Rephonic
Artwork for Upzoned
Strong Towns
Urban Planning
Affordable Housing
Housing Market
Housing Affordability
Community Engagement
Senior Housing
Real Estate Development
Housing Crisis
Community Development
Small Scale Development
Urban Design
Public Infrastructure
Vehicle To Everything (V2X) Technology
Indianapolis
Kansas City
Cincinnati
Tactical Urbanism
Incremental Development
Los Angeles

Sometimes, a hot new story will cross our desks that we need to talk about right away. That's where Upzoned comes in. Join Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn, Carlee Alm-LaBar, Norm Van Eeden Petersman, and other guests to talk in depth about one big story from the week in the Strong Towns conversation, right when you want it: now.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes100Founded8 years ago
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Artwork for Upzoned

Latest Episodes

Chuck Marohn has long been critical of housing research that treats affordability as a simple supply problem. This week, he brings Andrew Burleson, chair of the Strong Towns board, and Jeff Fong, a board member at YIMBY Action, a new paper on Austral... more

When Charlotte and its regional planning body withdrew support for a $4.3 billion widening of Interstate 77, North Carolina lawmakers responded by threatening a $60 million penalty and a funding cutoff. Host Carlee Alm-LaBar is joined by Patrick Kenn... more

A decade ago, a row of North Park storefronts was cleared for a university housing project that never came. The businesses are gone, the buildings are mostly empty, and neighbors are still pushing Northeastern Illinois University to act. Norm Van Eed... more

With the World Cup coming to North America, millions of visitors will encounter more than stadiums and soccer. They’ll also encounter the transportation systems, infrastructure gaps, and car-dependent development patterns that shape daily life in U.S... more

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Recent Guests

John Reuter
Incoming Executive Director of Strong Towns
Strong Towns
Episode: Charlotte Said No to a $4.3 Billion Highway. Now the State Wants $60 Million Back.
Patrick Kennedy
Founder of the Human Ecosystem in American Dream City; urban design consultant and think tank
Human Ecosystem / American Dream City
Episode: Charlotte Said No to a $4.3 Billion Highway. Now the State Wants $60 Million Back.
Bernice Radle
Incremental developer in Buffalo, founder of Neighborhood Evolution, co-leader of Strong Towns Buffalo Local Conversation Group
Neighborhood Evolution / Strong Towns Buffalo
Episode: Why Do Vacant Storefronts Stay Vacant?
Alex Montero
Urbanist and co-leader of Strong Towns Chicago; comedian
Strong Towns Chicago
Episode: Why Do Vacant Storefronts Stay Vacant?
Rick Cole
Pasadena City Council member, former mayor; long-time Strong Towns member
Pasadena City Council
Episode: The World Cup and America’s Own Goal
Sam Quinones
Author and journalist
Author of The Least of Us, Dreamland, and related works
Episode: The Tuba and What It Actually Takes to Build Community
Edward Erfurt
Strong Towns Chief Technical Advisor
Strong Towns
Episode: Are We Trying to Build No Houses?
Thomas Hooks
Lafayette City Councilman
Lafayette City Council
Episode: Are We Trying to Build No Houses?
Jamie Sabbach
Parks and Recreation Consultant, founder of 110 Percent
110 Percent (Parks & Recreation Consulting)
Episode: When The Ribbon Cutting Is the Cheapest Part

Hosts

Chuck Marohn
Host of Upzoned (Strong Towns); President of Strong Towns; frequently referenced as host/guide in the series
Norm Van Eeden Petersman
Host of Upzoned; Co-host; represents Strong Towns
Carlee Alm-LaBar
Co-host of Upzoned; Chief of Staff at Strong Towns

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 277 ratings
  • I Miss Abby!

    I was a big fan of the show but all of the sudden there’s no Abby, and chuck doesn’t even mention what happened to her. I feel like she deserves better than that for the years she put in as host. Norm seems nice but just makes it feel a lot less casual and, honestly, kinda boring. Feels uptight. Not sure I’ll continue listening. I’ll just stick to strong towns. I hope you guys re-evaluate…. Again.

    5/5 with Abby, 2.5/5 after.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Jennessy92
    United States3 months ago
  • More on data centers please!

    Your recent episode on data centers was unbelievably timely as we just learned of a proposal to put a data center on the edge of our 1 mile square town in PA. I had no idea what to expect before listening to this podcast. I’d love to hear Chuck’s thoughts as well.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Eusebius Beade
    United States10 months ago
  • Cut it down

    Please please please hire an editor. I don’t mind a bit of chatter, 7 minutes of uninteresting chatter to start an episode is too much.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Lowly intern boi
    United States2 years ago
  • Abby leads the show

    I really want to like this show more. Abby is a great host and has interesting guests on, but when Chuck is on the show I find it hard to listen beyond even their introductions. His vibe is just off and lacks adding substantial value to the show. He also rambles far too much about his personal life.

    As a result, when he’s on I almost always move on from the episode.

    However, when Chuck is not on the show, I always tune in to the entire episode!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    @kyleinphoenix
    United States3 years ago
  • Don’t “both sides” everything

    Give credibility to conspiracy theories about the 15-minute city. You can’t both side everything

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Alessandro Rigolon
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Guests with hands-on municipal experience are frequently highlighted as strong anchors for the conversations.
Listeners appreciate the practical, ground-level focus on urbanism and how policy translates to neighborhoods.
Some episodes spark criticism of long debates or VFM critiques, but many find the data-driven insights valuable for city planning.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

New York’s Bracket And The Politics Of Maintenance
Q: When the mayor and his team dream this up, what problem do you think they were trying to solve?
They were likely aiming to boost citizen engagement and visibility around maintenance, using a gamified approach to draw attention to small-scale fixes while attempting to build trust and political capital through inclusive participation.
Unpacking The Myth That Growth Pays For Growth
Q: How do CMHC data and the 107,000 infrastructure figure relate to current DCC policies?
CMHC data and the 107,000 per unit suggest that most new housing requires far more infrastructure than DCCs typically recover, indicating a structural financing gap that DCC reductions alone cannot resolve.
Unpacking The Myth That Growth Pays For Growth
Q: What are the implications of halving development cost charges when funding is capped at 8.8 billion across projects?
Halving DCCs would slash upfront funding for new projects, but the 8.8 billion does not fully cover the projected expansion, leaving a significant shortfall and forcing communities to absorb higher long-term infrastructure costs or adjust expectations on housing supply.
Will Elon Musk's Data Centers Actually Help Memphis?
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Asia talks about her role as a staff writer at Strong Towns and her experience hosting a podcast called Stacked Against Us.
How Mortgage Fraud Makes the Housing Market More Expensive
Q: So what do you think the intent here is? Making this a, I guess it's a political maneuver, but bringing this to light, I mean, is the intent to actually curb mortgage fraud in a meaningful way?
No, I don't think they care about mortgage fraud.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Upzoned

What is Upzoned about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Upzoned covers timely, in-depth discussions on urban planning, housing policy, and municipal finance through the lens of Strong Towns' initiatives. Recent episodes emphasize real-world constraints and pragmatic reforms—ranging from local governance and zoning debates to maintenance costs, park and public-space planning, and grassroots urbanism. The show often features practitioners, policy experts, and researchers who offer practical insights for cities aiming to be more resilient, affordable, and responsive to residents, with a consistent focus on local action over top-down mandates. A notable strength is weaving compelling case studies and on-the-ground experience into accessible conversations that help listeners understand how policy tra... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Upzoned?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Upzoned:

1. The Strong Towns Podcast
2. The Bottom-Up Revolution
3. The Urbanist Agenda
4. The War on Cars
5. The Messy City Podcast

How many episodes of Upzoned are there?

Upzoned launched 8 years ago and published 100 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 Upzoned?

Recent guests on Upzoned include:

1. John Reuter
2. Patrick Kennedy
3. Bernice Radle
4. Alex Montero
5. Rick Cole
6. Sam Quinones
7. Edward Erfurt
8. Thomas Hooks

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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