Overstating the “urban/rural divide,” a puzzling divergence in crime statistics, and the complicated history of a South Dakota monument. These are a few of the articles Strong Towns staffers were reading and talking about this week.
Read MoreFaith communities have a unique and indispensable role in building stronger, more prosperous, and more resilient places. It’s easy to get started.
Read MoreThe test used to evaluate tax incentives is full of holes. Not surprisingly, this has led to problems, and not just in Kansas City. Here’s how to know whether tax incentives will be generating new economic activity…or just moving money around.
Read MoreEconomic development as a zero-sum game leads to cities racing each other to the bottom. It’s time to embrace instead a perspective on economic development that leads to broad wealth creation and productivity.
Read MoreDecades of disinvestment have trapped neighborhoods in poverty. Cities can do something about it—with tools they already have—and build lasting prosperity that benefits everyone.
Read MoreDecades into the Suburban Experiment, many towns and cities have precious few old buildings left. Those that remain could be adapted to new uses—but cities are making that hard.
Read MoreWe all love those “Before” and “After” shots. But where things get interesting—whether it’s on a home makeover show, or building a strong town—is what comes in-between.
Read MoreTax incentives are a powerful weapon to attack urban problems. But Kansas City—like many cities—has a history of using them recklessly and ineffectively: more “Ready, Fire, Aim” than “Ready, Aim, Fire.”
Read MoreMany zoning reform efforts shift power up, from municipalities to the state level. What if, instead, we shifted them downward, to the neighbors of proposed developments?
Read MoreSlowly but surely, the national conversation is changing around how to build stronger and more resilient cities. And you’re making it happen.
Read MoreThe collapse of local news, how one-size-fits-all solutions are fueling literal fires in California, and people who buy and sell underground bunkers. These are just a few of the stories from around the web that Strong Towns staffers were reading and talking about this week.
Read MoreIf we want our cities to be more resilient and financially productive, we must allow them to become complex again.
Read MoreYou absolutely have something to offer your town or city in a time of crisis. Here are 6 tips on thinking creatively about your unique contribution.
Read MoreWisconsin’s plan to expand a key highway in Milwaukee will not reduce congestion or travel times. In fact, the evidence suggests they’ll likely get worse.
Read MoreWhy do predictions of “Carmageddon” so often fail to materialize? Recent lane reductions on a major bridge in Portland may hold answers, if we pay attention.
Read MoreWhat happens when suburban requirements clash with urban density? Often, an uninspiring hybrid that people are still willing to pay for.
Read MoreSolving the housing crisis requires bringing back “missing-middle” housing. The planner who coined the term “missing-middle” explains how.
Read MoreDon’t underestimate the power of kindness in building stronger, more resilient cities. Its true strength is proven in crisis—as in Oregon’s recent wildfires.
Read MoreIncremental change doesn’t mean slow change. In fact, unleashing the power of the many to make small changes in response to immediate needs may be the only approach that is up to the scale of the problems our cities face.
Read MoreThere are hyper-local issues a city must handle. But some issues should be dealt with even closer to home—with neighbor talking to neighbor.
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