Remove Highway 99: A Crazy Idea in “Deep” South Park

What was once a fringe idea to convince the state of Washington to turn a section of Highway 99 over to local control has grown into a publicly funded action.

#NoNewRoads, Stange, Top StoryJay StangeAugust 31, 2022End Highway Expansion, highways, freeway removal, freeways, urban freeways, Washington, suburban experiment, #NoNewRoads

Our Kids Shouldn’t Solve the School Bus Driver Shortage by Walking Through “Death Valley”

Just like last year, we’re facing a bus driver shortage. Some are asking why our kids can’t just walk, bike, or take public transit to school, but the answer isn’t that simple.

#SlowtheCars, Roads and Streets, Stange, Transportation, Top StoryJay StangeAugust 25, 2022Safety, Safe and Productive Streets, Safe Routes to Schools, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, children, schools, bus, buses, #PedestrianUnfriendly, #SlowTheCars, transportation

If You Want People to Use Public Transit, Connect the Places Where People Want to Walk

The Strong Towns team got together recently and used some of Minneapolis’s public transit. Here’s our reflections from that experience.

Public Transit, Transportation, Stange, Top StoryJay StangeAugust 23, 2022transit, public transit, public transportation, transportation, Not Just Bikes, CityNerd, Minnesota, Minneapolis

The Deadliest Stroad in America

Find out why this stretch of Floridian stroad has been nicknamed “death valley” by locals.

#SlowtheCars, Roads and Streets, Stange, Top StoryJay StangeAugust 16, 2022STROADS, pedestrian safety, Safety, safety, Safe and Productive Streets, #SlowTheCars, car crash, pedestrians, #PedestrianUnfriendly, Florida, Street Design

If We Build Cities for Kids, We Build Cities for Everyone

Can you walk down your local streets with your kids—without gripping their hands and anxiously eying traffic—and feel comfortable and relaxed? If not, something’s wrong with the design of those streets.

Roads and Streets, Stange, Walkability, Top StoryJay StangeAugust 3, 2022safety, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, children, streets, Safe and Productive Streets, Street Design, design, walkability, pedestrians, #PedestrianUnfriendly, pedestrian crossing

Spokane Opens the Door for Middle Housing Expansion

Last week, the city council of Spokane, WA, voted on a truly “bold, transformational package” that will allow for more forms of missing-middle housing and infill development in the city.

There’s No Unguarded Hour in Jasper, Indiana, the Beating Heart of Strong Towns

The decision to renovate a local theater presents a simple, but compelling, example of why Jasper, IN, was chosen as our 2022 Strongest Town Contest winner.

Strongest Town Contest, Stange, Top StoryJay StangeJuly 26, 2022Strongest Town Winner, Strongest Town Competition, Strongest Town 2022, Indiana, Jasper IN, Small Towns, small towns

Incremental Development and Mass Construction

Strong Towns founding member Seth Zeren stopped by the Mass Construction podcast recently for a conversation on incremental development, New Urbanism, and the Strong Towns movement.

Incrementalism, Podcast, Top StoryJay StangeJuly 25, 2022construction, Podcast, podcast, guest podcast, incrementalism, incremental, Incremental Development Alliance, Congress for the New Urbanism

Champion of People-Centered Streets Brings Strong Towns Approach to Congress

Strong Towns advocates are pushing for safe and productive streets…including in Congress!

Federal Government, Stange, Success Story, Video, Top StoryJay StangeJuly 7, 2022Congress, federal government, politics, Jake Auchincloss, success, success stories

"We Won't Raise Our Kids in Suburbia"

In this Not Just Bikes video, Jason Slaughter explains how raising children in the suburbs significantly restricts their ability to be independent.

Suburban Experiment, Video, Top StoryJay StangeJune 23, 2022suburbs, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, suburbanization, Not Just Bikes, children, Safety, safety, car dependency, car culture

Road Diet Seven Years in the Making—Was It Worth Every Minute?

This would-be simple road diet project faced an unexpected amount of pushback, and ended up taking seven years and a lot of money to complete. Was it worth the hassle?

#SlowtheCars, Engagement, Roads and Streets, Top StoryJay StangeJune 22, 2022road diet, Road Diet, STROADS, Street Design, streets, #SlowTheCars, Connecticut, success, success stories, public engagement, community engagement

Membership Dues Are Free in the Gym of Life

This latest video from Not Just Bikes explores the link between the walkability of a place and how much daily exercise people get.

Walkability, Video, Stange, Top StoryJay StangeMay 27, 2022walkability, Not Just Bikes

CityNerd: Which Affordable, Walkable City Should You Move To?

This week’s CityNerd takes you on a tour of 10 cities you might not expect to be the most affordable, livable, walkable, and transit-friendly places in America.

Housing, Video, Top StoryJay StangeMay 25, 2022housing, housing affordability, housing cost, Housing, CityNerd, cities

Tyranny Won’t Get Us More Housing

Perceived threats to a home's value often prompt homeowners to shut down any discussion about neighborhood changes. But eliminating opportunities for such reactions isn’t helpful, either.

Housing, Zoning, Top StoryJay StangeMay 19, 2022housing, housing crisis, housing activism, NIMBY, public engagement, New York, zoning, upzoning, neighborhood change

How to Calm a Street, Starting with Your Own Anger

Frustrated by cars speeding down your neighborhood street at 40 mph? Don’t blame the people driving the cars.

Let's Change the Way We Look at Shared Problems by Starting Some Conversations

We love all the great videos people are making about Strong Towns-related topics! This one explains why high bicycling rates are safer for all road users.

Bikeability, Video, Top StoryJay StangeApril 29, 2022Safety, safety, bicycling, biking, bikeability, bikes, bike lanes, bike infrastructure

Hunched Beneath the Airport Flight Path: Terrible Places to Work, Even Worse to Get To

This Not Just Bikes video takes a look at airport business parks as an interesting (and infuriating) case study for places designed for cars instead of people

Video, Urban Design, Top StoryJay StangeApril 26, 2022Not Just Bikes, car culture, car dependency, auto-oriented, #PedestrianUnfriendly, urban design, business parks

Urban3 Decoder: Let's Peek Under the Hood of A Shiny Oklahoma City

Join the Urban3 team as they wade past Oklahoma City’s glittering amenities to take an up-close view of the real economic engine under the shiny enamel hood.

Economic Development, CNU, Urban3, Video, Top StoryJay StangeApril 15, 2022oklahoma, CNU, Urban3, tax base, Tax Base, resource, resource trap, Economy, economics

Reckless Road Design is Killing Us, Not Reckless Drivers

An epidemic of roadway deaths aren’t caused by random rule breakers. The cause is the rule followers. It’s time to change the rules mandating speed and volume over safety and cost.

Not Just Bikes: The Only Car-Free Place in Canada (and Why You Can’t Live There)

Just off the coast of Toronto, Canada's largest city, you'll find a group of 15 small car-free islands. But just in case you thought you'd like to live here: you can't.

Video, Neighborhoods, Top StoryJay StangeApril 13, 2022Not Just Bikes, canada, Canada, car-lite, car culture, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, walkability, Homeownership, homeownership

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