Our Neighborhood Storyteller’s local farm share has given her access not only to great food, but to great friends, as well.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Local Food, Rural, Top StoryKarla TheilenApril 5, 2022neighborhood storyteller, montana, Farming, farmer's market, local food, rural, local business

Does a Thrift Store Really Need a 40-Page Zoning Decision?

This document shows just how much our arcane land-use regulations prohibit neighborhoods from developing organically and un-self-consciously.

Zoning, Planning Profession, Top StoryAddison Del MastroMarch 15, 2022NIMBY, zoning, big box stores, business, local business, Addison Del Mastro, planning process, urban planning, Maryland

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

Do Something Nice for Yourself

Exhausted from helping her father adjust to life in assisted living, our Neighborhood Storyteller Karla Theilen seeks comfort in a local record store.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Top StoryKarla TheilenFebruary 1, 2022neighborhood storyteller, aging, local business, Minnesota, Brainerd MN

LaVonne, with a Capital "V"

Local business owners don’t just bring monetary wealth to a community; they can also bring a wealth of support and kindness to locals during their times of need.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Top StoryKarla TheilenJanuary 25, 2022neighborhood storyteller, small business, entrepreneurship, aging, aging in place, local business, Minnesota, Brainerd MN

Eden Center: Is This Strip Mall Paradise?

If we’re going to be stuck with strip malls, then this one in Virginia is about as fine-grained and urban as it gets.

Incrementalism, Success Story, Top StoryAddison Del MastroJanuary 18, 2022strip malls, incrementalism, immigrants, small business, local business, placemaking, success, success stories, Addison Del Mastro, fine-grained

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... Shining a Spotlight on the Good That's Happening in Your Town

Nick Meyer’s magazine is breathing new life into the community of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 1, 2021arts, The Bottom-Up Revolution, local business, Wisconsin, taking action

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... a Small Business Owner and Community Leader

Strong Towns member Haile McCollum is helping make her community of Thomasville, Georgia, more resilient and more beloved.

Podcast, Taking Action, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Success Story, Member Post, Membership, Top StoryStrong TownsJune 24, 2021The Bottom-Up Revolution, Georgia, local business, arts, small, taking action

The Stock Market Is Not the Economy

If we want to have meaningful conversations about "the economy" and how it affects everyday people, then our focus needs to shift from macro to local.

Community, Economic Development, Top StoryNick MathewsJune 15, 2021local business, small business, community, economic development, MainVest, coronavirus

Sandpoint, Idaho: Walking the Line

Moving past a commodity-based economy is not for the faint of heart. See how this community in Idaho has begun welcoming new (sometimes even weird) ideas on how to do so.

Resource Trap, Economic Development, Success Story, Top StorySamuel WesternJune 1, 2021resource trap, RBC Series, Idaho, local business, business, Resource Trap - Case Studies

Accelerate Success in Your Place with Economic Gardening

Conventional economic development practice focuses on recruiting new businesses to relocate to the community. In reality, the most stable and prosperous businesses are those that are homegrown.

Economic Development, Marohn, Resource Trap, Strategies, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 21, 2021RBC Series, Economic Gardening, local economy, resource trap, local business, how to, Resource Trap - Core Content

Communities Need to Make Space for Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in building prosperous local communities. Here are some steps for creating a more active ecosystem of entrepreneurs in your place.

Community, Economic Development, Marohn, Resource Trap, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 20, 2021local business, local economy, Entrepreneurship, small business, how to, resource trap, RBC Series, Resource Trap - Core Content

How to Retain Capital in Your Community

Let’s go beyond the “buy local” mantra and start replacing things we send money out of the community for with viable local alternatives.

Community, Economic Development, Local Food, Marohn, Resource Trap, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 19, 2021how to, RBC Series, resource trap, local economy, local food, local business, localism, Resource Trap - Core Content

Communities Should Take Charge of Their Own Economic Development

When communities support small businesses, it helps give them agency over their own economic development.

Community, Economic Development, Finance, Top StoryNick MathewsMay 6, 2021local business, small business, community, economic development, MainVest

The Roots of a Resilient Small City Economy in Durango

A model of what the future could look like for communities that depend on extractive industry, if they make the right investments.

#DotheMath, Community, Herriges, Success Story, Urban3, Top Story, Resource TrapDaniel HerrigesApril 22, 2021colorado, Urban3, local business, business, resilience, success stories, Economy, Resource Trap - Case Studies

How “Closed-Loop Capital” Builds Local Businesses and Stronger Local Economies

A relatively new funding mechanism helps small businesses build support in the community, even without all the resources of a larger startup.

Community, Finance, Top StoryNick MathewsApril 8, 2021Nick Mathews, local business, finance, community, crowdfunding

Trying to help small businesses? Stop worrying about congestion.

We have to give up on on the delusion that we can have a place that is both great for business, and great at moving cars quickly. To be successful, we need to go all-in on one or the other.

Roads and Streets, Economic Development, Top Story 2Michel Durand-WoodFebruary 19, 2021Winnipeg, STROADS, local business

Chris Bernardo: Filling the Gaps to Support Local Businesses

Here’s a pragmatic way to close the gap between what businesses know they need to thrive and what their cash-strapped cities can actually provide.

Podcast, Economic Development, Top StoryStrong TownsDecember 7, 2020maintenance, New Jersey, New York, economic development, local business

The Bottom-Up Revolution is... Working Together to Make a Street for People

How one urban advocate helped transform a downtown street into a pedestrian-friendly public space— plus tips for how you can do the same in your own city.