Today, city planning departments obsess over what happens inside buildings but pay scant attention to the quality of the space outside them.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 6, 2022urban design, urban planning, parks, public space, Privatization, design, development, florida

Local Control or Centralized Planning? There’s a Third Answer.

The problems with "community input" are many and obvious. One misguided response is to favor more top-down policy making, simply overriding the objections of local "NIMBYs." But there is a third way.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 29, 2022localism, local government, local regulation, bottom-up, top-down, strong towns approach, incremental, incrementalism, Small Change, small bets, urban planning

Neighborhoods Were Never Meant to Be Unchanging

The idea of a permanent community “character” was an invention of the suburban era, and it's showing its cracks now—because it was never an attainable or desirable goal.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 23, 2022neighborhood change, zoning, suburban development pattern, suburban experiment, history, Neighborhood Design, new york, neighborhoods

A Recent Lawsuit Uses “Environmentalism” To Argue Against Walkable, Compact Development in Minneapolis. What the Heck Is Going On?

The environmental groups suing Minneapolis to block implementation of its groundbreaking 2040 Plan have a limited understanding of environmentalism, but a keen grasp of how to slow down policy reform.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 22, 2022Climate Change, climate, environment, zoning, NIMBY, incremental growth, incremental development, incrementalism, infill, minnesota

A New Guide Could Help Your Community Fix Its Parking Policies

From our friends at the Parking Reform Network: a new guide to aid local advocates and policy makers implement Parking Benefit Districts in their cities and towns.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 16, 2022parking pricing, Parking Reform Network, end parking mandates and subsidies

A Parallel Option: Social Housing (Part 3)

Social housing is not a silver bullet, but can be part of a broader vision for a fairer and more responsive housing market.

HerrigesDaniel HerrigesJune 15, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Pedal Power Needs People Power

Here’s two stories about powerful local action that Strong Towns members are taking to make their places more bike friendly.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 9, 2022bikeability, bike share, bikes, biking, bike infrastructure, member testimonials, success stories, colorado, pennsylvania, member week

What Is a Housing Shortage, Anyway?

Everyone’s heard of the housing shortage…so why is the “shortage” part of that phrase so poorly defined?

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 1, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, housing activism

Social Housing and the Strong Towns Approach (Part 2)

Why isn’t social housing the silver bullet it's sometimes sold as, and what it would take to be successful? (Hint: You still have to fix the market.)

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMay 26, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Social Housing and the Strong Towns Approach (Part 1)

Forget what you've heard; this isn't your granddad's social housing.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMay 25, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, housing policy, co-housing, social housing series

Herriges Rezoned: A City Shaped by Many Hands

Incrementalism is not an end in itself. Nor is it about a “small-is-beautiful” aesthetic for its own sake. Instead, it’s a practical pathway toward resilient, financially sound places.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMay 11, 2022Chaotic but Smart, traditional development pattern, incremental development, incremental, incrementalism, North Carolina, urban design, housing, south carolina, small scale developers

Herriges Rezoned: Your City Isn't Changing as Fast as You Think

The belief that we’re going to radically transform our cities from the top down defies reality. Despite widespread anxiety about urban growth and change, the vast majority of places aren’t changing very much at all.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMay 4, 2022incremental growth, infill, Infill Development, neighborhood change, housing

Herriges Rezoned: “Why Are Developers Only Building Luxury Housing?”

"Developers in my city are only building luxury housing. They're not building anything that ordinary people can afford." If you’ve said this lately, or heard someone else say it, here are five possible reasons why.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 27, 2022housing, housing market, development, affordable housing, gentrification, missing middle

Herriges Rezoned: The Neighbor's Dilemma

NIMBYs are responding to a set of very rational incentives. That presents a challenge for those of us who hope to alter the course of the Suburban Experiment.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 20, 2022suburbs, community engagement, community, NIMBY, neighborhoods

My County's Award-Winning Smart Growth Plan is a Disaster. Here's Why.

Sarasota County, FL, is viewed as a trailblazer in the prevention of unchecked suburbanization. So why has its growth management plan has not resulted in a better pattern of development?

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 6, 2022development pattern, growth, Smart Growth, suburbs, urban planning, development, florida, growth ponzi scheme

Is It Time for a National Zoning Atlas?

This advocacy group created the first online map to show how an entire state zones for housing. And they want to take the effort nationwide.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 30, 2022advocacy, zoning, Connecticut, mapping, maps, housing, race, segregation

High Gas Prices Are Just One Symptom of a Much Greater Problem

When gas prices spike, the core issue we, as a nation, should be fixating on is car dependency.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 17, 2022gas tax, transportation, transit, fragility, cars, car dependency, public transportation

Copy What You Know Works

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create places that aren’t bad—and that should be the first and foremost goal for a city.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 10, 2022placemaking, public space, urban design, design, greenspace, public engagement

Cities, Stop Bending the Rules for Drive-Thru Businesses

Cities should not be afraid to impose design standards that meet the community’s needs and that don’t jeopardize long-term planning for the public realm.