The Top 3 Strong Towns Articles and Podcasts from 2022: John's Picks

Strong Towns Community Builder John Pattison shares his favorite content from this past year.

Best of Blog, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonDecember 16, 2022Best of 2022

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

From Fired to Fired Up: How One Strong Towns Member Turned Losing His Job Into Community Success

When Strong Towns member John Holmes was fired for speaking against harmful development practices, he didn’t let that stop him. Working with other advocates, he’s paving the way to success for Charlotte, NC!

A Million Local Heroes and a Thousand Local Conversations

The people in our Local Conversations are doing amazing work in their communities—and it’s all thanks to the support of Strong Towns members.

Membership, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonNovember 15, 2022membership, member drive, local conversations

Great Wee Roads: What Driving in Scotland Taught Me About Driving in America

Take a trip with our Community Builder, John Pattison, as he discovers why the design of Scottish roads makes them safe—and downright pleasant—to drive on, even for a foreigner!

6 Tips for Hosting Your First Local Conversation

Want to get together with your neighbors to talk about Strong Towns ideas? Here’s some tips on getting started.

Community, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonSeptember 7, 2022local conversations, community, Community

Local Leaders, Come Join Us on Discord

Strong Towns Local Conversation leaders are hanging out on Discord!

Announcement, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonAugust 24, 2022announcement, local conversations

Strong Towns Coast to Coast

Being a Strong Towns advocate is less intimidating, more effective, and, frankly, more fun when you’re not doing the work alone. Find a Local Conversation near you!

Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonAugust 17, 2022local conversations, advocacy, community building

Where Are All Our Front Yard Businesses?

Front yard businesses were once a natural stage in the evolution of a community. So where have they all gone, and how do we bring them back?

Calling All Strong-Towns-Minded Job Seekers and Employers!

Are you a Strong Towns advocate looking for a job? Or an employer looking to hire a Strong Towns advocate? Well, have we got the resource for you.

Announcement, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonAugust 10, 2022Jobs, jobs, Action Lab, announcement

Mobilize Your Place for Change with the Community Action Lab

Learn more about this two-year project designed to introduce Strong Towns ideas to your community, shift the conversation there, and kickstart the implementation of a Strong Towns approach.

Announcement, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonJuly 27, 2022Community Action Lab, announcement

Why I Started Reading the Local Newspaper

Sometimes, it’s worth it to take a step back from national news and pay attention to the things that are happening in your own community.

New Strong Towns Groups Are Popping Up Everywhere

Five local Strong Towns groups launched last week. Is one of them near you?

How to Use Facebook to Connect with Strong Towns Allies Near You

Many people have a love-hate relationship with Facebook, but we can’t deny that it’s an effective place to connect with fellow advocates.

Community, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonJune 15, 2022community, community building, advocacy, local conversations

End the Parking Mandates and Subsidies That Are Hurting Our Cities

Valuable land is being wasted everywhere in the U.S. on motor vehicle storage. Let’s free up that space so it can be used more productively for our communities.

Local Conversations Are Putting Strong Towns Ideas into Action

There are over 100 Local Conversations (i.e., local Strong Towns advocates working together) around North America. And we want to grow that number tenfold.

“I Want To Make a Change in My Community…but Where Do I Start?”

Sometimes it can be daunting for advocates to begin…well, actually advocating. Here’s a simple, 4-step process that can help you overcome that first hurdle toward making your place stronger.

Strong Towns Need Strong Downtowns

A crucial part of making your city or town stronger lies in revitalizing your downtown. Here’s how one Local Conversation organizer is doing that work in her place.

Want To Make Your Town Stronger? Look for the Amateurs.

We live in a culture that exalts the people who say, “I know.” But sometimes what our places need are people willing to say, “I don’t know,” and, “What do you think?” and, “Let’s figure that out together.”