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.

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.

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.

I just don’t get the overly loud music at the end. is there a good reason for this? Is this just how you do broadcast?. And some guy starts shouting over top of the shrill harmonica that has jacked up the music to another level. Is there some thinking behind this? Why is it so much louder than the rest of the podcast?

“When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” Strong Towns demonstrates how this country fails to heed this warning.

This is a pretty important podcast, from a professional engineer who discovered, based on his fiscally conservative upbringing, that the way we’ve been doing towns and cities in America is fundamentally unsustainable and must change. Sadly, since he quit to do advocacy full-time, his views seem to be drifting into crank territory. Engineers are best when they are directly connected to their work. Now Chuck is going into social systems, where he does not have expertise, but he can be wrong a long time without being caught.

I genuinely enjoy this organization and the work that they are doing. I do have one sincere critic which I hope they genuinely take to heart. While the work of strong town tries to stay non-political in an effort to further their goals. When politics do come up Chuck can’t help malign either the intent or actions of those left of center. Any poor reaction from a conservative is caused by an obvious over zealous liberal or progressive who is narrow minded. Expecting empathy and kindness for the thoughts and concerns of those right of center while constantly insulting those left of center (while slipping in but we work with all ends of the political spectrum) Is not a welcoming at all. I will continue to support of strong towns but I genuinely hope that they try to confront their own internal biases.

Love the podcast, particularly the recent episode with not just bikes. All the talk of the floor/ceiling for transit got me (an American raised in a car dependent suburb) thinking about when I was an exchange student in high school. I lived in a german village with 700 people that had hourly bus service. I currently live in Denver (population of over 700k) and most busses that run through my neighborhood have hourly service.

Really enjoyed today’s podcast. Thank you so much, Chuck. Thank you for raising awareness for issues that go beyond the simple problem and solution narrative. Always enjoy hearing a bit more about your personal life as well. You are so articulate and draw brilliant connections between relevant topics

I’ve been into city planning as a fun nerd out hobby and finding this podcast has made my month! Ive been on the website and got the books but now I get to expand my learning even more while taking walks! Awesome! thanks for an impressive amount of episodes

Best podcast ever!! Recommend buying their books!

Learned a ton

Important topics that shape the quality of our lives but don't get discussed enough in media or public poilcy.

One of my favs

I wish my town and the cities and towns I frequent were run and developed by someone who subscribed to this podcast.

Stay Strong Chuck!

Whether you’re well established as someone who can translate creative energy into the impact you want to have on the resilience of your local community, or just getting started as a catalyst for change - this is a must-listen podcast for you! Charles does an incredible job leading conversations that cover a huge breadth of topics related to the ins and outs of building a thriving public infrastructure - with leaders who’ve actually walked the path. Highly recommend listening and subscribing!

Long time strong towns listener. Have learned so much good information from the strong towns writings and podcast. Early movement included great information on transportation and public infrastructure design criteria. Asked good questions about intent and offered options to improve. Also taught ways for citizens to be involved. The trend that seems to be eroding the strong towns message appears to be a lust for political importance. The bottom up planning concept was always part of the early teachings. But now it is becoming the message itself, instead of the value we want to create. Yes, local bottom up influencers are critical. And at times larger cooperative planning is also required. The lesson strong towns used to teach was when do you need each and how do you choose the right tool. Just like we need highways and roads, but stroads are missed opportunities. We also need both bottom up and top down tools. Public private partnerships are the stroad of infrastructure. The message this year from this podcast is we only need one tool. It risks taking this very important teaching platform into a losing tea party anger where anything we don’t like gets destroyed using the bottom up language. I miss the more diverse set of tools and teachings. I’m sticking with up zoned podcast where good debate and didactic teaching still occurs; for now.

I consider myself very leftwing and I tend to be duped into breathlessly following the national news of the day. This podcast is therefore an extremely refreshing break from the bubble I usually inhabit, as Chuck is a much more conservative voice—without any of the baggage that has come to be associated with that word. Smart, evidence based, respectfully subversive, he does a fantastic job picking topics and guests. His book is a great overview if you’re just getting into the Strong Towns movement. This podcast gets me thinking in a way most others do not, and frequently I have to re-listen because my mind goes to so many interesting places. If you’re like me—getting interested in local issues, responsible/sustainable development, and alternative viewpoints—Chuck is truly a modern day prophet.

Need more women on this podcast. But good topics thus far.

Over the years I’ve learned more about city planning from the Strong Towns podcast than any other sort. It’s helped me understand why our cities and towns are struggling and the concrete things each of us can do about it.

The only political podcast I’ll listen to. Talks about public policy and the implications, highly relatable and actionable. Can’t recommend enough.

Chuck Marohn is an exceptional visionary who has the potential to be regarded as one of the most consequential figures of the 21st century. With its humility, non-partisanship. and great guests, this podcast has become a weekly habit.

I knew next to nothing about urban planning and building resilient cities. Now I love listening to the show, reading the website, and even finding my own ways to help build up my community in little ways.

Great conversations about cities, finance and the future of life in America

A middle of the road, reasonable approach, to fixing our cities and towns. Chuck also had a soothing voice and sounds like someone you could have a beer with.

A fantastic podcast. A must-listen for anyone who wants to understand the political, social and economic dynamics that underpin American cities and towns at the beginning of the 21st century and the challenges we face in the decades ahead. In order to be able to make positive changes in our communities, we must first understand where we are and how we got to this critical juncture in the history of development in the U.S. Strong Towns presents a key piece of that story. Start from the early epidsodes and then focus on the issues that interest you the most. You will not be disappointed.

Love it, yet scary!

These are very important and interesting topics, but the male host is incredibly distracting--going off on tangents about his house renovations, inside jokes and how great he clearly thinks he is. Did he really suggest that one of his guests interview him the next time? And is he really doling out all this expert advice to cities when he lives in a suburb surrounded by a golf course? Call me when someone else takes over hosting this podcast.

This is now the only podcast that I still listen to, and I don't miss an episode. Chuck, Rachel and the guests are a reminder about some of the important choices facing our society today, and the role that we can play. Talk about empowering!

Strong Towns has opened my eyes to a new way of measuring the cost and benefits of infrastructure. The podcast consistently delivers great information for anyone involved in community service.

Love what Chuck Marohn is doing with Strongtowns.org , it is a much needed voice today in fiscal responsibility. I love that this message is non-partisan and can appeal across a broad spectrum. Thanks Chuck.

I download these as soon as they’re released. I love everything about it. I love the content. I even love Chuck’s mid-western accent. Keep doing what you can to build strong towns!

A smart place full of thoughtful people. The only downside is that it is hard to tear yourself away from reading, or listening, to go do actual stuff. It causes you to see the world around you from a whole different perspective and raises questions at every intersection (Why is this even here? How does it make peoples lives better?) Stuff that probably needs some change to be viable long term. A gateway to thinking about a wide variety of important topics. Worth your time.

I highly recommend the Strong Towns podcast.

Strong Towns provides the language and tools to take feelings of "this [name city plan here] seems crazy to me...I must be doing the math wrong...there is no way this works out revenue positive, right?..." from personal musings to community action. Think because you're not a planner or an engineer you can't impact the "real work" in your town? Get ready to be emboldened! Be warned, though, once you find out you're not the crazy one you can't go back...I can't stop seeing the Ponzi schemes all around me and while that's painful, it's also empowering. Strong Towns helps me speak more boldly and act more purposefully.

A thought-provoking series on municipal finance and place making. Very much recommend.

Strong Towns takes all the Red State/Blue State "Us vs. Them" nonsense out of the conversation and explores the nuts and bolts of why some towns prosper and many others fail. It’s an on-going comprehensive look at what works physically, economically, and culturally.

This podcast does not regurgitate news that you hear all over the place. They do not provide 🔥taeks on hot button issues. There are no ads. Chuck and Rachel are the voice of a movement that is all about getting us to recognize the good that people (including ourselves) can do in the service of building strong towns, and the bad habits and lack of foresight that are completely ingrained in our culture. Approachable and measured, the content on this podcast makes you think without screaming in your face. This movement is building momentum and will get us where we need to be before too long. Keep up the good work.

I love the Strong Towns Podcast! It has changed the way I look at the world. I am excited to be involved with this movement and I can't wait to see where we go next.

I want safe places to be a cyclist and pedestrian.

I'm a city planner and a lapsed engineer. I often beat my head against the wall at the simplistic short term thinking I observe from elected officials and developers. In this podcast, Chuck Marohn articulates so many of the thoughts I've had, so much more insightfully than I could. If you want to hear how to save your favorite town, give him a listen.

The Strong Towns podcast has been a huge influence on how I think about our neighborhoods, towns, regions, and our country. A great mix of insights drawing from economics, urban planning, history, and municipal finance, Strong Towns is like nothing else you’ve listened to. Chuck and all the Strong Towns guests do a great job putting together this quality weekly podcast. I always look forward to the new episode arriving.

This is an extremely thought provoking and interesting podcast. I really enjoy the perspective Chuck brings to the show, especially in re-thinking how cities should be designed, developed, and maintained. Keep up the great work!

I like how he stakes out the rational side. Anyone who says he's full of it is wrong. He's conservative in the original sense of the word, the kind of guy a social liberal can easily find common ground with. Politics shouldn't have anything to do with a question of good engineering but oh man, it always does. Ps: recent podcasts having trouble downloading

Strongtowns is the go to source to learn more about the places we live and how we can improve our communities. Each podcast provides an intelligent discussion about how communities are built, and how we can do this better. These podcasts will start you on the path to making your town a Strongtown. You will be inspired to take action.

Great ideas on how to make our towns better on a practical standpoint with ideas that work, not just exclusively looking for "green" solutions.

Strong Towns provides a unique and needed perspective on the issues facing America's cities and towns. Every episode is thought provoking and insightful and I look forward to each one. Well worth a listen and highly recommended!

This is one of my favorite podcasts. Host Chuck Marohn has a very down-to-earth demeanor and delivery, which helps make often-intimidating policy topics feel more relevant and accessible to non-professionals - you know, the everyday citizens who actually LIVE in these communities facing 21st-century challenges. Strength and resilience and adaptability are qualities we should all strive for, both as individuals and as communities. Highly recommended.

We ain't seen nuthin' yet in bad economic times. Both major political parties are talking about how we're going to recover from the 2008 collapse and its aftershocks, but we're not going to recover. Not really. When a Ponzi scheme is over, it's over. But Chuck Marohn's Strong Towns Podcast has a good handle on how we created, mostly after World War II, the illusion of prosperity, and how we can, starting whenever we like, start restoring real prosperity and strength to our towns. Not coincidentally, it will be a more human-scaled and humane way to live which is why, with James Howard Kunstler, I'm hopeful, which isn't quite the same thing as being "optimistic."