Strong Towns Does the ABCs

A couple weeks ago, we showed you "Your Highway ABC Book," a piece of propaganda for children put out by the National Highway Users Conference in the 1930s. We invited you to submit your own, more accurate and Strong Towns-focused ABC rhymes. Here are four of the best submissions to kick off a Strong Towns alphabet.

Our sincere thanks to Scott Grimm-Lyon for creating these beautiful illustrations. (See more of his work at Grimmlyon.com.)

A is for Alleys

 

A is for alleys - streets narrow and small
Slowing down cars so the kids can play ball.
Designing more alleys is one simple way
To make places safer for children at play.

- Curt Adams

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B is for Bump-outs

B is for bump-outs. They shorten curb-to-curb distance.
You can build them yourself with cones, chalk, and persistence.
So slow down the cars and make crossing streets safer
For grandpas, pram-pushers, and distracted teenagers.

- Chris Reynolds

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C is for congestion

C is for congestion of cars, people and money.
The relation of these is a little funny —
streets clogged with cars is seen as a problem
but find sidewalks clogged with people and the money will follow them.

- Paul Corder

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D is for Development

D is for Development, incremental and small,
Creative spaces to be enjoyed by all.
Local investments from people who care
Help ensure that our city isn't dreadful and bare.

- Luke Sims

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