Rik Adamski is the founder of a planning firm that strives to help cities create thriving places by drawing on the wisdom of the past. He joins this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to discuss his approach to planning and the challenges of implementing a new planning approach in cities.
Read MoreAsheville's River Arts District, North Carolina's flagship for authentic incrementalism, was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Here's why it's so important that people continue embracing incrementalism to bring it back.
Read MoreAmericans are suckers for the idea of a moonshot, of taking a big, challenging risk and earning a huge payoff. The problem is, these moonshots usually fail, especially when they're trying to fix complex, chronic problems like traffic safety. There's a better way.
Read MoreSometimes, cities say that they’re taking an incremental approach when they’re really just breaking a master plan down into steps. This method lacks the creative, bottom-up nature that makes incremental development so resilient, tricking people into believing they’re making their city stronger when they’re really not.
Read MoreRecently, 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.
Read MoreIncrementalism is an important element of the Strong Towns approach—both in theory and in practice.
Read MoreIf your city, like so many others, needs more housing and fast, then here’s a way some places are streamlining the process.
Read MoreIs your city leaping before it hops?
Read MoreThe notion that there is strength in smallness can be found everywhere in the Strong Towns approach—but what’s so special about small?
Read MoreThese cottages designed for disaster relief show that an immediate housing solution can also be a part of long-term recovery.
Read MoreThis series of studies of 19th-century development in St. Paul, MN, can help us understand some of the earliest traces of what would later become the suburban development pattern.
Read MoreWhat if, rather than having to move because of life changes, your house itself could change? We present to you THE architectural solution to this common problem: The Incredible Expanding and Shrinking House.
Read MoreA troubled project in Mission, KS, speaks to the problems with large, single-developer projects—but also why fixating on the "bad developer" narrative isn't necessarily helpful.
Read MoreMany people who want to change things for the better in their place want an example of another town or city that’s already got it all figured out—somewhere they can copy. Here’s why that won’t necessarily work.
Read MoreIf it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a whole community to build a building. The small-scale developers of South Bend, IN, are showing how to do just that—and do it successfully in the long term.
Read MoreThe way we build our neighborhoods in North America is nothing like making a pizza. But maybe it should be.
Read MoreOver the course of a Sunday afternoon, this Strong Towns member created a simple and achievable plan to transform a local street—all on a small budget!
Read MoreParking reform can be a hard sell when it’s done all at once. Here are some small steps you can take instead to start helping your community use less land on parking.
Read MoreA recent CNBC documentary features Strong Towns insights from Charles Marohn about why suburban development is so risky.
Read MoreThe American Enterprise Institute has released some impressive—and free—data tools for understanding housing markets and development potential. And as a bonus, attend their upcoming talks if you’re in California!
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