Public Transit Will Collapse in a Year. Should We Save It?

Public Transit Will Collapse in a Year. Should We Save It?

Author: Strong Towns October 8, 2025 Duration: 1:00:44
By the end of 2026, many U.S. cities could see large parts of their public transit systems crumble under a lack of federal funding and a development pattern that was never designed to support it. In this episode, Chuck Marohn and Abby Newsham explore why transit can’t survive as a charity and how localized funding and smarter land use could create systems that actually work. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES On October 24, Chuck will join the author of today's article, Jarrett Walker, for a member-exclusive deep dive into transit. Become a Strong Towns member to join in! “Should We Let Public Transit Die?” by Jarrett Walker, Bloomberg City Lab (September 2025) Abby Newsham (X/Twitter).‍‍ Chuck Marohn (Substack) 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
What Does the Future Look Like for Tiny Towns? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:14
Co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the challenges faced by Victoria, Prince Edward Island, a town in Canada that only has 139 full-time residents. In an attempt to attract new residents, the town has adopted…
How a Popular Development Practice Backfires on Homeowners [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:49
Residents of a neighborhood in Colorado are confronting a $434 million debt incurred by their community’s special taxing district, which was set up by developers to finance the neighborhood’s infrastructure. A group of n…
How To Handle the Looming Shortage of Senior Housing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:21
The U.S. senior housing market is poised to shift from a surplus to a shortage in the next five years, as the oldest baby boomers turn 80 by 2030. In this Upzoned episode, Abby is joined by Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Stro…
How To Reform Chicago Zoning: The Western Avenue Project [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:04
In this episode, Abby is joined by Chicago aldermen Matt Martin and Andre Vasquez to discusses the Western Avenue corridor study, one of the most ambitious planning efforts Chicago has seen in decades. It includes widesp…
Why Massachusetts Might Sue Its Cities Over Zoning Codes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:04
In 2021, Massachusetts signed a law requiring communities that are served by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) to legalize multifamily housing development near MBTA transit stations. Recently, a state court…
Is Life More Difficult for Younger Generations? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:32
In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Kevin Klinkenberg, an urban designer, planner and executive director of a place management organization. They discuss how a middle-class life — especially homeow…
Motivated Reasoning: The Psychology Behind Big Municipal Projects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:33
In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn talk about satellite communities — towns that are developed a distance away from existing urbanized areas. They also discuss the psychological phenomena…
Urban Forests Are the Stroads of Urban Environmental Policy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:41
Canada needs an additional 3.5 million housing units by 2030, and that means Canadian cities — as well as many others throughout North America — are facing the challenge of building more housing without wasting natural r…