Government – particularly local government – needs to be about redundancy, not efficiency. We need spare parts. We need slack in the system.

MarohnCharles MarohnApril 10, 2017

A Fateful Summit

A brilliant application of Strong Towns thinking highlighted at the Strong Towns Summit.

MarohnCharles MarohnApril 3, 2017density, texas

A Transportation Revolution

We prepare for the Strong Towns Summit on Transportation this Friday and Saturday in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

MarohnCharles MarohnMarch 27, 2017

Failure to Act (like professionals)

According to their newest report, the American Society of Civil Engineers would have us believe that we're failing to act by not spending enough on infrastructure. This is false.

MarohnCharles MarohnMarch 20, 2017engineers

Revisiting Engineering's Echo Chamber

America's engineering profession is deluding itself. In their own propaganda echo chamber, they are blaming society for the messes they helped create and perpetuate.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMarch 16, 2017engineers

Looking back: ASCE "Revises" Report

We have collectively believed for so long that spending on infrastructure is the key to prosperity that we don't even bother to check if it really is.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMarch 15, 2017engineers

Revisiting the ASCE Infrastructure Cult

We've spent trillions to save seconds in the first and last mile of each trip, and what we've gotten is the fake prosperity of a land use pattern that is bankrupting us.

MarohnCharles MarohnMarch 13, 2017engineers

Toll roads hurt the poor?

Let's not allow a simplistic reaction to direct funding of highways -- as opposed to our current indirect approach -- keep us from doing things that will help everyone, especially the poor.

MarohnCharles MarohnMarch 8, 2017highway spending, transportation

The Economics of the I-49 Connector, Part 3

Shreveport is overwhelmed -- except for a short period of time in a limited space -- with excess auto capacity, yet the I-49 Connector economic impact report cites a study of French cities to suggest more capacity is needed. C’est pas vrai.

MarohnCharles MarohnMarch 6, 2017traffic engineering

The Economics of the I-49 Connector, Part 2

The probability of the I-49 Inner City Connector creating 30,600 new jobs that would not have simply occurred somewhere else or are just being shifted from one now blighted place to the study area is precisely zero.

MarohnCharles MarohnFebruary 22, 2017highway spending, economics, traffic projections, traffic engineering

Standing for a Strong Shreveport

Building a highway through the heart of Shreveport, LA will destroy a strong neighborhood at a high cost. We're going to explore that story this week and show what's wrong with the plan.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnFebruary 20, 2017highway spending

A Dam Mess

Stop obsessing over building new infrastructure and start putting your best minds in charge of maintenance.

MarohnCharles MarohnFebruary 16, 2017water, maintenance

The Cost of Auto Orientation

An apples-to-apples comparison of traditional and auto-oriented development approaches.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 30, 2017auto-oriented, stroad

A letter to POTUS on infrastructure

Small maintenance projects focusing on below ground infrastructure in old, established neighborhoods have the greatest potential for positive returns.

MarohnCharles MarohnJanuary 23, 2017

Reinventing Poor Cities at Scale

Social justice concerns are an acceptable motive for collective action, but they don't free us from the requirement that our infrastructure investments make financial sense.

MarohnCharles MarohnJanuary 17, 2017poverty, water, pipes, michigan

Is Strong Towns My Tribe?

Is it safe for me to like Strong Towns?

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 13, 2017

Poor Neighborhoods Make the Best Investments

We can make low risk, high returning investments in our cities while improving the quality of life for people, particularly those who are not benefiting from the current approach.

MarohnCharles MarohnJanuary 11, 2017poverty, value per acre, transparent local accounting