The Strong Towns Podcast

Chuck and Rachel discuss upcoming Strong Towns events as part of the 25th Congress for the New Urbanism in Seattle this week. They also chat about historic preservation, red light cameras and Richard Florida. Mentioned in this podcast: "Is nothing sacred?" by Chuck Marohn CNU25 event info. RSVP for Beers with Engineers here. Apply to be a debater here. FEEcon event in Atlanta, GA. Use the code "MU40off" to get 40% off the ticket price. "An Embarrassing Mess" by Chuck Marohn Lucas Davenport series by John Sandford Jesus and the Gospels, from the Great Courses The Great British Baking Show The New Urban Crisis by Richard Florida

This week, Kea Wilson and Chuck Marohn began a conversation about the merits and pitfalls of Amazon with dueling articles (read Chuck's piece here and Kea's piece here). Today, we're sharing a podcast conversation in which these two Strong Towns staff members explain their differing perspectives on Amazon's place within a Strong Town. Is Amazon helpful or harmful to authors? Does Amazon support or discourage small businesses? Most importantly, does Amazon help towns become stronger or less strong?

Rachel Quednau interviews Matt Tyrnauer and Robert Hammond, directors of a new movie called Citizen Jane: Battle for the City, which is coming out this week (April 21) in select theaters and on demand. In this conversation, they discuss the power of Jacobs' message, her role as a non-professional female urban activist, and their goals for the film.

Chuck and Rachel discuss several recent and upcoming events, as well as Chuck's recent article, "Cargo Cult Planning." Mentioned in this podcast: Eau Claire, WI event, April 20 Omaha, NE event, April 21 "Cargo Cult Planning" by Chuck Marohn Shreveport campaign "Towards a Liberal Approach to Urban Form" by Nolan Gray FEEcon in Atlanta, GA "Is nothing sacred?" by Chuck Marohn Podcast: The Big Short (featuring Joe Minicozzi) ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Portland housing series, October 2016 Support the Strong Towns Podcast by becoming a member today. 

Joyce Mandell is a mom, community organizer, sociologist, community development specialist, and urban studies professor who has lived in Worcester, Massachusetts for over twenty years. She blogs at Jane Jacobs in the Woo where she looks at her city through the eyes of the famous urban activist. Chuck Marohn interviews Joyce to discuss the energy and community growth happening in Worcester, the fight against the impending destruction of a historic church in Worcester, and how her daily morning walk helps connect her with her neighborhood. Check out Joyce's blog and read her entry in last year's Strongest Infrastructure Project contest.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's travel woes amidst the Delta airlines disaster last week. (Spoiler: He did eventually make it home.) Chuck turns it into a broader lesson about fragility and efficiency.  Mentioned in this podcast: "Lessons from the Delta Implosion" by Chuck Marohn "How Fire Chiefs and Traffic Engineers Make Places Less Safe" by Steve Mouzon Events in Mount Pleasant, MI this Thursday The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan Thank you for your Service by David Finkel Hardcore History w/Dan Carlin - World War I episodes "To stop a road widening project, be persistent" by Rachel Quednau Two Former Mayors - 1 Republican and 1 Democrat - Find Common Ground in Conversation - from the podcast

In this podcast interview, recorded live at the Strong Towns Summit last week, Chuck Marohn speaks with Joey Durel—a Republican former mayor of Lafayette, LA—and Michael McGinn—a Democrat former mayor of Seattle, WA. They discuss what led them to run for office, the transportation issues they handled as mayors, and what lessons they learned during their time in leadership.

Chuck and Rachel discuss Chuck's packed event schedule including events in Eau Claire, WI and Omaha, NE last week, and one in Wabash, IN this week. They also talk about a legal case against dangerous road design. Mentioned in this podcast:  Event in Wabash, IN "L.A. agrees to pay $9.5 million in wrongful death case" from the Los Angeles Times After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia-Sunni Split by Lesley Hazleton The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus's Final Days in Jerusalem by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan Thank you for your Service by David Finkel Two perspectives on Amazon: "Why Urbanists Need to Talk about Amazon" by Kea Wilson and "Okay, let's talk about Amazon then" by Chuck Marohn. Join us this Friday at 11:30am CT for a Slackchat on this topic. (Sign up for Slack here.)

Chuck and Rachel debrief about the Strong Towns Summit and share the highlights of the event, including a smart, #DotheMath-related presentation by government staff from Fate, TX. Chuck and Rachel also discuss an upcoming event in Austin, TX (with a bonus public meet-up) and some recent favorite books. Mentioned in this podcast: "A Fateful Summit" (reflections on Fate, TX's presentation at the Summit) April 6 event in Austin, TX Watch videos from the Strong Towns Summit The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History by Paul Andrew Hutton Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them by Joshua Greene

Chuck and Rachel discuss the Strong Towns Summit, which begins on Thursday (and a few tickets remain for purchase!), plus they announce the winner of the #StrongestTown Contest. Chuck also discusses a documentary film he's being featured in. Mentioned in this episode: Strong Towns Summit Summit transportation document: "A Transportation Revolution" Strongest Town Contest The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver The Road by Cormac McCarthy "Almost half of Americans have dogs. Do they also need cars?" by Gracen Johnson

Today we’re sharing the audio from a webcast we recorded earlier this week with representatives from the two final towns competing in our StrongestTown Contest—Traverse City, Michigan and Guelph, Ontario. You can view the webcast here if you prefer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjqrxgoiLuc Make sure to vote for the Strongest Town in this final match-up by 5pm CT on Friday, March 24.  Cast your vote here: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/3/20/the-final-strongesttown-contest-showdown-a-live-webcast

Kea Wilson (Strong Towns' Director of Community Engagement) fills in for Chuck Marohn on this weekly podcast hosted by Rachel Quednau. They discuss Kea's recent writing and an upcoming article she's working on about time banking in St. Louis, MO. They also provide some behind the scenes info about the impending Strong Towns Summit in Tulsa, OK and an update on the Strongest Town Contest. Mentioned in this podcast: The Cowry Collective in St. Louis, MO Nebraska Bike Walk Summit and Meet Up where Chuck Marohn is speaking later this week Strong Towns Summit in Tulsa, OK. Read about workshops here. Vital Little Plans by Jane Jacobs Dark Age Ahead by Jane Jacobs The Index Card: Why Personal Finance Doesn't Have to Be Complicated by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack Strongest Town Contest

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Lafayette, LA). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. Mayor Cam Guthrie and resident Mike Watt share about their town's fantastic location and famous festivals, as well as how they're handling the challenge of new growth. See photos of Guelph here and read the town's initial entry here.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Guelph, ON, Canada). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. Carlee Alm-LaBar, Director of Planning, Zoning, and Development for the Lafayette Consolidated Government, discusses her town's unique culture, their strong connection with the local university and their take on planning for their financial future. See photos of Lafayette here and read the town's initial entry here.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Traverse City, MI). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest.   In this episode, Mayor Jon Costas of Valparaiso, IN discusses his town's collaborative nature, its thriving downtown and the impact of its local university. See photos of Valparaiso here and read the town's initial entry here.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Valparaiso, IN). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. In this episode, Rick Brown and Russ Soyring of Traverse City, MI explain why their town's natural beauty, walkable neighborhoods and creative housing solutions make it a strong community. See photos of Traverse City here and read the town's initial entry here.

In a solo podcast, Chuck Marohn continues an ongoing conversation about infrastructure spending. (Listen to the first episode in this conversation, "Is there a crisis?".) Chuck discusses his letter to President Trump and the need to create a new infrastructure funding system, not keep dumping more money into the existing system. The key is giving local leaders the power to choose how that money is spent.

In their weekly update podcast, Chuck and Rachel discuss the final article in Chuck's series about the economic impacts of the Shreveport highway project. They also dish about the current standings in the Strongest Town Contest and reveal how their brackets have fared. Mentioned in this podcast: "The Economics of the I-49 Connector, Part 3" by Chuck Marohn Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones Strongest Town Contest

Rachel and Chuck discuss last week's campaign against an inner-city highway in Shreveport, plus the beginning of the 2017 #StrongestTown Contest. Mentioned in this podcast: Shreveport content from last week The Economics of the I-49 Connector: Part I and Part II Strong Talk - a video conversation with two Shreveport residents Strongest Town Contest (see the entries and vote here) Download a Strongest Town bracket  The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins The Lego Batman Movie

Steve Shultis is a long-time member of Strong Towns, a blogger at RationalUrbanism.com, a resident of inner-city Springfield, MA, and a frequent guest on the Strong Towns podcast. He and Chuck talk about traffic deaths and his interactive graphic Death Race 2016 which compares criminal homicides with traffic deaths. He also discusses media coverage about homicides vs. traffic deaths. Read Steve's past articles on Strong Towns. Listen to Steve's previous podcast interviews on urban schooling from 2015 and 2016.