Politics
June 17, 2015
Strong Towns
When Chuck addressed a large group in my bank a while back, I made sure to include people from both ends and even extremes of the political spectrum. These guys don't agree on anything. Chuck spoke for an hour and answered all questions. I followed up with several others privately afterwards. Not one single person refuted anything Chuck said. I found this to be remarkable and unprecedented in our town. We are really on to something with this movement.
Pat Trahan of Lafayette, LA
The Strong Towns message is so powerful because it easily crosses ideological boundaries. Support us and help a movement that is changing the conversation across America.
Strong Towns is the first group I've found that is giving this argument of mine ammo and can speak common sense to all people regardless of whether they identify as liberal or conservative.
Josh Fairchild of Boston, MA
The Strong Towns ideas often bring together strange bedfellows. That is a very good thing because gets us past the standoffs and political dogmatic shouting that often occur in debates around issues that are a zero sum - or less - game.
Alex Pline of Annapolis, MD
Strong Towns President Charles Marohn small talking with a bi-partisan group of lawmakers after testifying at the Minnesota Legislature.
What I love about Strong Towns is that it does not promote its solutions with the typical political process: that is, decide that one party is the bad guy, and start trying to get everyone into "our tribe" so we can try to beat "their" tribe. I am impressed by the way Strong Towns communicates in ways that don't require you to already declare your allegiance as a conservative or liberal, democrat or republican, before you can listen and hear people speaking your language. I think this is the fundamental barrier that must be dealt with for solutions to be pursued, and it is remarkable how few people besides Strong Towns are finding ways of speaking other groups' languages.
Curran Bishop of Carbondale, IL
Mayor A.C. Wharton kicks of the Memphis Strong Towns Boot Camp
Strong Towns is simply not another ideological think tank like too many other non-profits that feign to be "objective." Its research and related conclusions are based on actual case studies that are transparent, readily understandable and extremely well-documented. This means that what Strong Towns has found is not really refutable, though ideologically driven apologists for sprawl and excessive dependence on motor vehicles will continue to try, unsuccessfully.
Michael D Setty of Napa, CA
Although I am a lifelong left-winger, I see in Strong Towns a valuable opportunity for coalitions with conservatives who (like me) deplore the shameful and unnecessary waste involved in suburban sprawl, a lot of tax increment financing, and planning that puts cars ahead of people.
Conrad Lumm of Brooklyn, NY
Help us amplify our voice. Become a member or make a donation today.
Our democracy is dependent on having an informed electorate and for too long we have been dependent on experts and special interests to make good decisions in our behalf. Strong Towns is helping to revive conversations and help us ask the right questions.
Jonathan Hay of Cincinnati, OH