This fall, seven states will have the opportunity to cut — or abolish, in some cases — property taxes, according to an article by Governing. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the Strong Towns perspective on property taxes, the consequences of removing them and how most people (including city officials) don’t realize how much it costs to run a city. Chuck emphasizes that Strong Towns is not anti-tax and that taxes are essential to successfully running any city.

“Voters in Several States Can Cut — or Abolish — Property Taxes This Fall” by Zina Hutton, Governing (July 2024).

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

The governor of New York recently announced the dissolution of the city’s congestion pricing program after years of planning and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment. This program would’ve initiated a $15 toll on vehicles entering certain parts of Manhattan, and it was partly established to help support reinvestment in the transit system. It was shut down less than a month before it was supposed to start operating — after all the tolling infrastructure was already installed.

In this episode of Upzoned, Chuck and Abby discuss how this debacle shows a fundamental misunderstanding of congestion pricing, the politics underpinning this decision and how the city could’ve handled things better.

“17 Years, $700 Million Wasted: The Stunning Collapse of New York’s Traffic Moonshot” by Jimmy Vielkind and Joseph De Avila, The Wall Street Journal (June 2024).

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

You’ve heard of YIMBYs and NIMBYs, but have you heard of YIGBYs? YIGBY stands for “Yes In God’s Backyard,” and it’s a movement focused on leveraging land owned by religious institutions to alleviate the housing crisis. This has the potential to benefit both people in need of housing and religious institutions.

In this episode of Upzoned, hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the potential benefits of the YIGBY movement, the practicalities of implementing it, and broader mindsets surrounding religious institutions and what their land should be used for.

“Yes in God’s backyard?” by Rachel M. Cohen, Vox (June 2024).

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

This week on Upzoned, hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “The Dollar-Store Showdown Comes Down to Real Estate.” It highlights the differences between Dollar General, which has stores located in mostly rural areas and is expanding its reach, and Family Dollar, which has stores located in mostly urban areas and is closing hundreds of stores.

Why is one of these companies succeeding while the other struggles? And what do dollar stores help or harm poor neighborhoods? Listen to this week’s episode to find out.

“The Dollar-Store Showdown Comes Down to Real Estate” by Kate King, The Wall Street Journal (April 2024).

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Incremental development is the most resilient and financially responsible way for communities to grow and improve. As North America struggles through a housing crisis, this style of development becomes increasingly important.

On this Upzoned episode, host Abby Newsham is joined by town builder Monte Anderson to talk about his experience as an incremental developer and the important principles of the field. Anderson is one of the founders of Incremental Development Alliance, which trains small-scale developers, and a managing partner of Neighborhood Evolution, a development consulting group.

Monte Anderson (site).

“From Gridiron to Groundbreaking” by Nicole Ward, Dallas Innovates (March 2024).

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Doug Barrick, the town manager of Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Rutherfordton was one of the contestants in the 2024 Strongest Town Contest. Barrick discusses what it was like to compete, what Rutherfordton is doing to become a stronger town, and how the town’s unique location and history influence those efforts.

Doug Barrick (LinkedIn).

Rutherfordton (LinkedIn).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Nonprofit organizations straddle the line between the private and public sectors, receiving both private donations and funding from the government to provide services. The problem with this model, an article in American Affairs says, is that nonprofits are then motivated to sabotage their own efforts so they can receive more money. This is only one example of the kinds of corruption that flourish within the poorly regulated, overly trusted nonprofit sector, the article argues.

What’s the Strong Towns take on this? And what does it mean for local governments? Join host Abby Newsham and co-host Chuck Marohn on this week’s episode of Upzoned to find out.

“The Nonprofit Industrial Complex and the Corruption of the American City” by Jonathan Ireland, American Affairs (May 2024).

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Last month, Strong Towns hosted the National Gathering in Cincinnati. It was a two-day event packed with different speakers and sessions, with many advocates meeting each other in person for the first time. In this episode of Upzoned, Abby talks with Strong Towns founder Chuck Marohn about his unique experience at the Gathering, the process of choosing a keynote speaker, how the National Gathering differs from the Congress for the New Urbanism and ways Gatherings might change in the future.

Become a member today!

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

This special edition of Upzoned was recorded last week at the 2024 National Gathering. Join host Abby Newsham as she talks to attendees about their efforts to build stronger towns.

Interviewees:

(0:00) Lisa Hutson, a business owner who’s turning an abandoned factory into a mixed-use community hub.

(8:52) Sean Suder, a zoning reform expert who helps cities make their zoning codes more people-friendly and defensible.

(18:40) Chris Wyatt, a transit advocate who’s working to make public transit more pleasant and useful.

(26:00) Hannah Stanton-Gockel, a bike commuter who uses her marketing experience to advocate for people-centric city design.

(38:41) Isaac Gonzalez, one of the National Gathering presenters, who discusses how to be a good long-term advocate.

(50:40) Jackson Lester, a public transit planner who intends to combat the housing crisis through infill development.

(1:02:15) Jaclyn Cheves, director of policy and partnerships for Blue Zones, who discusses how cities can become healthier places.

Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).

Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

The city of Cincinnati has pledged $200k to keep the popular bikeshare program Red Bike alive for another year. Joining us to talk about bikeshare programs and Red Bike’s financial difficulties is Bryce Mortera, a member of Civic Cincinnati. Are these programs really beneficial for residents? And if so, is there a more sustainable way to fund them than relying on sponsors?