What COVID-19 Teaches Us About How to Fix Freeways

If we’re willing to learn, this experiment shows us how to fight congestion and get a more efficient transportation system.

Don't Hold Your Breath for a Post-Pandemic "Suburban Renaissance"

Some are saying COVID-19 will lead to a “suburban renaissance.” We’re not buying it. But there are some places that might become more popular in a post-coronavirus future.

Not a Black Swan: Nassim Taleb on What the Coronavirus Teaches Us About Our Institutions

One of the key thought leaders who has inspired the Strong Towns movement has an admonition and a warning for the world—about how our institutions got so fragile in the face of a crisis like the present one.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 27, 2020antifragile, Taleb, coronavirus, decentralization, risk, fragility

This is the End of the Suburban Experiment

Contrary to what has been asserted elsewhere, the suburbs are not about to have a renaissance. In fact, there are many reasons to believe we are nearing the end.

The Demise Of Urban Formality (and Good Riddance)

Maybe now we can drop the pretense: the best cities are informal, spontaneous, imperfect, and often messy.

Horbovetz, Top StoryArian HorbovetzApril 24, 2020home, coronavirus

The Culture of Your Community May Determine Your Success on the Other Side

Even before the country officially reopens, leaders need to be in culture-building mode. Here are 10 tips for creating an engaging and positive culture in your community.

Studer, Top StoryQuint StuderApril 24, 2020coronavirus, leadership

When Will Your City Feel the Fiscal Impact of COVID-19?

Every city will feel the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. But which cities are likely to feel it worst and longest?

Everybody Loves Local Businesses Now. How Do We Make the Enthusiasm Last?

The coronavirus economy is revealing to us that countless people love and want to support small, local businesses—we just have an economy where we’ve stacked the deck in favor of large chains.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 22, 2020small business, local business, localism, coronavirus

Not so Fast: Density Isn’t Plague-Inducing

Commentators have speculated that density has been toxic during the coronavirus crisis. But Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 did what he does best—he ran the numbers—and found a different story. This is why data should prevail during a pandemic.

Urban3, Urban DesignJoe MinicozziApril 20, 2020coronavirus, Urban3, Joe Minicozzi, density, urbanism, public health

A Framework for Thriving: Keep These Four Areas Front and Center as You Move Forward

The four “gears” that drive a strong community in normal times are the same ones that will move towns and cities forward after the COVID-19 crisis.

What Happens When a Third of U.S. Tenants Don’t Pay Rent?

Some cities and states are allowing tenants to defer rent payments. What happens when those rents come due before the economy is back on its feet?

Top Story, Housing, Marohn, PodcastStrong TownsApril 15, 2020renters, coronavirus, housing market, housing affordability, Podcast

Buying Time (Now That It's Really Expensive)

The debate now is between saving jobs and saving lives. But there was a deeper question we should have been asking a long time ago.

Economic Development, Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 15, 2020Great Depression, coronavirus, public health, fragility, Economy

Have Coronavirus Shutdowns Prompted an Epidemic of Reckless Driving?

No. They’ve made more obvious a pre-existing epidemic of reckless street design.

Top Story, Herriges, #SlowtheCarsDaniel HerrigesApril 14, 2020safety, speeding, #SlowTheCars, coronavirus, traffic engineering

Some Happy Thoughts in Uncertain Times

What can generational theory tell us about the crisis we’re facing now, and how we will emerge from it?

Top StoryJohn E. LawyerApril 13, 2020coronavirus, public health, community, history

Thriving on the Other Side: How Your Community Can Recreate Vibrancy After COVID-19

Communities are coming together right now in ways most of us have never seen before. And we’re realizing we really need each other. How can local leaders harness this energy to build stronger local communities and economies once the crisis recedes?

Studer, Top StoryQuint StuderApril 10, 2020coronavirus, public health, community, neighborliness, Quint Studer, localism, small bets

Recipes for Disaster

Tracing the origins of a single meal reminds us how vulnerable we are to disruptions in the global supply chain. How do we create redundancies at home?

Sanphillippo, Local Food, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoApril 9, 2020coronavirus, public health

“The Worst Possible Thing We Can Do With This Money”

One plan to kickstart the economy after the coronavirus crisis involves resurrecting a familiar plan: a massive infrastructure bill. Where will the money come from and where will it go? The answers aren’t encouraging.