Today Is the Best Time To Build a Strong Town
When a street closed for a block party, advocates seized the opportunity to paint a crosswalk. Police representatives in the booth nearby thanked them for their work. (Source: Jon Jon Wesolowski, LinkedIn.)
There’s a kind of magic in the word today. Not someday. Not when-the-grant-comes-through. Not after-another-study. But today. It’s when real change starts. And it’s the heartbeat of the Strong Towns movement.
When systems fail—as they so often do—the instinct is to look up. To wait for the next rescue plan. To trust that someone, somewhere, with a bigger budget or more authority, will fix things. But our members know better. They know the cavalry isn’t coming.
They also know that’s okay—because they’re not powerless. They know that they can do something today.
They can paint a crosswalk. They can install a bench. They can meet a neighbor and start a conversation. They can observe how a place functions and suggest a small improvement. And tomorrow, they can build on what they learned.
You Don’t Need Permission to Care
We live in a world where local leaders often get trapped in a cycle of delay. “We need to study this more.” “We should apply for a grant first.” “If we did it here, we’d have to do it everywhere.” They say these things not because they’re bad people, but because they’ve been trained to fear risk and wait for perfect solutions.
But our streets, neighborhoods, and cities weren’t built on perfect solutions. They were built by people willing to act—imperfectly but persistently. That spirit still exists. You just have to step into it.
Ladner May Days parade in Delta, BC, featuring the local heroes who are part of the BC and Alberta Guide Dogs program. This is an example of individuals stepping up to help their community. Imagine how cities could implement similar programs for tactical urbanism.
It’s a spirit embodied by city staffers who get it—like those in Medicine Hat, Alberta, where the city manager introduced the “Nimble Award” to celebrate exactly the kind of courage and creativity we champion. It’s given to employees who use limited resources in clever, responsive ways—who move forward iteratively, learn from real-time feedback, and let residents shape their places. That’s what Strong Towns calls bottom-up action. And it’s happening in communities all over.
You Are Not Alone
Today, almost certainly, at least one of our more than 280 Local Conversations groups is meeting up somewhere in North America. And hundreds more are in formation. These are people just like you—teachers, planners, retirees, small business owners, engineers, artists—who care about their place and have decided to stop waiting.
They’re showing up, sharing ideas, and getting to work. Some are painting intersections or documenting dangerous streets. Others are walking their kids to school and noticing how the sidewalks disappear. Some are talking to council members. Others are becoming council members. What unites them is not a job title or a credential—but a belief that the future of their place starts today.
Start Where You Stand
You don’t have to know everything to begin. You don’t need a grant or a master plan. You just need to start. Pick one thing. Talk to one person. Take one step. Learn. Adjust. Try again. That’s the Strong Towns approach. It’s humble. It’s practical. And it works.
This isn’t about giving up on large-scale change. It’s about recognizing that large-scale change starts small. When we act today, we build momentum. We build trust. We build a culture of responsiveness instead of rigidity. And over time, those small wins add up to a different way of running a city—one that’s more resilient, more just, and more alive.
Join Us
If this resonates with you—if you’re tired of waiting and ready to get started—we invite you to become a Strong Towns member. You’ll be joining a growing network of people who are doing real work right now to build stronger, more financially resilient, and more lovable places.
You don’t need to be a professional. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to care. And you need to be willing to act—not someday, but today.
You don’t have to wait for someone to fix it.
Start where you stand.
Start today.
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.