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

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.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes100Founded8 years ago
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Artwork for Upzoned

Latest Episodes

Would you welcome a massive data center to your town if the developer promised your household $1,000 every year? That's the offer facing residents of De Soto, Kansas, in Isabella Ledonne's article, “De Soto Data Center Plans to Offer $1,000 to Househ... more

“Build it and they will come” sounds confident until the project is finished and nobody comes. The Neighborhood Playbook, a placemaking guide built around testing what people actually respond to before making larger investments, turns 10 this year. C... more

Edmonton changed its zoning to allow more homes in existing neighborhoods, and Alberta has now given the city three months to undo those reforms. The fight, reported by Global News in “Edmonton Mayor Pushes Back as Alberta Orders Reversal of Infill H... more

A reliable bus is a big improvement, but Mobile is also looking at how appearance, comfort and the experience around the trip can make transit more appealing to people who have other options. The idea comes from “A Streetcar Named Spiro: Mobile Mayor... more

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Recent Guests

Joe Nickol
Co-founder and principal of Yard & Company, co-author of The Neighborhood Playbook
Yard & Company
Episode: Is “Build It and They Will Come” Backward?
Max Musicant
Founder and principal of The Musicant Group, focused on the design, programming, operation, and care of shared spaces
The Musicant Group
Episode: Is “Build It and They Will Come” Backward?
Mitch Durand-Wood
Author of the Dear Winnipeg blog and author of the book You'll Pay for This
Strong Towns / Author
Episode: Can You Overrule a City’s Zoning?
Edward Erfurt
Chief Technical Advisor at Strong Towns
Strong Towns
Episode: Can You Overrule a City’s Zoning?
Levette Fuller
Strong Towns board member and former Shreveport city council member; founding member of Reform Shreveport
Strong Towns; Reform Shreveport
Episode: Can a Trolley Make People Want Transit?
Wanda Cochran
Attorney with City Law, Alabama
City Law, Alabama; Strong Towns member
Episode: Can a Trolley Make People Want Transit?
Stephanie Kestelman
Director of Housing at Arnold Ventures
Arnold Ventures
Episode: Can We Predict Which Housing Reforms Will Work?
Grace Gordon
Research Lead and Project Manager at The Turnout
The Turnout
Episode: Can We Predict Which Housing Reforms Will Work?
Peter Norton
Associate Professor of History at the University of Virginia; author of Fighting Traffic and Autonorama
University of Virginia
Episode: The Street Redesign No One Can Agree On

Hosts

Chuck Marohn
Host of Upzoned
Norm Van Eeden Petersman
Host of Upzoned; Strong Towns contributor
Carlee Alm-LaBar
Host of Upzoned; Strong Towns contributor

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 278 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 States7 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 Statesa year 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 States4 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 States4 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Some viewers criticize pacing or host dynamics but praise depth when guest experts drive the discussion.
The show is valued for challenging conventional planning and offering actionable ideas for communities of different sizes.
Listeners appreciate data-driven insights on urban policy and practical, incremental approaches to town-building.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Is “Build It and They Will Come” Backward?
Q: Where do you see placemaking and this type of work going in the future?
Max Musicant says the term placemaking has become less meaningful as it has been stretched to fit funding and approval priorities. He hopes the work will be understood as an ongoing process that connects activities, organizations, and care of place, rather than as a single project or designated feature.
Is “Build It and They Will Come” Backward?
Q: Should developers go into a neighborhood with a plan to build a certain type of building or should they remain completely open?
Joe Nickol says communities should clarify what makes a place special and what its desired character should be, while giving developers enough flexibility to invest responsibly. He recommends focusing discussion on the first 16 feet where private projects meet shared public space. Max Musicant adds that communities can make desired building types easier to develop and use the playbook to demonstrate local demand.
When Did Letting Kids Play Outside Become a Crime?
Q: How can we reconcile concerns about safety with the need for independence?
By improving traffic safety, redesigning streets, and adopting policies like reasonable childhood independence laws that narrowly define neglect and protect kids while enabling age-appropriate autonomy.
When Did Letting Kids Play Outside Become a Crime?
Q: What should a healthy, normal culture around kids' independence look like in the future?
A shift toward safer, not overbearing environments where schools provide open, mixed-age free play spaces and traffic design supports, along with a cultural move away from fear-driven parenting toward trust and manageable risks.
L.A.’s 8-Mile Bike Path Is Now a $1 Billion Project
Q: How can the project be broken down into actionable steps in a timely fashion?
Identify a core, low-cost segment that can be completed with current funds (e.g., an initial connector along the river) and use that as a proof of concept to unlock maintenance funding and broader support, rather than waiting for a perfect, all-encompassing plan.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Upzoned

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

The show centers on urban planning and municipal finance, with frequent deep-dives into housing affordability, parking policy, and the economics of streets and infrastructure. Episodes blend data-driven analysis, historical context, and on-the-ground case studies from towns and cities, exploring incremental development, governance, and policy reforms that aim to make places more affordable, navigable, and livable. A standout is the willingness to challenge car-centric, top-down planning and to highlight practical, bottom-up approaches—ranging from land value considerations to scalable, community-led projects. The mix of guest experts, local officials, and practitioners often surfaces pragmatic strategies for neighbors, developers, and polic... 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 War on Cars
4. The Urbanist Agenda
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.

How do I contact Upzoned?

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What guests have appeared on Upzoned?

Recent guests on Upzoned include:

1. Joe Nickol
2. Max Musicant
3. Mitch Durand-Wood
4. Edward Erfurt
5. Levette Fuller
6. Wanda Cochran
7. Stephanie Kestelman
8. Grace Gordon

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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