Next up: Texas

UPCOMING EVENTS WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE.

Also on the upcoming calendar (details TBA):

  • Tampa, FL - February 26
  • Los Angeles, CA - March 5
  • Newport Beach, CA - March 6
  • Birmingham, AL - March 18 & 19
  • Norman, OK - March 23
  • Oklahoma - March 24-27
  • Atlanta, GA - March 29-31
  • Ontario - April 14-16
  • Stevens Point, WI - April 24 & 25
  • Hays, KS - May 18 & 19
  • Portland, ME - May 19 & 20

KEEP INFORMED ON WHEN WE'LL BE SOMEWHERE NEAR YOU.

SOME STUFF FROM THIS WEEK YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED.

Featured
It Won’t Be Us: Thoughts on Our Current Craziness From a Strong Towns Perspective
It Won’t Be Us: Thoughts on Our Current Craziness From a Strong Towns Perspective

In this episode, Chuck explains that we’ve created a political climate where you either take a chainsaw to failing systems or you refuse to acknowledge that they’re failing. He then shows how the Strong Towns approach offers a better way. (Transcript included.)

Strong Towns Need Strong Churches: The Case for Incremental Faith-Based Housing
Strong Towns Need Strong Churches: The Case for Incremental Faith-Based Housing

Many of incremental development’s values — localism, quality and civic pride — align well with those of houses of worship. If faith communities embrace this model, we could see a wave of faith-based housing that complements the broader movement toward incremental development.

Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Make Your City’s Finances More Accessible
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Make Your City’s Finances More Accessible

David Jenkins is a city councilor and Local Conversation leader in La Plata, Maryland. He joins Norm to discuss his work with the city’s budget, particularly his efforts to share financial information in a simple way that lets residents participate in the budgeting process. (Transcript included.)

Denver’s Backyard Cottage Pilot Program Saves Communities and Families
Denver’s Backyard Cottage Pilot Program Saves Communities and Families

Many city officials are struggling to provide affordable housing for their communities. In Denver, a group of city officials, community leaders and nonprofit organizations decided to try something different.

How Accessory Dwelling Units Are Helping These People Thrive
How Accessory Dwelling Units Are Helping These People Thrive

Thriving places are built by the people who live in them, and the strongest reforms are ones that empower these people to shape their own futures. Here are some of the people who are thriving because of their cities' empowering housing policies.

The Starter Home: A Forgotten Path to Affordable Housing
The Starter Home: A Forgotten Path to Affordable Housing

The Suburban Experiment killed the starter home. Here's how cities can bring it back to life.

Why Housing ‘Efficiency’ Isn’t Making Homes Affordable
Why Housing ‘Efficiency’ Isn’t Making Homes Affordable

Many people think that increased efficiency and economies of scale in the housing market are the key to affordability. However, these benefits are not actually appearing. We do need innovation, but not in the form of new interest rate manipulations or complex securitization schemes.

4 Cities That Are Slashing Outdated Parking Mandates
4 Cities That Are Slashing Outdated Parking Mandates

Across North America, parking mandates harm businesses, residents and cities. Fortunately, a rapidly growing number of cities are questioning these requirements, inching toward reforming or even repealing them altogether. Here are some of the communities that are rethinking their approaches.

Bottom-Up Shorts: How a Personal Loss Can Drive Public Change
Bottom-Up Shorts: How a Personal Loss Can Drive Public Change

Josh Stewart is an advocate from Littleton, Colorado. A year ago, his 12-year-old son was struck and killed by a car while biking to school. Since then, Josh has been relentlessly pushing for safer streets in his community. He joins Norm today to share his story and what he’s learned over the last year of advocacy work. (Transcript included.)

What Zoning Codes Get Wrong About Families
What Zoning Codes Get Wrong About Families

Zoning codes across the country attempt to define what a "family" is, often in ways that are not only outdated but also legally tenuous at best. Instead of pretending we can enforce arbitrary definitions of family, let’s focus on what actually impacts people's lives.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…a Better Way To Teach Transportation Engineering
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…a Better Way To Teach Transportation Engineering

Dr. Jonathan Gingrich is a professor of engineering at Dordt College in Iowa. Unsatisfied with the standard materials for his transportation engineering class, he incorporated safe street design, including having his class conduct a Crash Analysis Studio. He joins today’s episode to talk about how he did this and the benefits it had for his students. (Transcript included.)

Charles Marohn