The era of corner stores and mom-and-pop shops has mostly come to an end, with modern zoning codes strictly segregating commercial and residential areas. But a return to the mixed-use model might be just what we need to empower entrepreneurs and strengthen people's sense of community.
Read MoreMany housing advocates celebrate large supplies of housing and low rents. However, this is only one stage of a larger boom-and-bust cycle and cannot be maintained. To break out of this cycle and sustainably improve housing accessibility, we need to redirect our focus to incremental development.
Read MoreThere was a major housing development scandal in Canada this summer…but it’s not the one you think.
Read MoreOn this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck delves into the topic of citizen-led development and its potential to reshape cities in a more financially resilient manner.
Read MoreThis series of studies of 19th-century development in St. Paul, MN, can help us understand some of the earliest traces of what would later become the suburban development pattern.
Read MoreTrumansburg, NY, may not be a major city, but it’s feeling the squeeze of North America’s housing crisis just as much as larger municipalities. Here’s how they’re tackling the challenge of housing affordability.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreWhile 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.
Read MoreSarah Cipkar created a tool to help people navigate the ADU process in Canada.
Read MoreA recent CNBC documentary features Strong Towns insights from Charles Marohn about why suburban development is so risky.
Read MoreThe American Enterprise Institute has released some impressive—and free—data tools for understanding housing markets and development potential. And as a bonus, attend their upcoming talks if you’re in California!
Read MoreDesign affects us in a multitude of ways, and when we look to nature as inspiration for designing the built environment, the core takeaways are: adaptation and incrementalism.
Read MoreSmall-scale, incremental development works in the suburbs too, if we let it.
Read MoreThe environmental groups suing Minneapolis to block implementation of its groundbreaking 2040 Plan have a limited understanding of environmentalism, but a keen grasp of how to slow down policy reform.
Read MoreFor too long, our housing policy has put investor returns and macroeconomic goals over the universal human need for shelter. The Strong Towns approach to incremental housing is a badly needed corrective.
Read MoreIncrementalism is not an end in itself. Nor is it about a “small-is-beautiful” aesthetic for its own sake. Instead, it’s a practical pathway toward resilient, financially sound places.
Read MoreWhat does and doesn’t work about the “great-granddaddy” of New Urbanism?
Read MoreThis catalog is a primer on house hacking, with plenty of real-life examples of how it is done.
Read MoreLet's talk about some core Strong Towns concepts: complexity, incrementalism, fragility, and more!
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