ABQ-102

The Growth Ponzi Scheme and how it affects Albuquerque

Learn about the Strong Towns concept of the "Growth Ponzi Scheme." Where are we and where do we go from here?

Albuquerque, like many American cities, has spent decades following a development pattern that prioritizes outward expansion over reinvesting in existing neighborhoods. On the surface, this kind of growth—new subdivisions, wide roads, and sprawling infrastructure—looks like economic progress. But beneath the surface, there’s a major problem: it doesn’t pay for itself.

This is what Strong Towns calls the Growth Ponzi Scheme—a cycle where cities take on long-term financial liabilities (roads, pipes, sewers, emergency services) in exchange for short-term development fees and tax revenue. The problem? The revenue from that new development never comes close to covering the long-term cost of maintaining it.

Density: Does it belong in New Mexico's cities and the greater Southwest?

When people hear the word density, they often picture high-rise apartments or overcrowded urban cores. But here in the Southwest, density has been part of our built and social fabric since the very beginning—long before modern zoning laws and suburban sprawl reshaped our cities.

From the multi-story dwellings of Taos Pueblo, one of the longest continuously inhabited communities in North America, to the tight-knit, walkable streets around Santa Fe Plaza, to historic neighborhoods like Huning Highland in Albuquerque, density has always played a role in how people in this region have lived, worked, and built community.

Gentrification: Why the solution might not be what you think

Gentrification is one of the most debated issues in cities today. Many people fear that new development means rising rents, displacement, and the loss of cultural identity—and in many cases, that fear is justified. But gentrification is often misunderstood, and the way we try to fight it doesn’t always help.

At its core, gentrification happens when demand for housing in a neighborhood far outstrips supply. If there aren’t enough homes to go around, prices skyrocket, and longtime residents are pushed out—not because new people moved in, but because we didn’t allow enough homes to be built for everyone who wants to stay.

The Strong Towns approach to gentrification isn’t about blocking new housing or freezing neighborhoods in time. Instead, it’s about focusing on incremental, bottom-up development—the kind of organic growth that neighborhoods used to have before zoning laws and bureaucratic red tape made it illegal to build small, affordable housing options like duplexes, casitas, or mixed-use buildings.