Gross Negligence by St. Louis County Contributes to Man’s Death

If St. Louis County cares about the lives and safety of its residents, then why has it turned a blind eye to this deadly street?

Safe & Productive Streets, Member Post, Top StoryRichard BoseMarch 1, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, Safety, safety, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, Street Design, streets, car crash, missouri, Missouri

America Has No Transportation Engineers

If all a nation can provide are civil engineers who are given a crash course in transportation studies, what do we get?

End Highway Expansion, Safe & Productive Streets, Member Post, Transportation, Top StorySteffen BerrFebruary 17, 2023End Highway Expansion, Safe and Productive Streets, engineers, engineering profession, traffic engineering, transportation

Cities Shouldn't Buy Blue Check Marks

Strong communities don't need (costly) external validation.

Member Post, Transparent Accounting, Top StoryMichael NatelliFebruary 9, 2023subsidies, local government, cities, big box stores, tourism, member story, Transparent Local Accounting

The Christmas Present Test

You can learn a lot about a place by how easily you can do some great Christmas shopping.

Economic Development, Member Post, Top StoryMichael NatelliDecember 14, 2022local economy, localism, local business, shopping malls, member story

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?

The One Ring

Traffic engineers in Canada wear an iron pinky ring as a reminder of their responsibility to public safety. So why, then, do they routinely make street design choices that kill people every day?

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (Transit Edition)

Don’t be fooled: Winnipeg’s newly proposed “rapid transit” project is actually a road-widening project in disguise. And it aims to borrow money so the City can destroy millions of dollars of its own tax base.

Fixing the Potholes Requires Digging Deeper

When it comes to our places’ roads, we need to start asking: “How much is this gonna cost us?”

#DotheMath, #InfrastructureCrisis, Infrastructure, Member Post, Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodJune 2, 2022Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, infrastructure cost, infrastructure spending, #DoTheMath, Winnipeg, canada, Canada, member story

Join the Strong Towns Toastmasters Club!

If you want to help spread the Strong Towns message, but are held back by a fear of public speaking, then this is the club for you!

Member Post, Top StoryJennifer GaughranMay 19, 2022member story, advocacy, taking action, nonprofit sector

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

Accidentally On Purpose

Massive property damage and pedestrians being injured (or killed) is our transportation system functioning precisely as designed. This is how it was designed to work.

Community, Member Post, Neighborhoods, Transportation, Walkability, Planning Profession, In the Neighborhood, Engineering Profession, Urban Design, dear winnipeg, Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodApril 14, 2022advocacy, canada, Winnipeg, neighborhood, city council, community

Red Light, Green Light, No Insight

When we hand our whole transportation system to engineers, we shouldn’t be surprised that the values of their profession override the values of the public. It’s time for a new paradigm.

#SlowtheCars, Member Post, Transportation, Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodMarch 4, 2022transportation, public transportation, engineers, engineering profession, traffic engineering, canada, Canada, Winnipeg, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer, #SlowTheCars

The "Lickety Splits": Working Around High Housing Costs in California

Small-scale developer Johnny Sanphillippo shares tales of Californians employing simple, low-cost, high-yield measures to get by amidst the housing crisis.

Housing, Member Post, Sanphillippo, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoFebruary 25, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, affordable housing, California, Granola Shotgun, homelessness, Homelessness

Building Your Engagement Ladder: Five Practices to Start Advocating for Resilience

Becoming an advocate for creating stronger towns can be a tall order, but thankfully we can build ladders. Here’s your guide on how to do so.

Member Post, Taking Action, Top Story, OwensTiffany Owens ReedFebruary 22, 2022taking action, advocacy, how to, strong towns approach

Monopoly Hotels and Missing Middle Housing

In Monopoly, there are only two types of real estate: houses and hotels. But were hotels understood differently in 1904, when the game was first created?

Housing, Member Post, Sanphillippo, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoFebruary 18, 2022housing, housing cost, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, history, History, missing middle, affordable housing, San Francisco, California, Granola Shotgun

There’s No Parking Like Snow Parking

This Rhode Island community came together to advocate for parking improvements in their neighborhood—and it worked.

The Galesburg Papers, Part 2: The Cure

In this follow-up to last week’s piece about Galesburg, IL, we’ll look at what the town needs in order to recover and thrive.

#DotheMath, #InfrastructureCrisis, Infrastructure, Member Post, Top StoryJoe HicksJanuary 28, 2022#DoTheMath, Small Towns, small towns, Illinois, property tax, tax revenue, infrastructure cost, municipal finance, Municipal Debt

Snow Day: Can Your City Pass the Winter Test?

The effects of winter weather on your town is one way to gauge its resilience.

Member Post, Public Space, Suburban Experiment, Top Story, OwensTiffany Owens ReedJanuary 27, 2022snow, Snow, Antifragile, Small Towns, small towns, Texas, New York, natural disasters, public transit, public space

The Galesburg Papers, Part 1: The Diagnosis

Citizens of Galesburg, IL, are trying to save their public indoor pool and create a new activity complex. City council is sympathetic, but there's just one problem: money.