The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Building and Amplifying Communities

Norm Van Eeden Petersman is the director of membership and development at Strong Towns. He joins today’s episode to discuss his work and share an exciting update about the future of The Bottom-Up Revolution.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 24, 2024podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, community building, Place Attachment, public space

6 Design Relationships That Create Great Places

When trying to make a space more active and vibrant, many people focus on its individual design elements. The Musicant Group takes a slightly different approach, focusing on building strong relationships between the design elements. Here are six design relationships they recommend fostering.

Top StoryMax MusicantSeptember 24, 2024placemaking, Third Places, community building, seating, public space

The Secret to a Better City? More Places To Sit.

If you could ask anything from a downtown redevelopment project, what would it be? For a lot of people, it’s a place to sit. This may be surprising to some, but public seating plays an important role in creating prosperous communities. Here are a few of the reasons why.

Dignity, Inclusivity and Walkability: How Public Bathrooms Help Cities Flourish

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.

No Purchase Necessary

Cities need more transaction-free third spaces.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedOctober 31, 2023Third Places, public space

From Non-Place to Beloved Space in Just Three and a Half Days

This block in Tulsa, AZ, got a makeover in this community-led placemaking event, showing that you don’t need a lot of money to transform an empty space into a community asset.

Community Stories, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoSeptember 29, 2023Arizona, public space, Third Places, success stories, tactical urbanism

To Address Public Washroom Shortage, This City Took an Incremental Approach

It can be difficult to find a free public restroom. Here’s how one city in Alberta is tackling the problem, through small, immediately effective solutions.

Community Stories, Top StorySeairra JonesSeptember 27, 2023public space, canada, small bets, homeless, Community Action Lab

That Fringe Fest Feeling

This festival has all the elements that make for a thriving downtown—elements that should be present year-round.

Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodAugust 10, 2023downtown, canada, walkability, public space

Show Me the Magic

Sometimes, it behooves us to rethink downtowns as hubs of culture-making, not just money-making.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJuly 18, 2023downtown, public space

Designed for Community

Design doesn’t necessarily make a community, but, as this neighborhood in St. Paul, MN, shows, it does matter.

Don’t Give Up on Your Small Town

Oftentimes, people in rural settings drive long distances to bigger towns to find community engagement. This renovated soda fountain shop shows why it’s worth looking for that sense of community a little closer to home.

Flushing Success Down the Toilet

This public toilet in Winnipeg, MB, is a case study in why city governments need to pay attention to the power of small bets.

Sweat the Small Stuff

Your city’s long-term resilience requires paying attention to the little things.

Pocket Parks: A Small Bet That Makes a Big Difference

This nonprofit is transforming pockets of St. Louis, MO, into delightful and welcoming parks—and at a low cost!

Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra JonesFebruary 28, 2023public space, Third Places, parks, small bets, little bets, nonprofit sector, missouri

Social Infrastructure: The Real Investment Our Cities Need

Too often, cities invest in the storage and movement of cars rather than the movement, visibility, and interactions of human beings. But the latter is precisely what makes for communities that are worth caring about.

OwensTiffany Owens ReedFebruary 28, 2023community, community site, public space, public safety, safety, Third Places

Church Members Propose Urban Village for Congregation

Parishioners of a historic church in Detroit want to develop eight vacant blocks with missing-middle housing to build a church-centered community.

News, Top StoryRobert SteutevilleJanuary 27, 2023faith communities, religion, churches, public space, community, Incremental Housing, michigan

Not a Stranger, Not a Friend: The Second-Ring Relationships Our Cities Need More Of

Relationships with neighbors once made up an important part of our social fabric, forming the basis for civic collaboration and local problem solving. Here’s how we can get those relationships back.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedDecember 6, 2022community, public space, neighborliness, coffee shops, texas

Want To See the World’s Best Library of 2022? Look No Further!

Public spaces are an important investment, and as an example of a public space done right, look no further than Missoula, MT, which is home to the world’s best public library of 2022.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Top StoryKarla TheilenOctober 9, 2022neighborhood storyteller, libraries, public space, children

Strongest Town Contest Sister Cities Come Together

Representatives from Norwood, OH, went to visit their counterparts in Jasper, IN, after facing off in this year’s Strongest Town Contest. Here’s 7 reasons the Norwoodians found Jasper to be a worthy champion!