My County's Award-Winning Smart Growth Plan is a Disaster. Here's Why.

Sarasota County, FL, is viewed as a trailblazer in the prevention of unchecked suburbanization. So why has its growth management plan has not resulted in a better pattern of development?

Herriges, Growth Ponzi Scheme, Planning Profession, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesApril 6, 2022Development, development pattern, planning profession, planning process, growth, Growth Ponzi Scheme, Smart Growth, suburbs, Florida

Is It Time for a National Zoning Atlas?

This advocacy group created the first online map to show how an entire state zones for housing. And they want to take the effort nationwide.

Herriges, Race, Zoning, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 30, 2022advocacy, zoning, Connecticut, mapping, maps, housing, Housing, race, Race, segregation

High Gas Prices Are Just One Symptom of a Much Greater Problem

When gas prices spike, the core issue we, as a nation, should be fixating on is car dependency.

Herriges, Transportation, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 17, 2022gas tax, transportation, public transit, transit, fragility, cars, car dependency

Copy What You Know Works

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create places that aren’t bad—and that should be the first and foremost goal for a city.

#PlaceIDontWanttoSit, Herriges, Urban Design, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesMarch 10, 2022placemaking, public space, urban design, design, greenspace, public engagement

Cities, Stop Bending the Rules for Drive-Thru Businesses

Cities should not be afraid to impose design standards that meet the community’s needs and that don’t jeopardize long-term planning for the public realm.

Herriges, Urban Design, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesFebruary 23, 2022cars, car culture, urban design, #PedestrianUnfriendly, business, urbanism, design

Bringing Gentle Density to Memphis

These brothers are pushing for incremental infill development in Memphis, Tennessee, with a community they’re building just north of downtown.

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

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.

What Does “Radical Neighborhood Change” Look Like?

“No neighborhood should be exempt from change. No neighborhood should be subjected to radical change.” Let’s examine what this core Strong Towns principle actually means.

Herriges, Incrementalism, Neighborhoods, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 27, 2022strong towns approach, development pattern, Development, development, traditional development pattern, neighborhood change, neighborhood, Neighborhoods, Neighborhood Design, Small Change, incremental, incrementalism

A Trailblazing Reform Supports Small-Scale Development in Memphis

There’s no large city in America that’s doing a better job of pivoting to a Strong Towns approach than Memphis, TN. Here’s why.

Herriges, Small Scale Developers, Success Story, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 26, 2022memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, small scale developers, small scale development, missing middle, Development, development, success, success stories

What Would Mass Upzoning *Actually* Do to Property Values?

A common objection to broad upzonings is, “Won't allowing more development everywhere set off speculative feeding frenzies?” The answer? No. Here’s why.

Herriges, Zoning, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 19, 2022upzoning, zoning, Development, development, incremental development, incrementalism, next increment

There is Unrest in the Urban Forest

“Preserve the trees” or “clear the way for more housing”—which side should you take? (Good news: It’s a false choice, to begin with.)

Herriges, Housing, Environment, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 12, 2022trees, street trees, environment, urban design, housing, Housing, housing activism, housing policy

What Can We Learn From What New Zealand Just Did?

New Zealand just passed the first national policy to both end parking requirements and allow the next increment of (residential) development everywhere. I.e., two major items on the Strong Towns wish list.

Herriges, Housing, Zoning, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 6, 2022housing cost, housing, housing affordability, housing crisis, New Zealand, zoning, parking minimums, single-family

The Vital Pleasure of Existing in Public

How much do people in your community go about their lives in public or in private?

Herriges, Public Space, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 5, 2022public space, Florida, urbanism, walkability

The 5 Best Strong Towns Articles and Podcasts from 2021: Daniel's Picks

Strong Towns Senior Editor Daniel Herriges shares his favorite content from this past year.

Best of Blog, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesDecember 17, 2021Best of 2021

Unleash the Swarm: A New E-book on Reviving Small-Scale Development

This new Strong Towns e-book explores what it would take to revive small-scale development as a force significant enough to shape and grow our cities.

Announcement, Herriges, Incrementalism, Small Scale Developers, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesDecember 13, 2021eBook, announcement, incremental, incremental development, small-scale developers, small scale developers, small scale development, series

Can Local Governments Be Held Accountable to Their Own Policies?

This organization is suing their local government over an insolvent, master-planned development in Collier County, Florida.

Finance, Herriges, Local Government, Taking Action, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesDecember 2, 2021Florida, environment, local politics, local government, master planned, financial solvency, taking action

12 Ideas That Embody How Strong Towns Advocates Think

Here are some touchstone concepts that help underlie the Strong Towns view of how to achieve a world full of places capable of growing bottom-up prosperity

Herriges, Top Evergreen, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesDecember 1, 2021strong towns approach, Jane Jacobs, Nassim Taleb, Antifragile, antifragile, complexity, Complexity, complex systems, Chaotic but Smart, #OrderlyButDumb, incrementalism, lindy, Overton Window, Jonathan Haidt

Announcing a New and Improved Map of Cities That Have Removed Parking Minimums

We’re relaunching our crowd-sourced map of cities in the U.S. and Canada that have ended or sharply curtailed their parking requirements. And it's more useful than ever.