“The Strong Towns voice needs to be heard by elected and appointed officials across the US. ”
— Toby Dougherty of Hays, KS
“Strong Towns is doing some of the most important work in this country.”
— Stephen Lassiter of Tulsa, OK
“Strong Towns is a simple concept with a never-ending depth behind it.”
— Lawrence Andre of Mission, KS

Thank you to everyone who became a member this week. We can't do this without you.

See you back here on Monday when we resume our regular schedule.

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Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of one of America's most significant leaders, we'll be taking the day off from content and we'll resume our usual schedule tomorrow.

Top 5 Stories from the Week (Jan 14–Jan 18, 2019)
Top 5 Stories from the Week (Jan 14–Jan 18, 2019)

This week we examined what the design of our places says about isolation and social trust, and why that matters when tragedy strikes. We explored the value of bottom-up experimentation in cities; celebrated a victory for free speech and public input; questioned whether all growth counts as economic development; debated a controversial solution to affordable housing shortages, and more.

Is the Household Garage America's Favorite Room or America's Worst Mistake?
Is the Household Garage America's Favorite Room or America's Worst Mistake?

Almost every suburban house has one. But is the home garage an American institution or a national disgrace?

Your Questions Answered: How Do I Talk to My Council Members About Slowing the Cars?
Your Questions Answered: How Do I Talk to My Council Members About Slowing the Cars?

Your Strong Towns Knowledge Base answer of the week! We want to help you get the answers you need to apply Strong Towns ideas in your own town or city. And we want you to chime in and share your own expertise, too.

Strong Towns Helps Change the Planning Paradigm in Sacramento
Strong Towns Helps Change the Planning Paradigm in Sacramento

Sacramento’s vice mayor gave Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn a shout-out in announcing the city’s new transit-oriented development rules. Our message is making a difference in the world.

Making Public Transit Work For Seniors
Making Public Transit Work For Seniors

Even where transit service exists, older adults often face significant barriers to using it for a safe, comfortable, and predictable trip. Surveys of seniors’ transit needs suggest dozens of small, incremental changes that could improve access.

How to Turn Your Intimidating Ideas into (Less Intimidating) Small Actions
How to Turn Your Intimidating Ideas into (Less Intimidating) Small Actions

In this episode of our podcast It’s the Little Things, Jacob chats with Jenna Jarvis—environmental engineer out of St. Louis, Strong Towns member, and winner of our Why I Joined Strong Towns fall member drive contest—about how you can start decide which of our ideas to implement first, including how to start small, how to get your peers involved, and how to keep the momentum going as you plan new actions.


When Local "Growth" is Really Just Redistribution
When Local "Growth" is Really Just Redistribution

When a new brewpub, restaurant, or entertainment venue opens in your town, is this a sign of growth, or merely a shift in where patrons spend their dollars? And what does that imply about cities that subsidize such things?

Why Urban Design Should Come From The Bottom Up (Part 2)
Why Urban Design Should Come From The Bottom Up (Part 2)

Historically, a decentralized, trial-and-error process was how cities “discovered” which urban design features worked best for their own circumstances. Let’s look at the evolution of front setbacks in New York to understand how this works.

Oregon Frees the Engineers
Oregon Frees the Engineers

Remember that engineer who was fined in Oregon for saying, “I am an engineer”? He won in court. Again.

Why Urban Design Should Come From the Bottom Up (Part 1)
Why Urban Design Should Come From the Bottom Up (Part 1)

Professional planners are trained to yearn for tighter urban design controls, as if cities without comprehensive, top-down planning would devolve into chaos and disorder. In reality, cities evolve according to mechanisms that allow us to gradually discover optimal urban design across time.

Strong Towns Podcast Greatest Hits #1: Why Neither Left Nor Right Speaks Coherently About Infrastructure
Strong Towns Podcast Greatest Hits #1: Why Neither Left Nor Right Speaks Coherently About Infrastructure

When it comes to infrastructure spending, politicians on both ends of the political spectrum get it wrong—but in different ways.

Jayme Closs, Child Abductions, and Human Habitat
Jayme Closs, Child Abductions, and Human Habitat

The story of Jayme Closs should give us cause to hug our children a little tighter, but then to love them enough to send them out boldly into the world.

Top 5 Stories from the Week (Jan 7–Jan 11, 2019)
Top 5 Stories from the Week (Jan 7–Jan 11, 2019)

This week we looked at how to design streets to slow cars without speed enforcement; how traffic engineers still don’t know how to think like pedestrians; what we can and can’t control about urban growth; the myriad benefits of local bookstores; the far more dubious benefits of dollar stores; and more.

Should Single-Family Neighborhoods Be Able to Buy Their Way out of Building More Housing?
Should Single-Family Neighborhoods Be Able to Buy Their Way out of Building More Housing?

New Jersey has been using a “cap and trade” model to let single family neighborhoods buy their way out of growth for decades. Should your city follow suit?

Bringing You Practical Answers Through the Strong Towns Knowledge Base
Bringing You Practical Answers Through the Strong Towns Knowledge Base

The Strong Towns Knowledge Base is where we bring you answers and practical advice tailored to questions you submit, by crowd-sourcing the collective wisdom of our movement. Every Friday morning, we’ll be spotlighting something new from it.

Think Toll Lanes Are Unfair? Let's Talk About These 10 Transportation Issues First.
Think Toll Lanes Are Unfair? Let's Talk About These 10 Transportation Issues First.

Ever heard road tolls described as punitive to lower-income commuters? Don’t decry them until we fix, or at least acknowledge, these ten other things that are even more inequitable about the way we pay for transportation.

One-Day Resolutions for Strong Citizens
One-Day Resolutions for Strong Citizens

In the new year, why not consider a few activities that you can complete in a single day that will help you see your town differently? Let’s call it the #StrongTownsChallenge. And don’t worry: there’s no ice water involved.

Pop-Up Shops: Lessons Learned and How You Can Start One in Your Downtown
Pop-Up Shops: Lessons Learned and How You Can Start One in Your Downtown

In this episode of our podcast It’s the Little Things, Jacob chats with Caroline Dobbins-Hurteau—staff member at Albion Reinvestment Corporation—about how you can start a successful pop-up shop, including how to pitch the idea to downtown organizations, how to find prospective tenants, and, most important, how to make it an incremental yet lasting success in your city or town.

Growth and the Fallacy of Control
Growth and the Fallacy of Control

The pitfalls of rapid growth are real. But trying to micromanage how, where, and even if our cities are allowed to grow is not the answer.

How a Local Bookstore Can Make Your Town Richer—In More Than One Way
How a Local Bookstore Can Make Your Town Richer—In More Than One Way

Can a humble corner bookstore make your city wealthier and more resilient? These small businesses have surprising staying power—and in many ways are an indicator species of a strong neighborhood.

2 Photos Reveal Why the Key to Slowing Traffic is Street Design, Not Speed Limits
2 Photos Reveal Why the Key to Slowing Traffic is Street Design, Not Speed Limits

Two simple photos show the difference between a street simply designated 20 miles per hour, and one actually designed to be safe. We can't regulate our way to safety.

Introducing the Strong Towns Knowledge Base
Introducing the Strong Towns Knowledge Base

Discover how our new platform, the Strong Towns knowledge base, can help you get the answers you need to take action in your city or town.