The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Getting Stronger
(Source: Unsplash.)
Our new members all have a story to tell.
That has been true ever since the early days of Strong Towns. People of various backgrounds and interests began to step up and support what the fledgling Strong Towns organization was doing.
The reasons that people donated to the work of Strong Towns said much about their own experiences of living in struggling communities: They were grappling with deep-set issues and drawn to an explanation of these things that made sense and offered hope. Giving to Strong Towns was one way of beginning to share a message widely that has begun to take hold all over the world.
Our new members share their stories in our bi-weekly Member Welcoming sessions and I’m inspired by the things I hear.
I hear of people noticing patterns in their neighborhood that they didn’t see before.
Members tell stories of confronting their peers who defend the Suburban Experiment, persuading them to reexamine their long-held beliefs. They tell of how they’ve been inspired to speak up with their neighbors and civic leaders to push for actions on safe local streets and a new approach to economic development.
Our new members tell of taking action to build better cycling infrastructure and stronger local networks.
As we celebrate a million local heroes, I think of the newest members of Strong Towns and the oldest ones. I’m grateful for the role these pioneering members played in supporting the Strong Towns movement years ago. Their contributions to a greater cause meant that this message of bottom-up, incremental change through the work of everyday heroes reached me in Vineland, Ontario, Canada. The growth of the Strong Towns audience resulted in my exposure to this message. As time goes by, I can see how my contribution to Strong Towns is similarly helping to fuel this invigorating message of change.
As Chuck Marohn shares in this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, the role of members in Strong Towns has been an essential part of the movement’s progress from the earliest days onward. Members have provided introductions to a host of new allies. Members have hosted speaking events and started backyard discussion groups. Members have provided a stable source of revenue to allow staff to be hired who could broaden the scope of our audience and activities. All of this relies on the contributions of our members.
The metaphor that comes to mind when thinking about Strong Towns membership is a flywheel: a rotating wheel that starts slowly but accumulates vast stores of kinetic energy as it moves, until it becomes capable of long-term, sustained activity. It feels like the Strong Towns movement is in that breakout phase where all of the pent-up energy is now propelling this message and its accompanying actions into the mainstream.
This is a special Member Week episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution. Chuck Marohn and I—Strong Towns Member Advocate Norm Van Eeden Petersman—talk about the membership experience at Strong Towns and the things we hope to launch soon. I hope you enjoy it!
Become a member today and join in this process of noticing, confronting, and taking action!
Charles Marohn (known as “Chuck” to friends and colleagues) is the founder and president of Strong Towns and the bestselling author of “Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis.” With decades of experience as a land use planner and civil engineer, Marohn is on a mission to help cities and towns become stronger and more prosperous. He spreads the Strong Towns message through in-person presentations, the Strong Towns Podcast, and his books and articles. In recognition of his efforts and impact, Planetizen named him one of the 15 Most Influential Urbanists of all time in 2017 and 2023.