Officials Are Using the Strong Towns Approach in This California Town

During a recent Planning Commission meeting in Windsor, California, Vice Chair Tim Zahner advocated for using the Strong Towns approach to make the city's streets safer.

Memphis Leads the Way with Preapproved Plans for Housing

Drawn-out approval processes attract resistance, allowing opponents to derail individual projects. Cities need a proactive approach that streamlines housing production while maintaining high standards. Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, is showing how to do that.

Marion's Comeback: How This Rust Belt Town Is Rebuilding Itself From the Ground Up

Marion, Ohio’s story is one of resilience and community. Devastated by economic disinvestment and the opioid epidemic, residents realized it was up to them to turn things around. Here's how they're doing it.

North Carolina May End Parking Mandates—Your City Should Be Next

The ripple effects of outdated parking mandates are felt everywhere, making it harder to build the kind of communities people want and need. North Carolina might be about to change that.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Empowering a Network of Advocates

Tiffany is joined by Montana Gau, a Local Conversation leader in Denver. They discuss how Gau built the group into a registered nonprofit with several hundred members and how his role shifted from advocating “on the ground” to creating a space where others can more effectively advocate. (Transcript included.)

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 20, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, colorado, local conversations, taking action

Bonus Episode: Lessons From 9 Strongest Town Contest Winners

This special episode explores the Strongest Town Contest, including what cities can learn from previous winners and a preview of this year's Contest. Joining the discussion are Strong Towns staffers Lauren Ronnander and John Pattison, as well as Stephen Gawron, the former mayor of the 2018 Strongest Town, Muskegon, Michigan. (Transcript included.)

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 11, 2025podcast, strongest town contest, michigan, advocacy, taking action

New Year, New Blair: A Community Resolution for Meaningful Change

In Blair, Nebraska, Jake Loftis and his Local Conversation are turning the idea of New Year’s resolutions into a powerful tool for community transformation.

Top StoryAsia MieleszkoJanuary 7, 2025local conversations, small bets, taking action, community engagement, Nebraska

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Building a Coalition for Long-Term Change

In this episode, host Tiffany Owens Reed is joined by Chloe Groome and Aaron Feldman, co-leads of the Local Conversation group Strong Towns Chicago, to discuss the initiatives their group is working on and their coalition strategy for driving change.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsDecember 19, 2024podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, illinois, local conversations, taking action

Changing Our Places (and Ourselves) One Step at a Time

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.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodDecember 13, 2024advocacy, city council, little bets, canada, taking action

What Does Your Next #BlackFridayParking Look Like?

Each Black Friday, we invite people to participate in the Strong Towns movement by sharing pictures of parking in their communities that is excessive or underused — even on the busiest shopping day of the year. But with parking reform gaining momentum across North America, what comes after #BlackFridayParking?

Top StoryCarlee Alm-LaBarNovember 29, 2024end parking mandates and subsidies, #blackfridayparking, taking action, activism

Bottom-Up Shorts: Starting a Bus Bench Building Program

In this episode, host Norm Van Eeden Petersman is joined by Julie Emery, a Local Conversation leader, to discuss how her group started their bus bench building program and how it’s evolving.

Keeping Kids Safe One Cone at a Time

In the battle for street safety, crossing guards are on the front lines. Their verdict: The streets outside of schools are extremely unsafe. One crossing guard in Denver decided to do something about it.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Reclaiming Forgotten Spaces for the Community

Katy Clagett is a commercial real estate appraiser and activist. She joins the podcast today to talk about the ways that bottom-up projects can build community, as well as her experiences with spearheading this kind of project.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsNovember 21, 2024podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, community building, small bets, taking action

7 Things for Elected Officials To Keep in Mind Before Their First Meeting

You decided to put your passion into action by running for office. Your message resonated with local voters and propelled you to victory. Congratulations! Now what? Here’s some advice from elected officials, as well as Strong Towns members and staff.

Top StoryBen AbramsonAugust 7, 2024local government, elected officials, advocacy, taking action, city government

How Strong Towns Turns Doubt and Disillusion Into Hope and How-To

As a Strong Towns advocate, you likely face a lot of opposition from rigid systems and even other advocates. This opposition claims that you’re not qualified enough to have an opinion or that you’re trying to change things in the wrong way. It’s easy to get discouraged by this barrage, but remember: there’s always something you can do to make a difference.

Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodJune 13, 2024member week, advocacy, psychology, Small Change, taking action

“What Now?” How To Move From Awareness to Action as a Strong Towns Advocate

The Strong Towns movement is steadily progressing to the next phase of its mission. A substantial number of people are convinced of the principles behind the movement, and they want to roll up their sleeves and get to work. Here’s how to make the leap from building awareness to actually changing the default of North America’s built environment.

5 Action Steps You Can Take To Start Changing the Property Tax System in Your Town

The Just Accounting for Health coalition has been researching and reporting on property tax inequities for the past 18 months. But the real work is just getting started—and it starts with you.