October Book Club
Let's find solutions in Escaping the Housing Trap, the Strong Towns gospel
In Escaping the Housing Trap, urbanists Charles Marohn and Daniel Herriges argue that America’s housing crisis stems from a fundamental conflict: housing as a speculative investment, where prices must perpetually rise to fuel financial systems, versus housing as essential shelter, where escalating costs trap families in distress and stifle community resilience.
Drawing on Strong Towns principles, the authors propose that post-WWII zoning, subsidies, and top-down financial pressures have supplanted the organic, incremental growth that once built resilient American cities — replacing diverse, adaptive neighborhoods with fragile, debt-fueled sprawl.
Keeping the discussion solution-oriented, I would like to focus on the book’s urgent call to “unleash the swarm” of incremental developers: a decentralized network of small-scale builders, rehabbers, and entrepreneurs who operate independently toward a collective goal. This swarm of incremental developers can thicken-up neighborhoods and add housing where it’s needed most without massive subsidies or top-down planning. The authors point out that American cities were originally urbanized and housed at much faster rates than current boom towns, through incremental development, built by many hands following practical patterns. If we are going to build the housing we need where we need it, cultivating this swarm of small-scale participants is necessary.
To do this, the authors advocate building a supportive ecosystem. They propose reforming zoning to eliminate barriers such as onerous subdivision rules and lot size requirements, and enabling “by-right” approvals for modest housing like accessory dwelling units. They also recommend creating local financing tools that match buyer incomes to sustainable debt levels. Finally, they emphasize nurturing knowledge-sharing networks through guilds, online forums, and community groups that empower aspiring developers to learn from local successes.
The best part of this strategy is that we already have the power and tools to implement it at the city level. But we need to sell the vision. This paradigm shift promises not just more affordable shelter, but stronger, antifragile communities where growth serves people, not speculation.
If you’re interested in seeing how this strategy will help shape a better Triangle, come join us Wednesday, Oct. 29th from 12–1pm at Press Coffee + Crepes in downtown Raleigh for a lunchtime discussion of Escaping the Housing Trap. As always, CITYBUILDER covers non-alcoholic drinks. Just bring your appetite, your ideas, and your curiosity. RSVP here.
You can buy the book here. Also, the authors have uploaded a fantastic summary, which you can watch below:
(If you see a white screen above instead of the video, click here to watch it).
If you believe growth is better when we build together, then this is your conversation. We can’t wait to see you there!
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