-4 unit buildings, commonly called 2-4 flats, to learn from their experiences about what makes 2-4 flats different from other projects, what challenges they face when constructing or rehabilitating these buildings, and what policy changes would make it easier to build more of these in Chicago. Special thanks to Metropolitan Planning Council for hosting us in their space. Learn more at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/.

We sat down with Emily Talen, an author and professor of urbanism at the University of Chicago exploring historic development patterns and gentle density. Learn more at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/.

Fritz Kaegi was elected Cook County Assessor in 2018 and reelected in 2022. We sat down with him to talk about property taxes, reforms to the assessment process, and how local tax policy impacts equity, development, and urban vitality.Special thanks to ‪@CookCountyAssessorsOffice‬ for working with us to make this interview happen.To learn more about local property taxes and the assessment process, visit https://www.cookcountyassessor.com/Key facts and figures shown in this video were taken from the Government Finance Officers Association's report on Rethinking Property Taxes available at https://www.gfoa.org/materials/rethin...This is part of our Speaker Series podcast, where we interview local urbanist activists, educators, practitioners, and public officials about their efforts to make Chicago a stronger city.Interested in getting involved? Sign up for our mailing list, join our Slack, and follow us on social media at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/.

This is a bonus episode from our conversation with Professor Joseph Schwieterman where we talk about zoning policy in Chicago and how it may be changing.Special thanks to Steven Vance for creating the displayed maps on residential zoning in Chicago.This is part of our Speaker Series podcast, where we interview local urbanist activists, educators, practitioners, and public officials about their efforts to make Chicago a stronger city.Interested in getting involved? Sign up for our mailing list, join our Slack, and follow us on social media at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/.

Joseph Schwieterman is a professor of public policy, transportation, and urban planning and director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at ‪@DePaulUniversity1898‬. We sat down with him to talk about Chicago's rich history as a connecting hub for rail, bus, and air travel.Special thanks to Professor Schwieterman for letting us show images from his book Terminal Town for this video and to Matthew Regner for letting us use his photo of The Great Hall at Chicago Union Station.This is part of our Speaker Series podcast, where we interview local urbanist activists, educators, practitioners, and public officials about their efforts to make Chicago a stronger city.Interested in getting involved? Sign up for our mailing list, join our Slack, and follow us on social media at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/.