Episode
Upzoned - Can Rebuilding Make a Town Weaker?
- Podcast
- Think and Act Locally
- Published
- Jul 8, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2983
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/think-and-act-locally-7250018/episodes/upzoned-can-rebuilding-make-a-town-weaker/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/think-and-act-locally-7250018/upzoned-can-rebuilding-make-a-town-weaker.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Five years after wildfire destroyed most of Lytton, British Columbia, rebuilding remains slow despite more than $140 million in committed public funding. Norm Van Eeden Petersman talks with Michel Durand-Wood, author of You’ll Pay for This, and Graham Watt, who manages strategic initiatives and flood recovery for Grand Forks, British Columbia. They look at what happens when a small town is pushed to rebuild everything at once, while also dealing with hazardous conditions, limited local capacity, consulting costs, modern codes, and the long-term obligation to maintain whatever comes next. The money creates a promise of recovery, but Lytton shows how hard it is to turn that promise back into a town. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES " Inside Lytton’s contentious recovery, where concerns smoulder 5 years after wildfire " by Brenna Owen, Halifax.citynews.ca (June 2026) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Michel Durand-Wood (Site) Graham Watt (LinkedIn) Downzone: The Baby-Sitters Club Human Nature by Kate Marvel (Site) The Blackthorn Key , by Kevin Sands (Site) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom . This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members . Thank you! Join fellow members discussing this episode in The Commons .