Stacked Against Us

The City that Saved Itself

South Bend spent decades defined by what it lost: a factory, a workforce, a future. But instead of trying to resurrect a past that wasn’t coming back, it chose incremental, local repair. This episode explores how a city long in decline wrote a new story on its own terms. Continue to learn more at strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus [http://strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus] 1. Strong Towns:  (Video) Can American Cities Save Themselves? This One Thinks So. [https://youtu.be/qRv02yQWkp8] 2. What now for South Bend neighborhoods after '1,000 houses in 1,000 days' [https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/news/local/2019/04/13/what-now-for-south-bend-neighborhoods-after-1000-houses-in-1000-days/117179140/]? 3. Strong Towns: A New Generation of Townmakers [https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2021/10/20/a-new-generation-of-town-makers] 4. Strong Towns: Meet the City Leader Turning Vacant Lots Into Homes in Kalamazoo [https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025-2-26-rebekah-kik-is-using-the-power-of-local-government-to-lift-barriers] 5. Creating Local Ownership through Alternative Equity [https://youtu.be/IoTexVna1GI] (Documentary featuring Jordan Richardson and Tony Ruiz) 6. Strong Towns: The 30-Year Mortgage Was Bad. The 40-Year Mortgage Will Be Even Worse. [https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024-9-23-the-30-year-mortgage-was-bad-the-40-year-mortgage-will-be-even-worse] 7. The Housing-Ready City [https://www.strongtowns.org/housingready]: Toolkits offering the policies, practices, and financing that will make housing better for everyone.

Escaping the Housing Trap

How can communities rebuild stability in a system designed for speculation? This episode highlights bottom-up efforts where neighbors, small developers, and local leaders are charting a different path. Show notes: 1. Strong Towns: When one extra unit triggers a giant leap in red tape [https://strongtowns.webflow.io/journal/2025-10-07-when-one-extra-unit-triggers-a-giant-leap-in-red-tape] 2. New York Times: Would the Housing Crisis Ease if Boomers Rented Out Their Empty Rooms? https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/business/economy/housing-crisis-multifamily-adu.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/04/business/economy/housing-crisis-multifamily-adu.html] 3. Strong Towns: How Affordable Housing Distracts People From Housing Affordability [https://strongtowns.webflow.io/journal/2024-5-28-how-affordable-housing-distracts-people-from-housing-affordability] 4. Strong Towns: How a Board Game Exposed Barriers to Local Investment & Inspired Change [https://strongtowns.org/journal/2025-11-6-how-a-board-game-exposed-barriers-to-local-investment-and-inspired-change] 5. Strong Towns: Death by Parking [https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023-03-29-death-by-parking] 6. Strong Towns: A Slow and Steady (but Bittersweet) Victory Against Arcane Parking Mandates [https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2024-01-30-a-slow-and-steady-but-bittersweet-victory-against-arcane-parking-mandates] 7. Escaping the Housing Trap [http://strongtowns.org/book#housing-trap] by Charles Marohn and Daniel Herriges 8. Check out other resources at strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus [http://strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus]

A New Generation of Corporate Ownership

A new wave of investors is targeting struggling cities, betting they can profit regardless of local conditions. This episode explores how financial incentives keep the model alive—and what that means for communities trying to resist. Continue to learn more at strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus [http://strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus] Become a Strong Towns member today at strongtowns.org/members [https://www.strongtowns.org/membership]

Building the Housing Trap

After the 2008 crash, federal policies fueled the financialization of housing, transforming it from shelter into an investment vehicle. The result: a new breed of landlords and investors moving into markets once dominated by local ownership. Continue to learn more at strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus [http://strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus] Hey listener, you hear from us all the time, but today we want to hear from you. We want your feedback on this podcast and any other Strong Towns podcast you like to listen to. Please fill out this quick survey to share your thoughts: strongtowns.org/survey [http://strongtowns.org/survey]

When Your Landlord is an App

Turning housing into a tech product promised speed and scale. What it delivered instead were broken homes, frustrated tenants, and a widening gap between the people who own property and the people who live in it. Learn more at strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus [http://strongtowns.org/stackedagainstus]