Today, Abby is joined by Bernice Radle, a small-scale developer and historic building preservationist from Buffalo, New York. They cover two developing stories: First, a new bill was proposed that would give the Buffalo housing court more power to sell or repair buildings taken from absentee or negligent landlords. Second, the Historic Preservation Fund is currently at risk. Bernice and Abby discuss how these changes could affect small-scale developers and historic preservationists. Bernice also...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 253
Residents of Boca Chica, Texas, have voted to turn their community into a new official city called Starbase. This new municipality is tightly controlled by SpaceX leadership and most residents are SpaceX employees, which has raised concerns about the reemergence of company towns. In this Upzoned episode, Abby is joined by our Chief Technical Advisor Edward Erfurt to discuss the Strong Towns perspective on this story. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Elon Musk’s company town: SpaceX employees vote to crea...
May 14, 2025•44 min•Ep. 252
As of the 2023-24 academic year, the University of California faces $9.1 billion in deferred maintenance, while California State University faces $8.3 billion. In today’s episode, Chuck and Abby explore how this problem arose, how it mirrors the challenges cities are facing, and what it'll take to manage this decline. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Inside a $17 billion maintenance backlog plaguing California’s universities ” by Victoria Mejicanos, Matthew Reagan and Mercy Sosa, CalMatters (April 2025)....
May 07, 2025•56 min•Ep. 251
President Trump has proposed the privatization of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, organizations that back the majority of mortgages in the U.S. and have been under a government conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis. In this Upzoned episode, Chuck and Abby discuss the proposal and how it would affect the housing market. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ How Trump plans to get government out of the mortgage business ” by Paige Sutherland and Meghna Chakrabarti, WBUR On Point (March 2025). Abby Newsham...
Apr 09, 2025•59 min•Ep. 250
In this Upzoned episode, Abby is joined by Strong Towns Chief Technical Advisor Edward Erfurt to discuss the emergence of food deserts in the United States. In the 1980s, the U.S. government stopped enforcing price discrimination laws, letting large supermarkets use their size to leverage better prices from suppliers. This led to the closure of many small, independent groceries and helped create today's food deserts. Abby and Edward discuss the shift from grocery stores being neighborhood assets...
Mar 19, 2025•49 min•Ep. 249
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 its first five-year development plan. Chuck and Abby talk about how very small towns like Victoria show the absurdities of the Suburban Experiment best — and feel its consequences most keenly. They explore what the future could look like for communities like this and emphasize th...
Mar 05, 2025•55 min•Ep. 248
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 neighbors are now organizing to take control of the district’s board and try to bring transparency to the financial situation. In today’s episode of Upzoned, Abby is joined by Edward Erfurt, Strong Towns’ chief technical advisor. They discuss how using special taxing districts to ...
Feb 26, 2025•46 min•Ep. 247
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, Strong Towns’ director of Movement Building. They unpack the implications of this market shift and discuss what building more options for older adults could look like. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Aging Boomers Are About to Rekindle the Senior-Housing Market ” by Peter Grant, The Wall Str...
Feb 19, 2025•42 min•Ep. 246
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 widespread rezoning reform, and it also addresses affordable housing, economic vitality and transit efficiency. The aldermen share their approach to rezoning, emphasizing the importance of a community-first approach. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Let’s fix Western Avenue and make Chicago str...
Feb 12, 2025•40 min•Ep. 245
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 ruled that the state has the authority to sue cities and towns that don’t comply. In this episode of Upzoned, Abby and Chuck discuss whether that’s a good idea, the broader trend of states intervening in city zoning practices, and how the root issue is actually poor transportatio...
Jan 29, 2025•52 min•Ep. 244
In California, many major insurers have recently dropped homeowners in high risk areas from their plans, forcing them to seek alternate coverage with the state. However the state has nowhere near enough money to cover current property damage costs, a situation that will likely get worse as wildfires continue to burn. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the impact of natural disasters on the insurance industry, the feasibility of government-run insurance pro...
Jan 22, 2025•41 min•Ep. 243
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 homeownership — has become increasingly difficult for younger generations to attain. They also cover the factors that contribute to this difficulty and possible responses. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Transcript available on our site . “ Is a Middle Class Life Still Attainable? ” by Tom Owen...
Jan 08, 2025•39 min•Ep. 242
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 that incline people toward big projects that may solve an immediate issue (such as housing) but will cause larger difficulties later on (such as maintenance debt). ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Tewin's $590M infrastructure bill locks in 'forever sprawl,' councillor says ” by Arthur Whi...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 241
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 resources like mature trees. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss this balancing act, the high value that trees bring to a community, and why sacrificing “urban forests” for housing doesn’t have to mean sacrificing those trees. ADDITIONAL SHOW...
Nov 27, 2024•44 min•Ep. 240
In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Andrew Ganahl, managing partner of a real estate development company that specializes in urban infill housing. They discuss a Washington Post article about townhouses, exploring the benefits of this style of development and Ganahl’s own experiences with building townhouses in Kansas City. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ The new American Dream should be a townhouse ” by Amanda Shendruk and Heather Long, The Washington Post (October 2024). Andrew ...
Nov 20, 2024•41 min•Ep. 239
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, host Abby Newsham is joined by Norm Van Eeden Petersman, the director of membership and development for Strong Towns. They discuss the role that small corner stores play in local economies, the benefits of allowing residents to continue using and creating these kinds of businesses,...
Nov 13, 2024•46 min•Ep. 238
After the collapse of a Florida condo made national news in 2021, new safety regulations were enacted, requiring nearly 90% of Florida units to be updated. This left condo owners and buyers blindsided by a large backlog of deferred maintenance costs with no money saved to pay for them. In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn explain that this situation is an example of the Growth Ponzi Scheme, where maintenance costs are hidden by rapid growth until they eventually com...
Nov 06, 2024•58 min•Ep. 237
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 in exchange for a promise to renovate the property and live there for a period of time. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Can Selling Off Homes for $1 Solve Urban Blight? ” by Rowan Bridge, BBC (October 2024). Abby Newsham (X/Twitter). Chuck Marohn (X/Twitter) . Theme Music by Kemet the Pha...
Oct 23, 2024•49 min•Ep. 236
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 Chuck Marohn discuss managed retreat, where the federal government buys land from people to encourage them to move away from areas at high risk for natural disaster. According to the article, to actually move the necessary amount of people, the government needs to increase its effo...
Oct 16, 2024•47 min•Ep. 235
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 condition and other basic information. The DOT plans to implement this technology in 75% of the nation's intersections over the next decade or so. In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Strong Towns Director of Community Action Edward Erfurt. They discuss how V2X t...
Oct 09, 2024•51 min•Ep. 234
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 disciplines that are responsible for shaping the built environment, the professional silos that often develop between these disciplines, and how a shift in management or the way people think about urban development as a whole could break down these barriers. If you’d like to hear more...
Oct 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 233
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 development more feasible in your city, and the importance of encouraging women to become incremental developers. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Alli Quinlan (LinkedIn) . Bernice Radle (LinkedIn) . Abby Newsham (X/Twitter) . Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom ....
Sep 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 232
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 put the American Dream out of reach for many people, as well as the trade-offs that people may be forced to make between different life priorities, such as career fulfillment and homeownership. They also explore the importance of strong community relationships in finding happiness...
Sep 18, 2024•59 min•Ep. 231
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-scale developer, to discuss the real estate profession and why he thinks it can solve a lot of modern problems. Heid runs the Small Scale Developer Forum and has a new book called “Building Small: A Toolkit for Real Estate Entrepreneurs, Civic Leaders, and Great Communities.” ADD...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 230
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 their massive sizes, how accommodating such large trucks makes streets more dangerous and how fire departments could adapt to improve public safety. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ Huge Fire Trucks Are Making Us All Less Safe ” by Collin Woodard, Yahoo News (August 2024). The fire engine c...
Sep 04, 2024•57 min•Ep. 229
In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn talk about the rapid population decline of children under five years old in large urban areas. They discuss the factors that can drive would-be urban families out of cities, how the rapidly declining population will affect services like schools and the importance of cities being able to accommodate diverse lifestyles in a dynamic way. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES “ The Urban Family Exodus Is a Warning for Progressives ,” by Derek Thomps...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 228
In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn talk about the Olympic Village that was built in Paris and what the city plans to do with the development now that the Games are over. They discuss the accusations of gentrification and greenwashing that Paris officials are facing, the challenges inherent in trying to complete large-scale, sustainable projects on a deadline, and lessons that both Paris and Los Angeles — which will be hosting the 2028 Games — can take from past ho...
Aug 21, 2024•55 min•Ep. 227
Indianapolis officials are encouraging residents to be involved in improving the city, both through fund-matching programs and by opening a lending library of tools and equipment to help residents start pilot projects. In this Upzoned episode, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn talk about how Indianapolis’ programs and initiatives are a great example of changing a city’s bureaucratic structure and processes to better meet residents’ needs. They discuss the growing pains that come with this k...
Aug 14, 2024•53 min•Ep. 226
In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by Jason Carter-Solomon, an incremental developer and commercial lender in Kansas City, to talk about financing small-scale development. They discuss the layers of risk that small-scale developers must navigate, and Solomon offers his perspective and advice on facing common challenges, such as dealing with entitlements and building inspectors. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Jason Carter-Solomon (LinkedIn). Abby Newsham (X/Twitter). Theme Music by Ke...
Aug 07, 2024•49 min•Ep. 225
This fall, seven states will have the opportunity to cut — or abolish, in some cases — property taxes, according to an article by Governing . In this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn discuss the Strong Towns perspective on property taxes, the consequences of removing them and how most people (including city officials) don’t realize how much it costs to run a city. Chuck emphasizes that Strong Towns is not anti-tax and that taxes are essential to successfully running any...
Jul 31, 2024•46 min•Ep. 224
