Accelerator | 12-Week Course

 Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution

 

Top-down solutions aren’t working. It’s time for a bottom-up revolution. Real change in our towns and cities starts with small, incremental steps—led by people who know their communities best.

This course explores the foundational ideas in Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution, and how they apply directly to the day-to-day work of municipal staff and community leaders. You’ll learn why large, high-risk projects often fail to deliver lasting value—and how locally driven efforts can lead to long-term resilience.

Participants will:

  • Understand why the conventional approach to growth is financially unsustainable

  • Learn how to take “little bets” that create steady, community-rooted improvement

  • Gain tools to lead change through local knowledge and civic engagement

You’ll walk away with practical strategies—and the inspiration—to help your community grow stronger from the bottom up.

 
 

Stay up to date with email updates on upcoming Accelerator sessions.

We use your postal code to send you the occasional email letting you know about Strong Towns events in your region or city.

"The Accelerator is your chance to lead change from the ground up in your community. I’m excited to be a co-instructor for these sessions and invite you to join me for these 12 weeks."

- Edward Erfurt

Explore Sessions

    • Introduction to the Strong Towns philosophy

    • The importance of human habitat and incremental growth

    • Understanding the infinite game of city development

    • Calculating the long-term financial implications of infrastructure

    • Balancing growth and stability

    • Rational responses to financial challenges

    • Characteristics of productive places

    • Incremental development and its benefits

    • Case studies of successful implementations

    • Making strong investments in public infrastructure

    • Evaluating the return on investment for infrastructure projects

    • Prioritizing projects that build community wealth

    • Transitioning from siloed departments to a collaborative approach

    • The role of local government in fostering community engagement

    • Strategies for broad wealth creation through governance

    • Practical steps for implementing the Strong Towns approach

    • Engaging citizens and stakeholders in the planning process

    • Measuring success and adapting strategies

 
 

Meet Your Instructors

Charles Marohn

Charles Marohn is a licensed civil engineer and land use planner with over 25 years of experience working with towns across North America. He is the founder and president of Strong Towns and the author of several books on community growth and resilience.

Edward Erfurt

Edward Erfurt is a licensed architect and the Director of Community Action at Strong Towns. He brings over 20 years of experience in urban design and public-sector planning, helping communities implement practical, place-based strategies for growth.

Carlee Alm-LaBar

Carlee Alm-LaBar is a public servant and nonprofit leader with years of experience in civic engagement and local government. She is the Chief of Staff at Strong Towns and formerly served in leadership roles in Lafayette, Louisiana, advancing community-focused planning and development.

Norm Van Eeden Petersman

Norm Van Eeden Petersman is a community organizer and advocate with a background in local government, public communications, and pastoral leadership. He is the Director of Movement Building at Strong Towns and a founding leader of DelPOP, a land use and housing reform group in British Columbia.