Sometimes, small advocacy efforts seem like they’re not worth the time or effort. But every small action plants seeds for future change, both in your city and in yourself.
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Local governments often use terms that downplay, minimize or obscure the severity of a situation. While this isn’t a malicious or even conscious decision, using language that is inaccurate or that the general population doesn’t understand makes it very difficult to build a strong town.
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Biking advocates often argue that cities should add bike infrastructure because it'll reduce congestion. Reality is harder to predict. Here's why you should shift away from reducing congestion arguments and what you could focus on instead.
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Street trees are more than just beautiful additions to cities and towns — they also provide many economic and practical benefits, from prolonging the life of road surfaces to lowering energy bills. Here’s why you should invest in some trees.
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Block parties are more than just fun gatherings — they can be powerful tools for building stronger communities. Here’s why a block party could be just what your neighborhood needs.
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Biking infrastructure is important to building a thriving biking culture, but it isn’t everything. Community members can make cycling more accessible and appealing in other ways, too. Here are some of the ways Winnipeg, Manitoba, is doing it.
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Safety practices and education are vital for children, but when that education is focused solely on personal responsibility and is enforced through shame, it can do more harm than good. Personal responsibility can only go so far: For streets to truly be safe, changes to the transportation system itself are needed.
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Change can be scary and off-putting, and the construction of houses that don’t fit into an existing neighborhood — in this case because of size — can be a source of tension. But a change in neighborhood scale can be a good thing, as larger houses allow for important flexibility in housing options, like multigenerational and multifamily living.
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Recently, the city of Winnipeg, Canada, decided to ban on-street parking near a dangerous intersection, hoping that wider sight lines would reduce collisions. The process the city used to create this plan, as well as the discussion it triggered with the public, offers insights for advocates hoping to make their streets safer.
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Car-sharing gives people the perks of a private vehicle without the hassles of owning one, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here's how urbanists can use this car-rental model to strengthen their communities.
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Public bathrooms are an essential component of people-centered places. In addition to maintaining public health, they encourage foot traffic and community, as people are more likely to frequent an area when they know bathrooms will be available — especially if they have children or medical conditions.
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It’s natural to feel grief when local officials ignore calls to make your city a stronger and safer place. But while the grief is real, the changes your advocacy inspires are real too.
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Public art can do more than add personality and beauty to a space — it can change the way people behave, bring the community together and avoid the resistance other changes to city policy face. It’s time to stop overlooking this powerful and accessible tool and start making our towns stronger, one bucket of paint at a time.
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The era of corner stores and mom-and-pop shops has mostly come to an end, with modern zoning codes strictly segregating commercial and residential areas. But a return to the mixed-use model might be just what we need to empower entrepreneurs and strengthen people's sense of community.
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When housing is scarce, the affordability and quality of it tend to go down. If we want to solve this, we need more housing supply—but how do we make that happen? (Hint: Not necessarily through large-scale federal programs!)
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With regular repetition, community cleanups build something that’s lasting: a sense of commitment, pride, and place attachment.
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When budget season comes around, it can be hard to feel good about policy wins when there are so many other important causes that are also fighting for funding.
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There’s a troubling narrative out there that you can only get things done in your community if you’re in public office, or by otherwise working through official, formal channels. But this is simply not true.
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People tend, understandably, to think they’ll be safer in an SUV—but what happens to our cities if everyone is driving a bigger vehicle?
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This Netflix documentary about regions of the world with higher-than-average life expectancies holds some key insights for anyone who wants to see North American cities become thriving, healthy places for people.
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