Legalizing backyard cottages can improve residents' quality of life and help families stay connected, all while increasing housing supply and affordability without large-scale disruption to the community.

Abby is joined by Edward Erfurt, Strong Towns’ chief technical advisor, to discuss the practice of using special taxing districts to fund developments and how this can lead to snowballing debt. (Transcript included.)

To understand how one city leader can spearhead the housing reforms your city needs, look no further than Rebekah Kik, the deputy city manager for Kalamazoo, Michigan.

In this Bottom-Up Short, Norm is joined by Christian Schick, a Local Conversation leader from Virginia. His group has built a lot of momentum in the past year, and Schick talks about how they did that in a productive and helpful way, particularly while juggling local elections. (Transcript included.)

What do you do when your city is full of illegal backyard cottages that no one can live in but you really need more affordable housing options? If you’re a city official in Berkeley, California, you recognize that one problem can address the other.

In this episode, Chuck explores the flawed nature of North America’s current “housing bargain,” where most neighborhoods are allowed to stay exactly the same as long as some neighborhoods are forced to radically change. (Transcript included.)

In many cities, permitting processes make it difficult to build entry-level housing. Zoning restrictions, local opposition and lengthy approvals all contribute to a lack of affordable homes. Massachusetts has taken a bold step to change that.

Elected officials across North America are grappling with budget shortfalls and financial uncertainty. Pasadena, California is only one example. Last year, their expenses increased by 13.8% but revenues only rose 0.6%. If things are going to improve, city officials need to take a new approach.

Here’s how Portland, Oregon, is getting more housing built that blends into existing neighborhoods and earns the approval of nearby residents, all while increasing affordability and supporting the local community.

Mike Christensen is the executive director of the Utah Rail Passenger Association. Today, he joins Tiffany to discuss the benefits of passenger rail, including how it can lead to more productive land use. (Transcript included.)

Cities across North America are recognizing the value of preapproved plans. Here’s why they’re so appealing and how their implementation is affecting cities.

The U.S. senior housing market is poised to shift from a surplus to a shortage in the next five years. In this episode, Abby and Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Strong Towns’ director of Movement Building, discuss the implications of this shift and how to give more options to seniors. (Transcript included.)

Tulsa, Oklahoma, is joining a growing list of cities that have integrated preapproved plans into their housing toolkits. This approach makes it easier for small-scale developers to complete projects quickly and cheaply.

Varsha Gopal is an architect from Chennai, India. She joins Norm today to discuss discuss two research projects she recently conducted in her city and what they taught her about thriving cities, urban design and community engagement. (Transcript included.)

The South Dakota Legislature is considering implementing harsher penalties to deter drag racing on streets. This ignores the street design that allows people to drag race in the first place.