Everyone Shops at Walmart. But What If We Didn’t Have To?

What are some of the hidden things we can’t see because we’re blinded by three generations of the Suburban Experiment?

Member Post, Big Box Stores, Neighborhoods, Suburban Experiment, Top StoryPatrick QuigleySeptember 30, 2021big box stores, Entrepreneurship, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, business, small business, local business

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... a Strong Towns Advocate and Mayor

Strong Towns member Rob Green went from Coast Guard officer to neighborhood association president to mayor of Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Membership, Local Government, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 30, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, local conversations, taking action

A Downtown Baseball Stadium in KC: Who Pays?

When (if ever) should taxpayers subsidize a new pro sports stadium?

Upzoned, Podcast, Economic Development, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 29, 2021Kansas City, baseball, stadium, sports, megaprojects, Megaprojects, Upzoned, Podcast, subsidies

About that Spirit Halloween Store You Always See Around This Time of Year...

It’s back. But why?

Big Box Stores, Quednau, Suburban Experiment, Top StoryRachel QuednauSeptember 29, 2021commercial real estate, suburban development pattern, blight, pop-up, big box stores

The Secret Sauce (Maybe) of California's Zoning Reform

SB 9 just passed in California, effectively ending single-family zoning there. The open question is, "What now?" Will anything actually change?

Herriges, Housing, ZoningDaniel HerrigesSeptember 29, 2021zoning, California, single-family, housing, Housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, duplex, fourplex

Should Kansas City Taxpayers Foot the Bill for a New Downtown Stadium?

The Kansas City Royals are considering building a new stadium downtown. But who should pay for it: the princes (team owners) or the paupers (taxpayers)?

Pattison, Economic Development, #DotheMath, Video, Top StoryJohn PattisonSeptember 28, 2021Kansas City, baseball, stadium, megaprojects, subsidies, Megaprojects, #DoTheMath

Engineers Should Not Design Streets: A Programmer's Take

Software engineers don’t design user interface, so why do we let civil engineers design streets?

Freeway-Widening Grifters: Woke-Washing, Fraud, and Incompetence

ODOT has resorted to some truly cheap and deceptive marketing tactics to promote their new freeway-widening project.

The Hidden Inequity of Car-Based Design

For significant populations of people in the U.S., the requirement to drive is a major barrier to participating in city life.

Public Transit, Walkability, Top Story, OwensTiffany Owens ReedSeptember 27, 2021car culture, car dependency, seniors, children, cars, suburban development pattern, STROADS, #PedestrianUnfriendly

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

Frogger, the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, and Chernobyl. These are just some of the stories from around the internet that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.

Friday Faves, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 24, 2021friday faves

We're Hiring a Content Manager and a Columnist

Apply now to join the Strong Towns team and help advance our mission!

Announcement, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 24, 2021jobs, announcement

The School Bus Driver Shortage is a Problem We Didn't Have to Have

Schools across the U.S. are experiencing a bus driver shortage, but the root cause of this issue has less to do with the COVID pandemic than one might think.

Coronavirus, Herriges, Schools, Transportation, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesSeptember 23, 2021buses, schools, children, transportation, suburban transit, suburban experiment, suburban development pattern, coronavirus, Coronavirus

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Data-Driven, Community-Centered Planning

Sarah Davis is fresh out of planning school and interned for Strong Towns and Urban3 this summer.

Podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Davis, Planning Profession, Top StoryStrong TownsSeptember 23, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, planning profession, students, Urban3, taking action

Can Navigating Your City's Budget Be...Fun??

Making city budgets accessible to the average citizen is crucial for building stronger places. Here’s 4 examples of cities that made their budgets not only accessible, but even fun!

#StrongCitizens, Finance, Local Government, Davis, Success Story, Top StorySarah DavisSeptember 23, 2021finance, local finance, municipal finance, local government, local gov, cities, budget, success, success stories

CDOT's Proposal for Transit-Induced Pollution

CDOT drafts a rule that intends to address both greenhouse gas emissions and Colorado’s spreading development pattern. But can this kind of top-down solution work?