The Strong Towns Podcast

Chuck and Rachel discuss an upcoming event in Iowa, plus Chuck's recent article on semi trucks and why we don't actually need to build our cities around them. They also touch on some other recent Strong Towns stories and two excellent podcasts Chuck just listened to.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Richard Duncan: Creditism has Replaced Capitalism," from the McAlvany Weekly Commentary
• "Yanis Varoufakis’s Greek Tragedy," from Radio Open Source with Christopher Lydon

It's time to end the routine traffic stop. They are dangerous for public safety officials, create resentment in targeted neighborhoods and -- worst of all -- do not address the underlying safety problem inherent in speeding and other traffic violations.

The Week Ahead podcast is back after a few week's hiatus. Chuck and Rachel discuss the recent Big Box Stores campaign, Chuck's new house and recent events in Oswego, NY and Ontario.

Also mentioned in this podcast:

• The Almost Nearly Perfect People: The Truth about the Nordic Myth by Michael Booth
• The Harrows by Spring by James Howard Kunstler

Stacy Mitchell is the author of Big Box Swindle and a senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, directing its initiatives on banking and independent business. In this interview, she discusses the origins of the big box store, the way they're subsidized by communities and how they are undercutting the American middle class.

At the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) in Detroit this year, we interviewed several intelligent and inspiring guests for the Strong Towns podcast. But we also invited CNU attendees to interview us! That's right, we opened the floor for any and every question that our members and readers wanted to discuss.

They asked us about the beginning of Strong Towns, gentrification, historic preservation, small town life and of course, Chuck's Mountain Dew obsession.

Chuck interviews President and CEO of CNU Lynn Richards. They discuss the strategy behind this creative, Detroit-based Congress, as well as what's currently going on in the City of Detroit. Lynn Richards also dives into the history and growth of CNU.

Chuck and Strong Towns member and contributor, Johnny Sanphillippo discuss their recent dueling essays about Detroit.

• Read Chuck's initial essay: "A Promise Impossible to Keep."
• Read Johnny's response: "The Doughtnut of Despair? Not Quite" 

Chuck and Rachel recap the membership drive, discuss an upcoming event in Texas and dive into Chuck's Monday article: The Ignorant and the Elites, which covers the value of listening to people who think differently from you, especially in the context of the Brexit vote and the American presidential race. Chuck also confesses to reading some trashy fiction.

The last day of our member drive and we spend it chatting with Strong Towns contributor Matthias Leyrer about his town's obsession with building sporting facilties. Time well spent.

Become a member of Strong Towns at http://www.strongtowns.org/membership

Chuck shares what it's like to drive four hours to a Curbside Chat and find out that others traveled nearly that far just to be there.