Back Alley Arctic

What comes to mind when you think of an alley? A dark, dank, dirty place? How about a place for the arts, and an opportunity to bring a community together?

Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodJuly 20, 2023arts, canada, neighborhoods

Atlanta’s New Idea To Address Their Housing Crisis

In the midst of a nationwide housing crisis, Atlanta plans to adopt a “social housing model” in order to create more affordable housing for its residents.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 19, 2023Incremental Housing, housing crisis, affordable housing, upzoned, georgia

Lessons From This Year’s Strongest Town: Brattleboro, Vermont

In many ways, Brattleboro is the archetypal North American city. So, what does this Strongest Town Contest champion do differently compared to so many other places like it?

Top Story, TrendingAsia MieleszkoJuly 19, 2023local government, Strongest Town 2023, vermont, strongest town contest

Rethinking the Unthinkable

Why is it so hard to imagine removing a 60-year-old freeway from the heart of my city—even as someone who likes the idea?

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJuly 19, 2023freeway removal, history, urban freeways, minnesota, end highway expansion

Carrying Out Strong Towns' Vision…the Santa Barbara Way!

This Local Conversation group is making strides in implementing Strong Towns ideas in their place—but without sacrificing what makes their place unique.

Community Stories, Top StorySullivan IsraelJuly 18, 2023local conversations, bikes, success stories, california

Show Me the Magic

Sometimes, it behooves us to rethink downtowns as hubs of culture-making, not just money-making.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJuly 18, 2023downtown, public space

A Word About “Protected” Bike Lanes: They’re Not

How can we accommodate the greatest range of bike riders—not just the loudest or most outspoken—and how can cyclists best represent their interests to local officials?

A Troubling Sign

A destroyed roadside sign in Mattapoisett, MA, highlights the dangers of the street it formerly stood on.

Top StoryWill GardnerJuly 14, 2023Street Design, traffic engineering, stroad, safe and productive streets, speeding

Why Is This Freeway So Expensive? (Hint: Because It’s Too Damn Wide!)

The I-5 Rose Quarter project is proving to be extremely costly, and those costs are directly related to the excessive width of the project—something that ODOT has gone to great lengths to conceal.

Top StoryJoe CortrightJuly 13, 2023DOT, freeway widening, end highway expansion, oregon, infrastructure

Are Multi-Use Paths the “Stroads” of Active Transportation Infrastructure?

While multi-use paths are better than no infrastructure for people walking or biking, those that are useful for transportation tend to be busy, and often leave a lot to be desired.

Four Communities Are Becoming Examples of Change

This week on the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck talks about the Community Action Lab, and some of the experiences, conversations, and insights he’s gained while working with the four participating communities.

Podcast, Marohn, Top StoryStrong TownsJuly 12, 2023podcast, Community Action Lab

Designed for Community

Design doesn’t necessarily make a community, but, as this neighborhood in St. Paul, MN, shows, it does matter.

The “White House” on the National Mall Is Designed for Disasters—And the Housing Crisis

These cottages designed for disaster relief show that an immediate housing solution can also be a part of long-term recovery.

To Improve Public Engagement, Cities Need to Educate the Public

Cities should rethink how they do public engagement if it doesn’t come with a strong educational component.

Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJuly 11, 2023public engagement, community, local government, elected officials

Small Is Beautiful: This Developer Targets a Neglected Housing Market

88% of all new U.S. homes have three bedrooms or more, even though 64% of buyers aren’t demanding the extra space. Flintlock LAB is working to address this mismatch and make homes more attainable for entry-level buyers.

Top Story, TrendingBen AbramsonJuly 10, 2023Incremental Housing, housing affordability, infill, single-family, zoning

Why Private Wealth Should Lead Public Investment

In today’s cities, governments sink millions of dollars into public investments before securing any taxable private wealth to fund said investments. This is a financial risk we can’t afford to continue taking on.

50 Years of Affordable Housing

Ray Gindroz, FAIA, led countless projects on transforming public housing into mixed-income neighborhoods. In this interview, he talks about his half-century-long career and insights into the future of housing.

Top StoryEric OsthJuly 7, 2023Incremental Housing, mixed use, Neighborhood Design, affordable housing, poverty

Envisioning a Rail Culture for the U.S.

Conventional wisdom holds that the U.S. doesn’t know how to do rail—but Union Station shows that we do, in fact, have a history and the knowledge to build grand public transportation systems.

Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtJuly 7, 2023rail, public transportation, transit