It’s time once again to sit down and answer some of the great questions we’ve gotten over at the Strong Towns Action Lab.

Podcast, Action Lab, #SlowtheCars, Marohn, ST Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 31, 2022Podcast, Strong Towns Community, Action Lab, strong towns approach

A Venture into the Urban Wilderness: CityNerd's Field Guide to Stroads

Nerd out on this YouTube channel as it shows us some of the intended (and unintended) consequences of car-oriented street design.

Video, Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 31, 2022CityNerd, STROADS, Nevada

There’s No Parking Like Snow Parking

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

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

Narratives in physical form, Taylor Swift parodies, and Youth vs. ODOT. These are just some of the stories from around the internet that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.

Friday Faves, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 28, 2022friday faves, Friday Faves

High Value, Chapter 4: Rob Freehet

This week in High Value, Rob Freehet runs into Chris Ekte while answering an unsettling summons from his boss.

High Value Serial, Top StoryHamilton LudwigJanuary 28, 2022High Value series, series

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

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...a Neighborhood Person

Gracen Johnson is a dedicated Strong Towns member who’s connecting with her neighbors and working on housing issues in Canada.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Housing, Neighborhoods, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 27, 2022taking action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Canada, neighborhood revitalization

What Does “Radical Neighborhood Change” Look Like?

“No neighborhood should be exempt from change. No neighborhood should be subjected to radical change.” Let’s examine what this core Strong Towns principle actually means.

Herriges, Incrementalism, Neighborhoods, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 27, 2022strong towns approach, development pattern, Development, development, traditional development pattern, neighborhood change, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Design, Small Change, incremental, incrementalism

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

No Insurance for Wildfire-Prone California

Insurers think they have the answer to California’s most wildfire-prone areas: get people to stop living there.

Upzoned, Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 26, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, housing crisis, California, wildfires, natural disasters, disasters

Little Worlds

What do fractals have to do with building strong towns? A lot more than you might assume.

Community, Pattison, Taking Action, Top StoryJohn PattisonJanuary 26, 2022small bets, strong towns approach, taking action, local conversations, community, Community

A Trailblazing Reform Supports Small-Scale Development in Memphis

There’s no large city in America that’s doing a better job of pivoting to a Strong Towns approach than Memphis, TN. Here’s why.

Herriges, Small Scale Developers, Success Story, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 26, 2022memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, small scale developers, small scale development, missing middle, Development, development, success, success stories

One Week Until the Local-Motive Tour Begins!

Our action-focused, online event series kicks off next week. Do you have your tickets yet?

Announcement, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 25, 2022announcement, Local-Motive Tour

State and Local Policy Tensions Focus Zoning Reforms

Let’s step back and evaluate the status of some recent, high-profile zoning reforms.

Housing, Zoning, Top StoryTheo Mackey PollackJanuary 25, 2022housing, housing crisis, housing affordability, zoning, upzoning, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Oregon, California

LaVonne, with a Capital "V"

Local business owners don’t just bring monetary wealth to a community; they can also bring a wealth of support and kindness to locals during their times of need.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Top StoryKarla TheilenJanuary 25, 2022neighborhood storyteller, small business, entrepreneurship, aging, aging in place, local business, Minnesota, Brainerd MN

Jarrett Walker: "Prediction and Freedom Are Opposites"

Special guest Jarrett Walker shares his thoughts on the limitations of prediction.

ST Podcast, Transportation, Planning Profession, Podcast, Public Transit, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 24, 2022Podcast, podcast, Jarrett Walker, projections, traffic projections, transit, public transit, public transportation, planning profession, planning process, urban planning

Call for Nominations in 7th Annual Strongest Town Contest!

Show the world what makes your city or town great in the 2022 Strongest Town Contest!

Announcement, Strongest Town Contest, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 24, 2022Strongest Town Competition, Strongest Town 2022, announcement

Financial Meltdown

Let’s explore the idea of inflation being “good.”

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 24, 2022Inflation, macroeconomics, economics, Economy, poverty, Poverty

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

The Oakland Buddha, interfaith friendships, and old Old Urbanist posts. These are just some of the stories from around the internet that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.

Friday Faves, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 21, 2022friday faves, Friday Faves