I’d rather smother a boot in gravy and eat it than deal with a labyrinth of city regulations, procedures and fees. Loopholes are a great way to avoid that. Here are three loopholes to help you move forward when your project is running up against a bureaucratic nightmare
Read MoreThe Strong Towns Crash Analysis Studio is one of the toughest projects I’ve ever worked on. Analyzing crashes that ruined people’s lives is heartbreaking, especially when knowing that quick and easy responses could’ve prevented them. But it’s worth it to make those streets safer, to save lives and to shift the national conversation around crashes to be more humane and effective.
Read MoreIn this episode of Upzoned, co-hosts Abby Newsham and Chuck Marohn talk about the crisis currently facing the Florida condo market. They discuss the backlog of deferred maintenance revealed by new safety regulations, what this means for individuals and communities, and possible paths forward.
Read MoreAfter a Crash Analysis Studio was conducted in Rochester, New York, the city quickly established safer street design standards. Now, the county has created a first-in-state Community Traffic Safety Team to proactively address citizens’ concerns regarding street safety.
Read MoreHowever you feel about the results of the election, remember the power and agency you hold at the local level. Let’s keep our ideals and our vision for a better America while we simultaneously continue to do what we can to make our communities stronger.
Read MoreChuck was recently challenged to come up with five things that the next president, whoever they end up being, should do once they’re in office. In today’s episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, he shares that list and explains why each item is important to building a stronger America.
Read MoreStrong Towns is dedicated to making meaningful progress in pursuing our mission, regardless of who wins elections. To that end, here are five things we want to see the next president do to support the prosperity of America’s cities, towns and neighborhoods.
Read MoreWhat we pay attention to shapes what we love. So, as national problems and politics take center stage, let’s remember to pay attention locally, too. It’s where we can make the biggest impact and build the most endurance for the work ahead.
Read MoreRik Adamski is the founder of a planning firm that strives to help cities create thriving places by drawing on the wisdom of the past. He joins this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to discuss his approach to planning and the challenges of implementing a new planning approach in cities.
Read MoreWhen it comes to Halloween adventures, the traditional development pattern always comes out on top. Here’s why.
Read MoreTo make streets safer, we need to change the way people think about car crashes. And we need your help to do it. So, here’s the executive summary of the new “Beyond Blame” report, which shares the most important insights and recommendations from 18 months of Crash Analysis Studios.
Read MoreAmerican bus stops often leave people exposed to the elements without even a place to sit as they wait for their buses to arrive. Here’s how advocates around the country are tackling this problem — and how their cities are responding.
Read MoreAnnexation is a method of city growth in which parcels or developments are added to municipal borders by city officials and staff. It's usually a disaster for a city's finances. But there are a few (very rare) cases where it might be advantageous.
Read MoreThe design of a roadway should reflect its intended use: streets should be designed for safety and building community wealth, while roads should be designed for fast travel. Here’s an example of safe road design and how you could apply it to a stroad.
Read MoreNorm Van Eeden Petersman is the director of membership and development at Strong Towns. He joins today’s episode to discuss his work and share an exciting update about the future of The Bottom-Up Revolution.
Read MoreIn honor of the season, here’s a short adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” which illustrates the damage that zombie projects — large, ambitious projects that drag out for years or never get off the ground — can do to a place.
Read MoreIn this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Newsham is joined by John Anderson, a builder and developer in Georgia, to discuss the Strong Towns take on “urban homesteading.”
Read MoreFor decades, state and federal highway agencies have justified massive projects with traffic forecast models. But a closer look reveals a troubling pattern of exaggeration, manipulation and outright falsification in these models.
Read MoreFor Asheville, North Carolina, rebuilding might mean questioning some rules and getting creative to allow for the same kind of incremental development that made the city so unique and gave it such a quirky (and productive) local economy.
Read MoreDetroiters have reclaimed 17,000 vacant homes since the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, we’ll take a closer look at one neighborhood whose housing fate has turned on a dime, seemingly thanks to the efforts of one of Detroit's immigrant enclaves.
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