Why support Strong Towns? 6 members give their answers.
There are so many ways to apply Strong Towns principles and we see our members putting them into action across the country every day. Our members sit on city councils, they make planning decisions for their towns, they step up on behalf of their neighborhoods... In short, our members are involved in building strong towns at every level.
Here's why six members say they joined the movement and why they continue to support us today:
Planners and engineers say they value Strong Towns' commitment to questioning the status quo and inspiring leaders in the field.
"I work as a planner, and I believe planners should always be in the habit of observing, questioning, and finding truth, in an arena often dominated by politics and ideology. Strong Towns keeps me observing and questioning." ~ Chuen Ng, Lancaster, CA
"In my professional work, making cities more walkable, Strong Towns is a consistently excellent resource. From the Black Friday parking lot photos, to No New Roads, the Growth Ponzi Scheme and the Curbside Chat. It is helpful to have access to the resources, helpful to point other people to those resources, helpful to see what is happening across the country, and helpful to have such consistently excellent thought leadership." ~ Heyden Walker, Austin, TX
Strong citizens and neighborhood advocates say they they appreciate the education and support that Strong Towns offers to people of all backgrounds.
"Strong Towns inspires me daily to learn more about my community and to take ownership of making it better. […] In a time of bitter polarization in politics and society, I love it that the Strong Towns message is politically agnostic. We all win when we adopt Strong Towns principles, and I think that message is both clear and compelling." ~ Adam Porr, Columbus, OH
"Strong Towns has given me the language and tools to speak clearly and confidently to leaders in my community as well as my fellow residents. There is no other source that has provided so many resources that are accessible to a non-professional like myself, and that keeps me realistic but also positive about the challenges facing my community." ~ Jennifer Smith, Rockford, IL
Elected officials say they value Strong Towns' fresh perspectives and realistic solutions for America's most pressing problems.
"As a city attorney, planning commissioner, and, now, city council member, I'm always looking for fresh perspectives on how to think about redevelopment. [Strong Towns] provides that and then some, creating fertile intellectual space for real innovative thinking." ~ Kevin Staunton, City Council Member - Edina, MN
"Strong Towns’ content […] helps me to present the problems I clearly recognize in terms that cannot be easily deflected, and then gives me language to better paint what a solution looks like." ~ Beth Gehred, City Council Member - Fort Atkinson, WI
Why do YOU support Strong Towns? Join the movement today and make your voice a part of the conversation!
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To build a Strong Town is to develop governing habits and shared cultural understandings that result in a long run of small wins that may be individually imperceptible but cumulatively result in broad and meaningful change. Today, I want to share one of those small wins with you.