
5 Ways Ordinary People Are Making Their Places Stronger
From Upzoned by Strong Towns
November 12, 2025 · 56 min · Episode 270
About this episode
The episode discusses how ordinary people are taking action to improve their communities.
Abby is joined by Carlee Alm-LaBar, the chief of staff for Strong Towns, and John Reuter, advisory board member for Strong Towns. They discuss several stories of people across the country taking action to make their communities better, from building houses to painting curbs. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES It's Member Week at Strong Towns! Join the movement today! Read more: Strong Towns San Diego - Curb Chalking Monte Anderson - Roommate House Strong Towns Langley - Baffle Gates Strong Towns Blono - Design Charette Strong Towns Nanaimo - Eliminating Parking Mandates Abby Newsham (X/Twitter) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.
People in this episode
Host: Abby Newsham
Guests: Carlee Alm-LaBar, John Reuter
Topics covered
- community action
- local improvement
- strong towns
- grassroots initiatives
- urban development
Keywords
- community
- strong towns
- local action
- urban improvement
- grassroots
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Strong Towns
Places: San Diego, Langley, Blono, Nanaimo
More episodes of Upzoned
- The World Cup and America’s Own Goal · June 10, 2026 · 1h 1m
- The Tuba and What It Actually Takes to Build Community · May 27, 2026 · 1h 3m
- Are We Trying to Build No Houses? · May 20, 2026 · 50 min
- When The Ribbon Cutting Is the Cheapest Part · May 13, 2026 · 41 min
- Inside the Politics of ‘Safer Streets’ · May 6, 2026 · 49 min
- When Your City Feels Like Housing Musical Chairs · April 29, 2026 · 46 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Upzoned podcast page.