The Republican Roadmap on Infrastructure (It's Not a Real Plan)

The Republican Roadmap isn't a real alternative to the American Jobs Plan, and even if it was, we must stop talking about our national infrastructure strategy in terms of “Democratic versus Republican” approaches.

Break Out of the Resource Trap with a Strong Towns Approach

Communities in decline face a great deal of work if they hope to someday become stronger towns. Remember that it is a process, not a destination. Here’s how you can begin.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 28, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, community, main street

Reinforce the Main Street Ecosystem in Your Place

Resource-focused cities of the past built wealth in a downtown core surrounded by neighborhoods. Here’s how to recreate that ecosystem in your place, today.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 27, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, community, main street

Build Community Wealth with Incremental Investment

We must stop building more infrastructure in our cities and switch instead to a model of intensive maintenance, combined with making better use of what has already been built.

Strong Towns Has Filed a Lawsuit Against the Minnesota Board of Engineering Licensure in Federal District Court

The Minnesota board that regulates engineering licenses is abusing their power in order to stifle the free speech of Charles Marohn and retaliate against the Strong Towns movement for their advocacy on transportation, infrastructure, and engineering reform. Strong Towns has filed suit in federal court to stop the board’s actions.

Engineering Reform, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 23, 2021announcement, engineering ethics, engineers

Accelerate Success in Your Place with Economic Gardening

Conventional economic development practice focuses on recruiting new businesses to relocate to the community. In reality, the most stable and prosperous businesses are those that are homegrown.

Communities Need to Make Space for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in building prosperous local communities. Here are some steps for creating a more active ecosystem of entrepreneurs in your place.

How to Retain Capital in Your Community

Let’s go beyond the “buy local” mantra and start replacing things we send money out of the community for with viable local alternatives.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 19, 2021how to, RBC Series, resource trap, local economy, local food, local business, localism

The Modern Approach to Development Doesn't Work for Local Communities

There is much we can learn from cities of the past—especially small, remote cities that grew up around the exploitation of natural resources.

Why Communities Must Break Out of the Resource Trap

Resource-based communities rarely experience the prosperity their labor makes possible for others. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 17, 2021series, RBC Series, resource, community, resource trap, local economy

Engineers Should Not Design Streets

Engineers are great at building roads, but we should never ask them to build our streets.

Marohn, Top Story, Engineering ReformCharles MarohnMay 6, 2021roads, traffic engineering, engineers, streets

Ann Sussman and Justin Hollander: Architecture and the Unconscious Mind

Ever notice that a lot of houses look like faces? There’s a reason for that, and it’s more important to your brain than you might realize.

Marohn, Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 3, 2021architecture, cognitive architecture, podcast

Bond Ratings are for Investors (Not Taxpayers)

A great credit rating is not a blessing for a young community if it is interpreted as a license to borrow without discipline.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 26, 2021local government, minnesota, local economy, growth ponzi scheme

Dr. Samuel Hughes: A Proposal for Strong Suburbs

In the UK, planning systems have created a housing shortage. Here’s how a bottom-up approach could address the problem.

Marohn, Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 19, 2021housing, housing affordability, podcast

The Federal Government Doesn't Own Infrastructure

The federal government pays the upfront costs for infrastructure, but the responsibility for its maintenance is yours. Forever.

How Local Leaders Should Adapt to the American Jobs Plan

Do no harm: put your people and their needs at the heart of your approach. Here’s how.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 16, 2021federal government, federal funding, maintenance, american jobs plan

The American Jobs Plan Delays Necessary Infrastructure Reform

The top-down approach puts systems ahead of people and politics ahead of place—which is not what we need if we want to actually fix our infrastructure.