When arguing for wider streets, many proponents point to bus or emergency vehicle access, insisting that a wide berth is necessary for large vehicles to pass through. In Washington, DC, I've seen firsthand how buses and ambulances have no problem navigating narrow streets.
Read MoreNope, car drivers aren't paying the full cost of the infrastructure they use.
Read MoreIn a solo monologue this week, Chuck talks about efforts to improve the sound quality of the podcast and then provides an analysis of traffic congestion in the hierarchical road network theory.
Read MoreToday we welcome guest contributor, Jonathan Holth, who shares his experiences traveling from his hometown of Grand Forks, ND to the "people-first" city of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Read MoreWe've all heard reference to vehicles, business sectors, tourists, social groups, etc as though they are invasive species. There are also literal invasive species that thrive in urban environments. Are there any cases where "We're just very negative about them" when they are simply filling a void through "hardiness and lack of competition"? What are the "pristine ecosystems" that we try to conserve in the urban landscape?
Read MoreI was in Atlanta earlier this month to attend a conference for small scale developers. The focus was on the “missing middle” which has long been neglected by production builders, bankers, and regulators. I should start with some basic definitions.
Read MoreFor local governments, the Growth Ponzi Scheme has allowed national politicians to promise a free lunch while forcing those lower on the food chain to absorb the long term costs associated with hitting this quarter’s GDP targets.
Read MoreStrong Towns member and Active Towns founder, John Simmerman, discusses the global state of transportation and land-use planning, and brings it home to Austin, TX, where Strong Towns will be speaking this week.
Read MoreChuck and Rachel discuss last week's trip to Maine, upcoming events this week in Austin, the Curbside Chat booklet, and even waterparks. Plus get Chuck's latest book recommendations: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and The Men Who United the States by Simon Winchester.
Read MoreUrban environments full of fine-grained detail, hidden nooks and crannies and narrow passages are memorable, lovable places that stimulate our sense of play and adventure. They are a way to use land more intensively and productively without building monolithic, outsized developments. A historic artists' colony nestled in a residential neighborhood in Florida provides an example.
Read MoreNew growth creates an illusion of wealth. Local governments experiencing growth look and feel successful. They have high revenues and very little immediate costs associated with them. Long term, as the liabilities start to come due, it is revealed that a free road isn't really free.
Read MoreA reference list of Strong Towns terminology.
Read MoreMicrofinance organizations provide important financial services to small business owners, small scale developers and other under-resourced people in our community. They can play a role in helping build Strong Towns.
Read MoreShould we build ours cities around something that helps them grow, or something that does not?
Read MoreI’ve been able to be carless for long stints of my adult life. Perhaps that’s why this recent post from our member blogroll caught my attention.
Read MoreAuthor, civil engineer and University of Minnesota professor David Levinson (Twitter) joins the podcast to talk about his new book, The End of Traffic and the Future of Transport, which he co-authored with Kevin Krizek.
Read MoreAfter reading our transcription of Victor Dover's Incremental Manifesto last week, real estate coordinator and entrepreneur, Bryan Mock, created this visualization of the text.
Read MoreFor a few weeks, I’m visiting my family back in London, Ontario. This means, for a few weeks I am living on a cul-de-sac in a subdivision surrounded by other subdivisions, close to an arterial lined with shopping plazas, gas stations, drive-thrus, strip malls, an upscale enclosed shopping mall, and a big box centre.
Read MoreAndrew Price discusses the difference between "fine-grained" and "coarse-grained" urbanism.
Read MoreShould a mixed-use neighborhood become dominated by bars and restaurants, or will its residents fight to preserve its diverse character?
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