What exactly is “by right” development, and how might it not match what’s actually built in your community?

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtApril 7, 2023zoning, NIMBY, Homeownership, homeownership, homeowners, local government, Development, development

Illustrating Investment Potential in Your Neighborhood

Too many neighborhoods have a demand and need for additional housing, but builders believe there's not enough existing lots to build on. Here's how to demonstrate otherwise.

Edward Erfurt, Incremental Housing, Top StoryEdward ErfurtMarch 31, 2023Incremental Housing, housing, housing crisis, Development, development, single-family

The Goldilocks and the Three Bears Approach to Redevelopment

Developers and builders often ask the same question: “What can I build on x lot?” But what is it that they’re actually looking for, and how can the urban planners they work with help them make the most of a given space?

Urban Design, Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtMarch 24, 2023urban design, urban planning, developers, Development, development, redevelopment

Making the Most of Your Transportation Options—And Getting Your Neighbors Onboard

White Flint, MD, presents a great case study for how a community can begin shifting the conversation on its transportation infrastructure and development pattern.

Engagement, Edward Erfurt, Safe & Productive Streets, Top StoryEdward ErfurtMarch 17, 2023Safe and Productive Streets, Maryland, traditional development pattern, Development, development pattern, suburban development pattern, traffic congestion, community engagement

A New Tool to Calculate the Lifecycle of Infrastructure

Calculating the 100-year lifecycle costs of new development shouldn’t be an obscure process, and the province of British Columbia, Canada, has created a tool to help its communities do exactly that.

Infrastructure, Incremental Housing, Top StorySeairra SheppardFebruary 23, 2023Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure maintenance, maintenance, Maintenance, Incremental Housing, canada, Canada, British Columbia, Development, development pattern

Why Is It So Difficult To Build Walkable Places?

A recent report from Smart Growth America highlights the extent to which zoning laws (in a staggering percentage of U.S. communities) stifle our ability to create walkable, human-centered places.

Incremental Housing, Safe & Productive Streets, Walkability, Top StoryBen AbramsonFebruary 14, 2023zoning, walkability, Safe and Productive Streets, Incremental Housing, Smart Growth America, urbanism, suburban experiment, Development

Revised Zoning Rules Make Minnesota City Legal Again

Zoning restrictions in this Minneapolis suburb have rendered much of its original development in violation of its current rules. The city’s leadership is looking to change that.

Incremental Housing, Top StoryBen AbramsonFebruary 9, 2023Incremental Housing, zoning, Minnesota, housing, Development, development pattern, development, traditional development pattern, suburbs, suburban development pattern, suburban experiment

Gateway to Hell

A troubled project in Mission, KS, speaks to the problems with large, single-developer projects—but also why fixating on the "bad developer" narrative isn't necessarily helpful.

Incremental Housing, Top StoryKevin KlinkenbergFebruary 7, 2023small scale developers, small scale development, Development, development, developers, incremental, Incremental Housing, incrementalism, incremental development

Appeals Court Gives Group Second Chance To Fight Florida Development

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has done the math on a proposed development in rural Collier County, FL, and what they discovered enabled them to take a large-scale developer to court.

Transparent Accounting, News, Success Story, Top StoryBen AbramsonFebruary 3, 2023Transparent Local Accounting, Florida, developers, Development, development, suburban development pattern, Urban3, financial solvency, 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

Parking, Pizza, and Apartments at the Mall

The way we build our neighborhoods in North America is nothing like making a pizza. But maybe it should be.

Incremental Housing, Top Story 2Michel Durand-WoodJanuary 31, 2023canada, Canada, Development, development pattern, development, traditional development pattern, mixed use, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, incrementalism, resilience, Incremental Housing

2022: The Year in Maps and Charts From Urban3

Our friends over at Urban3 share some of their favorite visuals from 2022—each of which tells a mathematical truth about the places we choose to develop and inhabit.

Transparent Accounting, Urban3, Top StoryUrban3December 15, 2022Urban3, Value Per Acre, Development, Transparent Local Accounting

Recovering the Lost Art of Mixed-Use Development

Mixed-use development was once the norm in cities and towns, but most Americans no longer remember how it works. Here are 3 easy-to-understand forms that mixed use could (and should) take in your community.

Edward Erfurt, Planning Profession, Zoning, Top Story 2, Incremental HousingEdward ErfurtDecember 2, 2022mixed use, development pattern, traditional development pattern, urban planning, Development, development, planning profession, planning process

Pre-Approved House Designs Jump-Start Infill Development in South Bend

While other places keep finding ways to say “no” to new housing, this Indiana city is offering pre-approved development templates to small-scale developers at no cost.

Herriges, Housing, Top Story, Incremental HousingDaniel HerrigesOctober 6, 2022housing, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Incremental Housing, incremental development, Infill Development, infill, missing middle, Indiana, success, success stories, Development, small-scale developers

We Have Plenty of Land in the United States. But Can All of It Support Housing?

A recent article from The Wall Street Journal claims that land must be positioned in a very specific way to support more development. What’s the Strong Towns take on this?

Upzoned, Podcast, Top Story, Housing, Incremental HousingStrong TownsOctober 5, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, housing, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Incremental Housing, developers, Development, development

What Causes Traffic Problems? Updating Your Mental Model

Part of why we can't agree on constructive solutions to traffic congestion is that our basic mental model of what causes traffic is wrong. But what if we made a slight update to that model?