Upzoned

By Strong Towns

What's Upzoned about?

Join Abby Kinney, Chuck Marohn, and occasional surprise guests to talk in depth about just one big story from the week in the Strong Towns conversation, right when you want it: now.

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Upzoned episodes:

04.17.2024
Inside the Notorious Gridlock of Colorado's I-70
Since the 1970s, the number of cars on I-70 between Denver and its surrounding resorts have jumped more than 500%. Coloradans and frequent visitors know that, in order to reach the mountains during the gridlock of ski season, you must...
04.03.2024
“Redesigning” Cincinnati With the Connected Communities Plan
Cincinnati is currently undergoing a significant planning reformation effort, which involves unveiling what’s being called the Connected Communities plan. It includes a number of proposed land-use-related policy changes that are intended to help Cincinnati grow, with the goal of advancing...
03.20.2024
Our Financial System Favors Large-Scale Development…but at What Cost?
On this week’s episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham and co-host Chuck Marohn are joined by Coby Lefkowitz, who penned the article that’s up for discussion: “Why small developers are getting squeezed out of the housing market.” It focuses on...
03.13.2024
Traffic Deaths Now Exceed the Number of Homicides in LA. This Initiative Aims To Change That.
This week on Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Michael Schneider, founder of Streets for All and the campaign manager for Healthy Streets Los Angeles. They discuss an article from The Los Angeles Times titled, “L.A. bus and bike...
03.06.2024
$350 Million Mixed-Use Development Presents a "Huge Opportunity" for South Bend, IN
This week on Upzoned, host Abby Kinney is joined by Mike Keen, a retired professor and incremental developer in South Bend, Indiana, to discuss a recent article in WSBT, “Major mixed-use development could be largest in downtown South Bend history.”...
02.21.2024
Could this New Approach to Public Housing Actually Work?
A suburb of Washington, DC is exploring a new approach to creating more affordable housing through public-private partnerships. And it’s seeing success! In this episode of Upzoned, Chuck and Abby discuss the history of public housing and government housing subsidies...
02.14.2024
Parking Minimums Might Be on the Way Out in Dallas
Local officials in Dallas are considering eliminating minimum parking requirements in the city. The zoning ordinance advisory committee just voted to advance the measure to the city planning commission, and if approved there, it would then go on to the...
02.07.2024
Coming Back Down to Earth After a “Next-Level” Downtown Revitalization
This week’s Upzoned episode covers a story that sounded promising at the start: “The Town That Took Downtown Renewal to the Next Level”? Sounds great! Right? Alas, residents of Morristown, Tennessee, have discovered that the Skymark (i.e., an elevated sidewalk)...
01.31.2024
Today’s Generation of Families Are “Disillusioned” by Suburbia
Five families from Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Pittsburg move to the suburbs in search of the American dream, drawn by promises of better schools and all the other amenities promised by suburban life…but instead, they’re experiencing the decline...
01.24.2024
Millennials Are Fleeing Cities in Favor of the Exurbs
Millennials are officially getting old. They’re having children, buying houses, and getting replaced by Gen Z in urban areas. As one article from Business Insider puts it, “Millennials are getting priced out of cities,” and are starting to leave the...
11.22.2023
Ryan Johnson: Builder of the First Car-Free Neighborhood Made From Scratch in the U.S.
Upzoned has been on a bit of a hiatus for the past couple of months, but we wanted to have at least one final episode of 2023 (and rest assured that the podcast will be returning with weekly episodes in...
08.23.2023
Transportation Meltdown: Children on the School Bus Till 10 p.m.
Kentucky’s largest school system recently had to cancel the second and third day of classes due to what they're calling a disastrous overhaul of the bus system. On day one, some children were still on their bus at 10 p.m. AP...
08.16.2023
Is Affordable Housing Possible Under Current Zoning Laws?
Durham, North Carolina, is experiencing a hot debate over changing its zoning code. The proposed “Simplifying Codes for Affordable Development” (or SCAD) presents tactical adjustments that focus on loosening the current rules so local people can make small-scale changes to their...
07.26.2023
Arizona Pushes for Suburban and Rural Development, Despite Dwindling Water Supply
State-level officials in Arizona are getting more serious about water scarcity issues, despite the still-booming growth pressures that exist there. Some listeners may remember from a story we covered in July 2022 that rural areas outside of Phoenix, like the...
07.19.2023
Atlanta’s New Idea To Address Their Housing Crisis
The United States is in the midst of a housing crisis. More and more cities are recognizing that part of the issue is due to restrictive zoning laws, which make building affordable homes a difficult feat. On this episode of Upzoned,...
07.05.2023
The Invisible Reason for High Housing Prices: Restrictive Land-Use Regulations
It is extremely difficult to build housing in Rhode Island. It’s also expensive to buy homes, with prices having increased by 34% since the summer of 2020. Why? Adam A. Millsap makes the case in Forbes that because Rhode Island...
06.28.2023
Why Can’t We Have the “Perfect” Neighborhood?
“Who Can Afford America’s Perfect Neighborhood?” asks The Guardian. Longmont, Colorado, holds many elements of the American dream: tree-lined streets, neighbors walking to fulfill errands, children racing about, cafes, beautiful parks, gyms, and community events. To many, it sounds like...
06.22.2023
Behind the Scenes at the Strong Towns National Gathering
At the end of May, Strong Towns hosted its inaugural National Gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a two-day event packed with different speakers and sessions, where we heard from Strong Towns members about how they’re making incremental housing...
06.14.2023
Live From the National Gathering
A few weeks ago, the first Strong Towns National Gathering took place in Charlotte, NC. While people buzzed back and forth between sessions, Upzoned host Abby Kinney sat at a table and invited those walking by to join her on...
05.17.2023
Parking Regulations Threaten to Demolish Coffee Shop
In Kansas City, Kansas, parking regulations have threatened to demolish a local coffee shop for a parking lot. An out-of-state developer is trying to meet the city’s strict parking requirements for a new apartment complex across the intersection, and the...
05.03.2023
An Abandoned Downtown Equals a Pot of Gold?
Not everyone who left the office for remote work returned after the pandemic lockdown ended. Many employees stayed remote, and, in doing so, they left behind a swath of empty office buildings in downtowns across North America. Developers see these...
04.12.2023
One Reason American Architecture Is Considered Boring: Stairs
Have you ever wondered why multifamily housing has the same, copied look in most places? Part of the reason is due to the way regulations require architects to build stairs. On this Upzoned podcast, host Abby Kinney talks with special...
04.05.2023
Cowboy Hotels for Housing Shortages
Like all major cities in America, Seattle is facing a housing shortage. And 100 years ago, Seattle faced a housing shortage bigger than the one it has now. The initial response to the historic shortage was to build small, boxy,...
03.29.2023
Homelessness in Rural America
Homelessness in rural areas can look different than in bigger cities: as noted in a recent article by The Daily Yonder, rural homelessness is more “hidden,” and is expressed through couch surfing, roommate arrangements, and housing insecurity versus seeing people...
03.22.2023
High-Income Earners Are Renting Instead of Buying Homes
High-earning Americans are renting instead of buying homes. Some even say they plan to rent indefinitely. Why is that? In this week’s Upzoned episode, join host Abby Kinney and guest Norm Van Eeden Petersman as they talk about this trend. ADDITIONAL...
03.15.2023
When a Building Is Demolished, What Should Happen to the Materials?
“What happens when old buildings have reached the end of their life, either their useful life in terms of safety or their desirable life in terms of modern living?” a Next City article asks. The piece goes on to say...
03.08.2023
The 15 Minute City - A Good Life or an Infringement on Freedoms?
The 15 Minute City: a term to describe mixed use neighborhoods, has become a political concept where critics believe the idea could result in an infringement on personal freedoms. On this Upzoned podcast, host Abby Kinney and special guest Kevin Klinkenberg,...
03.01.2023
Whose Responsibility Is It To Ensure That Buildings Interact With the Public Realm in a Delightful Way?
It’s important to build safe and productive streets, but how do we ensure those streets are a place people want to be and live in? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that buildings interact with the public realm in a...
02.15.2023
We’re Getting Worse at Construction Despite Technology Advances
Despite global advantages and new technologies, we are getting worse at construction. At least, that’s the case that Ezra Klein makes in his New York Times article, “The Story Construction Tells About America’s Economy Is Disturbing.” Today on Upzoned, join host...
02.01.2023
Portland’s Cully Neighborhood To Use “The One Ring” for Good
Portland’s Cully neighborhood is about to embark on a big urban renewal experiment with the intention of maintaining that area's current affordability. Yes, you heard that right. In the past, the term “urban renewal” was mainly associated with mid-20th century schemes...
01.25.2023
The Governor of Missouri Wants to Spend $859 Million on Highway Expansion
The state of Missouri has a $6 billion budget surplus due to an increase in tax revenue and unspent federal aid. Governor Parson wants to use $859 million of it to expand I-70, the major transport route which connects Kansas...
01.18.2023
The U.S. Is Running Out of Skilled Labor. Is It Gen-Z’s Fault?
The U.S. is crying out, saying we NEED more carpenters, plumbers, and other people in skilled trades and technical industries—but the generation about to take over the workforce, Gen Z, doesn’t seem interested. As time presses forward, we’re continuing to...
01.11.2023
People Move to Places with Zoning Laws, Ergo Zoning Is Good?
In a recent Planetizen article titled, “Is Exclusionary Zoning a Good Thing?” author Michael Lewyn examines a theoretical argument presented by Judge Glock in the American Affairs Journal: that because people move to places that have zoning laws, zoning must...
12.19.2022
Thanks for a Great Year
It's been a great year here on Upzoned; thanks for listening. We wanted to close out 2022 with one last message, and to wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
12.07.2022
Homeowners Struggling to Get Insurance in Wildfire-Prone Colorado
An increasing risk of wildfires has made insurance carriers wary of certain areas in Colorado—according to a recent Denver Post article—raising their premiums and, in some cases, opting to not cover them, at all. In just the past few years,...
11.23.2022
These 3 Cities Are Eliminating Parking Minimums. Are They Going About It the Right Way?
It's #BlackFridayParking week at Strong Towns, which means we've got a special parking-related episode of the Upzoned podcast today. Host Abby Kinney, co-host Chuck Marohn, and special guest Edward Erfurt (director of community action at Strong Towns) come together to...
11.16.2022
Why Is It So Expensive To Build Public Transit in the U.S.?
A recent VICE article shares the conclusions of a report published by an NYU research group. The research, led by Alon Levy, spans some 15 years and demonstrates the extent to which transit projects in the U.S. are inflated compared...
11.09.2022
This Man Overcame Homelessness by Building His Own Tiny Home…on Hollywood Boulevard!
An army veteran who was homeless in Los Angeles got tired of having his tent cleared out by the city's sanitation teams...so he decided to build his own house. By working with the community, the man, who goes by "Q,"...
11.02.2022
What Does the ”Airbnbust” Mean for the Housing Market?
There's been much speculation on the internet lately—to the point of almost becoming a meme—about whether we are witnessing the great "Airbnbust." In other words, people are saying that short-term rentals are a bubble that is popping right before our...
10.27.2022
This Seattle Highway Is Facing a $29 Million Financial Crisis
During the winter of 2019, a tunnel for State Route 99 (SR 99) opened, running beneath downtown Seattle, Washington. It was a long-anticipated project with a price tag of $3.3 billion—with an accompanying tolling program to cover $20 million in...
10.19.2022
We Need More Housing—But Also More People Who Can Build More Housing
Are there enough construction workers to build the housing we need in the U.S. and Canada? According to The Globe and Mail, the Ontario government has stated that the province will need 100,000 new construction workers and 1.5 million homes over...
10.12.2022
Yes, Getting Rid of Parking Minimums Is Good for the Climate—But That’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg
According to a recent article from TIME, a new law mandates that cities in California will no longer be able to impose parking minimums for housing, retail, or commercial development that sit within half a mile of major public transit...
10.05.2022
We Have Plenty of Land in the United States. But Can All of It Support Housing?
A recent article from The Wall Street Journal posits that “The U.S. Is Running Short of Land for Housing.” Land values in favorable locations are booming right now, and land owners across the country are, in some cases, making extremely...
09.28.2022
The Paris of the Plains Can’t Afford Its Fountains Anymore
If you’ve ever been to Kansas City or have any awareness about Kansas City, you may have heard it called the Paris of the Plains or the City of Fountains. A lot of people associate the city with its fountains,...
09.14.2022
E-Bikes: The Frankenstein’s Monster of Transportation?
How cool are e-bikes? How revolutionary will they be? During 2020 and 2021, e-bike sales surged 2.4 times over previous periods and essentially transitioned from a fringe product to an almost mainstream purchase in North America. E-bike sales could be considered...
08.31.2022
Professional Engineers: Speak Up. The Stakes Are Life and Death.
More than 40,000 people walking and biking are killed on America’s roadway each year by system designs that value speed and throughput more than safety and cost. Charles “Chuck” Marohn, Strong Towns founder and president, made the decision a decade ago...
08.24.2022
New York’s New Experiment in Fighting Gridlock
America’s first experiment with charging a toll to enter a congested urban area is going to begin in New York City next year. All next week, a public hearing battle over the details will rage between advocates for and against congestion...
08.10.2022
The ”Other Story” of Buffalo
Several months ago, a tragic shooting took place in Buffalo, New York, that drew the nation’s attention. In the wake of that tragedy, C.J. Hughes has written an article in The New York Times about the city’s identity and its history and...
07.13.2022
Water Wars in the Modern Wild West
In the mid-1990s, another oil boom was on in Calgary, Alberta, and it was literally possible to stand in the prairie and watch suburban development coming at you: bulldozers pushing out new roads, linemen installing power cable, and flatbeds full...
07.06.2022
TxDOT Proposes to Dig a $1 Billion Infrastructure Grave in Downtown Dallas
This week on Upzoned with Abby Kinney, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) makes her co-host, Strong Towns President Charles Marohn, almost want to start swearing. For many years now, TxDOT has studied the feasibility of removing Interstate 345, which is...

What's Upzoned about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Upzoned episodes:

Inside the Notorious Gridlock of Colorado's I-70

“Redesigning” Cincinnati With the Connected Communities Plan

Our Financial System Favors Large-Scale Development…but at What Cost?

Traffic Deaths Now Exceed the Number of Homicides in LA. This Initiative Aims To Change That.

$350 Million Mixed-Use Development Presents a "Huge Opportunity" for South Bend, IN

Could this New Approach to Public Housing Actually Work?

Parking Minimums Might Be on the Way Out in Dallas

Coming Back Down to Earth After a “Next-Level” Downtown Revitalization

Today’s Generation of Families Are “Disillusioned” by Suburbia

Millennials Are Fleeing Cities in Favor of the Exurbs

Ryan Johnson: Builder of the First Car-Free Neighborhood Made From Scratch in the U.S.

Transportation Meltdown: Children on the School Bus Till 10 p.m.

Is Affordable Housing Possible Under Current Zoning Laws?

Arizona Pushes for Suburban and Rural Development, Despite Dwindling Water Supply

Atlanta’s New Idea To Address Their Housing Crisis

The Invisible Reason for High Housing Prices: Restrictive Land-Use Regulations

Why Can’t We Have the “Perfect” Neighborhood?

Behind the Scenes at the Strong Towns National Gathering

Live From the National Gathering

Parking Regulations Threaten to Demolish Coffee Shop

An Abandoned Downtown Equals a Pot of Gold?

One Reason American Architecture Is Considered Boring: Stairs

Cowboy Hotels for Housing Shortages

Homelessness in Rural America

High-Income Earners Are Renting Instead of Buying Homes

When a Building Is Demolished, What Should Happen to the Materials?

The 15 Minute City - A Good Life or an Infringement on Freedoms?

Whose Responsibility Is It To Ensure That Buildings Interact With the Public Realm in a Delightful Way?

We’re Getting Worse at Construction Despite Technology Advances

Portland’s Cully Neighborhood To Use “The One Ring” for Good

The Governor of Missouri Wants to Spend $859 Million on Highway Expansion

The U.S. Is Running Out of Skilled Labor. Is It Gen-Z’s Fault?

People Move to Places with Zoning Laws, Ergo Zoning Is Good?

Thanks for a Great Year

Homeowners Struggling to Get Insurance in Wildfire-Prone Colorado

These 3 Cities Are Eliminating Parking Minimums. Are They Going About It the Right Way?

Why Is It So Expensive To Build Public Transit in the U.S.?

This Man Overcame Homelessness by Building His Own Tiny Home…on Hollywood Boulevard!

What Does the ”Airbnbust” Mean for the Housing Market?

This Seattle Highway Is Facing a $29 Million Financial Crisis

We Need More Housing—But Also More People Who Can Build More Housing

Yes, Getting Rid of Parking Minimums Is Good for the Climate—But That’s Just the Tip of the Iceberg

We Have Plenty of Land in the United States. But Can All of It Support Housing?

The Paris of the Plains Can’t Afford Its Fountains Anymore

E-Bikes: The Frankenstein’s Monster of Transportation?

Professional Engineers: Speak Up. The Stakes Are Life and Death.

New York’s New Experiment in Fighting Gridlock

The ”Other Story” of Buffalo

Water Wars in the Modern Wild West

TxDOT Proposes to Dig a $1 Billion Infrastructure Grave in Downtown Dallas