It's All Local Now
Locals gather at a Strong Towns event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to discuss ways to make their community stronger.
Editor's Note: We originally ran this piece in 2020. We're sharing it again during this election week to remind you that, however you feel about the election results, you have the power and agency to create positive change at the local level.
It is 2 a.m. and I’m writing an article I wasn’t planning to write. In fact, until my teenage daughters intervened, I was planning to have a nice dinner, do some work on my upcoming book, then go to bed and let the election results be something I woke up to. I’m a sucker for math and maps so, as soon as we turned on the news, I knew I would be up late.
I love math and maps, but I really hate spin. There is going to be a lot of spinning in the coming days and weeks, regardless of where the results of the national elections ultimately end up. I’m not going to try to convince you that this doesn’t matter because it clearly does. I’m also not going to tell you that the time and energy you’ve vested in this apparently ambiguous result was wasted. Working on something we deeply care about is never wasted time.
I do want to nudge you to consider this: Everything you are passionate about at the national level has a local analog that needs your attention.
And not only does it need your attention, but your passion and energy is game-changing. The time and effort you put into making your place stronger and more prosperous will make a huge difference in the lives of others. The result of those efforts won’t be ambiguous — show your place love and it will love you back. I promise.
Voting is important, but as I said in a podcast last month, it is one of the least impactful things we should be doing over the coming months and years. That’s not to diminish the importance of voting and participating in the democratic process. Instead, it’s a call to elevate what each of us has the capacity to do in our own places.
The Strong Towns movement is connecting people, building a larger bottom-up revolution that is amplifying these amazing local actions so that they inspire others to do similar things. We can spend the next four years as bit players in the next national contest, a race that each of us individually has little chance to influence. Or, we can shift the ground in this country by demonstrating a different way of doing things, working together with people in each of our places and in coordination with others across the entire nation. It’s working, and we need you.
I’m sorry if things did not go the way you hoped they would, and I’m saddened for the distress this may be causing you or others you care for. I mean that sincerely. Let’s keep our ideals and our vision for a better America while we simultaneously continue to do what we can to make each of our communities stronger and more prosperous places.
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.