Aaron Masliansky sits down with Johanna Nyden, Community Development Director for the Village of Skokie, to explore how local government navigates housing, infrastructure, and development in a built-out suburban community.
This conversation goes beyond headlines and breaks down the real-world constraints that shape housing supply, affordability, and the built environment.
In this episode, we cover:
• What a Community Development Director actually does day to day
• Why housing costs are rising—and what municipalities can and cannot control
• The impact of aging housing stock and infrastructure on homeowners and communities
• How permitting and inspections work behind the scenes (and where friction comes from)
• What people often misunderstand about the building process
• The reality of “missing middle” housing and why zoning isn’t always the issue
• How infrastructure limitations (water, sewer, electrical) shape development decisions
• The tradeoffs between affordability, safety, and building codes
• The role of technology and AI in permitting and municipal workflows
• Short-term rentals, ADUs, and evolving housing policy
• Why more people are staying in their homes—and what that means for inventory
• How Skokie is planning for the future while managing legacy systems
Key takeaway:
Housing challenges aren’t driven by a single issue. They are the result of overlapping constraints—costs, infrastructure, policy, and market forces—that municipalities are working to balance every day.
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