Top 5 Stories from the Week (April 22–April 26, 2019)

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1. A Permit Process Should Never Take a Year. Here's a Different Way.

by Charles Marohn | April 22, 2019

We should require our local governments to develop some discipline and reliability in their permitting approach. These are practices that demonstrate respect for both our civic institutions and the people they are supposed to serve.

2. Can Removing Lanes From a Busy Street Actually Make Traffic Better?

by Daniel Herriges | April 18, 2019

A deep, dredged ship canal is a recipe for catastrophic flooding in a hurricane, whereas a coastal marsh absorbs the surge of water in a dispersed, slow way that lets life continue to flourish. This analogy has something important to teach us about urban streets.

3. The Connectedness of Our Housing Ecosystem

by Daniel Herriges | April 24, 2019

That high-end apartment building over there has nothing to do with the low-income families who need affordable housing over here, right? In fact, our choices as to where we live are more interconnected than we tend to think—and a new study demonstrates this in a surprising way.

4. Removing Parking Minimums: Lessons Learned and How to Pitch the Idea to Elected Officials

It’s the Little Things Podcast | Jacob Moses & John Reuter | April 24, 2019

John Reuter—board member at Strong Towns and former councilperson at the City of Sandpoint, Idaho—shares his insights in how you can propose eliminating parking minimums in your town—including how to tell a compelling story, how to find data that enhances that story, and how to build community support around removing parking minimums.

5. Can Any City Really Survive on Locally-Grown Food Alone?

Upzoned Podcast | Kea Wilson & Charles Marohn | April 19, 2019

A robust urban farming landscape can make your city stronger. But can it really, y’know…feed your citizens?

(Cover image via Creative Commons)