Strong Towns
Cart 0
Articles Podcasts Videos About
Become a Member
Local Conversations Crash Analysis Studio Housing-Ready Cities Community Action Lab
Academy Action Lab Cohort Accelerator Housing Trap All Books
Book an Event Attend an Event Local-Motive Tour National Gathering
Cart 0
ArticlesPodcastsVideos Programs Local Conversations Crash Analysis Studio Housing-Ready Cities Community Action Lab Learn Academy Action Lab Cohort Accelerator Housing Trap All Books Events Book an Event Attend an Event Local-Motive Tour National Gathering About
Strong Towns
We support a strong America full of strong cities, towns, and neighborhoods.
Become a Member
From Abandoned Church to Community Anchor: How Small-Scale Development Revives Neighborhoods
From Abandoned Church to Community Anchor: How Small-Scale Development Revives Neighborhoods

If you’ve ever seen an underused property and thought, “Why doesn’t someone do something with that?”—take a look at this church in Texas.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 15, 2025Incremental Housing, incremental development, neighborhood change, churches, texas
Ohio REALTORS™ Share Their Knowledge To Respond to Ohio’s Housing Crisis
Ohio REALTORS™ Share Their Knowledge To Respond to Ohio’s Housing Crisis

Ohio realtors and community advocates have created a practical toolkit to help communities across the state enable infill development.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 15, 2025ohio, housing crisis, Incremental Housing, infill, resource
Cities Are Already Defaulting on Their Debts
Cities Are Already Defaulting on Their Debts

Cities slide into insolvency not with a dramatic collapse, but with a slow, steady drift into financial fragility.

Read More
Marohn, Top Story, Finance Decoder SeriesCharles MarohnApril 14, 2025Finance Decoder, transparent local accounting, municipal finance, debt, suburban experiment, city government
The Numbers Don’t Lie: New Study Proves That Tactical Urbanism Can Boost Local Economy
The Numbers Don’t Lie: New Study Proves That Tactical Urbanism Can Boost Local Economy

A Japanese study is the first to quantitatively measure the economic impact of tactical urbanism. Spoiler alert: it’s good for business.

Read More
Top StoryAsia MieleszkoApril 11, 2025pedestrians, people centered places, placemaking, local economy
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Designing Prosperous Places
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Designing Prosperous Places

Will McCollum is the president and co-founder of Citymakers Collective, a nonprofit that teaches aspiring architects and planners how to design resilient, beautiful and prosperous places. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 10, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, people centered places, design, architecture
The ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Is Propaganda. We Deserve Better.
The ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Is Propaganda. We Deserve Better.

Every few years, the American Society of Civil Engineers releases its Infrastructure Report Card. Let’s be clear about what this report card actually is: industry propaganda, not unbiased analysis.

Read More
Top Story, MarohnCharles MarohnApril 10, 2025infrastructure, infrastructure cult, engineers, transparent local accounting, maintenance
Will Trump's Plan To Privatize Mortgages Fix the Housing Market?
Will Trump's Plan To Privatize Mortgages Fix the Housing Market?

In this episode, Chuck and Abby discuss President Trump’s proposal to privatize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, organizations that back the majority of mortgages in the U.S. and have been under a government conservatorship since the 2008 financial crisis. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 9, 2025podcast, upzoned, Incremental Housing, federal housing policy, Fanny Mae, Freddie Mac
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build a City’s Economic Core
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build a City’s Economic Core

Amy Emery is a community leader focused on fostering sustainable growth and smart development in Warrenville, Illinois. She joins Norm to discuss several ways the city is working to build a core downtown. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 8, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Bottom-Up Shorts, strongest town contest, Strongest Town 2025, illinois, local business, downtown
How One Bill is Trying to Keep Texas Affordable
How One Bill is Trying to Keep Texas Affordable

Texas isn’t exactly known for its housing shortage, but continued affordability isn't guaranteed. That's why lawmakers across the aisle are trying to get ahead with a new bill.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 8, 2025affordable housing, texas, homeowners, housing policy
How To Understand and Fix Government Budgeting, With Mark Moses
How To Understand and Fix Government Budgeting, With Mark Moses

Today, Chuck is joined by Mark Moses, author of “The Municipal Financial Crisis.” They cover everything from the dangers of relying on “balanced budgets” to the difference between city and business finances. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 7, 2025podcast, transparent local accounting, finance
Minnesota Rethinks Parking Mandates—Will Your City Keep Up?
Minnesota Rethinks Parking Mandates—Will Your City Keep Up?

Most cities impose strict parking regulations, which hurt local businesses, stifle development, and drain city resources. Minnesota is considering a bill that would change that.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 7, 2025end parking mandates and subsidies, minnesota, state government, local economy, Land Use
Cities Are Not Nations: The Hard Budget Reality of Brainerd, Minnesota
Cities Are Not Nations: The Hard Budget Reality of Brainerd, Minnesota

Despite assertions to the contrary, a city's budget is almost exactly like a family budget.

Read More
Marohn, Top Story, Finance Decoder SeriesCharles MarohnApril 7, 2025transparent local accounting, Finance Decoder, minnesota, debt, finance
Iowa May Legalize Backyard Cottages—Your City Can Do It First
Iowa May Legalize Backyard Cottages—Your City Can Do It First

Cities need more entry-level homes, but efforts to increase supply are often met with resistance. Iowa is considering a way around that issue: legalizing backyard cottages to increase housing supply without radically changing neighborhoods.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 4, 2025Incremental Housing, accessory dwelling unit, iowa, housing crisis, state government
North Carolina is Ditching 1960s Era Zoning
North Carolina is Ditching 1960s Era Zoning

North Carolina lawmakers have joined forces across party lines to make housing easier to build—here’s what they’re proposing.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 4, 2025housing crisis, housing, North Carolina, zoning
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Using Art To Advocate for Street Safety
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Using Art To Advocate for Street Safety

Sarah Rose is an artist and advocate from Washington. She joins Tiffany on this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution to talk about how the intersection of advocacy and art is driving change in her city. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 3, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, safe and productive streets, washington, arts
Small-Scale Housing is Making a Big Impact in Seattle
Small-Scale Housing is Making a Big Impact in Seattle

Soaring home prices and tight housing supply are pushing local leaders to find creative solutions. Seattle’s embrace of backyard cottages has quietly delivered thousands of new homes right where they’re needed most.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 3, 2025Incremental Housing, bottom-up, housing crisis, housing policy, zoning
Cincinnati Ditches the Status Quo with its Zoning Reform
Cincinnati Ditches the Status Quo with its Zoning Reform

Outdated zoning laws are holding cities back, restricting housing options and stalling economic growth. That’s why Cincinnati is trying something different.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 3, 2025housing crisis, affordable housing, upzoning, midwest, Incremental Housing
Two Views, One Budget: Why Houston’s Financial Story Isn’t as Simple as It Looks
Two Views, One Budget: Why Houston’s Financial Story Isn’t as Simple as It Looks

Houston’s new Popular Annual Financial Report tells a reassuring story of short-term growth and recovery, but it ignores the city's long-term financial trends. If things are going to improve, public officials need to confront reality.

Read More
Top StoryCharles MarohnApril 3, 2025texas, transparent local accounting, municipal finance, debt, financial solvency, Finance Decoder
Officials Are Using the Strong Towns Approach in This California Town
Officials Are Using the Strong Towns Approach in This California Town

During a recent Planning Commission meeting in Windsor, California, Vice Chair Tim Zahner advocated for using the Strong Towns approach to make the city's streets safer.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsApril 2, 2025taking action, public investment, strong towns approach, california, city government, safe and productive streets
One Brooklyn Pizzeria’s Battle in the War Against Outdoor Dining
One Brooklyn Pizzeria’s Battle in the War Against Outdoor Dining

NYC loved outdoor dining until it didn't. When 13,000 restaurants were forced to dismantle their sheds, one Brooklyn pizzeria found a workaround.

Read More
Top StoryAsia MieleszkoApril 2, 2025transportation, new york, public space, restaurants, cars, safe and productive streets
Newer Older
 

Helping cities, towns and neighborhoods take local action to grow safe, livable and financially resilient.

 

Get Involved

Become a Member
Sign Up for Emails
Pitch a Story
RSS Feed

Resources

Books
Action Lab
Blog Roll
Shop
Press

About

About Us
Team | Board
Employment
Contact Us

Site

Privacy Policy
Comment Policy
FAQ
Search

Each month, this website is funded by Strong Towns members.

Join the movement to keep the message going.
Become a Member

Strong Towns is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Our work is performed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Please share with others to use for good.

 
Strong Towns
1511 Northern Pacific Rd,
Brainerd, MN, 56401
8442181681 linda@strongtowns.org
Hours