Teenagers are a sadly overlooked asset group in our communities. Reimagining the future of our communities with them in mind is a simple but powerful way to position our cities for long-term success.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedDecember 5, 2023children, community

The Best Books I Read in 2023

An annual tradition going 10 years strong now, here is Chuck Marohn’s list of his favorite books he read in 2023!

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnDecember 4, 2023

Alexandria, VA, Says Goodbye to Exclusionary Zoning

Alexandria, VA, one of the U.S.’s earliest settled cities, has just eliminated single-family zoning.

Top Story, TrendingAsia MieleszkoDecember 1, 2023zoning, success stories, Incremental Housing, virginia

Widening Highways To Combat Traffic Is Like Swallowing a Spider To Eat a Fly

ODOT wants to widen a highway in Toledo, OH. But continuing to make the highway bigger and bigger to solve traffic problems is about as effective as the story of the little old lady who swallowed a spider to eat a fly.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…the Largest Community Bike Shop in Louisiana

Dustin LaFont is the executive director of Front Yard Bikes, a youth workforce development program providing safe spaces for youth in Baton Rogue, LA, to learn bike mechanics and other skills.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsNovember 30, 2023The Bottom-Up Revolution, bikes, community, louisiana

A Grocery Bulk-Buying Club: How Elmwood Makes It Work

This neighborhood’s bulk-buying club for fresh fruit and veggies presents a model that other communities can easily emulate.

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodNovember 30, 2023local food, canada

Government Immunities vs. Life-Saving Infrastructure

When a deadly car crash occurs, our legal system does not encourage a responsive government—and in fact, in some cases, legal structures are likely incentivizing avoiding property damage claims over saving lives.

Top StoryAbi OlveraNovember 29, 2023safe and productive streets, car crash, Street Design

Sidewalks Should Be Designed for People, Not Cars

The reconstruction of this Toronto street highlights the problem with "standards."

Top StoryLloyd AlterNovember 28, 2023safe and productive streets, sidewalks, pedestrians, Street Design

Cities Need Infill Community, Not Just Infill Housing

Our cities need more housing, but perhaps even more urgently, our neighborhoods need more neighbors.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedNovember 28, 2023Incremental Housing, accessory dwelling unit, community, psychology

How To Get Your Fire Department on Board With Narrowing Streets

Traffic-calming measures can often raise concerns for emergency responders. Here’s how Jersey City—the city that’s famously achieved zero traffic deaths—cooperated with its emergency responders to make streets safer for everyone.

Where Is Sprawl Good? (Featuring Joe Minicozzi)

Are there any instances where sprawl is actually good? Hear Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn discuss this with Joe Minicozzi, principal of Urban3.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsNovember 27, 2023podcast, sprawl, urban3

My Neighborhood Is a Place

Having your city prioritize high-speed traffic through your neighborhood is like having people traipse through your living room with their boots on.

Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodNovember 27, 2023people centered places, neighborhoods, safe and productive streets, canada

Realtors Research Reveals High Barriers for Home Buyers

Finding and buying a home is getting harder in the U.S., according to a new report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Top StoryBen AbramsonNovember 27, 2023homeowners, housing cost, Incremental Housing, housing crisis, housing affordability

The Importance of Incrementally Building Principles AND Incrementally Putting Them Into Practice

Incrementalism is an important element of the Strong Towns approach—both in theory and in practice.

Top StoryRussell Arben FoxNovember 24, 2023incrementalism, kansas

How to Daylight Your City’s Intersections (and Why It Matters)

Daylighting means removing visual obstructions in approaching intersections, so that users can better see and more safely cross each other’s paths. Here are 5 ways to do it cheaply and creatively in your city or town.

Top StoryBen AbramsonNovember 24, 2023safe and productive streets, how to, Street Design

60 Letters Stopped Buildings Being Torn Down for Parking

Sixty letters of opposition from local advocates in Grand Rapids, MI, halted an irreversible decision: the teardown of five downtown buildings for surface parking lots.

Ryan Johnson: Builder of the First Car-Free Neighborhood Made From Scratch in the U.S.

In this episode of Upzoned, host Abby Kinney is joined by Ryan Johnson, the builder and resident of the first car-free neighborhood built from scratch in the U.S.: Culdesac Tempe.