Strong Towns Chicago Podcast

A single change to the building code, allowing one staircase instead of two in small buildings that meet safety standards, could make it financially viable to build thousands more homes across Chicago. 47th Ward Alderman Matt Martin joins us to explain why this seemingly mundane reform is one of the most powerful tools available for addressing Chicago's housing shortage, how he's been work...

Bennett Lawson was elected Alderman of Chicago's 44th Ward covering most of the Lakeview neighborhood in 2023. We talk about the impact of the citywide ADU ordinance that he sponsored, what resources are available to homeowners and tradespeople to build ADUs, and how housing legalization is gaining traction in Chicago and Illinois. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Chicago ADU Program (site) 44th Ward (site)...

Nora Leerhsen became Acting President of the Chicago Transit Authority in February 2025. We talk about her unconventional path to the CTA after an early career in teaching and law, the role public transportation plays in a city's social and economic health, how the agency is approaching Chicago's transportation challenges, and opportunities from recent Illinois transit reform legislation....

Strong Towns Chicago, CNU Chicago, and Abundant Housing Illinois hold a panel to engage with small local builders and developers who work on 2-4 unit buildings, commonly called 2-4 flats, to learn from their experiences about what makes 2-4 flats different from other projects, what challenges they face when constructing or rehabilitating these buildings, and what policy changes would make it easie...

We sat down with Emily Talen, an author and professor of urbanism at the University of Chicago exploring historic development patterns and gentle density. Learn more at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/ .

Fritz Kaegi was elected Cook County Assessor in 2018 and reelected in 2022. We sat down with him to talk about property taxes, reforms to the assessment process, and how local tax policy impacts equity, development, and urban vitality. Special thanks to ‪@CookCountyAssessorsOffice‬ for working with us to make this interview happen. To learn more about local property taxes and the assessment proces...

This is a bonus episode from our conversation with Professor Joseph Schwieterman where we talk about zoning policy in Chicago and how it may be changing. Special thanks to Steven Vance for creating the displayed maps on residential zoning in Chicago. This is part of our Speaker Series podcast, where we interview local urbanist activists, educators, practitioners, and public officials about their e...

Joseph Schwieterman is a professor of public policy, transportation, and urban planning and director of the Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development at ‪@DePaulUniversity1898‬ . We sat down with him to talk about Chicago's rich history as a connecting hub for rail, bus, and air travel. Special thanks to Professor Schwieterman for letting us show images from his book Terminal Town for th...

Ghian Foreman is the head of the Washington Park Development Group and the adaptive reuse of Overton Elementary. Paola Aguirre Serrano is a partner with Borderless Studio and urban designer who has been organizing community activation events on the school's grounds. We sat with them to discuss the history, challenges, and opportunities for the Overton project and other adaptive reuse projects...

We sat down with ‪@stewarthicks‬ , a Chicago-based architect, educator, and video creator working to demystify architecture for a broad audience. Learn more at https://www.strongtownschicago.org/ .