It’s not easy to live without a car when you have young children, but it’s certainly possible. Plus, having to walk can help you build unexpected connections with your community.

Top StoryGrace OlmsteadJuly 19, 2022walkability, children, bus, buses, community, public transportation, europe

Keeping Tabs on the Community Bulletin Board

This week, our Neighborhood Storyteller reflects on ways she stays connected—at least in spirit—with her community, even when she’s physically far away.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Top StoryKarla TheilenJuly 19, 2022neighborhood storyteller, community, children, pets, radio, neighborhoods

The Drip, Drip, Drip of Traffic Deaths

40,000 people die in automobile accidents every year in the United States. So why aren’t we responding to this obvious problem with more urgency?

Podcast, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 18, 2022podcast, car crash, cars, car culture, traffic engineering, safety, safe and productive streets

In Buncombe County, NC, Billions of Dollars of Home Value Go Untaxed

As an ad hoc committee recently discovered, owners of higher-valued properties are more likely to receive a tax break…simply because of bad data.

Top StoryOri Baber and Lanier HagertyJuly 18, 2022property tax, Assessments, North Carolina, Just Accounting for Health, finance, public finance, municipal finance, race, urban3, taxes, transparent local accounting, local economy

How Street Design Shapes the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Fatalities

What do we mean when we say that street design is a large factor responsible for traffic deaths?

Top StorySteve DavisJuly 18, 2022public safety, Street Design, streets, Smart Growth America, design, forgiving design, pedestrians, stroad, safe and productive streets, safety

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

Stellar nurseries, violins, and horror novelists. These are just some of the stories from around the internet that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.

Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 15, 2022friday faves

San José Joins in the Push To Abolish Parking Minimums

San José adds itself to the list of cities that are doing away with harmful parking minimums!

Top StoryDaniela CastañedaJuly 15, 2022parking minimums, minimum parking requirements, city council, transportation, success stories, end parking mandates and subsidies, california

McMain Streets, Gentrification, and the Futility of Authenticity as Urbanism Becomes Mainstream

As people interested in undoing damage caused by the rise of the suburban development pattern, how should we feel about so-called “McMain Streets”?

Top StoryAlex MusicJuly 15, 2022suburbs, suburbanization, suburban experiment, walkability, gentrification, urban planning, urban design, urban renewal

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Celebrating Your City and Helping it Grow Better

Strong Towns member Montavius Jones is committed to making Milwaukee, WI, a better place to live for everyone.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 14, 2022The Bottom-Up Revolution, community development, podcast, wisconsin

New Report: America’s Epidemic of Traffic Deaths Is Getting Worse

Our streets are still dangerous by design. This report shows what we need to do about it.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 14, 2022safety, public safety, design, Street Design, forgiving design, car crash, streets, transportation, pedestrians, stroad, safe and productive streets

Water Wars in the Modern Wild West

Residents of Maricopa County in Arizona find themselves engaged in a war over water, as the county builds itself out beyond its means.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 13, 2022podcast, resource, water, Arizona, development pattern, suburban development pattern, environment, suburban experiment, upzoned, development

Affordable Housing in Oregon Is About To Catch a Big Break From Parking Mandates

Finally, homes for people will no longer be conditional on car parking.

Top StoryCatie GouldJuly 13, 2022parking minimums, affordable housing, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, housing policy, housing affordability, zoning, end parking mandates and subsidies, oregon

For Those Who Wish We’d Talk About Climate Change More

Progress on climate change can and will come if we use a bottom-up approach to changing our development pattern.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJuly 13, 2022bottom-up, top-down, climate, Climate Change, environment, strong towns approach, development pattern

Springfield Gets Started on Fixing State Street

City leaders in Springfield, MA, recently started a project to calm traffic on State Street, one of the city’s deadliest places for walkers and bikers.

Top StorySeairra JonesJuly 12, 2022public safety, road diet, traffic engineering, little bets, success stories, transportation, pedestrians, missouri, safe and productive streets, safety

A Perfectly Good School

Another historic building that served an important function in its community gets torn down…to make way for more car storage.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Top StoryKarla TheilenJuly 12, 2022neighborhood storyteller, parking minimums, historic preservation, end parking mandates and subsidies

Yes, We Will Help You Build Your Strong Town

Join us on July 14 to learn about a special opportunity to mobilize your community for change.

Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 11, 2022events, event, announcement, Community Action Lab

My Letter to the Minnesota Board of Engineering Licensure

Tomorrow, the Minnesota board of engineering licensure will hold a hearing to determine what final action, if any, they will take against the Strong Towns movement.

Engineering Reform, Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJuly 11, 2022engineering ethics, engineers

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

Brainerd fireworks, 0.5 selfies, and river otters. These are just some of the stories from around the internet that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.

Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 8, 2022friday faves