How To Fix Washington DC's New Rules for Outdoor Dining

How To Fix Washington DC's New Rules for Outdoor Dining

Author: Strong Towns November 26, 2025 Duration: 51:42
Last week, we heard how DC's outdoor dining regulations threaten local businesses. Today, urban designers Abby Newsham and Edward Erfurt explore how DC could course-correct. They share creative ways that cities can maintain safety while supporting local businesses and even improving the design of their streets. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES "After five years, D.C. streateries hit with higher costs and more rules" by By Tim Carman and Rachel Weiner, The Washington Post (November 2025) Painting of a food hall street (Passeig de l'Escultor Miquel Blay, Olot, Espana by Abby Newsham) Abby Newsham (X/Twitter) Edward Erfurt (LinkedIn) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

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
Here’s Why You May See More Corner Stores in the Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:44
Post-COVID-19, there’s been a resurgence of interest in mixed-use neighborhoods, leading some cities to allow for small corner stores even in neighborhoods that are otherwise residential only. In this Upzoned episode, ho…
Can “Urban Homesteading” Help Cities Fight the Housing Crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:36
In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by John Anderson, a builder and developer in Georgia, to discuss the Strong Towns take on “urban homesteading,” where cities sell derelict houses to people for $1 i…
What Is the Strong Towns Response to Natural Disasters? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:43
Editor's Note: We are deeply saddened to see the damage Hurricane Helene has done to Western North Carolina. Please see the additional notes for ways you can help. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Ch…
Can Vehicle to Everything (V2X) Technology Make Streets Safer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:21
The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced a national deployment plan of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology, a wireless communication tool that allows vehicles to transmit data on speed, location, road condi…
From Silos to Success: How To Make City Building More Collaborative [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:05
In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the article “Toward a New Way of Educating City Builders” by Seth Zeren, a founding member of Strong Towns. They discuss the many different disci…
Incremental Development: Ladies Power Hour [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:42
In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by small-scale developers Alli Quinlan and Bernice Radle. They discuss their experiences in the field of incremental development, how to make incremental developmen…
Is the American Dream out of Reach for Most People? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:47
In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss a Wall Street Journal article titled “The American Dream Feels Out of Reach for Most.” They talk about how inflation and high housing costs can p…
How To Build Better Places Through Small-Scale Development [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:11
This week, Upzoned host Abby Newsham and The Messy City Podcast host Kevin Klinkenberg are working together in a special collaborative episode. They are joined by Jim Heid, a Californian landscape architect turned small-…
Fire Departments Can Help Make Streets Safer, and Here’s How [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:16
In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the article “Huge Fire Trucks Are Making Us All Less Safe” by Collin Woodard. They talk about how North American fire trucks are unusual for thei…