Strongest Town 2023, Round 2: Ann Arbor, MI vs. Port Washington, WI
Welcome to the second round match-up in the eighth annual Strongest Town Contest! In this round, eight towns are facing off, and four will advance to the next segment of the contest based on your votes. We invite you to review photos and captions representatives from these communities provided to demonstrate the strength and resilience of their town or city—then vote for the strongest candidate!
Can’t decide? If you’re looking for inspiration, check out how we describe the Strong Towns approach.
You may vote once per match-up. Round 2 voting closes at noon CT on Thursday, March 30. For rules, and to follow along with the contest, visit the Strongest Town Contest page.
Note: All entries are lightly edited for clarity and readability.
VOTING FOR THIS ROUND IS NOW CLOSED. RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON FRIDAY, MARCH 31.
PORT WASHINGTON, WI
Entry submitted by: Rob Vanden Noven and Bob Harris.
This photo, taken during "Franklin St. Fest" is an annual tradition that started the year the street was reconstructed with wider sidewalks, which allowed room for street trees, flower containers, benches, and on-street dining. The buildings in the photo show off the city's antebellum architecture and thriving business district, all under the eye of historic St. Mary's church.
This photo shows a thriving small business that was permitted on a long-vacant lot in the city's downtown. Despite being controversial when it was approved, it has proven to be a popular gathering spot for families, and a strength of our downtown.
This photo shows how closely the city's marina is tied to its well-developed, walkable, historic downtown and lakefront.
This photo captures a typical summer day in Port Washington, with fishermen, tourists, and locals walking on the breakwater to the city's historic lighthouse, just steps away from the heart of downtown. The breakwater can be seen in the foreground of photo 3 above.
This image shows off the city's mixed housing and business development downtown, as well as the beauty of its lakefront location (even in late winter)!
ANN ARBOR, MI
Entry submitted by: Trevor Brydon, Suzann Flowers, Kaitlyn Sledge, Karsten Van Fossan, Carter Sandstrom, Hunter Heyman, Jordan Hunter, Zihua Qian.
(Source: Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.)
The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority converts several city blocks to a pedestrian-only community space every Thursday through Sunday during the summer months. Live music and outdoor dining are a few of many summer festivities that highlight the unique vibrancy of our town.
(Source: Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority)
Three people enjoy a ride on a portion of the 2.27 miles of protected two-way cycle track through Ann Arbor’s downtown. The city has nearly 60 miles of bike lanes and continues to prioritize street redesigns to provide ubiquitous, low-stress, all-ages-and-abilities networks for people to safely walk and bike citywide.
Mixed-use development expands housing supply and business options in downtown. Commercial areas with large surface parking lots across the city are being re-zoned to incentivize high-density mixed-use development with connections to high-frequency transit routes.
(Source: Google Street View (top), Landon Bone Baker Architects (bottom).)
An approved 66-unit affordable housing development is set to replace a 49-space surface parking lot downtown, providing housing at 60% of Area Median Income in close proximity to local businesses, a farmers market, and bus and bicycle routes.
In 2022, Ann Arbor introduced two curbless intersections with pedestrian-first “all walk” signals. The curbless intersections, placed in a pedestrian-dominated area adjacent to the University of Michigan, prioritizes people and accommodates cars by narrowing the street to slow traffic and improve safety, increasing space for businesses to set up outdoor dining, and increasing accessibility in the area.