2,841 And Counting
When I started writing the Strong Towns blog more than a decade ago, I had no idea what was in store. I was just trying to make sense of things I saw happening in the world around me—to convince myself that I wasn’t the one who was crazy. I certainly didn’t set out even to start a nonprofit organization, let alone an international movement for change.
Fast forward to 2019, and here’s where we stand. Our urgent message is heard by thousands of unique people every single day, and multiple millions every year. I take dozens of speaking trips a year to present our message to ever-larger audiences. We are seeing our ideas—incremental development, rigorous accounting of the costs and benefits of public infrastructure spending, a commitment to maintenance and to the long-term resilience of our cities and neighborhoods—reflected in the broader culture and in the actions and policies of local governments like never before.
And we’re standing on the brink of much greater things. I’ve written a book—my first real, full-length book—outlining the core insights of Strong Towns. It will be published October 1st, and I’ll be embarking on a months-long Strong America Tour to promote the book and this movement. We have even more in the works we can’t wait to share with the world.
And it’s all thanks to you.
Today is the last day of our Spring 2019 member drive. We’re gratified and humbled to see our message resonating with more new names and faces than ever before. In the past week alone, more than 130 new members, at latest count, have joined our movement. The grand total stands at 2,841. And the phone calls and online sign-ups are still coming in.
But what’s really fantastic about these numbers is that they’re not just numbers. Every single one of you has a story.
Your stories are what Strong Towns comes down to. Many of the stories we tell in our articles and multimedia content come straight from our members (and you can pitch us here if you’ve got one to share). We don’t believe we have all the answers your community needs. We offer questions you should ask; we offer ways of thinking about the problems you face. But seeing those questions and insights translated into action in ways we could never anticipate never ceases to be astonishing.
Our new members have joined a community of Strong Citizens with unique wisdom and inspiration to share with each other. We’re glad to have each and every one of you.
If you’re inspired by our work but haven't joined yet, there's still time. Join us now. We'll do amazing things together.
Charles Marohn—known as “Chuck” to friends and colleagues—is the founder and president of Strong Towns. He is a land use planner and civil engineer with decades of experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Minnesota.
Marohn is the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity (Wiley, 2019) and Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town (Wiley 2021). He hosts the Strong Towns Podcast and is a primary writer for Strong Towns’ web content. He has presented Strong Towns concepts in hundreds of cities and towns across North America.