What LA’s Trash Problem Reveals About Its Streets

What LA’s Trash Problem Reveals About Its Streets

Author: Strong Towns April 1, 2026 Duration: 46:17
While Los Angeles gets ready for the Olympics and World Cup, residents watch trash pile up in the places tourists never see. Chuck, Norm, and Carlee trace the links between auto‑oriented growth, a strained city budget, and basic services that can’t keep up. Through one neighborhood organizer’s Saturday cleanups, they show how garbage exposes which streets are truly cared for. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES "Talking Trash" by Alissa Walker, Torched.la (February 2026) Chuck Marohn (LinkedIn) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Carlee Alm-LaBar (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
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…
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…