This public toilet in Winnipeg, MB, is a case study in why city governments need to pay attention to the power of small bets.

Local Government, Transparent Accounting, Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodMarch 24, 2023city government, canada, Canada, public space, homelessness, Homelessness, small bets, little bets, local government, Transparent Local Accounting

3 Obstacles You’ll Face in Civic Participation (and Why They’re Worth Facing)

Like protagonists on a hero’s journey, we must anticipate challenges when it comes to civic engagement.

Owens, Local Government, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedFebruary 7, 2023community engagement, local government

Engaging Local Governments Effectively

Local government is where you can make the most impact and difference in your city, but how do you go about actually interacting with your local government?

Local Government, Erfurt, Top Story, Edward ErfurtEdward ErfurtFebruary 3, 2023local government, public engagement, local politics

Cities Don't Need to Regulate Arts and Culture

Cities don’t need to pay for or try to create arts and culture programs. They just need to remove barriers to and support the organic culture already existing in their neighborhoods.

Local Government, Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJanuary 24, 2023arts, top-down, city government, local government, Texas

Road-Widening Project Threatens 30-Year-Old Farmers Market

Residents of Mooresville, NC, are outraged as a road-widening project and ensuing regulatory dispute pushed by city officials threaten the future of a longstanding farmers market.

End Highway Expansion, Local Government, Sheppard, News, Top StorySeairra SheppardJanuary 23, 2023End Highway Expansion, farmer's market, local business, local politics, local government, North Carolina, DOT, freeway widening

Do It Afraid

To save our cities, we need to try new ideas, and that’s scary. But sometimes we must make scary decisions if we’re ever going to move into a stronger, more resilient future.

Local Government, Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJanuary 17, 2023local government, policy change, city government

Mike Hathorne: Where Does Decision-Making Need to Occur in Our Communities?

Commun1ty.one Principal and Strong Towns member Mike Hathorne joins the podcast today to talk about the concept of subsidiarity.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Local Government, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 9, 2023Podcast, podcast, local government, member commentary

“The City Should Put a Trader Joe’s There” (and Other Muddled Thinking About Development)

Many of us are keen to express the “what” that we’d like to see in the built environment, but unwilling to think rationally and clearly about the “how.”

Herriges, Local Government, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesOctober 17, 2022development, local government, Municipalism, city government, localism, community, Community, big box stores

What Customer Service Should Mean for a City

Many local governments have taken on a “the customer is always right” mindset, but that’s simply not the best approach, especially for decisions that should be made at the block level.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Local Government, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 10, 2022Podcast, podcast, local government, city government, localism, neighborliness, Neighborhoods, neighborhood

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…a Mayor Working for Safe Streets and a Thriving Downtown

Mayor Erin Stewart is helping create a brighter future for New Britain, CT.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Top Story, Success Story, Local GovernmentStrong TownsSeptember 22, 2022Podcast, Connecticut, downtown, elected officials

L.A. Continues Delaying Infrastructure That Could Save Lives

Everyone who uses streets would benefit from L.A.’s mobility plan…if only the city would actually implement it.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Creating a Street Design Team

Strong Towns member and City Councilperson Danny Schaible is leading the way toward safer streets in his Maryland town.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Top Story, Membership, Member Profiles, Success Story, Local Government, #SlowtheCarsStrong TownsJuly 28, 2022Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, streets, Maryland

Community Is Important. But “The Community” Is an Illusion.

You should be wary of anyone who claims to speak for “the community” or “the public,” especially when it’s in lieu of telling you who will benefit from the actions they support.

Local Government, Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 20, 2022community, politics, local government, city government, state government, localism, NIMBY, YIMBY, local politics

Local Control or Centralized Planning? There’s a Third Answer.

The problems with "community input" are many and obvious. One misguided response is to favor more top-down policy making, simply overriding the objections of local "NIMBYs." But there is a third way.

Local Government, Herriges, Planning Profession, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 29, 2022localism, local government, local regulation, local politics, bottom-up, top-down, planning process, strong towns approach, incremental, incrementalism, Small Change, small bets

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Ending Parking Minimums and Seeing the Results

Jonathan Curth helped lead the city of Fayetteville, AR, into a new era free of commercial parking minimums.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Top Story, Local Government, ParkingStrong TownsJune 23, 2022Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, local government, success stories, parking minimums, Arkansas

Oregon Nears Green Light for Big Parking Reform

Oregon’s statewide land use board declared its support Thursday for rules that, among other things, reduce or remove parking mandates in 53 jurisdictions in the state’s eight largest metro areas.

Local Government, Parking, Top StoryMichael AndersenJune 21, 2022success, success stories, Oregon, Parking, parking minimums, parking landing page, parking maximums, minimum parking requirements, Land Use, local government, state government, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Community Design for Stronger Towns

Ann Zadeh is a Strong Towns member, former city councilwoman, and community design leader in Fort Worth, TX.

It Isn’t Just Us, the Entire Nation Is Burdened With Property Tax Inequities

Recently, the North Carolina Ad Hoc Appraisals Committee was challenged to face their own biases and fix their broken property tax assessment system. Here’s what happened.

I'm Making Real Change in My City

If you ever wanted to REALLY make a change in your town, instead of just starting a fight, consider this your manifesto.

Local Government, Member Post, Politics, Top StoryAllen AldermanApril 19, 2022local government, local gov, public engagement, community engagement, local politics, city council, city government, Municipalism, how to, member story

Truth in Accounting: Making Cities' Finances Transparent for All

Citizens can’t make informed decisions if they don’t know the financial condition of their government. This nonpartisan nonprofit is making those numbers both available and transparent.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Finance, Local Government, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 14, 2022Podcast, finance, local finance, public finance, municipal finance, nonprofit sector, local government, Municipalism

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