Confessions of a Recovering Engineer

In this episode, we talk with Charles L. Marohn Jr.'s about his provocative book Confessions of a Recovering Engineer. Marohn, a civil engineer and founder of the Strong Towns movement, offers a candid and critical look at America's transportation system, challenging the core principles he once embraced.

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The book argues that the current approach to transportation engineering prioritizes the speedy movement of cars over the needs of people and the health of communities. Marohn draws a crucial distinction between roads, which are for high-speed travel between places, and streets, which are platforms for building community wealth. The problem, he contends, is the creation of "stroads"—a dangerous and unproductive hybrid that is neither good at moving traffic nor building vibrant places.

Through personal anecdotes and compelling examples, Marohn exposes the flaws in a system that often leads to over-engineered, costly, and ultimately unsafe infrastructure. He discusses how standard engineering practices, such as traffic lights and wide lanes, can actually make a community less safe and less prosperous.

Ultimately, the episode serves as a powerful call to action for a new approach to transportation. It's about shifting priorities from maximizing traffic flow to fostering human connection and local prosperity. By focusing on simple, bottom-up solutions and valuing walkability, bikeability, and transit, we can build communities that are not only safer and more enjoyable but also more financially resilient.