Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/not-just-bikes-how-bankrupt-american-cities-stay-alive-debt-st04
For centuries, cities used to be built incrementally. Improving and building on successful places, and changing or abandoning unsuccessful places. This changed in America in the 1940s, when whole neighbourhoods were built on the edge of town, to a completed state. After several generations, many of these places are financially insolvent, but are propping themselves up with an ever-growing mountain of debt.
To donate to Strong Towns, visit: https://www.strongtowns.org/membership
Watch the rest of the Strong Towns series here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp5q-R0lZ0_FCUbeVWK6OGLN69ehUTVa
Sign up to Nebula and watch ad-free and sponsor-free: https://go.nebula.tv/notjustbikes
Patreon: https://patreon.com/notjustbikes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/notjustbikes
Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/notjustbikes
One-time donations: https://notjustbikes.com/donate
NJB Live (my bicycle livestream channel):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9v57F4xz46KaDsvWfCv8yw
---
Sources and Image Credits
Thumnail photo:
Suburban Sprawl, Vegas Style
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnkay/3732615241
This video is based on the work of Strong Towns, especially the "Growth Ponzi Scheme":
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2020/8/28/the-growth-ponzi-scheme-a-crash-course
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2011/6/13/the-growth-ponzi-scheme-part-1.html
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2011/6/14/the-growth-ponzi-scheme-part-2.html
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2011/6/15/the-growth-ponzi-scheme-part-3.html
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2011/6/16/the-growth-ponzi-scheme-part-4.html
Aerial view of the Napa River where it divides Vallejo, California
By Dicklyon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69952050
Historical compilation of photos from Brainerd, MN
Downtown Brainerd, then and now:
http://www.crowwinghistory.org/brainerd_downtown_buildings.html
Penny Postcards from Minnesota
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/crowwing/postcards/ppcs-crow.html
$3.2 Billion to Fix Tampa's Aging Pipes? From Where?
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/8/30/32-billion-to-fix-tampas-aging-pipes-from-where
The land of the FREE [Backus, MN]
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2010/2/17/the-land-of-the-free.html
Transactions of Decline, Lowry Edition
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2010/4/20/transactions-of-decline-lowry-edition.html
We Need Growth. But Only If It Generates Real Wealth.
https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/10/9/we-need-growth-but-only-if-it-generates-real-wealth
Branch Closings and Budget Cuts Threaten Libraries Nationwide
https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/branch-closings-and-budget-cuts-threaten-libraries-nationwide/
We Can't Afford To Keep The Streetlights On
https://www.businessinsider.com/we-cant-afford-to-keep-the-streetlights-on-2009-8
Cost of deferred maintenance for U.S. infrastructure tops $1 trillion, new report finds
https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/16110-cost-of-deferred-maintenance-for-u-s-infrastructure-tops-1-trillion-new-report-finds/
U.S. and UK on brink of debt disaster
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2009/01/20/us-and-uk-on-brink-of-debt-disaster/
Mortgage Debt Outstanding, All holders
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MDOAH
---
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:05 Strong Towns
0:14 Why isn't suburbia bankrupt?
1:12 Traditional incremental development
3:13 Growth and financing through debt
4:54 Why increasing taxes isn't enough
6:44 Successful cities need successful services
7:41 Growing cities with debt
9:32 Conclusion
10:29 Patreon shout-out
10:39 Outro
#StrongTowns #MunicipalDebt