Where Can I Seek Advice From Urban Professionals?
(Source: Unsplash/Austin Distel.)
“There's so many millions of dollars being spent, hundreds of millions of dollars on road projects,” said Adam Shimoni, Strong Towns member and former Flagstaff, Arizona, city council member, on the importance of creating safe and productive streets. “And [road design] really impacts quality of life, our wellbeing—and our behavior is going to follow that design.”
In 2022, Flagstaff was considering a handful of road widening projects. One of them would implement a roundabout along 4th Street, a place connected to multiple schools, housing, and businesses. Roundabouts are meant to slow down traffic and make roads safer, but Shimoni questioned the safety assertions made by proponents of this project. He noted that this particular proposed roundabout did not seem to follow a design that would slow traffic, but could possibly encourage drivers to drive faster because of wide lanes. The turning points also lacked tightness, which could encourage drivers to slip in and out of the circle quickly. To check his hunch and receive advice on how he should proceed forward, he turned to the Strong Towns Facebook group.
“I got a bunch of good ideas from the group. A lot of the things I knew already, but it solidified my understanding and gave me the courage I needed to really advocate locally,” said Shimoni. “Because it's just an uphill battle overcoming the status quo approach that a city takes in their planning.”
Over a series of different posts about the project, Shimoni collected comments from engineers, urban planners, and locals from different cities all across North America. A few commenters took their hand to the drawing board and offered other design ideas Shimoni could potentially present to Flaggstaff’s local engineer and city staff. Others shared designs of roundabouts that work well in their hometown.
After these online discussions, Shimoni was able to take what he learned and share it with Flagstaff city employees. “It helped build credibility to the point I was making,” said Shimoni. “Referencing the Strong Towns group, and saying, ‘Hey, we're not alone here,’ was really helpful.”
Shimoni said the results of his advocacy didn’t result in a perfect outcome, as the city was already past the point of making significant changes to the roundabout. They did, however, implement adjustments such as installing pedestrian crossing signals and lights.
Shimoni has continued sharing Strong Towns ideas with city staff, his neighbors, and other advocates. To this day, he still makes use of the Strong Towns Facebook group to garner advice and share his own findings of what makes Flagstaff a stronger town.
“Having groups like Strong Towns really gives you that courage and that extra support that you need to address what’s out there and stay positive, strong, and true to what it is that we need to work towards,” said Shimoni.
“Strong Towns has really allowed me a platform to crowdsource feedback on different designs and connect with people—I'm guessing around the nation and perhaps around the globe.”
Strong Towns is connecting advocates like Adam Shimoni with others who are working to make their places better. We’re able to provide these platforms and resources thanks to your support—so join the movement today by becoming a Strong Towns member. Together, we can start reversing our harmful development patterns and create safer, more resilient communities.
Seairra Jones serves as the Staff Writer/Story Producer for Strong Towns. In the past, she's worked as a freelance journalist and videographer for a number of different organizations. She currently resides between small-town Illinois and the rural Midwest with her husband, where they help manage a family homestead. When Seairra isn’t focusing on how to make our towns stronger, you can find her outside working on the farm, writing fictional tales in a coffee shop, or reading in a hammock.