Sometimes, a hot new story will cross our desks that we need to talk about right away. That's where Upzoned comes in. Join Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn, Carlee Alm-LaBar, Norm Van Eeden Petersman, and other guests to talk in depth about one big story from the week in the Strong Towns conversation, right when you want it: now.
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9 hours ago
9 hours ago
A decade ago, a row of North Park storefronts was cleared for a university housing project that never came. The businesses are gone, the buildings are mostly empty, and neighbors are still pushing Northeastern Illinois University to act. Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Bernice Radle, an incremental developer in Buffalo, and Alex Montero of Strong Towns Chicago to ask why places like this get stuck. What begins as the story of one vacant block turns into a deeper question: once a place has been cleared for a future vision, what happens when that future never arrives? The conversation explores why smaller, incremental approaches can succeed where larger plans stall, and what gets lost when neighborhoods are left waiting.
ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES
- "Northeastern University Fought To Take Over A North Park Block. 10 Years Later, It’s Still Vacant" by Millie DeVore, Blockclubchicago.com (May 2026)
- Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn)
- Bernice Radle (LinkedIn)
- Alex Montero (LinkedIn)
- Articles Mentioned and Downzone:
- The Corner Side Yard (Substack)
- Cerrone (Spotify)
- Brittania Mine Museum (Site)
- Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.
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