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The Strong Towns Podcast

Strong Towns
Strong Towns
Transit Costs
Opioid Epidemic
Urban Planning
U.S. Transit
Hazard
Parking Mandates
Entrepreneurship
Community Engagement
Sprawl
New York
Public Transportation
Parking Reform
Community Recovery
Housing Ownership
Parcel Mapping
Local Conversations Program
Affordable Housing
Sustainable Development
Minnesota

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 ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes600Founded16 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Government

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Artwork for The Strong Towns Podcast

Latest Episodes

Chuck walks through three ways of seeing the housing crisis: supply, demand, and the Strong Towns view that grapples with “dark finance” and capital flows. He explains why campaign-style wins and single-variable fixes rarely deliver real affordabilit... more

For years, the dominant explanation for America’s infrastructure problems has been that we haven’t invested enough. Yet federal spending on transportation is at historic highs, and frustration with the results continues to grow.

This report offers a... more

Why 95% of planners get it wrong, how monetary policy killed Main Street, and why Chuck Marohn is optimistic about Gen Z. This wide-ranging conversation, first featured on the Yeoman podcast with Geoff Graham, explores the difference between Jane Jac... more

In this year’s State of Strong Towns address, Chuck Marohn reflects on where the movement stands at the start of 2026 — what’s changed, what’s growing, and how the work ahead remains grounded in humility, restraint, and bottom-up action.

Additional ... more

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Recent Guests

Brian Reisinger
Author of 'Land Rich, Cash Poor' and consultant on rural issues.
Episode: How To Build Resilience in Struggling Rural Communities
Ryan Short
Co-founder of Civic Brand
Civic Brand
Episode: A Shared Identity Makes Cities Strong. Here's How To Find Yours.
Andres Duany
Influential urban planner known for his work in new urbanism.
Episode: Did New Urbanism Win the Debate But Lose the War?
Laura Foote
Advocate for housing and executive director at YIMBY Action
YIMBY Action
Episode: Broken Incentives Made the Housing Crisis. How Do We Fix Them?
Erick Guerra
Professor of regional planning and author of Overbuilt, The High Costs and Low Rewards of US Highway Construction.
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Why America Can't Stop Building Highways We Don't Need
Dan Gilmartin
Executive Director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League
Michigan Municipal League
Episode: Want To Innovate Housing in Your State? Try Copying Michigan.
Vignesh Swaminathan
Civil engineer and project manager at Kimley-Horn, known for advocating for bike lanes and urban safety as Mr. Barricade.
Kimley-Horn
Episode: How Mr. Barricade Is Shaping the Future of Street Safety
James Anderson
Head of Government Innovation Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies
Episode: James Anderson: How to Encourage Innovation in Local Government
Steve Nygren
Developer and founder of Serenbe, author of 'Start in Your Own Backyard, Transforming Where We Live with Radical Common Sense'
Serenbe
Episode: Using Radical Common Sense To Build Great Places, With Steve Nygren

Host

Charles Marohn
Founder and President of Strong Towns, engaging in discussions about local finance and community resilience, and often featuring perspectives on urban planning and sustainability.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 745 ratings
  • Less Chuck Please

    Good podcast if you want to listen to a middle age white man talk about himself. Used to be much better. Please let the other Strong Towns staff takeover all of the podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Bikes are cool
    United States2 months ago
  • Continuing education for local elected

    I love everything strong towns does! As a local elected I have so much to learn, it is daunting. ST helps!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    UnicornAnonymousPerson
    United States7 months ago
  • Great recent episode

    Really enjoyed the episode with Mark Moses. I ordered his book and am looking forward to reading it. Strong Towns has great content and insight. I need to push back on some of the prior reviews, I think they do a really good job with nuance. Also, they cover local finance and urban development in a way critically missing by others.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    T Ferrin
    United Statesa year ago
  • Quickly becoming an unbearable listen

    This used to be a great podcast, but it’s clear they have stepped beyond their scope of expertise. Listening to Chuck try to explain economics/finance is like listening to a kindergartner explain physics.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Ksushyguy
    United Statesa year ago
  • Decent idea but…

    It’s a good start but apparently when all you have is a hammer, even the washing machine gets treated as if it were a nail. The StrongTowns viewpoint tries to paint everything with a simple problem and it ignores the complex wicked problems that are actually creating fiscal issues.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    YNP_stronk
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

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

Some review the host's approach as overly complex or lacking depth in certain areas.
Listeners praise the insightful discussions on urban design and community resilience.
The podcast is noted for its strong advocacy for local governance and grassroots initiatives.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#39
United States/Government
Apple Podcasts
#28
Canada/Government
Apple Podcasts
#195
United Kingdom/Government
Apple Podcasts
#13
Italy/Government
Apple Podcasts
#72
Germany/Government
Apple Podcasts
#91
Australia/Government

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How To Build Resilience in Struggling Rural Communities
Q: Can you talk about the consulting work that you do and how people can get a hold of you?
I work on my own book projects and columns on rural issues, and I also work as a messaging consultant in public affairs.
What is Happening With Strong Towns? Strategy Discussion and Q&A
Q: How do you envision Strong Towns as an effective mediator between city and real estate developers?
Strong Towns aims to facilitate conversations that empower developers to create solutions that align with community interests.
What is Happening With Strong Towns? Strategy Discussion and Q&A
Q: Do any of our focus areas, those five core campaigns, get more interest than others?
Yes, campaigns for safe streets, incremental housing, and ending parking minimums tend to get more interest due to their tangible impact.
Housing Q&A: 16 Questions on Incremental Housing Development
Q: What measures can support five to six story apartment buildings?
Building near transit and enhancing the underlying value of neighborhoods can support five to six story developments without stagnating local markets.
Housing Q&A: 16 Questions on Incremental Housing Development
Q: What can local governments do beyond streamlining zoning to facilitate incremental development?
Local governments need to create an ecosystem for incremental developers and localize finance to effectively build entry-level housing units.

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 Strong Towns Podcast

What is The Strong Towns Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Conversations focus on the fiscal health of cities and towns, with experts discussing urban design, affordable housing, local governance, and strategies for community resilience. The dialogue emphasizes a shift towards sustainable growth models, urging local leaders to adopt innovative approaches to managing urban development and public services. A unique aspect is the strong advocacy for community-centric planning and how grassroots initiatives can address complex spatial and economic challenges that cities face today. The content encourages listeners to re-imagine their communities, offering actionable insights to navigate the evolving landscape of urban living.

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Which podcasts are similar to The Strong Towns Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Strong Towns Podcast:

1. The War on Cars
2. The Urbanist Agenda
3. The Bottom-Up Revolution
4. Volts
5. The Ezra Klein Show

How many episodes of The Strong Towns Podcast are there?

The Strong Towns Podcast launched 16 years ago and published 600 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Strong Towns Podcast?

Recent guests on The Strong Towns Podcast include:

1. Brian Reisinger
2. Ryan Short
3. Andres Duany
4. Laura Foote
5. Erick Guerra
6. Dan Gilmartin
7. Vignesh Swaminathan
8. James Anderson

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.

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