Strong Towns Doesn’t Seem To “Fit” on a Political Spectrum. Why Is That?

Before attempting to apply any political label to this movement, it’s important we acknowledge the structural dysfunction within our current political language.

Top StoryBlake PagenkopfOctober 9, 2023politics

Want To Build a Stronger Community? Start by Supporting Local Farmers.

Not only does supporting local farms help with your place’s local economy, but it also has the potential to create a flourishing and connected culture of people—as seen in these stories from Brattleboro, VT.

Community Stories, Top StorySeairra JonesOctober 6, 2023rural, Farming, resilience, local food, strongest town contest

State College Chose Parking Over People. The People Fought Back.

State College, PA, voted to authorize eminent domain to demolish three downtown businesses for a parking garage. In response, a Strong Towns Local Conversation group mobilized opposition to the project.

What Do You Do With a Dream?

Many of us have great ideas for our neighborhoods, but feel unable to act on them—and that can be discouraging. But looking at your idea in a different way may change how you see it and whether you do anything with it.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodOctober 5, 2023neighborhoods

Street Fight: Why We Should Fight the Good Fight for Happy, Healthy, and Beautiful Places

Don’t wage a war against drivers, but don’t wage a war for them, either.

Ontario Greenbelt Scandal Shows How Not To Do Development

There was a major housing development scandal in Canada this summer…but it’s not the one you think.

We Need to Calm Down

Better street design can help us chill out!

Top StoryWill GardnerOctober 3, 2023safe and productive streets, Street Design, bikeability, children

There’s Often Parking for Cars, Not for Bikes. That’s Where Bike Valets Come In.

These Strong Towns advocates identified a lack of bike parking at recurring local events and did something about it…by creating bike valets!

Baltimore’s Property Tax System Robs the Poor to Pay for the Wealthy

In Baltimore, some of the city’s least wealthy individuals may be overpaying on their property taxes by nearly $300 a year, whereas some of the richest could be underpaying by $14,000 or more.

Conor Semler: A New Decision-Making Framework for Street Design

On this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, host Chuck Marohn chats with Conor Semler, an associate planner with Kittelson and Associates who’s promoting some innovative approaches to transportation planning.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 2, 2023podcast, safe and productive streets, Street Design, urban planning

How One American City Reclaimed a Highway (and It Paid Off Big Time)

Rochester, NY, made the decision to undo a past harmful highway project. Here are the challenges they faced—and the rewards they’ve seen since freeing up that valuable land for development.

Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 2, 2023end highway expansion, highways, freeway removal, success stories, new york

Your City Uses the Sales Tax. What Now?

A city may not be able to change from a sales tax system to a different approach—it might be stuck with what the state allows—but that doesn’t make them helpless to overcome the challenges the sales tax presents.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnOctober 2, 2023sales tax, taxes, local economy

From Non-Place to Beloved Space in Just Three and a Half Days

This block in Tulsa, AZ, got a makeover in this community-led placemaking event, showing that you don’t need a lot of money to transform an empty space into a community asset.

Community Stories, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoSeptember 29, 2023Arizona, public space, Third Places, success stories, tactical urbanism

Congress Hears Strong Towns Ideas on Housing, Transportation

Strong Towns ideas made it to the U.S. Senate this month. In a hearing called “Housing Supply and Innovation,” the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs heard from expert witnesses about America’s housing crisis.

News, Top Story, BradleyBen AbramsonSeptember 29, 2023Incremental Housing, Congress, federal government

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Doing Incremental Development in Detroit

On this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, we chat with Marques King, a licensed architect, practicing urban designer, and small-scale developer operating out of Detroit, Michigan.

Where Are People in Your Community Struggling?

Sometimes even the most well-meaning features of our cities present challenges to different people. What struggles would you observe in your community if you pictured it from someone else’s perspective?

To Address Public Washroom Shortage, This City Took an Incremental Approach

It can be difficult to find a free public restroom. Here’s how one city in Alberta is tackling the problem, through small, immediately effective solutions.

Community Stories, Top StorySeairra JonesSeptember 27, 2023public space, canada, small bets, homeless, Community Action Lab

“City of Yes”: New York City Mayor Proposes Major Housing Reform

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has proposed a substantial set of reforms to enable incremental and missing-middle housing solutions and add 100,000 new housing units to the city.