The rise of trunk-or-treat is just another outcome of our streets becoming more dangerous, but it’s important we come together and save the tradition of trick-or-treating.

Ryan AllenOctober 30, 2023halloween, safe and productive streets, safety, Street Design, children

Monitoring the Monitors: Maryland Man Scrutinizes State DOT Crash Reports

Maryland legislators have called for an infrastructure review of every crash that causes the death of a pedestrian or cyclist on state highways—but one local advocate is checking the state’s work, and there’s some problems with it.

NewsBen AbramsonOctober 30, 2023department of transportation, maryland, car crash, Crash Analysis Studio, maps, local conversations

Say Yes to New Housing—Before Anyone Even Asks To Build It

If your city, like so many others, needs more housing and fast, then here’s a way some places are streamlining the process.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Café Owners and Conversation Leaders

Aimee and Cody Frederick are selling coffee, cultivating real estate, leading a Local Conversations group, hosting a podcast, and serving on the zoning and planning commission in Richmond, TX.

PodcastStrong TownsOctober 26, 2023The Bottom-Up Revolution, local conversations, coffee shops, texas

Lessons From Estonia: Free Fares Alone Won’t Boost Ridership

In 2013, the capital of Estonia, Tallinn, declared transit (buses, trains, and trams) free for residents. So why is it that more Estonians are driving now than they were 10 years ago?

Asia MieleszkoOctober 26, 2023transit, europe, public transportation, transportation

It’s Not About the Candy

Halloween is about more than just candy and costumes: it can also represent something more about a neighborhood’s sense of community.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodOctober 26, 2023halloween, neighborhoods, community

Texan Local Advocates Put Couches and Potted Plants in Parking Spots

Each year on Parking Day, coveted curbside parking spaces in Denton, TX, are claimed by couches, games, potted plants, information tables, and conversations about the city’s future.

Denver Crash Map Reveals the Deadly Toll of Stroads

An impressive interactive map put together by a citizen advocate in Denver tells a sad but familiar tale: Stroads are disproportionately deadly.

Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 25, 2023safe and productive streets, car crash, maps, colorado, stroad, Crash Analysis Studio

How Should Canada’s Cities Use the Housing Accelerator Fund?

The Housing Accelerator Fund is a grant program that will inject $4 billion into Canada’s cities and towns by 2026–2027. There are a lot of ways to use this money well…but also a lot of ways to use it poorly.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesOctober 25, 2023Incremental Housing, canada, federal funding, housing, affordable housing

This City Is Not Waiting for a Crash To Happen Before Creating a Safer Street

When residents of Medicine Hat, AB, flagged a school crosswalk as dangerous, the city responded quickly with bollards and paint—showing that cities can (and should) implement street design changes before tragedy occurs.

Toledo Freeway Fighters Are Weaponizing ODOT’s Data Against It

DOTs commonly justify highway expansion projects by claiming increased capacity will relieve traffic congestion and spur economic growth—but Toledo, OH, residents are busting these myths using ODOT’s own data.

The Limits of the City

When it comes to saving the world, there’s a limit to what top-down policies can do.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedOctober 24, 2023city government, localism, local government

Seth Kaplan: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time

On this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, we talk with author Seth Kaplan about his new book, Fragile Neighborhoods: Repairing American Society, One Zip Code at a Time.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 23, 2023neighborhoods, neighborhood revitalization, books, localism

Back in My Day…Children Actually Were More Independent

Children haven’t changed in the past 100 years, but our attitudes about their ability to be independent have.

Top StoryAsia MieleszkoOctober 23, 2023children, schools, Safe Routes to Schools, safe and productive streets, walkability

California City Caters to Culinary Startups

Starting a business can be daunting, but this California city has made one relatively small bet that’s helping scores of local entrepreneurs get their small businesses off the ground.

Community Stories, Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 23, 2023small business, local business, entrepreneurs, success stories, small bets

From Yoga Instructor to Citizen Developer

A yoga studio owner turned into a developer and transformed a former mill into a mixed-use building, offering housing and economic opportunities in Rhode Island's fourth largest city.

The Potential of Pop-Ups

Temporary projects can help cities take the guesswork out of new infrastructure.

Top StoryAdeleine GeitnerOctober 19, 2023tactical urbanism, infrastructure, bike lanes, local government, pop-up

Big Win for ADUs: FHA To Count Rental Income for Mortgages

The momentum for ADUs gets a big boost from the federal government with a new policy to encourage homes with rental units.

News, Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 19, 2023Incremental Housing, accessory dwelling unit, missing middle, housing, housing policy

They Were Sold a Boulevard. What They Got Was a Highway.

Residents of the Farmers Market District in Dallas, TX, thought they were buying into a “walkable” neighborhood…except its 9-lane road is too dangerous to walk by. And the city’s attempts at making it safer aren’t helping.