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Strong Towns

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

The Strong Towns Podcast

On this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck answers housing questions submitted by Ohio State University students. The questions cover the history of the housing market, as well as backyard cottages, alternative housing arrangements, and housing finance.

Tune in on Monday for Part 2, where Chuck will answer questions related to other topics, including state and federal housing policy.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).
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Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis • " by Chuck Marohn and Daniel Herriges.

From Building Backyard Cottages to Banning Airbnbs: A Housing Q&A

On this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck continues answering housing questions submitted by Ohio State University students. The questions cover state and federal housing policy, local government’s role in financing and regulation, local action, the division between urban and rural environments, and temporary housing.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).
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 • Part 1: "
From Building Backyard Cottages to Banning Airbnbs: A Housing Q&A • ."

 • "
Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis • " by Chuck Marohn and Daniel Herriges.

From the Federal Government to RV Parks: A Housing Q&A

Over the years, Chuck has added audio clips to the Strong Towns Podcast outro music to memorialize influential moments and experiences he’s had since founding Strong Towns. Today, in honor of that outro music being retired, he breaks down each of these clips, explaining why they’re significant and how these experiences influenced him and the Strong Towns movement as a whole.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).
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Memorable Moments in the History of Strong Towns

The Building Culture Podcast explores holistic solutions to crafting a more beautiful, resilient and thriving world through the built environment. Its host, Austin Tunnell, recently invited Strong Towns President Charles Marohn and California YIMBY’s Nolan Gray onto the show to debate the housing crisis. It was a great conversation that explores how these movements align and differ in their approaches to housing.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Transcript available on our site.
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The Building Culture Podcast.
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Nolan Gray (Twitter/X).
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Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).
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Comparing the Strong Towns and YIMBY Approaches to the Housing Crisis

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck discusses the common misbelief that an incremental approach to housing development is inherently slow. He explains how an incremental approach can actually be much faster than focusing on large housing projects, what that means for major cities, and how to make incremental housing more appealing to people who don’t want their neighborhoods to change.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Transcript available on our site.
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Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).
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Learn what comes next for incremental housing in 2025 by tuning into the State of Strong Towns address on January 30 at 4 p.m.
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Debunking the "Slow and Incremental" Myth: The Key to Rapid Housing Growth

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck discusses housing with Cullum Clark, director of the Economic Growth Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute. They talk about why there is so much resistance to new development, ways that officials and advocates could engage with the public to reduce that resistance, and what the incoming Trump administration could mean for housing.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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George W. Bush Presidential Center (site).
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Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).
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Learn what comes next for incremental housing in 2025 by tuning into the State of Strong Towns address on January 30 at 4 p.m. EST.
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How Do You Build More Housing When No One Wants Neighborhood Change?

Today, Chuck is joined by Ben Hunt, the creator of Epsilon Theory. Their conversation revolves around the concept of the Widening Gyre, a “profound social equilibrium where bad people and bad ideas drive out good people and good ideas.” They discuss this concept from a few different angles:

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How it relates to top-down systems like America’s political systems and corporations.
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How it has led to the loss of a national narrative and increased division and conflict.
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How a community-based approach that focuses on doing the right thing today is the best way out.
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ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Hear more from Ben Hunt:
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“Ben Hunt: We're Not Going to Fix This from the Top Down” (podcast).
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“Ben Hunt: In Praise of Bitcoin” (podcast).
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Ben Hunt (Twitter/X).
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Epsilon Theory (site).
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Chuck Marohn (Substack).
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Ben Hunt: Surviving the Widening Gyre Through Hope and Community

This special episode of the Strong Towns Podcast explores the Strongest Town Contest, including what cities can learn from previous winners, what it means for cities to participate, and a preview of this year's Contest. Joining the discussion are Strong Towns staffers Lauren Ronnander and John Pattison, as well as Stephen Gawron, the former mayor of the 2018 Strongest Town, Muskegon, Michigan.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Learn more about the Strongest Town Contest.
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Nominate your place (anyone can do this for free, even if you’re not a local official or city staff!)
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Chuck Marohn (Substack).
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Bonus Episode: Lessons From 9 Strongest Town Contest Winners

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Victor Dover, a planner and urban designer. They discuss the work and legacy of Dr. Donald Shoup, an engineer and professor of urban planning who revolutionized the fields of urban planning and parking reform with his book “The High Cost of Free Parking.” They also talk about their own relationships with Dr. Shoup and how he impacted their work as an engineer and planner.

Then, keep listening for a rerun of an interview with Dr. Shoup that Chuck had in 2015.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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“The High Cost of Free Parking” (Amazon).
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Victor Dover (LinkedIn).
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Chuck Marohn (Substack).
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Remembering Donald Shoup: A Legacy of Curiosity, Credibility and Kindness

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck explores the flawed nature of North America’s current “housing bargain,” where most neighborhoods are allowed to stay exactly the same as long as some neighborhoods — usually those that are poorer and have less political clout — are forced to radically change. He proposes a new way forward that respects cities as living and evolving systems.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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This Thursday, February 27, Strong Towns will release a toolkit to help city officials welcome incremental housing development. Learn more here.
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Become a member to join the toolkit launch livestream with experts Alli Thurmond Quinlan (Incremental Development Alliance) and Eric Kronberg (Kronberg Urbanists + Architects).
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Chuck Marohn (Substack).
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America Needs a New Housing Bargain. Here’s Why.

In this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck is joined by Carlee Alm-LaBar and Kevin Blanchard, former city staff members in Lafayette, Louisiana. Carlee is now Strong Towns’ chief of staff, while Kevin is CEO of the nonprofit Downtown Lafayette, which promotes infrastructure development and business revitalization.

Carlee and Kevin discuss the challenges of balancing competing demands and priorities when working in local government, particularly when trying to make smarter financial decisions. They also share recommendations for how local governments and residents can work together constructively.

ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

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Download the Strong Towns Finance Decoder to get to the bottom of your city’s finances.
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Kevin Blanchard (LinkedIn)
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Chuck Marohn (Substack)
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How To Handle the Bureaucracy of Local Government

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