The Strong Towns Podcast Why Messy Cities Depend On People Who Take Action
Apr 13, 2026
Kevin Klinkenberg, urban designer and director of Midtown KC Now who hosts the Messy City podcast, talks about why local action beats waiting for permission. He explores incremental developers, place-based entrepreneurship, and devolving city power to neighborhood groups. They examine incentives, starter homes, and how messy, bottom-up efforts shape lasting urban change.
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Let Local Chaos Unlock Renewal
- Cities need both order and controlled chaos; letting local action happen can unlock neighborhood renewal.
- Kevin argues cities obsess over distant risks instead of the present fiscal crisis and declining neighborhoods.
Fund And Empower Place Management
- Empower place-based organizations to solve neighborhood problems instead of expecting a large city government to manage everything.
- Kevin's Midtown KC Now acts as a place management organization with boots-on-the-ground knowledge and limited funding to deliver local fixes.
Create Mini City Halls With Outreach
- Decentralize city services into mini city halls with local technical staff plus strong outreach workers.
- Kevin recommends downscaling technical expertise and pairing it with engagement in neighborhoods for faster, more responsive results.