Why America Can't Stop Building Highways We Don't Need
Since finishing the Interstate Highway System in the 1990s, the U.S. has added 75% more urban highway lanes — and we're on track to double it again. Erick Guerra, author of "Overbuilt" and professor of regional planning, joins Chuck to discuss why we can't stop building highways we don't need and how our transportation funding system creates cities that are more dangerous and less prosperous.
Additional Show Notes
"Overbuilt: The High Costs and Low Rewards of U.S. Highway Construction" by Erick Guerra
Erick Guerra (UPenn site)
Chuck Marohn (Substack)
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
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What a Perfect Tuba Can Teach Us About Community and Resilience
Chuck is joined by Sam Quinones, author of “Dreamland” and “The Least of Us,” to talk about his newest book “The Perfect Tuba.” They discuss how a curiosity about tuba players turned into a deep exploration of hard work, community, and finding joy and purpose in difficult circumstances.
Additional Show Notes
"The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Bass Horn, Band, and Hard Work" by Sam Quinones
Connect with Sam Quinones:
Website
Twitter/X
Chuck Marohn (Substack)
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
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Short-Term Rentals Broke the Housing Market. Now What?
Chuck is joined by Joe Minicozzi, founder of the geoaccounting organization Urban3. They talk about the impact of AirBNBs and other short-term rentals on housing affordability, how our tax systems benefit rentals while hurting families, and how our cities can get the system back on track.
Additional Show Notes
Want to fix your city's housing market? Download our new housing toolkit, "Who Will Build the Housing-Ready City?" to get started.
Joe Minicozzi
Urban3 (site)
Chuck Marohn (Substack)
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
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Want To Innovate Housing in Your State? Try Copying Michigan.
Michigan is on the forefront of housing innovation, with many cities throughout the state experiencing a resurgence in population and housing options. Today, Chuck talks with Dan Gilmartin, the executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League, which was instrumental in this revival.
Additional Show Notes
Want to bring more housing to your community? Download our brand-new housing toolkit, "Who Will Build the Housing-Ready City?" for free!
Michigan Municipal League (site)
Dan Gilmartin (Twitter/X)
Chuck Marohn (Substack
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
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Do Highway Projects and Airbnb Rentals Help or Hurt Cities?
Chuck is joined by Joe Minicozzi, founder of the geoaccounting organization Urban3. They compare notes on the highway projects each of their cities is facing and discuss whether these projects bring value. They also talk about how Airbnbs affect the housing market and whether they should be taxed as houses or hotels.
Additional Show Notes
The book Joe and Chuck refer to at the end of the episode is "Overbuilt: The High Costs and Low Rewards of U.S. Highway Construction" by Erick Guerra.
Click here to watch the video version of this conversation on YouTube.
Joe Minicozzi
Urban3 (site)
Chuck Marohn (Substack)
This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.
The Strong Towns Podcast is a weekly conversation on the Strong Towns movement, hosted by Strong Towns Founder and President Charles Marohn and frequently featuring special guests. The podcast explores how we can financially strengthen our cities, towns, and neighborhoods and, in the process, make them better places to live. Join Chuck in examining how everything from urban design to economics to systems theory to psychology helps inform this core question.
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