Chuck sits down with Ryan Johnson, the founder and visionary behind Culdesac Tempe, the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S. They discuss the realities of living in and developing a community like Culdesac, from transportation costs to working with local government. Ryan explains how they maintain walkability in an Arizona desert, how they successfully nurture small businesses, and how they encourage people to embrace co-ownership of the community.

• Learn more about Culdesac.

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

Serenbe is a unique community just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. It’s based on the development pattern of traditional English villages, with walkable, mixed-use “hamlets” surrounded by nature. In today’s episode, Chuck sits down with Serenbe founder Steve Nygren to discuss the process of developing this kind of community, as well as Steve’s development philosophy of “radical common sense.”

• “Start in Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live With Radical Common Sense” by Steve Nygren

• Learn more about Serenbe.

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership, including member-exclusive perks.

A few weeks ago, the New York Times article "Why America Should Sprawl" went viral, sparking a national discussion about housing and development patterns.

In today’s episode, Chuck sits down with Conor Dougherty, the reporter behind the article, to discuss his perspective on housing in more depth.

• Prefer to read or watch? We've got you covered. Click here for the transcript or here for the YouTube video.

• Learn how to beat the housing crisis the right way. Download The Housing-Ready City: A Toolkit for Local Code Reform today!

• Read more:

  • “America Should Sprawl” by Conor Dougherty

  • “Golden Gates” by Conor Dougherty

  • “America Should Sprawl? Not If We Want Strong Towns” by Charles Marohn

  • “Escaping the Housing Trap” by Charles Marohn and Daniel Herriges

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)