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)

Cullum Clark, director of the Economic Growth Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, returns to the Strong Towns Podcast to discuss his recently published report on housing reform. Cullum highlights several reforms that have proven to be economically feasible, politically realistic, and impactful on a large scale.

• More from Cullum:

  • Read the report: Build Homes, Expand Opportunity: Lessons from America’s Fastest Growing Cities

  • George W. Bush Presidential Center (site)

  • “How Do You Build More Housing When No One Wants Neighborhood Change?” (Strong Towns Podcast)

• Learn how to unlock housing in your city: The Housing-Ready City: A Toolkit for Local Code Reform

• Chuck Marohn (Substack)

Today, Chuck is joined by Jeff Speck, a city planner, author, and principal of an urban design and consultancy firm. They discuss the ideas shared in Chuck’s book “Escaping the Housing Trap” and how those concepts play out in the real world, including examples from Jeff’s own work.

Their discussion covers a wide range of topics, including incremental zoning reform, the benefits and pitfalls of inclusive zoning, and how to finance small-scale housing.

• Join Jeff and Chuck in Providence next month. Get your National Gathering tickets now!

• See more from Jeff:

  • The Planner’s Pledge (site)

  • “Walkable City” by Jeff Speck, updated edition

  • “Walkable City Rules” by Jeff Speck

• See more from Strong Towns:

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

  • The Housing-Ready City: A Toolkit for Local Code Reform

  • Chuck Marohn (Substack)