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Strong Towns
We support a strong America full of strong cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
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Re-Legalize 4-Units by Right in Chicago
Re-Legalize 4-Units by Right in Chicago

It’s time to make the beloved housing solution that made Chicago into a bustling, modern city legal again.

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Top Story 2Alex MonteroJune 12, 2025Incremental Housing, housing crisis, Maine, next increment, housing policy
How Harrisonburg Is Reclaiming Its Streets From the Bottom Up
How Harrisonburg Is Reclaiming Its Streets From the Bottom Up

City staff in Harrisonburg, Virginia, are embracing a process of co-creation with the public they serve. Here’s what that means.

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Top Story 2Strong TownsJune 12, 2025virginia, safe and productive streets, pilot projects, small bets, public engagement
Portland’s Quiet Housing Revolution Is Starting to Pay Off
Portland’s Quiet Housing Revolution Is Starting to Pay Off

Portland’s zoning overhaul is producing what every city says it wants: more homes people can actually afford.

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Top Story 2Strong TownsJune 11, 2025Incremental Housing, incremental growth, incrementalism, housing crisis, oregon
The Garage Gadget That Could Change Your Street
The Garage Gadget That Could Change Your Street

In Portland, Oregon one neighbor’s DIY device is quietly collecting the kind of street data cities can’t ignore—and that neighbors have known all along.

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Top StoryAsia MieleszkoJune 10, 2025Crash Analysis Studio, safe and productive streets, public safety, technology, oregon
How Ottawa Residents Turned a Movie Marquee Into a Message for Better Transit
How Ottawa Residents Turned a Movie Marquee Into a Message for Better Transit

Instead of waiting for someone else to fix their community’s transit problems, this group of local advocates took initiative with something simple—and powerful.

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Top StoryStrong TownsJune 9, 2025local conversations, canada, safe and productive streets, buses, local business
NYT Journalist on Sprawl and Why You Can’t Make Money on Housing
NYT Journalist on Sprawl and Why You Can’t Make Money on Housing

Chuck sits down with New York Times housing and development reporter Conor Dougherty to discuss his recent viral article, “Why America Should Sprawl.” (Audio, text, and video formats available.)

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Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJune 9, 2025podcast, Incremental Housing, sprawl, development pattern
The Trouble with Abundance
The Trouble with Abundance

Abundance looks to reform from above. We think you shouldn’t wait for permission.

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MarohnCharles MarohnJune 9, 2025localism, bottom-up, strong towns approach, advocacy, state government
Reclaim Your Streets: 5 Essential Guides & Studies
Reclaim Your Streets: 5 Essential Guides & Studies

Tactical urbanism is changing the way we approach city-building—here are five studies, toolkits, and guides to help you get started where you live.

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Top StoryStrong TownsJune 6, 2025bottom-up, parklet, urbanism, resource, safe and productive streets
Mr. Barricade: How to Quick Build a Connected City
Mr. Barricade: How to Quick Build a Connected City

Vignesh Swaminathan is an engineer, transportation planner, and content creator with over 1.7 million followers. He explains how he works with quick-build projects, intersection design, and social media to make cities stronger. (Transcript included.)

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Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJune 5, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, safe and productive streets, urban planning, Social Media
Stop Hitting My House
Stop Hitting My House

John Gall’s home sits at the base of a T-intersection—a spot where, in theory, drivers are supposed to turn either left or right. But that’s not what keeps happening.

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Top StoryStrong TownsJune 5, 2025Crash Analysis Studio, ohio, car crash, car culture, safe and productive streets
Fed Up With Red Tape, an Indiana Town Tries a New Housing Strategy
Fed Up With Red Tape, an Indiana Town Tries a New Housing Strategy

In Lawrence, Indiana, a new housing task force is turning local tools into real solutions to tackle the town’s growing housing crisis head-on.

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Top StoryStrong TownsJune 4, 2025Incremental Housing, indiana, housing crisis, housing policy, accessory dwelling unit
Want To Stop Your City’s Decline? Start Building Public Trust.
Want To Stop Your City’s Decline? Start Building Public Trust.

From school integration to budget reform, Rick Cole has spent his life encouraging cities to meet their residents’ needs in smart and sustainable ways. Here's his advice for city officials.

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Owens, Top StoryTiffany Owens ReedJune 4, 2025transparent local accounting, public engagement, local government, california, public investment
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Humbly Observe Where People Struggle
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Humbly Observe Where People Struggle

Danny Wind is a Local Conversation leader and Regional Transportation Commission member from California. Danny discusses their Open Street Map Project, which gives people a space to share the everyday challenges they face. (Transcript included.)

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Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJune 3, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Bottom-Up Shorts, safe and productive streets, public investment, local conversations
The Elements of a City: Structures, Conduits, and Interfaces
The Elements of a City: Structures, Conduits, and Interfaces

To build a strong city, you first have to understand the building blocks you’re working with and how they fit together.

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Top StoryAndrew BurlesonJune 3, 2025placemaking, urban planning, infrastructure, public space, safe and productive streets
The Design That’s Failing Phoenix—One Crash at a Time
The Design That’s Failing Phoenix—One Crash at a Time

If crashes happen in the same place over and over, is it really an accident? Phoenix residents say no—and they have the data to prove it.

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Top StoryStrong TownsJune 3, 2025Crash Analysis Studio, safe and productive streets, Arizona, Street Design, advocacy
After Another Fatal Crash, He Drew a Crosswalk. Now He Might Face Jailtime.
After Another Fatal Crash, He Drew a Crosswalk. Now He Might Face Jailtime.

The latest fatality on a Charlottesville road was the last straw for Kevin Cox, but his efforts to make the area safer might land him twelve months of jailtime. What if cities saw actions like his not as crimes—but as calls for change?

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Top StoryAsia MieleszkoJune 2, 2025crime, safe and productive streets, Crash Analysis Studio, car crash, virginia
4 Ways To Build Homes and Expand Opportunity, With Cullum Clark
4 Ways To Build Homes and Expand Opportunity, With Cullum Clark

Cullum Clark, a director at the George W. Bush Institute, discusses housing reforms that have proven to be economically feasible, politically realistic, and impactful on a large scale. (Transcript included.)

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Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJune 2, 2025podcast, Incremental Housing, housing policy, housing market, economics
Governing Like Caesar with Jesus in Mind: Why Cities Fail When They Plan Top-Down and Hope Bottom-Up
Governing Like Caesar with Jesus in Mind: Why Cities Fail When They Plan Top-Down and Hope Bottom-Up

"Jane Jacobs ends through Robert Moses means" is the modus operandi of many planners and advocates. It's also a total misunderstanding of both the brilliance of Jacobs and the shortcomings of Moses.

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Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnJune 2, 2025strong towns approach, small bets, incrementalism, localism, jane jacobs, Robert Moses
Breaking News: Grassroots Bench Builders Score a Win in Bay Area
Breaking News: Grassroots Bench Builders Score a Win in Bay Area

What began as a quiet act of care—building benches where none existed—just got the City of Richmond’s official blessing.

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Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMay 30, 2025safe and productive streets, bus, tactical urbanism, transit
This Tool Makes Municipal Finance… Fun?
This Tool Makes Municipal Finance… Fun?

Over 20 communities have used the Finance Decoder to turn dense spreadsheets into clear direction—proving that financial transparency doesn’t have to be dull.

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Top StoryStrong TownsMay 30, 2025Finance Decoder, financial solvency, ohio, utah, transparent local accounting
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