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Strong Towns
We support a strong America full of strong cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
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From Yoga Instructor to Citizen Developer
From Yoga Instructor to Citizen Developer

A yoga studio owner turned into a developer and transformed a former mill into a mixed-use building, offering housing and economic opportunities in Rhode Island's fourth largest city.

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Community Stories, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoOctober 20, 2023small scale developers, developers, Rhode Island, success stories, Incremental Housing, mixed use
The Potential of Pop-Ups
The Potential of Pop-Ups

Temporary projects can help cities take the guesswork out of new infrastructure.

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Top StoryAdeleine GeitnerOctober 19, 2023tactical urbanism, infrastructure, bike lanes, local government, pop-up
Big Win for ADUs: FHA To Count Rental Income for Mortgages
Big Win for ADUs: FHA To Count Rental Income for Mortgages

The momentum for ADUs gets a big boost from the federal government with a new policy to encourage homes with rental units.

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News, Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 19, 2023Incremental Housing, accessory dwelling unit, missing middle, housing, housing policy
They Were Sold a Boulevard. What They Got Was a Highway.
They Were Sold a Boulevard. What They Got Was a Highway.

Residents of the Farmers Market District in Dallas, TX, thought they were buying into a “walkable” neighborhood…except its 9-lane road is too dangerous to walk by. And the city’s attempts at making it safer aren’t helping.

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News, Top Story, TrendingAsia MieleszkoOctober 19, 2023safe and productive streets, texas, highways, car crash, safety
285 Reasons Seattle’s Zoning Is an (Unfunny) Joke
285 Reasons Seattle’s Zoning Is an (Unfunny) Joke

How many zones does Seattle have? The answer might shock you! (And it reveals some uncomfortable truths about the city’s absurd land use regulation.)

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Top StoryRay DubickiOctober 18, 2023zoning, Incremental Housing, washington
Rick Steves: What Americans Can Learn From Europe’s People-Friendly Places
Rick Steves: What Americans Can Learn From Europe’s People-Friendly Places

Famous guidebook author, tour operator, and PBS travel host Rick Steves talks about his observations of places that have prioritized people over cars and infrastructure—and what we can learn from them.

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Top Story, TrendingBen AbramsonOctober 18, 2023europe, transit, people centered places, travel, active transportation
Early Zoning and the War on Multifamily Housing
Early Zoning and the War on Multifamily Housing

Most of your city’s zoning likely prohibits multifamily housing—even of a modest form, like triple-deckers. If so, you have the arrogance of early zoning reformers to thank for it.

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Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesOctober 18, 2023zoning, Incremental Housing, multi-family, single-family, housing policy, history
The Power of the Bike Bus
The Power of the Bike Bus

Strong Towns member Will Gardner shares how the 60-person bike bus he helps lead in his hometown is helping kids get to school, and reducing the number of cars in the drop-off lane.

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Community Stories, Top StoryWill GardnerOctober 17, 2023bikes, schools, children, safe and productive streets, massachusetts, success stories
MDOT’s Idea of Reconnecting Communities Is a $300 Million Stroad in Detroit
MDOT’s Idea of Reconnecting Communities Is a $300 Million Stroad in Detroit

Detroit’s local leaders have long favored eliminating I-375, a sunken highway separating the eastern parts of the city from downtown…but MDOT’s plan to convert it into a six-lane road is not the future they envisioned. 

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News, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoOctober 17, 2023end highway expansion, michigan, freeway removal, department of transportation, highways
Incrementalism as a Policy Litmus Test
Incrementalism as a Policy Litmus Test

Is your city leaping before it hops?

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Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedOctober 17, 2023incrementalism, incremental, small bets, local government
Welcome to the New (Complete) Government Street
Welcome to the New (Complete) Government Street

Tax revenues are up and traffic incidents are down—is Government Street a model for future development across Baton Rouge, LA?

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Top StoryJake PolanskyOctober 16, 2023road diet, Complete Streets, louisiana, Street Design, safe and productive streets
A Safer Intersection in 80 Minutes
A Safer Intersection in 80 Minutes

Armed with paint and traffic cones, this Local Conversation group in Portland, OR, made a dangerous intersection safer to cross…in only 80 minutes!

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Community Stories, Top Story, BradleySeairra JonesOctober 16, 2023safe and productive streets, Street Design, tactical urbanism, intersections, success stories, local conversations, oregon
The End of Suburbia Starts With Disobedience
The End of Suburbia Starts With Disobedience

A quirk of Houstonian zoning has enabled some residents to start thickening up their neighborhoods, albeit through technically illegal means.

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Top Story, TrendingRobert RiceOctober 13, 2023texas, Incremental Housing, incremental growth, suburban experiment, zoning
Parents Struggle To Observe the #WeekWithoutDriving
Parents Struggle To Observe the #WeekWithoutDriving

A national challenge to go one week without driving has parents reflecting on the challenges of transporting children in most American cities and towns.

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Top StoryAsia MieleszkoOctober 13, 2023safe and productive streets, children, car dependency, active transportation, car-lite
Your Home Office Might Be Illegal
Your Home Office Might Be Illegal

According to the United States Census, prior to the pandemic, half of all businesses in the U.S. were home based and nearly eight million people worked primarily from home…but according to urban planners, this is illegal!?

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Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtOctober 13, 2023zoning, urban planning, homeowners, entrepreneurs, covid
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Breaking Down Barriers to Local Food
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is…Breaking Down Barriers to Local Food

Shelby Wild is a mom, a lifelong gardener, and executive director of Route One Farmers Market in her hometown of Lompoc, California.

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Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsOctober 12, 2023The Bottom-Up Revolution, farmer's market, local food, california
Suzanne Woo: For Safer Streets, Focus on What You Can Control
Suzanne Woo: For Safer Streets, Focus on What You Can Control

Who has the power to transform our streets, and where should cities be directing their focus when it comes to traffic safety? This and more from Suzanne Woo, an Ottawa traffic and transportation engineer specializing in road safety.

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Top StoryAsia MieleszkoOctober 12, 2023Crash Analysis Studio, car crash, canada, safe and productive streets, transportation, Street Design
4 Lessons on Losing a Third Place
4 Lessons on Losing a Third Place

Too often, local businesses are forced to move or close their doors. What lessons can we take away after the loss of a beloved third place?

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Emma Durand-Wood, Top StoryEmma Durand-WoodOctober 12, 2023Third Places, coffee shops, local business
Rejuvenating Rogers' Ruined Road
Rejuvenating Rogers' Ruined Road

CGI rendering shows what the future of a street could look like if we put people first.

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Top StoryWill GardnerOctober 11, 2023safe and productive streets, Street Design, massachusetts, department of transportation, safety
Local-Motive 2023: How To Define, Refine, and Distribute Your Story
Local-Motive 2023: How To Define, Refine, and Distribute Your Story

As part of our 2023 Local-Motive Tour, Strong Towns will be hosting the session “How to Define, Refine and Distribute Your Story” on October 19 at noon CT. 

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Top StoryBen AbramsonOctober 11, 2023Local-Motive Tour
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