After World War II, the U.S. embarked on an experiment in how we build cities. Instead of creating places scaled to people who walked, we built suburbs that focused on moving cars quickly and efficiently. Many cities in North America are looking to become walkable again, but it’s not easy. Time and time again, change makers are hit by bureaucracy and complicated logistics. 
Why is it so difficult to change? In “Urban Intercurrence: The Struggle to Build Walkable Downtowns in Car-Dependent Suburbia,” author Tristan Cleveland goes in depth about why cities struggle to retrofit their car dependence, and what could actually be done to create change.
In this Strong Towns Podcast, host Chuck Marohn chats with Tristan Cleveland, PhD, who is a Strong Towns member and an urban planner at Happy Cities. 
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Tristan Cleveland (Twitter).


Read Tristan’s PhD thesis on how to redesign suburban communities to become healthy, walkable places.


Chuck Marohn (Twitter).


Learn more about the 2023 Local-Motive Tour.

Walkable City Design Is Critical for Economic Health

We advocate for a model of development that allows our cities, towns and neighborhoods to grow financially strong and resilient.

Government

The Strong Towns approach to housing has some obvious tensions with NIMBYism, but what about YIMBYism? That’s the topic for discussion on the table for today’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, because while our approach has more in common with the YIMBY (“Yes in My Backyard”) crowd than differences, there are some nuances that are worth addressing. And if you want to take a serious deep dive into the Strong Towns approach to housing, then you’ll be glad to know that Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis is going to be released tomorrow—so order your copy now!
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Order your copy of Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis today!


Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

The Strong Towns Tension With YIMBYism

This week on the Strong Towns Podcast, host Chuck Marohn is joined by Alex Alsup of Regrid, an organization that, among other things, has put together the only 100% complete national parcel map for the United States. Alsup chats with us about this 10-year project and some of the data and analyses Regrid has gotten out of it—including what percentage of property in any given jurisdiction is locally owned, and the implications of these numbers.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Check out the national parcel map here.


Click here to read Regrid’s “Owned Away From Home” report.


Find Alex Alsup via LinkedIn or his Substack, The Chargeback.


Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).


Pre-order your copy of Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis today!

Alex Alsup: How Much of the U.S.'s Housing Stock Is Locally Owned?

As the U.S. enters another election year—one that is certain to be contentious—we know that many Americans are going to be engrossed in the conversation about national politics. And many of our readers want to know where Strong Towns stands on the issue. In this week’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, host Chuck Marohn responds to this question, and promises one thing above all else: we will remain dedicated to our mission, no matter what.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Strong Towns is a bottom-up movement for change across North America. Join today!


Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Where Strong Towns Stands As We Enter Another Election Year

On this week’s episode, Chuck chats with Barkha Patel, the Director of Infrastructure for Jersey City. Patel has pioneered changes in her city that have dramatically reduced traffic fatalities—in fact, this month marked seven years that Jersey City has gone without traffic deaths. If you’ve been around Strong Towns for a while, you’ve heard us talk about her before, and we’re excited to announce that she’ll be delivering the keynote speech at the 2024 National Gathering. Don’t worry, we’re not going to steal any of that thunder for today’s conversation (Get your tickets, though, if you want to hear that speech at the Gathering!): instead, we wanted to hear a bit more about Patel herself and how she came to do the amazing, transformational work that she’s become known for.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Get your tickets for the 2024 National Gathering today!


Check out the 2023 Local-Motive Tour stop “Turn That Stroad Into a Street (or Road),” featuring Patel.


“Jersey City Achieved Zero Traffic Deaths on Its Streets. Here’s How They Did It,” by Asia Mieleszko, Strong Towns (June 2023).


“How To Get Your Fire Department on Board With Narrowing Streets,” by Asia Mieleszko, Strong Towns (November 2023).


Barkha Patel (website).


Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

A Chat With Barkha Patel, Who Helped Achieve Zero Traffic Deaths in Jersey City

Bike Talk is a radio show dedicated to the idea that we need to prioritize bikes as a form of public transportation, and they recently invited Chuck to appear on an episode. It was a great conversation, and so we’re sharing that audio with you today here, as well. They discuss why it’s important to have empathy in discussions about transportation and street safety, and why leading with empathy toward drivers is a good strategy.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

Listen to the original episode on Bike Talk.


Bike Talk (Twitter/X; Instagram; Reddit).


Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

Walkable City Design Is Critical for Economic Health

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