The World Is on Fire. That’s Why We’re Here.

Rick Cole and I were catching up earlier this month when I asked him how he was doing. He paused for a moment and said, “The world is on fire, but I’m doing fine.”

That stuck with me.

Everywhere I turn lately, people are unsettled. The headlines are exhausting. The dysfunction is obvious. You don’t need to be deeply political to feel like things are off the rails—or to sense that we’ve wandered far from a sane and productive path.

At Strong Towns, we don’t traffic in outrage. We don’t run toward the noise, or pretend we can fix everything with a clever tweet or a national campaign. But we also don’t ignore what’s going on.

Because here’s the thing: we’ve been warning about this for a long time.

We’ve spent years explaining how our cities are financially fragile, how our infrastructure investments don’t pay off, how auto dependence and hyper-zoning create isolation, debt, and despair. We always knew these systems were brittle. We always knew this moment would come—a time when we’d be forced to reckon with how broken things really are.

We just didn’t know what the trigger would be.

Turning Warnings to Action

We are all seeing more clearly these days. When you recognize that things are broken, you have two options. You can wait helplessly for someone else to fix them, or you can start rebuilding the systems closest to you—the ones you can touch, influence, and change.

That’s what our members do. Every day. Quietly. Relentlessly.

Strong Towns isn’t just a voice calling for change. It’s a movement made real by thousands of people—heroes we call “members”—across North America who are leading book clubs and challenging dangerous road designs. Who are attending city council meetings and demanding real financial transparency. Who are putting orange cones in the street and hosting potlucks and asking better questions about growth, housing, infrastructure, and what it means to live in a place that actually works.

No permission slip is required. There is no five-point national agenda. Just neighbors helping neighbors, public servants stepping up, and citizens deciding not to wait for Washington or the statehouse to come save them.

This Is What Real Power Looks Like

If you’ve been around Strong Towns for a while, you’ve probably seen what happens when we talk about power. Some people assume we mean politics. They get defensive. They brace for partisanship.

But here’s the truth: There’s a kind of power that doesn’t make headlines. It doesn’t shout, posture, or demand your loyalty. It simply works.

Power is the parent who organizes a walk audit because their kids can’t cross the street safely. Power is the city staffer who changes the code to allow a corner store again. Power is the mayor who reads our content, attends one of our events, and then says, “We’re not going to chase the next big project—we’re going to make this place work for the people who live here now.”

That’s Strong Towns' power. It’s calm. It’s competent. It’s local. And it’s growing.

We Don’t Want a Chainsaw—But Some Limbs Need to Go

Let me be clear: We’re not cheering for chaos. We don’t want to burn the house down. And we definitely don’t want to hand someone a chainsaw to start hacking at the entire system just because we’re frustrated.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some dead limbs that need trimming.

We’ve spent years pointing out those dead limbs—the projects, policies, and habits that no longer serve us, if they ever did. We don’t think we should be cutting down healthy trees, or taking down power lines in a fit of rage. But if you care about the long-term health of the tree—your city, your neighborhood, your town—then it’s time to pick up the tools and start pruning.

That’s what Strong Towns is doing. That’s what our members are doing.

We’re here for the hard work of repair, not the thrill of demolition. That work has real urgency now. It’s our moment.

Join the Movement. Or Support the Ones Who Are.

Every time we hold a member drive, I’m reminded: We’re not part of the system. We’re not backed by institutions. Our funding doesn’t come from major foundations or headline-seeking philanthropists. We’re backed by people who believe in the work—people who are doing the work.

If you’re a member already, thank you. You’re the hero making all of this possible.

If you’re not yet a member, I’m asking you to join. Not because we need another name on a list. But because the world is on fire, and this is how we put it out: not by yelling louder, but by rebuilding block by block. Neighborhood by neighborhood. City by city. From the bottom-up.

By joining Strong Towns, you’re not just supporting an organization. You’re standing with thousands of people who are tired of the craziness and ready to do something better. You’re saying: “This is my town. My place. I’m going to make it better.”

You can also give so that someone else can keep going. If you can’t attend the meetings or take the course or organize the event, your membership helps the people who can. We’re in this together.

The World Is on Fire. But We’re Doing Fine.

It’s strange, I know, to say we’re fine while acknowledging how fragile things feel. But Strong Towns has always been about holding two truths at once.

We tell hard stories. We face tough numbers. We point out systems that don’t work. But we don’t stop there. We stay at the table. We help each other learn, lead, and love. And we try again, especially when it’s hard.

We should all see clearly now. There is no waiting anymore. We’re not powerless; we’re strong. That’s why I believe in this movement—and why I hope you’ll be part of it.

Join us. Support us. Or just stand with us. We’re not going anywhere.

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Strong Towns is helping local leaders, technical professionals and involved residents across North America make their communities more prosperous and financially resilient.

This movement needs you. Become a member today.