Finance Decoder Resources
1. Get the Finance Decoder
Open the Finance Decoder and create a copy (File>Make a copy) to get started:
Strong Towns Finance Decoder 1.0.2 - US
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Strong Towns Finance Decoder 1.0.2 - Canada
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2. Use the Worksheet
Input your city’s financial numbers into the Finance Decoder Worksheet. Check out these instructions to learn what numbers to look for and where to place them.
Get the instructions document
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Video Tutorials
Watch the video tutorials to learn how to use the Finance Decoder
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3. Share Your Results
Turn your graphs into shareable graphics by uploading and dropping them into the Canva template.
Use the Canva Template
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Change Log
Stay updated with the latest updates, fixes, and improvements to the Finance Decoder
The most recent version of the Finance Decoder Worksheet is available above.
Version 1.0.2 — 2026-01-29
Minor tweaks and updates
- Fixed:
- N/A
- Updated:
- US & Canada worksheets have been updated to add 2025 to data input columns and graphs.
- Improved:
- N/A
Version 1.0.1 — 2025-04-07
Minor tweaks and updates
- Fixed:
- Net Debt-to-Total Revenues graph: Flipped the order in which the years were displayed to increase from left to right (Eg. 2009, 2010, 2011…)
- Updated:
- Swapped color coding on Government Transfers-to-Total Revenues Key to associate “Less Vulnerable” with blue and “More Vulnerable” with yellow
- Improved:
- N/A
Version 1.0.0 — 2025-04-04
Initial public release
- Launched core Finance Decoder tool
- Introduced core features for financial data interpretation
- Implemented versioning system