Rephonic
Artwork for The Messy City Podcast

The Messy City Podcast

Kevin Klinkenberg
Urban Development
Urban Planning
New Urbanism
Community Engagement
Kansas City
Housing Affordability
Architecture
Community Development
Affordable Housing
Housing Crisis
Small-Scale Development
Real Estate Development
Urban Design
Zoning
Strong Towns
Housing Policy
YIMBY Movement
Housing Shortage
Adaptive Zoning Code
Missing Middle Housing

Embracing change, uncertainty and local initiative for our cities and towns kevinklinkenberg.substack.com

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes130Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DesignArtsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Messy City Podcast

Latest Episodes

Returning champion Aaron Lubeck joins me to discuss his exceptional piece called, “Revisiting Euclid v. Ambler at 100,” which he posted on his Substack “On Housing.” Aaron also posts and helps curate “Southern Urbanism” - an excellent publication I h... more

Architect, Author, Photographer and New Urbanist Steve Mouzon joins me to tell his story about the emergence of New Urbanism in a location that many would consider unlikely. Huntsville, Alabama might be known for Space Camp, but it’s not widely known... more

YouTube

We bring back my brother Dean on this episode, to talk about how we often let our fears overrun our lives, and how to get beyond them. Dean is not just one of my favorite humans on the planet, he’s also a clinical psychologist, author of a number of ... more

YouTube

It’s very easy for all of us to get caught up in status quo bias. We live the way we do, it must be fine, right? The way things are surely is the way they’ve been for a very long time, and probably got this way for good reasons. Or so we think, if we... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Upzoned
UpzonedStrong Towns
The War on Cars
The War on CarsThe War on Cars, LLC

Recent Guests

Dean Klinkenberg
Author of Better Safe Than Sorry; Mississippi River expert and travel writer
Dean Klinkenberg (writer/authors)
Episode: Overcoming the Fear-Industrial Complex
Vince Graham
Developer and historian, South Carolina projects (I'On, etc.)
Private real estate development; South Carolina projects
Episode: Rethinking Infrastructure Finance
Geoff Graham
Developer and historian, Yeoman podcast host
Yeoman podcast; South Carolina development
Episode: Rethinking Infrastructure Finance
Eric Kronberg
Founder/Principal at Kronberg & Associates (architecture, urban design, development)
Kronberg & Associates
Episode: How to Scale Change with Housing
Chad Gritman
Guest with a design background focusing on Midtown redevelopment
Independent designer/architect
Episode: Midtown KC, Unfiltered
Chris Elisara
Filmmaker working on Route 66 project
First and Main Films
Episode: Route 66 - America's Main Street
John Paget
Filmmaker collaborating on Route 66 project
First and Main Films
Episode: Route 66 - America's Main Street
Eli Smith
Founder/leader of the Faith-Based Housing Initiative
Faith-Based Housing Initiative
Episode: Seeking Faith-Based Solutions to Housing
Zach Molzer
Developer, Molzer Development
Molzer Development
Episode: You Can Just Do Things

Host

Kevin Klinkenberg
Host of The Messy City Podcast

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 66 ratings
  • :)

    I love the host’s bias towards action over policy. His guests are so interesting! They are largely people I would never have heard about otherwise, and it’s so instructive to hear their stories. I do wish the host had a better mic. His content quality deserves equivalent sound quality.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nsmcc
    United States7 months ago
  • Recommended for those interested in cities and places

    As someone with an interest in urban design and improving where I live, I really enjoy the messy city podcast. Kevin is a very knowledgeable and down to earth host, interviews interesting guests, and doesn’t need to over hype. A genuinely good podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AnAussieListener
    Australia7 months ago
  • A great listen even for non-experts like me

    I’m a dilettante urbanist, and this podcast is one of my favorites for hearing experts break down how to improve our cities in tangible ways. Kevin does a great job of keeping the conversations informative yet still accessible for non-technical folks like me.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    the stellion
    United States2 years ago
  • Econ Dev

    This is my favourite economic development podcast hands down, even ahead of the Strong Towns podcasts. The exploration to incremental development and small developers is super useful information even for small towns. Very insightful and useful conversations. I recommend this to anyone in Econ dev, town/city administration, councils, etc.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Frontball
    Canada2 years ago
  • Great information

    Enjoying listening to what others are doing around the country. Inspiring interviews and discussions.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Lake Dallas Tiny Home Village
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise actionable, guest-led conversations and the host's practical lens on city-making.
Fans note accessible discussions that still dive into technical aspects of planning and design.
Some listeners wish for more polished audio quality to match high-quality content.
The show is valued for featuring under-the-radar experts and real-world progress in urban development.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#40
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#137
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#81
Australia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#53
Finland/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#73
New Zealand/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#86
Norway/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How to Scale Change with Housing
Q: Why focus on small-scale housing rather than large multifamily projects?
Smaller projects are cost-effective, faster to entitle and build, and unlock a much broader base of housing providers, including individual homeowners and local contractors, which can dramatically expand supply.
How to Scale Change with Housing
Q: What role does zoning and building code play in enabling missing middle housing?
Zoning and code changes are pivotal; incremental quick fixes in Atlanta showed tangible progress, while longer-term reforms require leadership and citizen buy-in to shift how neighborhoods evolve.
How to Scale Change with Housing
Q: What is the Housing Choice Catalog and why was it created?
The catalog evolved from InkDev's early charrettes and tools, built to present practical infill solutions that work at small scales and can be implemented by nonprofits or small developers, with a focus on cost, code, and site planning.
You Can Just Do Things
Q: What is the Aladdin, and why did you pursue it as your first project?
The host seeks the story behind the decision to acquire and redevelop a historic hotel into a multi-use property, with Molzer emphasizing the right timing, the importance of a strong team, and the belief that it would unlock future opportunities.
You Can Just Do Things
Q: What was your role with the Tulsa group and how did that lead to you starting Molzer Development?
He describes fundraising, deal sourcing, in-house construction, and taking on many roles to understand the business from the ground up, which laid the groundwork for starting his own company in 2024.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Messy City Podcast

What is The Messy City Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show consistently explores urban development, housing policy, and local governance through conversations with developers, planners, designers, and filmmakers. Episodes thread practical strategies for incremental urban change, affordable housing, and walkable neighborhoods with real-world case studies from Midwest and other midsize cities. A standout trait is its hands-on, debt-to-decision maker approach—prioritizing actionable insights, community engagement, and human-centered design—often framed through a local, livable city lens. Listeners can expect grounded, experience-driven discussions that bridge policy, financing, and on-the-ground execution, with a recurring emphasis on local agency and small-scale projects as catalysts for bi... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Messy City Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Messy City Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Messy City Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Messy City Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Messy City Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Messy City Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Messy City Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Messy City Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Messy City Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Messy City Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Messy City Podcast:

1. The Strong Towns Podcast
2. Upzoned
3. The Bottom-Up Revolution
4. The War on Cars
5. The Building Culture Podcast

How many episodes of The Messy City Podcast are there?

The Messy City Podcast launched 4 years ago and published 130 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Messy City Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Messy City Podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Messy City Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Messy City Podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Messy City Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Messy City Podcast?

Recent guests on The Messy City Podcast include:

1. Dean Klinkenberg
2. Vince Graham
3. Geoff Graham
4. Eric Kronberg
5. Chad Gritman
6. Chris Elisara
7. John Paget
8. Eli Smith

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days