The Hidden Lessons of Catastrophic Tree Loss

Having a city filled with one type of tree may look pretty, but what happens when pests or pestilence start killing off that particular tree species en masse?

Emma Durand-Wood, Community Stories, Top Story 2Emma Durand-WoodMay 4, 2023trees, street trees, Antifragile, antifragile, fragility, canada, Canada, Manitoba

Community Rallies to Save a Car-Free Street

After 2.5 years of success, officials in Peekskill, NY, are threatening to open this community gathering place back up to motorized traffic—but locals aren’t taking this threat lying down.

Safe & Productive Streets, Top Story, Community StoriesAsia MieleszkoApril 27, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, Third Places, community, New York State, cars, placemaking

This Florida Town Rode a Rail Trail to an Economic Revival

Residents of Winter Garden, FL, realized they needed to take action to revive their declining town. They did this by focusing on one straightforward goal: bring people back downtown.

This “Accidental Developer” Wants To Show You How To Revitalize Your Neighborhood

All too often, the job of development is handed to large developers with large swaths of cash to implement an all-at-once, large-scale development. This small-scale developer is showing how there is another (and better) way.

Incremental Housing, Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra SheppardApril 13, 2023Incremental Housing, small scale developers, small scale development, Indiana, developers, neighborhood revitalization

Peoria Takes a Walk—And Steps Toward Reforming Its Transportation System

Through a series of walk audits, local leaders in Peoria, IL, are not only observing the urban environment, but starting to understand how small, simple actions can profoundly shape it.

Safe & Productive Streets, Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra SheppardApril 6, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, walkability, pedestrians, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, Illinois, sidewalks, Complete Streets

We Can Have Both More Housing and Good Urban Form

It’s not difficult to have good urban design, the kind that respects neighbors and the neighborhoods they live in. It’s actually a lot less work than the processes we use to administer the suburban zoning codes we have today.

Marohn, Top Story, Trending, Community StoriesCharles MarohnApril 3, 2023urban design, NIMBY, YIMBY, Brainerd MN, Minnesota, housing, Housing, density, neighborhood, aesthetics

Don’t Give Up on Your Small Town

Oftentimes, people in rural settings drive long distances to bigger towns to find community engagement. This renovated soda fountain shop shows why it’s worth looking for that sense of community a little closer to home.

Public Space, Community, Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra SheppardMarch 30, 2023Wyoming, rural, Small Towns, small towns, community, Third Places, restaurants, coffee shops, public space

Death by Parking

For nearly half a year, this small business owner has been ready to open his coffee shop…but the city is refusing to let him do so, all because of antiquated parking mandates.

End Parking Mandates, Top Story, Community StoriesAsia MieleszkoMarch 29, 2023End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, Parking, small business, local business, parking minimums

Advocates Across The State Convene to Un-stroad Louisiana

Strong Towns advocates in Shreveport, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette are coming together to work for safer streets.

Community, Safe & Productive Streets, Top Story, Community StoriesAsia MieleszkoMarch 13, 2023transportation, Louisiana, Shreveport, STROADS

Pocket Parks: A Small Bet That Makes a Big Difference

This nonprofit is transforming pockets of St. Louis, MO, into delightful and welcoming parks—and at a low cost!

Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra SheppardFebruary 28, 2023public space, Third Places, Parks, parks, small bets, little bets, nonprofit sector, missouri, Missouri

A Century-Old Neighborhood Provides a Model for the Present Day

Good urbanism doesn’t have to mean large apartment buildings or an immaculate row of brownstones; the ad-hoc version on display in this Florida neighborhood is more relevant as a model of adaptation for the rest of us.

Herriges, Incremental Housing, Top Story, Community StoriesDaniel HerrigesFebruary 22, 2023Florida, history, traditional development pattern, Incremental Housing, neighborhood, suburban development pattern, suburban experiment, housing, housing crisis, ADUs, accessory dwelling units, infill, aesthetics

History Teacher Steps Up and Starts the Conversation for Change in Bloomington, Illinois

Local Conversation leader Noah Tang appeared on the radio to talk about how his group, the Bloomington Revivalists, are making positive changes for housing in their community.

Incremental Housing, Success Story, Top Story, Community StoriesSeairra SheppardFebruary 21, 2023community, local conversations, Illinois, success, success stories, accessory dwelling units, ADUs, Incremental Housing, advocacy

Vermont Activists Help Abolish Parking Minimums in Burlington

The group Vermonters for People-Oriented Places just launched this year, but they’re already off to a fast start in Burlington, VT, where they’re supporting important changes for the community.

End Parking Mandates, Success Story, Top Story, Community StoriesJohn PattisonFebruary 13, 2023Parking, parking minimums, parking, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, Vermont, community, local conversations, Community, success, success stories

Who Does it Take to (Physically) Build a Neighborhood?

If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a whole community to build a building. The small-scale developers of South Bend, IN, are showing how to do just that—and do it successfully in the long term.

Herriges, Incremental Housing, Top Story, Community StoriesDaniel HerrigesFebruary 1, 2023Incremental Housing, incremental development, incrementalism, incremental, Indiana, developers, Development, development, small scale developers, small scale development

Top of the Bottom-Up: Creating a Coffee Shop for the Whole Neighborhood

Coté Soeren’s “Resistencia” coffee shop in Seattle is a space for community connection and support, not gentrification.

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Neighborhoods, Top Story, Community StoriesStrong TownsJanuary 26, 2023The Bottom-Up Revolution, neighborhood, neighborhood revitalization, Seattle, coffee shops, gentrification, taking action

This City Knows How to Talk to Residents!

This video about a recent street redesign project in Selkirk, Manitoba, shows just how cities should be communicating with their residents.

Engagement, Safe & Productive Streets, Van Eeden Petersman, Top Story, Community StoriesNorman Van Eeden PetersmanJanuary 11, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, public engagement, community engagement, canada, Canada, Street Design, public investment

Main Streets Designed Like State Highways: How They Work and How To Change Them

Two prominent communities in Berkshire County, MA, are in the midst of deciding what to prioritize on their main streets: cars or people?

14 Photos That Prove We Have Too Much Parking—Even on Black Friday

Highlights from #BlackFridayParking 2022: Americans say land wasted on unused parking could be used for something greater.

#BlackFridayParking, Parking, Fisher, Top Story, End Parking Mandates, Community StoriesLauren FisherNovember 25, 2022Parking, parking, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, #BlackFridayParking, parking minimums

When Content Creators Share Strong Towns Ideas, People Listen

Jason Slaughter (of the Not Just Bikes channel) and Nathan Allebach (on TikTok) have made millions stop what they’re doing and listen to Strong Towns ideas. Here are their stories.

Fisher, Top Story, Community StoriesLauren FisherNovember 24, 2022Not Just Bikes, TikTok

A Flowering Movement in Rose City

Strong Towns member Victoria Via talks about how advocates of many different personal and professional backgrounds are coming together in Portland, OR.

Membership, Pattison, Top Story, Community StoriesJohn PattisonNovember 17, 2022member drive, membership, local conversations

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