5 Ways Ordinary People Are Making Their Places Stronger

5 Ways Ordinary People Are Making Their Places Stronger

Author: Strong Towns November 12, 2025 Duration: 56:07
Abby is joined by Carlee Alm-LaBar, the chief of staff for Strong Towns, and John Reuter, advisory board member for Strong Towns. They discuss several stories of people across the country taking action to make their communities better, from building houses to painting curbs. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement today! Read more: Strong Towns San Diego - Curb Chalking Monte Anderson - Roommate House Strong Towns Langley - Baffle Gates Strong Towns Blono - Design Charette Strong Towns Nanaimo - Eliminating Parking Mandates Abby Newsham (X/Twitter) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.

Each week, Upzoned takes a single, pressing story from the world of urban development, municipal policy, and community economics and holds it up to the light. Hosts Abby Kinney and Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns, sometimes joined by a guest, don't just skim the headlines. They dig into the nuances of a specific zoning decision, a new infrastructure project, or a shifting demographic trend, asking what it reveals about how we actually build our cities, towns, and neighborhoods. The conversation is grounded in the practical, bottom-up philosophy of the Strong Towns movement, making complex topics accessible and immediately relevant. This isn't a broad news recap; it's a focused, thoughtful dissection for anyone curious about why their community looks and functions the way it does. You'll hear informed debate, critical analysis, and a persistent questioning of conventional wisdom, all aimed at understanding how we can create places that are financially resilient and genuinely enriching for the people who live in them. Tune in for a deeper, more substantive take on the stories that shape our shared spaces.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Upzoned
Podcast Episodes
When a Building Is Demolished, What Should Happen to the Materials? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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“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 that…
The 15 Minute City - A Good Life or an Infringement on Freedoms? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:51
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We’re Getting Worse at Construction Despite Technology Advances [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:41
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Portland’s Cully Neighborhood To Use “The One Ring” for Good [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:35
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…
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Duration: 31:28
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People Move to Places with Zoning Laws, Ergo Zoning Is Good? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:08
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 pla…
Thanks for a Great Year [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:46
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!

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