What Hermantown’s data center deal reveals about the limits of local control.

Maintenance is boring but I'm here for it.

On becoming the coastal Cassandra.

What the city reveals about the fundamental flaw in how we do public finance.

Let’s not tax houses to subsidize cars.

When cities expand their boundaries, they aren’t just adding land, they’re taking on decades of financial obligations that short-term metrics fail to capture.

When the factory closed, West Allis, WI, didn’t chase a silver bullet. Instead, it built a stronger future piece by piece.

New Zealand is confronting a reality many cities are still avoiding.

You can’t plan a community into existence.

How the city looks rich on paper but isn’t.

"Cities must give themselves permission to act like the stewards they already are."

Why “growth paying for growth” often leaves cities weaker, not stronger.

An executive order and White House fact sheet reveal how Washington manages housing prices without ever letting them fall.

A contentious project in Des Moines reveals a deeper issue: cities often react to proposals instead of clarifying what’s possible.

Why Langley’s investments miss what families actually need.

What if the places we invest in most aren’t the places that actually build community?

This year’s cookie prices fell, but the story behind them is heavier than ever.

Mastering the little things is how we learn to do bigger things.

Three case studies reveal how top-down funding creates rigidity, waste, and systems that cities cannot afford to fix or abandon.

Los Angeles didn’t mismanage its way into crisis. It built its way here.

You probably wouldn’t be able to tell these two buildings apart, yet their economic performance couldn’t be more different. A deep dive by geospatial firm Urban3 shows why that’s the case.

What the Finance Decoder revealed about Fayetteville, Springdale, and Siloam Springs—through the eyes of a local Strong Towns member.

What do you get when you combine too much funding, a broken development model, and no clear priorities? A six-roundabout interchange built to serve big-box stores that are already closing.

What do a taqueria, a bike shop, and an art center have in common? They’re all outpacing a retail giant when it comes to property tax revenues.