The Way We Design Our Streets Invites Driver Aggression

This motorcyclist was acting aggressive…but what in his environment signaled to him that aggressive driving was acceptable?

#SlowtheCars, Marohn, Roads and Streets, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 18, 2022#SlowTheCars, transportation, Safety, car crash, cars, STROADS, roads, Brainerd MN, design

Reckless Road Design is Killing Us, Not Reckless Drivers

An epidemic of roadway deaths aren’t caused by random rule breakers. The cause is the rule followers. It’s time to change the rules mandating speed and volume over safety and cost.

Ignoring Induced Demand is Engineering Malpractice

In 2022, denying how highway expansions induce people to drive more should be considered professional malpractice.

#NoNewRoads, Engineering Profession, Marohn, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 4, 2022transportation, transportation spending, highways, freeways, Virginia, engineers, engineering ethics, engineering profession, traffic engineering, traffic projections, induced demand, #NoNewRoads

“How Can My Town *Not* Be Wealthy When There’s Been So Much Growth?”

Let's talk about some core Strong Towns concepts: complexity, incrementalism, fragility, and more!

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMarch 7, 2022Podcast, strong towns approach, incrementalism, fragility, complexity, Complexity, complex systems, incremental growth, incremental, incremental development

The Reckless Driver Narrative Is Reckless. Stop Spreading It.

If we want safe and productive streets, we have to focus on the deadly design of our public spaces and not be distracted by the scapegoating narrative of the “reckless driver.”

Marohn, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnMarch 7, 2022traffic congestion, traffic engineering, Pedestrian Safety, pedestrian safety, pedestrians, #PedestrianUnfriendly, Safety, safety, public safety, Public Safety, transportation

Annamarie Pluhar: Shared Housing Doesn't Have to Be Scary

It’s time we embraced co-housing as a viable solution for both affordable housing and social isolation.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Housing, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 28, 2022Podcast, housing, Housing, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, co-housing

The Latest Update on the Strong Towns Lawsuit

Recent documentation casts a disturbing new light on the Minnesota Board of Licensure’s attempts to discredit the Strong Towns movement.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Engineering Reform, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 21, 2022Podcast, engineering ethics

We Need to Embrace Traffic Congestion, Not Fight It

We’ve spent trillions fighting congestion so that it’s easy to drive everywhere. But we’re fighting a losing battle, and simultaneously losing our ability to walk anywhere.

#NoNewRoads, #SlowtheCars, Infrastructure, Transportation, Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnFebruary 21, 2022congestion, traffic congestion, traffic engineering, #SlowTheCars, #NoNewRoads, American Jobs Plan, infrastructure spending, Infrastructure, infrastructure, transportation

Truth in Accounting: Making Cities' Finances Transparent for All

Citizens can’t make informed decisions if they don’t know the financial condition of their government. This nonpartisan nonprofit is making those numbers both available and transparent.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Finance, Local Government, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 14, 2022Podcast, finance, local finance, public finance, municipal finance, nonprofit sector, local government, Municipalism

The Real Reason We Keep Getting Distracted by Transit Boondoggles

When it comes to transit mega project delays and overruns, there are typically two reactions: to trash the project mercilessly or unconditionally back it to the end. But there is a third option.

Infrastructure, Marohn, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnFebruary 14, 2022Infrastructure, infrastructure, megaprojects, Megaprojects, transit, commuting, transportation spending, infrastructure spending, Minnesota, transportation

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.

Podcast, Marohn, ST Podcast, Confessions Book, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 7, 2022Podcast, Jeff Speck, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer, confessions book, transportation, interview

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."

Chuck Marohn Answers Your Questions

It’s time once again to sit down and answer some of the great questions we’ve gotten over at the Strong Towns Action Lab.

Podcast, Action Lab, #SlowtheCars, Marohn, ST Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 31, 2022Podcast, Strong Towns Community, Action Lab, strong towns approach

Financial Meltdown

Let’s explore the idea of inflation being “good.”

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 24, 2022Inflation, macroeconomics, economics, Economy, poverty, Poverty

Driving Went Down. Fatalities Went Up. Here's Why.

Americans drove less during the early months of pandemic, yet traffic fatalities increased—and have yet to go back down. And the “official” explanations for it are completely wrong.

#SlowtheCars, Coronavirus, Engineering Profession, Marohn, Roads and Streets, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 10, 2022traffic congestion, traffic engineering, engineers, Safety, transportation, car crash, coronavirus, Coronavirus, #SlowTheCars

A Year of Living with Intention

This year, I want to focus on how our small, everyday actions add up to something meaningful for the places we live in.

Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJanuary 3, 2022new years resolutions, strong towns approach

The Best Books I Read in 2021

An annual tradition, here is Chuck Marohn’s list of his favorite books he read in 2021.

MarohnCharles MarohnDecember 17, 2021books

Christmas Cookie Inflation Index, 2021 Update

The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index has risen 10.6% in the last year. This is compared to the official inflation rate of 6.8%.

Finance, Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnDecember 15, 2021Inflation, poverty, Economy, economics

How Do You Actually Fix a Stroad?

We respond to a question posted for us on Reddit about a stroad that seems unfixable—and maybe that’s because it is.

Marohn, Roads and Streets, Transportation, Top StoryCharles MarohnDecember 3, 2021STROADS, strong towns approach, Not Just Bikes, roads, strip malls, transportation

An Update on Our Lawsuit Against the Minnesota Board of Engineering Licensure

The most frequent request we’re getting these days is for a status update on our lawsuit with the Minnesota board of licensure. Here are the answers we can give you, for now.