Cleveland’s “richest poor neighborhood” is empowering its neighbors to help each other.

#StrongCitizens, Community, Herriges, Neighborhoods, Success Story, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesAugust 18, 2021Cleveland, community, community building, Community, community development, poor neighborhoods, success, success stories

The Taco Truck and the Thrift Store

We glorify our country’s rough-and-tumble entrepreneurial history, yet we often look down on people who embody it today, and on the commercial landscapes that result.

#ChaoticButSmart, Big Box Stores, Neighborhoods, Race, Top StoryAddison Del MastroAugust 17, 2021Addison Del Mastro, retail, Maryland, Washington DC, big box stores, poor neighborhoods, Chaotic but Smart

Is It Worth Planting Flowers Here?

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

Living Like Perennials

The instrumentalizing of our relationship with place has left us only practicing stewardship when we benefit from it. But it's our responsibility to live with an attitude of longevity.

Maintenance, Neighborhoods, Top StoryGrace OlmsteadAugust 6, 2021gardening, Gracy Olmstead, neighborliness, maintenance

Bad Benches (and Other Park Problems)

Some misguided attempts to enhance the local park in Brainerd, MN, has actually made it a worse place to be.

Podcast, #PlaceIDontWanttoSit, Community, Neighborhoods, Public Space, Urban Design, Top Story, ST PodcastStrong TownsAugust 2, 2021Podcast, neighborhood, Parks, parks, urban design, public space

The Only Constant in Life is Construction (and That’s a Problem)

It’s no wonder that some people oppose new housing when the housing and infrastructure projects they see are disruptive construction work that drags on for years.

Housing, Incrementalism, Neighborhoods, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJuly 30, 2021construction, NIMBY, YIMBY, housing, incremental development, incrementalism, incremental, Neighborhoods

Stop Believing in "Bad" Neighborhoods

We must stop seeing poor neighborhoods as "bad" neighborhoods, and instead understand them as intrinsically goods ones, whose problems are addressable if we empowered the people who care about them.

Herriges, Neighborhoods, Suburban Experiment, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 28, 2021Neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods, public investment, poverty, suburban experiment

Kansas City Residents Demand Safer Streets

The 85th percentile rule makes it hard to ensure safe streets, so residents of northeast Kansas City took matters into their own hands.

Anywhere Can Be Somewhere (and Other Walking Lessons)

When it comes to creating strong neighborhoods, there are some valuable lessons to be had from slowing down the pace and seeking novelty in the ordinary.

Community, Herriges, Neighborhoods, Public Space, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 15, 2021neighborhood, community, Florida, Neighborhoods, public space, gardening, walkability

Shade in the City

Why do some cities make it so hard to find shade…or create your own?

Urban Design, Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Design, Pattison, Race, Roads and Streets, Top StoryJohn PattisonJuly 2, 2021climate, Heat Islands, Los Angeles, street trees, trees, Oregon, Portland OR, redlining, California

Mayors Leading the Push for Reparations Programs

A new coalition of 11 U.S. mayors has announced an initiative to establish pilot reparations programs aimed at reducing the racial wealth gap.

Success Story, Herriges, Local Government, Neighborhoods, Race, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 1, 2021success stories, redlining, race, local government, local politics

It's Time to Bring Decision-Making Down to the Local Level (Part 2)

Local decision-making must become more accessible to everyday people. Here's how to make that happen in your place.

Dukes, Local Government, Member Post, Neighborhoods, Politics, Top StoryAlexander DukesJune 29, 2021local government, local regulation, Municipalism, subsidiarity, neighborhood, Neighborhoods

The Best "New" Ideas in Planning Are All Old News

A lot of supposedly "innovative" proposals are for things that have long existed in neighborhoods, but you wouldn't know it based on the language that planners use.

Herriges, Neighborhoods, Planning Profession, Zoning, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJune 22, 2021urban planning, Neighborhoods, zoning, Scranton, Pennsylvania, photos

My Neighborhood's Summer Experiment in Building a Strong Town

In the summer, my neighbors invite things to happen that they will oppose most any other time of the year. It’s the best part of being here.

Community, Marohn, Neighborhoods, Top StoryCharles MarohnJune 21, 2021community, community building, neighborhood, Brainerd MN

Housing, Not Lodging

Annapolis's downtown has become dominated by short-term rentals, and it’s beginning to degrade the community’s social capital.

Member Post, Community, Housing, Neighborhoods, Top StoryAlex PlineJune 16, 2021housing, tourism, social capital, downtown, Alex Pline, annapolis

The Cost of Adaptation Is Too Damn High

One of the realities about cities is that they change—but in America, most cities are trapped in a regulatory environment that makes change extremely costly.

Member Post, Zoning, Suburban Experiment, Neighborhoods, Top Story, OwensTiffany Owens ReedJune 15, 2021local regulation, resilience, neighborhood change, fragility, zoning

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Creating a Coffee Shop for the Whole Neighborhood

Coté Soeren’s “Resistencia” coffee shop in Seattle is a space for community connection and support, not gentrification.

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Neighborhoods, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 27, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, neighborhood, neighborhood revitalization, Seattle, coffee shops, gentrification, taking action

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.