The American Alley, Part 4: Rediscovering the Forgotten Human Scale

There is a human scale that has been forgotten here in America. Here’s how we might be able to reintegrate it into our cities.

Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryThomas DoughertyAugust 19, 2021American Alleys Series, series, infill, Infill Development, history, History, ADUs, accessory dwelling units

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Turning Alleys into Productive Space

Thomas Dougherty sees tremendous potential in alleys.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Architecture, Top StoryStrong TownsAugust 19, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, American Alleys Series, ADUs, taking action

When the Company Leaves the Company Town

A Studebaker factory once brought jobs to South Bend, IN, but what’s happened to the city (and its infrastructure) now that the factory has closed its doors?

#DotheMath, Infrastructure, Davis, Maintenance, Urban3, Top StorySarah DavisAugust 19, 2021Indiana, South Bend, maintenance, infrastructure maintenance, Urban3, #DoTheMath, auto-oriented

You Need to Know About Walla Walla, Washington

This small city in Washington has been quietly making some very big zoning changes…

Upzoned, Podcast, Success Story, Zoning, Top StoryStrong TownsAugust 18, 2021Podcast, Upzoned, zoning, single-family, Washington

The American Alley, Part 3: The End of the American Alley

Let’s look at how alleys fell out of favor in the American development pattern, and how this relates to zoning codes and ADUs.

Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryThomas DoughertyAugust 18, 2021American Alleys Series, series, infill, Infill Development, history, History

Is This the Future of Civic Engagement?

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

The American Alley, Part 2: Origins of the American Alley

Looking at the history of the alley reveals not only why they were once so useful, but why they are underutilized in many cities today.

Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryThomas DoughertyAugust 17, 2021American Alleys Series, series, infill, Infill Development, history, History

The Projections Fallacy

We spend billions every year on our transportation network, large percentages of it based on traffic projections—despite the fact that we don’t accurately project traffic.

Engineering Profession, Mistakes A Town Makes, Roads and Streets, Marohn, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnAugust 16, 2021traffic projections, traffic congestion, engineers, engineering profession, transportation, traffic engineering

"I'm Chuck Marohn, and This Is My Confession."

The “30 Days of Confessions” videos are rolling out now. Watch the first three here.

Confessions Book, Announcement, Top StoryStrong TownsAugust 16, 2021confessions book, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer, announcement

The American Alley, Part 1: A Hidden Resource

Overlooked and neglected for too long, it’s time to rediscover the strength-building potential of the American alley.

Public Space, Urban Design, Top StoryThomas DoughertyAugust 16, 2021American Alleys Series, series, infill, Infill Development, history, History

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

The latent energy of metaphors, “Secret Congress,” and corned beef. These are just some of the stories from around the web that Strong Towns staffers were reading and talking about this week.

Friday Faves, Top StoryStrong TownsAugust 13, 2021friday faves

Grandpa’s Basement House

Somehow, as a society, we’ve drifted from ordinary people being able to build their own homes on a cash basis in an interactive, iterative way, to immense, hyper-elaborate habitats.

Member Post, Sanphillippo, Rural, Suburban Experiment, Incrementalism, Top StoryJohnny SanphillippoAugust 13, 2021traditional development pattern, history, suburban development pattern, suburban experiment, San Francisco, Nebraska, incremental development, incrementalism

The Patient Option

The question for a city with a history of embracing the suburban experiment is now, "Where should your energies be expended?"

Herriges, Local Government, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesAugust 12, 2021retail, Lockport IL, Lockport Week, suburban retrofit, Land Use

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Using Public Art to Help Small Businesses

Learn how Lockport, Illinois, helped its small businesses get back on their feet during the pandemic…using rubber duckies!

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Public Art, Top StoryStrong TownsAugust 12, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, small business, coronavirus, Lockport Week, Lockport IL, taking action

Automated Vehicles Will Make Our Streets Worse

Automated vehicle technology will do nothing to make our streets better places to be.

Marohn, Transportation, Roads and Streets, Top StoryCharles MarohnAugust 12, 2021autonomous vehicles, auto-oriented, cars, technology

The Reconnecting Communities Act: What Was Promised Vs. What's Being Delivered

The $20 billion that was supposed to be dedicated to the Reconnecting Communities Act has been cut down to $1 billion. Naturally, people are disappointed.