Urban explorers documenting decaying America, big box stores with big parking lots, and how unused church spaces can help alleviate the challenges of educating kids during a pandemic. These are a few of the stories from around the web that Strong Towns staff were talking about this week.
Read MoreYou know what’s sexier than the latest mega-project on the far edges of town? Building a city that is resilient and prosperous, both now and into the future.
Read MoreValues-driven businesses have a key leadership role as communities move into the “next normal.” Here are eight things businesses and local communities can do to help get towns and cities back on their feet.
Read MoreWhat do you do when you can’t travel further than your own backyard? Rediscover the backyard you only think you know.
Read MoreThe latest partisan wedge issue—whether or not our suburbs should be allowed to evolve—is actually an opportunity for common ground.
Read MoreTowns and cities across the country are wrestling with how to increase outside space for retail and dining, to give businesses a fighting chance during the pandemic. Here are four key takeaways from one city’s experience.
Read MoreThe housing crisis is complex. It was made more so by the pandemic. What can Strong Towns advocates do to bring some sanity back to the housing market?
Read MoreIt can be intimidating to try and wade through a 200-page government PDF filled with obscure acronyms and confusing charts. It doesn’t have to be. We’re lifting the veil on city budgets.
Read MoreWe’ve never been able to afford the Suburban Experiment. But now that our 20th-century infrastructure needs to be repaired or replaced, the bills are coming due in an obvious way.
Read MoreAn urban photographer reflects on the reactions he got when he started capturing what the American urban landscape is really like—parking lots, declining neighborhoods, tract homes, and all.
Read MoreFor some, the pandemic is stripping away distractions and connecting them with the simple joys of our ancestors. For others, it’s stripping away their lives and livelihood. We need to convert the lessons of the pandemic into action.
Read MoreLocal leaders must challenge the status quo around how we build our cities. Here’s how to bring colleagues and civic officials around to your position.
Read MoreWant to understand why some neighborhoods don’t sidewalks? #DoTheMath…and look at the history.
Read MoreThis observation of human behavior has long been a source of frustration for safety advocates, but that doesn’t make it wrong.
Read MoreThe fate of an iconic bookstore, the huge cost of some tiny apartments, the problem with relying on a distant government to solve our problems, and more. These are a few stories from around the web that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.
Read MoreThe work of building a Strong Town can’t be done alone. Here’s how to find (and create) collaborators where you live.
Read MoreThe pandemic can make it feel like the work of building strong, thriving communities has been put on hold. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Use these two solutions to get unstuck.
Read MoreFire departments have a lot of influence over a city’s planning decisions. Too often, that influence is focused on one metric—emergency vehicle response times—rather than a more holistic approach to public safety.
Read MoreHow have cities throughout history successfully grown and met their need for new homes? Two metaphors from nature provide the key.
Read MoreTowns and cities are converting parking spaces into “parklets” as a temporary social distancing resource. But the benefits of parklets will outlast the pandemic.
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