How can our towns get stronger—not weaker—when our economy changes? How can we repopulate our empty streets and empty storefronts? What can we learn from the earliest days of city building about building better places tomorrow? And how can active citizens, local officials, and ordinary people like you and I make it happen today, no matter how badly we’re starting off?

A live Curbside Chat in your town is your opportunity to hear our answer to these questions, and to participate in a community-specific discussion about how the Strong Towns approach can improve your city.

Watch a recording from a recent Curbside Chat in Olympia, WA. View more presentation examples here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Curbside Chat for?

The Curbside Chat was specifically developed for average citizens, local officials, and anyone who wants to make change in their communities—from the bottom up. Our message applies to cities and towns big and small, across the continent.

What are the main ideas explored in the Curbside Chat?

Three core concepts are central to Strong Towns thinking, and we explore them in depth in the Curbside Chat presentation:

  1. Continuous building (“growth”) is not the measure of a successful town, especially if that so-called growth represents increasing liability for our future citizens.

  2. When we plan for our cities’ futures, we need to look to the history of how resilient cities have been successfully built for centuries—not what our modern predictive models speculate might make our cities better off.

  3. Any citizen can participate in making their town stronger, and no town will truly be made stronger without building a culture of people who care.

Where can I see an example of a Curbside Chat presentation?

You can view dozens of recorded Curbside Chat presentations on our YouTube page.

How long does a Curbside Chat typically last?

This presentation typically takes 90 minutes, with 60 minutes for speaking and 30 minutes for Q&A. It can be condensed to a 60-minute presentation if needed.

What does all of this mean for my town?

To fully explore this question, please fill out this short form and we will be in touch with you. 

We also encourage you to visit our event calendar to find out whether there's a Curbside Chat coming to your area soon.