The Power of Incremental Change in Detroit (Part 2)

The story of a neighborhood-led effort to address blight on Detroit’s East Side.

The Power of Incremental Change in Detroit (Part 1)

Here’s what happened when a passionate community advocate in Detroit listened to what residents actually wanted, rather than imposing his will from the outside.

Why Does So Much High-End Redevelopment Occur in Once-Devastated Neighborhoods?

When you make community-led, incremental redevelopment all but impossible, what you get is the wholesale reinvention of neighborhoods in somebody else’s image instead.

Economic Development, Herriges, Neighborhoods, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 16, 2020development, gentrification, race, poverty

10 Picture Books for the Neighborhood

Want to introduce a child to stories about life in the neighborhood and what it means to be a good neighbor? These great picture books can help.

Top Story, NeighborhoodsMatthew GilletteJune 26, 2020books, children, family, neighborhood

Kids Need Neighbors

Studies show that an alarming number of children experience acute loneliness. Kids need the support of trusted, loving neighbors. Not only that, our neighborhoods need kids!

Neighborhoods, Top StoryPreston PouteauxJune 25, 2020neighborliness, neighborhood, family

Signs of Life

Even as more of our lives move online, homemade signage is making a comeback in the neighborhood.

Quednau, Top Story, NeighborhoodsRachel QuednauJune 18, 2020signage, neighborhood

"We Approach Our World Like a Machine"

Just as the pandemic has revealed how interconnected we all are, it has also exposed the extent to which we have dis-integrated and dis-membered our society.

Pattison, Neighborhoods, Community, Top StoryJohn PattisonJune 16, 2020Wendell Berry, complexity, Community

Healing Our Nation Starts at the Community Level

Building communities where people feel safe and loved is the key to moving our nation forward. There is no other option.

Neighborhoods, Studer, Top StoryQuint StuderJune 5, 2020Quint Studer, race, neighborhood

The Invaluable Inefficiency of Neighborhoods

Are we moving into a “post-suburban experiment” future? There are reasons to believe so. The cities who can successfully adapt will be those who prioritize the neighborhood. Here’s why.

We're about to witness the best humans have to offer.

It’s not clear where this transition is taking us, but you don’t have to look far to see ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Marohn, NeighborhoodsCharles MarohnMarch 16, 2020coronavirus, crisis, neighborliness, public health, Quantitative Easing

Combating Loneliness in Italy with "Social Streets"

A father in Italy created a local Facebook group to help his son find playmates in their neighborhood. It sparked a national movement to create more “Social Streets.”

Three Things I’ve Learned in My Local Coffee Shop

Coffee shops have a lot to teach us about our neighborhoods and the people we share them with. Here are three of them.

Local Food, Neighborhoods, Top StorySteve MacDouellJanuary 22, 2020Third Places, coffee shops, local business, small business, Canada, Ontario

We're not going to build more Main Street towns. Here's one way to move on.

What if the “beautiful dream” of a Main Street urbanism isn’t available? What can be done to adapt that dream to auto-dependent suburbs? More than you might expect.

Housing, Neighborhoods, Sanphillippo, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoJanuary 15, 2020colorado, Denver, suburbs, incremental development

Who Else Wants a Stronger Community in 2020?

We asked the Strong Towns community what their "neighborhood resolutions" are for 2020. This is what they said.

Neighborhoods, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonJanuary 10, 2020new years resolutions, neighborhood change

Three Neighborly Goals for 2020

These simple resolutions can have a major impact on your town or city this year.

Neighborhoods, Top StorySteve MacDouellJanuary 9, 2020Neighborhoods, Ontario, Canada, new years resolutions

The Livability of a Multi-Generational Neighborhood

The next time you hear "age-friendly community," don't picture the senior housing complex on a pond at the edge of town. Picture the well-worn neighborhood where a network of support from neighbors of all ages means you just might be able to leave all your family photos up on the wall a few years longer.

Herriges, NeighborhoodsDaniel HerrigesJanuary 8, 2020aging in place, aging, AARP

Beyond the Diet: 7 New Year's Resolutions for Your Neighborhood

Get in shape. Get organized. Read more. Most New Year’s resolutions are focused on personal improvement. These are important, but what if this year we resolved to improve our places too?

Why Mister Rogers Is More Relevant than Ever

Fred Rogers has never felt more necessary, perhaps especially for people working to build stronger communities.

Neighborhoods, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonNovember 21, 2019Fred Rogers, interview, television, books, neighborhood

Grace Olmstead: It Still Takes a Village

We need each other. Whether we live in a small town, dense city, or sprawling suburb, we can’t do life alone…or at least not well. How do we resist fragmentation and find the wholeness and community we need to really thrive?

Rural, Podcast, Neighborhoods, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 28, 2019Podcast, podcast, Gracy Olmstead, Ida, Virginia, Community

Bridging Divides with Storytelling

Using innovative storytelling events, an Oregon-based nonprofit is helping communities throughout the US and UK transform residents into neighbors, enemies into friends, and towns into communities.