The lament, “There’s nothing to do here,” might sound like teenage grumbling, but there may be more wisdom to it than meets the ear. Maybe we should look at our cities through the lens of organic social activities, both because they're enjoyable and because it gives us a chance to reconsider our values and the relationship between our design choices and our community’s social life.
Read MorePublic 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreAnd it begins with just showing up!
Read MoreIn 2018, a group of concerned citizens met in a South Dakota coffee shop to talk about their city’s problems. Now, they’re working with a $100k budget for small-scale—but big-impact—projects in their community.
Read MoreSometimes, building connections with your neighbors is as simple as hosting a block party.
Read MoreBeing a Strong Towns advocate is less intimidating, more effective, and, frankly, more fun when you’re not doing the work alone. Find a Local Conversation near you!
Read MoreFive local Strong Towns groups launched last week. Is one of them near you?
Read MoreMany people have a love-hate relationship with Facebook, but we can’t deny that it’s an effective place to connect with fellow advocates.
Read MoreThere are over 100 Local Conversations (i.e., local Strong Towns advocates working together) around North America. And we want to grow that number tenfold.
Read MoreCivic culture needs innovating, and it might just take some hard work. Literally.
Read MoreWe live in a culture that exalts the people who say, “I know.” But sometimes what our places need are people willing to say, “I don’t know,” and, “What do you think?” and, “Let’s figure that out together.”
Read MoreWhen the pandemic shut down our town, I realized how much I'd taken for granted the neighbors who showed up every day to make our community work.
Read MoreCo-housing not only saves money for these two families—and enabled them to buy a home, in the first place—it’s also allowed them to better weather hard times.
Read MoreThis simple, fun workshop will help your community discover just how many assets it has to work with.
Read MoreLast week, Chuck did an AMA on Reddit and received a ton of great questions. Here’s some of the highlights!
Read MoreThis congregation launched a non-profit organization to help its neighbors—not as an act of benevolence for them, but in solidarity with them.
Read MoreIn 2022’s inaugural Strong Towns Podcast episode, Chuck interviews Tim Soerens, author and co-founder of the Parish Collective.
Read MoreWhy it’s important that we connect with members of our community sooner rather than later.
Read MoreTim Wright is the cofounder of a local Strong Towns group: ReForm Shreveport.
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