Diverging Diamonds: Still Not the Pedestrian's Best Friend

Diverging diamonds are forever, apparently. But don’t say they’re for pedestrians.

MarohnCharles MarohnJune 15, 2020Diverging Diamond, pedestrians

Is It Time to Hit the Reset Button on Policing?

Get beyond the headlines and recognize that dismantling a police department does not mean there will be no police.

MarohnCharles MarohnJune 8, 2020George Floyd, policing, race

Listening Recommendations for Strong Towns Thinking

Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn recommends two podcasts that will inspire and equip you to build stronger, more financially resilient cities.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 28, 2020Strong Towns Book, local government, podcast

Zombie Companies in a Zombie Economy

We’re getting another strip mall out on the edge of town, right next to the half-occupied strip mall built in 2007 before the last financial crisis.

MarohnCharles MarohnMay 26, 2020strip malls, stock market, debt, economic development, minnesota, covid, entrepreneurs

A Good Life in a Prosperous Place

The work of building your Strong Town doesn’t end with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, because the work is never done. That shouldn’t be discouraging. Rather, it should give our efforts meaning and energy.

MarohnCharles MarohnMay 22, 2020suburban experiment, prosperity, incrementalism, jane jacobs

America's Growth Ponzi Scheme

The American pattern of development creates the illusion of wealth. Today we are in the process of seeing that illusion destroyed…and with it the prosperity we have come to take for granted.

Marohn, Trending, Thought LeadershipCharles MarohnMay 18, 2020growth ponzi scheme

Jonathan Haidt on Finding Happiness During the Pandemic

From the author of “The Righteous Mind,” three insights from positive psychology on how to thrive in the COVID-19 crisis.

Top Story, MarohnCharles MarohnMay 12, 2020Jonathan Haidt, diversity, covid

10 Tasks for Cities Responding to the Pandemic

Last week we released Nine Things Local Government Needs to Do Right Now in Response to the Pandemic. Here’s the next step for a strong recovery.

MarohnCharles MarohnMay 11, 2020local government, city government, covid

Three Great Articles for the Moment We're In

The pendulum swing back to localization, the essential work of being a citizen, and learning to see past the false narrative — three must-read articles to better understand our world.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 6, 2020covid

This Is What Happens When Markets Are Too Efficient

What do the negative price of oil and fields of discarded potatoes have in common? They point to a market increasingly abstracted from reality. Unfortunately, the real-world consequences are anything but abstract.

Podcast, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 5, 2020Strong Towns Academy, Oil Prices, local food, podcast

9 Things Local Government Needs to Do Right Now in Response to the Pandemic

Here are the immediate steps every community should be taking to respond to the pandemic.

MarohnCharles MarohnMay 4, 2020local government, city government, covid

The Best of Chuck and Quint: 9 Takeaways from This Week’s Webinar

The importance of experimentation, why leaders need to repeat themselves, and why communities need a “leadership bench”—these and other lessons on how to thrive after COVID-19.

Marohn, Top StoryQuint StuderMay 1, 2020covid

Don't Hold Your Breath for a Post-Pandemic "Suburban Renaissance"

Some are saying COVID-19 will lead to a “suburban renaissance.” We’re not buying it. But there are some places that might become more popular in a post-coronavirus future.

Top Story, Marohn, PodcastStrong TownsApril 29, 2020economic development, fragility, suburban development pattern, covid, podcast

Chris Gibbons: This Is How You Grow a Local Economy

If your city isn’t pursuing this strategy to economic development, you’re missing out.

Marohn, Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 28, 2020Economic Gardening, podcast

This is the End of the Suburban Experiment

Contrary to what has been asserted elsewhere, the suburbs are not about to have a renaissance. In fact, there are many reasons to believe we are nearing the end.

MarohnCharles MarohnApril 27, 2020suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, suburban poverty, covid

When Will Your City Feel the Fiscal Impact of COVID-19?

Every city will feel the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. But which cities are likely to feel it worst and longest?

Top Story, Marohn, PodcastStrong TownsApril 22, 2020economic development, fragility, Brookings Institute, local government, covid, podcast

Yes, We Brought this on Ourselves

Do we open things up and get people back to work or do we continue to flatten the curve and live with the financial fallout? Economically, it’s a distinction without a difference.