Small Wins and Dedicated Allies: Why We’re Undaunted by Everything We’re Up Against
(House built using a pre-permitted plan in Kalamazoo.)
The theme of this week’s Strong Towns Member Drive is, “This is what we’re up against.” And, hoo boy, we are up against a lot. From a transportation system that generates danger for all users to a development pattern that siphons wealth rather than building it, citizen advocates, elected officials and planning professionals face a gauntlet of daunting challenges.
The good news is that they’re rising to the occasion. Here are a few examples of how people seeking solutions really can change the world one block, neighborhood or city at a time:
Monitoring the Monitors
The state of Maryland adopted Vision Zero in 2022, and it included a provision that the state's Department of Transportation must execute a detailed infrastructure analysis for every fatal crash. Such reports were meant to identify any design deficiencies around the crash site so they could be fixed. The state set up a public website with an interactive map of crash reports.
There was just one problem: Almost all the official reports ended with the conclusion that there was “no deficiency.” A Strong Towns member questioned the reports — plus the notion that an agency could meaningfully monitor itself — and launched an independent website to take another look at the crashes the state covered. Traffic safety advocates will not be surprised to hear that his conclusions often diverge from the official version.
Saying Yes to Cycling
Too much of the rhetoric around expanding cycling infrastructure and participation focuses on the impediments. Sure, critics say, it’s easy to get people riding in a sunny, scenic city, but our place is too (insert adjective here) for bicycles to be a viable transportation option.
Montrealers had every reason to say the same about their cold, car-filled city with a small mountain in the middle. However, the local bike-sharing network refused to be deterred. It worked closely with city officials and surrounding municipalities to generate a user-friendly network of trails and docking stations that is now one of the largest in North America. It’s been so successful that it started operating through the winter for the first time this year and, with tens of thousands of trips during those frigid months, proved that people will choose human-powered transportation if it’s easily accessible.
Bringing Housing Back
Like many Rust Belt cities that saw their primary economic drivers dwindle, Kalamazoo faced almost every municipal challenge imaginable. So when it came to reactivating urban neighborhoods caught in a cycle of decline and disinvestment, local officials had to think beyond the traditional housing toolkit, both by broadening their coalition and generating new ways to add or rehabilitate residences.
They came up with unique solutions that leverage city resources, nonprofit partnerships, and the burgeoning trend of pre-permitted plans to bring new houses to old neighborhoods. Now, some of those new houses have created a ripple effect, spurring neighbors to renovate existing homes and bringing new small developers into the mix.
You can change the world, too. Not sure how? Become a member today to access information and resources to get you started.
Strong Towns is a member-supported nonprofit that gives local leaders, technical professionals and involved residents the insights to make their communities strong and financially resilient. You can support this work by becoming a member today.
Ben Abramson is a Staff Writer at Strong Towns. In his career as a travel journalist with The Washington Post and USA TODAY, Ben has visited many destinations that show how Americans were once world-class at building appealing, prosperous places at a human scale. He has also seen the worst of the suburban development pattern, and joined Strong Towns because of its unique way of framing the problems we can all see and intuit, and focusing on local, achievable solutions. A native of Washington, DC, Ben lives in Venice, Florida; summers in Atlantic Canada; and loves hiking, biking, kayaking, and beachcombing.