If you’ve followed Strong Towns for a while, you’ve likely heard us talk about Nassim Nicholas Taleb. We frequently refer to him as the Patron Saint of Strong Towns thinking, because—as we wrote last year—“his insights about risk, uncertainty, and fragility have profound implications for how we build our places.”
One of Taleb’s key concepts is antifragility. The opposite of fragility is not resilience (or robustness). Something that is resilient, when it encounters a shock or disruption, merely returns back to its original state. In contrast, something that is anti-fragile actually gains from the disruption. One example is our bones, which get stronger as we subject them to the many small impacts of walking or running.
For those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the coronavirus outbreak has a lot to teach us about just how fragile many of our social systems have become. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, our economy. A recent article in The Atlantic gets at one aspect of this. In “The Modern Supply Chain Is Snapping,” Lizzie O’Leary describes how the coronavirus is exposing “the fragility of an economy built on outsourcing and just-in-time inventory.” As she shows, we are reliant on China for many of our manufactured goods, including components for prescription drugs and medical supplies. When something disrupts that system—like the coronavirus outbreak—the effects ripple throughout the global economy and our public health efforts.
On today’s episode of Upzoned, host Abby Kinney, a planner at Gould Evans in Kansas City, talks about The Atlantic article with Strong Towns founder and president Chuck Marohn. Abby and Chuck discuss some of the choices from the last 70 years that have made the economy more brittle, the work ahead to pick up the pieces, and also the choice we have to make: Will we double down on failed, fragile-making systems, or will we rebuild in a way that makes us more antifragile?
Then on the Downzoned, Chuck recommends Peak Prosperity, a daily YouTube show from Chris Martenson offering commentary and analysis on the news. (Peak Prosperity has been warning about coronavirus for more than two months.) Both Chuck and Abby also discuss the steps they’ve taken to make time for contemplation and rest in the midst of the massive changes wrought by the pandemic.
Show Notes
Is the End of the Single-Family Neighborhood Near?
The Two Things Your City Needs to Do If You Want to End Blight
Why Our Housing Problems Don't Obey the Laws of Physics
Why does Strong Towns put *so* much emphasis on its members—and why is that so unusual in the nonprofit world?
What Would You Do if You Got a $5,000 Street Repair Bill in the Mail?
How Conservatives and Liberals Define "Fair"—and What It Means For Our Cities' Futures
Cracking Down on Pedestrians Won't Make Streets Safer
No, Revitalizing Rural America Isn't A Lost Cause. But the Way You're Thinking About it Might Be.
Can Any City Really Survive on Locally-Grown Food Alone?
Will Smart City Technology Really Make Our Places Stronger?
So Your Town is Building Lots of New Housing Units! But How Many New *Doorbells* Are You Losing?
Strong Towns: The Book is Finally Coming. But Why *Now*?
Why Does Your City Stop When It Snows?
Will Electric Vehicles Save the World, or Make Our Cities Weaker?
What Would You Do if the Government Put a Speed Limiter on Your Car?
What Happens When Algorithms Get Into the Home Flipping Business
Forget Gas and Insurance. How Much Does Your Daily Commute Really Cost You?
Accessory Dwelling Units Rock. But Should States Be Overriding Cities' Laws About Building Them?
Can Cities Like St. Louis Get Financially Stronger by Merging with Richer Places?
Can a Big City Solve a Big Housing Shortage Incrementally?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Social Dallas Podcast
Change Church Podcast
Advocacy Scoop Podcast
The Biz of Nonprofit Consultants
Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon