New Year, New Blair: A Community Resolution for Meaningful Change
New Year, new me. Whether it’s eating healthier, saving more money, or finally starting that long-postponed project, the start of January is a time when many commit to change.
In Blair, Nebraska, Jake Loftis and his Local Conversation (Strong Towns Blair) are turning the idea of New Year’s resolutions into a powerful tool for community transformation. Instead of focusing on personal improvement, Loftis has set his sights on small-scale projects that can make an outsized impact on everyday life.
The result is the Tactical Top Ten, essentially a crowdsourced wish list of projects that the group can endeavor in 2025. To be included on the list, a project has to meet three main criteria:
It meaningfully solves a problem.
It costs less than $2,000.
It's something the community can accomplish in just one or two weekends.
By keeping the criteria simple and actionable, the initiative invites participation from anyone who wants to help make Blair a better place. (Expertise appreciated but not necessary.) Over the holiday break, members were encouraged to look around their town with fresh eyes, identify areas for improvement and propose ideas. From safer crosswalks to public seating to beautification efforts, the potential for impact is enormous — and, most importantly, completely within reach.
The hope is that, by the time these projects hit the pavement, Blair won’t just have a few new amenities — it will have a renewed sense of pride and agency. Furthermore, each project will serve as a reminder that progress doesn’t have to come from big budgets or outside experts; it can grow from the people who know their town best. And it can happen over the course of a weekend.
What are your New Year’s resolutions for your community? A great first step is becoming a Strong Towns member. Membership supports Local Conversations like the one in Blair, and it connects you with resources and experts who can help make your place stronger.
Asia (pronounced “ah-sha”) Mieleszko serves as a Staff Writer for Strong Towns. A dilettante urbanist since adolescence, she's excited to convert a lifetime of ad-hoc volunteerism into a career. Her unconventional background includes directing a Ukrainian folk choir, pioneering synaesthetic performances, photographing festivals, designing websites, teaching, and ghostwriting. She can be found wherever Wi-Fi is reliable, typically along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.