The Standard Approach vs. the Strong Towns Approach
We started Strong Towns because we realized that the standard approach to growth and development was not working. We know there is a better way—a way to build our cities that cultivates community wealth, not debt and bankruptcy; a way to build our places that responds to the needs of the people, not the desires of distant decision makers; a way to take small steps and test out ideas, instead of going all in on expensive projects.
Put simply, here's the difference between the standard approach and the Strong Towns approach:
Which would you choose for your town?
I want to draw two insights relating human development to the way cities evolve. These insights are critical to understanding America’s housing crisis and our response to it — and why building housing in major cities can't meaningfully address the housing crisis.