Your small town had a 1 in 5,000 chance to receive a reality TV makeover. What can the other 4,999 learn?

Is it worth investing in something that (seemingly) has no practical function? If we want to strengthen our neighborhoods, sometimes the answer is “yes.”

Quednau, Neighborhoods, Top StoryRachel QuednauAugust 17, 2021revitalization, neighborhood revitalization, gardening

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Empowering Young People to Rebuild Homes

In Birmingham, AL, a unique high school program trains teens in home renovation and building skills, while revitalizing their neighborhood in the process. Jeanyll Morris shares her experience helping lead the program.

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Shifting Perceptions About a Rust Belt City

Mayor Chris Frye is bringing optimism and economic resilience to New Castle, PA.

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Reactivating a Historic Space for the Whole Community

Alex Rodriguez and Danny Lapin are incrementally revitalizing a historic space for entrepreneurs, artists and community members in rural Lexington, NY.

This is What We Can Do Together

Strong Towns is empowering thousands of champions for change to bring their places back to greater prosperity, little by little, through bottom-up action. Here’s what that looks like.

6 Ingredients in a Troubled City's Impressive Recovery

Scott Ford, former Director of Community Investment for South Bend, Indiana, knows a thing or two about how to turn around a declining place’s fortunes. He shares some key insights with us.

Podcast, Strategies, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 10, 2019revitalization, Rust Belt, South Bend, Indiana

Envisioning a Barrier-Free City

There is incredible potential for a rebirth and renaissance in older urban neighborhoods. One great way to accelerate that renaissance: adding value through barrier-free design for people with disabilities. A new competition in Cleveland aims to showcase innovative approaches.

Neighborhood Design, Top StorySteve WrightMay 9, 2019revitalization, Cleveland, Disability

Rewarding Neglect and Punishing Investment in Struggling Neighborhoods

In cities all over America, we deter people from revitalizing neighborhoods by punishing them with higher taxes for improving their property. A change in how we tax property could fix these incentives.

Love After Loss: An Urban Therapy Session

Rust Belt cities have endured difficult losses, and no matter how hard they’ve tried, they have never quite been able to shake the financial and psychological wounds. So today, we’re taking the American city to therapy.

Horbovetz, Top StoryArian HorbovetzFebruary 12, 2019decline, rust belt cities, suburbanization, revitalization

Best of 2018: The Psychology of Decline

For a struggling city, negative perceptions from with the community can send it into a spiral of decline. It takes a major shift in perspective to get the city back on track.

Akron, Quednau, Top Story, Best of BlogRachel QuednauDecember 13, 2018revitalization, page highlight, Best of 2018

Opportunity Zones, But for Whom?

In this week’s Upzoned podcast, Kea and Chuck discuss the new federal Opportunity Zones program. Is a big bucket of money what disinvested neighborhoods need? Or is using a federal program to develop a neighborhood like steering an ocean liner with a canoe paddle?

Upzoned, PodcastStrong TownsOctober 12, 2018revitalization, federal funding

Transforming Akron's Public Schools

Can stronger schools help a city grappling with an identity crisis get residents to put down roots? In Akron, Ohio, another transformation, driven not by celebrity philanthropy but by local partnerships, is sweeping through the school system.

Akron, Schools, Top Story, Danckaert-SkoviraAlissa Danckaert-SkoviraOctober 9, 2018education, revitalization

Does the Rust Belt Need More House Flippers?

Are house flippers exactly what the Rust Belt needs to recover from decades of systemic disinvestment, or a dangerous speculative game that fragile places shouldn’t be playing? Check out the third episode of our new podcast Upzoned to hear Kea Wilson and Chuck Marohn hash out this topic.

Podcast, WIlson, Upzoned, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 28, 2018revitalization, housing

Unconventional Wisdom on Activating a Downtown

What does it take to bring life back to a faded downtown? Contrary to conventional wisdom, big employers may underperform as revitalization engines, and small-bet approaches—improvisational, innovative, and low-risk—can deliver outsize rewards.

Faith Communities Can Help Build Vibrant Neighborhoods

Communities of faith stand in an important position to support vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods; and in recent years, some have stepped up to the challenge at a variety of different scales.

What a Difference $1,000 Makes: Part Two

With a modest investment and a lot of heart, communities are transforming homes and moving entire neighborhoods towards a better future.

Akron, Donatelli, Small Scale Developers, Housing, #StrongCitizensJen Jones DonatelliJuly 25, 2018revitalization

What a Difference $1,000 Makes: Part One

When the housing market is depressed and you can’t get a return on your investment, there is little incentive to put any money into improvements. It’s a vicious cycle that several Akron nonprofits are trying to break.