This week in High Value, Stark unveils the roadblocks the commission will face if they move forward with building a High Value grocery store in the community.

High Value Serial, Top StoryHamilton LudwigFebruary 11, 2022High Value series, series, big box stores, city council, local government

Pasadena Is Pumping the Brakes on This Mechanic’s Dreams

This small business owner is being financially crushed because the City of Pasadena is forcing him to get more parking spaces—parking that his small business doesn’t need.

Parking, Zoning, Top StoryDiana SimpsonFebruary 11, 2022Parking, parking, parking minimums, parking landing page, small business, local business, cars, zoning

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Turning a Historic Synagogue into a Community Cultural Center

Rabbi Donna Berman leads a community center serving neighbors in Hartford, CT.

10 Surprisingly Walkable Neighborhoods in the Least Walkable Cities

This YouTube channel introduces us to the hidden gems in some otherwise #PedestrianUnfriendly cities.

Video, Walkability, Stange, Neighborhoods, Top StoryJay StangeFebruary 10, 2022walkability, CityNerd, pedestrians, neighborhood, Neighborhoods

Where Does Cohousing Fit in the Housing Ecosystem?

When her marriage of 17 years ended, this now-single mother found herself without a home in an expensive city. The solution she found? Co-housing with two other single parents.

Upzoned, Podcast, Housing, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 9, 2022Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, co-housing, housing, Housing, housing affordability, homeowners, Homeownership

A New Vision for Economic Ecosystems: Interview with Dave Kresta (Part 2)

What are some of the practical ways that faith communities can contribute to healthy economic ecosystems?

The Duplex Next Door Is Normal. The One Not Yet Built Is a Threat.

Even people who know the historic benefits of duplexes (and the like) can be wary of re-legalizing them. We need to understand why if we want to effectively promote missing middle housing.

Housing, Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesFebruary 9, 2022housing, housing crisis, Housing, missing middle, duplex, ADUs, NIMBY

Nominate Your Place for the Strongest Town Contest by Feb. 20!

If you love your community—both for what it is and for what it aspires to be—you should nominate it for this year’s Strongest Town Contest!

Announcement, Strongest Town Contest, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 8, 2022Strongest Town 2022, announcement

Texas DOT Doubles Down on Urban Highway Expansions

San Antonio residents were working on a downtown road diet and neighborhood redevelopment…until TxDOT decided to completely ignore the will of 78% of local voters.

Your Route Home IS Someone's Home

The way our highways are built turn whole regions into featureless throughways. Slow down, though, and you’ll find value where you might never have noticed it before.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Rural, Top StoryKarla TheilenFebruary 8, 2022neighborhood storyteller, travel, tourism, North Dakota, highways, rural

Jeff Speck on Confessions of a Recovering Engineer

This week we’ve got a special treat: both the video and audio from a conversation between Chuck Marohn and renowned urban planner and walkability expert Jeff Speck.

Say Hello to Our New Staff Writer and Multimedia Creator!

We’re proud to welcome the newest member of the Strong Towns team!

Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 7, 2022Strong Towns

Why Do We Have to Handle 30,000 Trips per Day?

When engineers say a street must accommodate a high volume of traffic, what they really mean is, "The design of this street must prioritize the convenience of commuters over all else."

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

Glass bridges, looking up while locked down, and young authors. 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 TownsFebruary 4, 2022friday faves, Friday Faves

Housing Crash Laid Bare a Divided America: Strong Towns Featured in National PBS Film Release

Join Strong Towns staff on February 17 for a discussion and Q&A session about the movie Owned: A Tale of Two Americas.

Announcement, Housing, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 4, 2022Housing, announcement

High Value, Chapter 5: Pre-Submission Meeting

This week in High Value, a new project is proposed for Chippewa Lakes that sounds like a dream come true to Nancy Hjerne.

High Value Serial, Top StoryHamilton LudwigFebruary 4, 2022High Value series, series, big box stores, city council, local government

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Community Power Through Co-Ops

Strong Towns member De’Nita Wright is part of a cooperative organizing effort in Louisville, KY.

Let Main Streets Be Main Streets

A community should determine what kind of community it wants to be, not unelected DOT engineers.

Bake Sales for Crosswalks

Idahoan advocates had to get desperate to fund basic pedestrian safety features—all while the state DOT is budgeting $100 million to overhaul a single freeway interchange.

Can Corporate Campuses Urbanize the Suburban Experience?

Some large companies are pivoting their real-estate models toward building more compact, mixed-use centers for their corporate campuses. Is this good or bad for America’s suburbs?

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