Laundromat Urbanism

A simple laundromat offers an unexpected reminder of the role urban design has to play in making us feel more connected with the people around us.

Community, Top StoryArian HorbovetzJune 13, 2022Social Isolation, urbanism, community, community site, public space, local business, New York State

Local Conversations Are Putting Strong Towns Ideas into Action

There are over 100 Local Conversations (i.e., local Strong Towns advocates working together) around North America. And we want to grow that number tenfold.

Community, Membership, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonJune 8, 2022local conversations, advocacy, member drive, membership, community building

Here Is Where the Pieces Connect

What started as a simple email group turned into a storytelling forum.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Top StoryKarla TheilenMay 24, 2022neighborhood storyteller, Community, community site, Iowa

Strong Towns Need Strong Downtowns

A crucial part of making your city or town stronger lies in revitalizing your downtown. Here’s how one Local Conversation organizer is doing that work in her place.

#StrongCitizens, Community, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonMay 18, 2022advocacy, main street, Traditional Main Street, Small Towns, small towns, Louisiana, community, Community, local economy, downtown

Weaving Together Community, One Maypole at a Time

A recent wedding in Clutier, Iowa, shows the power of a community that's committed to supporting each other and maintaining their historic assets.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Top StoryKarla TheilenMay 17, 2022neighborhood storyteller, Community, community site, Historic Preservation, historic preservation, Iowa

Let’s Roll Up Our Sleeves To Rebuild Our Social Fabric

Civic culture needs innovating, and it might just take some hard work. Literally.

Community, Top Story, OwensTiffany Owens ReedMay 10, 2022community, community building, neighborliness, Social Isolation, social change

Want To Make Your Town Stronger? Look for the Amateurs.

We live in a culture that exalts the people who say, “I know.” But sometimes what our places need are people willing to say, “I don’t know,” and, “What do you think?” and, “Let’s figure that out together.”

Community, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonMay 4, 2022community, Community, local conversations, localism, community building

Remembering All the Things I’m Supposed to Worry About

Our Neighborhood Storyteller recently received a call about her aging father, who, with his driving privileges revoked, has had to resort to walking on unsafe roads…

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Walkability, Top StoryKarla TheilenMay 3, 2022neighborhood storyteller, Brainerd MN, walkability, aging, #PedestrianUnfriendly, Community

I (Don’t) Want More Than This Provincial Life

When the pandemic shut down our town, I realized how much I'd taken for granted the neighbors who showed up every day to make our community work.

Community, Pattison, Rural, Top StoryJohn PattisonApril 27, 2022community, community building, neighborliness, Small Towns, small towns, Oregon, rural

Pen People and Office Cities

Shopping locally means getting to be among your people—and in this case, it’s pen people!

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Top StoryKarla TheilenApril 19, 2022neighborhood storyteller, community, local business, neighborliness, Brainerd MN

Accidentally On Purpose

Massive property damage and pedestrians being injured (or killed) is our transportation system functioning precisely as designed. This is how it was designed to work.

Community, Member Post, Neighborhoods, Transportation, Walkability, Planning Profession, In the Neighborhood, Engineering Profession, Urban Design, dear winnipeg, Top StoryMichel Durand-WoodApril 14, 2022advocacy, canada, Winnipeg, neighborhood, city council, community

Think of This as Your Sanctuary

Our Neighborhood Storyteller discovers a kind of community support that simply can’t be found in online retail.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Top StoryKarla TheilenApril 12, 2022neighborhood storyteller, community, local business, neighborliness, Brainerd MN

Street Trees: The Roots of a Strong Town

Street trees provide a lot of pragmatic benefits to a community—and they also serve a social purpose.

Community, Sheppard, Top StorySeairra SheppardMarch 29, 2022trees, street trees, community, Neighborhoods

Sew Much to Learn

This community ed teacher shares an important lesson about iterating to success: starting with something imperfect now and working your way toward perfection.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Top StoryKarla TheilenMarch 8, 2022neighborhood storyteller, community, montana, arts, neighborliness

I Found My People...in a Completely Different Town

When a community is strong, it can make even an “outsider” feel welcome.

Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Community, Top StoryKarla TheilenMarch 1, 2022neighborhood storyteller, community, Hospitals, hospitals, hospitality, Small Towns, small towns, montana

Sometimes the Ending Isn't the Part That Matters

Building a Strong Town is not a tidy project with a clear conclusion. It's an ongoing practice made up of thousands of small actions—such as this Valentine’s Day tradition.

Community, Neighborhood Storyteller, Theilen, Top StoryKarla TheilenFebruary 22, 2022alaska, neighborhood storyteller, community, Community, arts

Native American New Urbanism: How America's Poorest County Created a Vision for the Future of Cities

This nonprofit has created a template for what a 21st-century, regenerative community could look like; one that asks us what we really want for our future—and means it.

Wildfires and Ice Storms and Pandemics…Oh My!

Co-housing not only saves money for these two families—and enabled them to buy a home, in the first place—it’s also allowed them to better weather hard times.