Why Messy Cities Depend On People Who Take Action

Why Messy Cities Depend On People Who Take Action

From The Strong Towns Podcast by Strong Towns

April 13, 2026 · 57 min · Episode 698

About this episode

Chuck and Kevin Klinkenberg discuss the importance of local action in urban development and the limitations of top-down approaches in cities.

Chuck and Kevin Klinkenberg explore why progress comes from people who stop waiting for permission and start doing things locally. They look at incremental developers, neighborhood groups, and the limits of top-down systems in cities like Kansas City. Along the way, they wrestle with incentives, housing, and how much order a city actually needs. Additional Show Notes Kevin Klinkenberg (LinkedIn) The Messy City Podcast (Spotify) The Messy City (Substack) The Messy City (Site) Chuck Marohn (Substack) This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

People in this episode

Host: Chuck Marohn

Guest: Kevin Klinkenberg

Topics covered

  • local action
  • incremental development
  • neighborhood groups
  • top-down systems
  • urban planning
  • housing
  • city order

Keywords

  • messy cities
  • local action
  • urban development
  • incremental developers
  • neighborhood groups
  • housing
  • city planning

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Kansas City

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