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 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 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
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Proving the Power of Infill Housing Development
The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...Proving the Power of Infill Housing Development

Rosaline Hill is a registered professional planner and awards-winning architect from Ottawa, Canada. She joins Tiffany to discuss the complexities of housing reform and to explain how she helps municipalities visualize and argue persuasively for development. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 8, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, Incremental Housing, infill, co-housing, canada
1  Small House, 7 Decades of Shelter: the Legacy of a Starter Home
1 Small House, 7 Decades of Shelter: the Legacy of a Starter Home

Our housing crisis demands a return to simpler, more empowering development approaches. The same approaches that let my grandfather build a starter home that sheltered his family for 70 years.

Read More
Edward Erfurt, Top StoryEdward ErfurtMay 8, 2025Incremental Housing, housing crisis, local regulation, small scale development, housing
What One First-Time Developer Can Teach Us About Housing Solutions
What One First-Time Developer Can Teach Us About Housing Solutions

An overlooked opportunity to fight the housing crisis lies not just in scaling up development efforts, but in scaling down barriers.

Read More
Top StoryNeil HellerMay 8, 2025Incremental Housing, arkansas, small scale developers, local regulation, housing crisis
California Universities Face a $17 Billion Growth Ponzi Scheme
California Universities Face a $17 Billion Growth Ponzi Scheme

California universities are facing $17 billion in deferred maintenance. Chuck and Abby explore how this problem arose, how it mirrors the challenges cities are facing, and what it'll take to manage this decline. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 7, 2025podcast, upzoned, california, growth ponzi scheme, transparent local accounting
 Pittsburgh's Low-Cost Traffic Calming Is a Model for Every City
Pittsburgh's Low-Cost Traffic Calming Is a Model for Every City

With a bit of paint and plastic, speeds on a Pittsburgh street dropped from 36 to 23 mph overnight. Here’s how the Pennsylvania city is making its streets safer.

Read More
Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMay 7, 2025traffic engineering, Street Design, tactical urbanism, pennsylvania, car crash, safe and productive streets
Vancouver’s Annexation Gamble: When “Go Big” Goes Terribly Wrong
Vancouver’s Annexation Gamble: When “Go Big” Goes Terribly Wrong

Officials in Vancouver, Washington, are considering annexing all 56 square miles of their urban growth area. This would come at a staggering cost.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsMay 7, 2025washington, transparent local accounting, small bets, annexation, growth ponzi scheme
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build a Stronger Richmond Hill
Bottom-Up Shorts: How To Build a Stronger Richmond Hill

Saeed Vahid, a Local Conversation leader from Richmond Hill, Ontario, joins Norm to talk about how his group collaborates with city officials and how the expansion of the Greater Toronto Area has affected Richmond Hill. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsMay 6, 2025podcast, Bottom-Up Shorts, The Bottom-Up Revolution, canada, local conversations
This California City is Doing the Math
This California City is Doing the Math

Thanks to a new tool, a local group in Artesia is highlighting that true resilience lies in lasting stability, not just getting by in the moment.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsMay 6, 2025financial solvency, taxes, Finance Decoder, california, resource
Pedestrian Deaths Are Still Way Too High—Here's What Needs to Change
Pedestrian Deaths Are Still Way Too High—Here's What Needs to Change

A new report shows pedestrian deaths dropped in 2024. But this “good news” comes with a huge asterisk: they're still 50% higher than they were a decade ago.

Read More
Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMay 6, 2025car crash, cars, highways, strong towns approach, transportation
A Big Win for Small Homes in Arkansas
A Big Win for Small Homes in Arkansas

Red states are rewriting the rules on housing—and Arkansas is leading the charge thanks to a new bipartisan law.

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsMay 5, 2025accessory dwelling unit, arkansas, housing crisis, housing, policy change
America Should Sprawl? Not If We Want Strong Towns
America Should Sprawl? Not If We Want Strong Towns

If we’re serious about housing affordability, we can’t just count units. We have to care about where and how we build.

Read More
Marohn, Top StoryCharles MarohnMay 5, 2025sprawl, Incremental Housing, suburban experiment, transparent local accounting, texas
Diane Alisa: How To Restore the American Village
Diane Alisa: How To Restore the American Village

Diane Alisa is an author and founder of the nonprofit End Car Dependency. She joins Tiffany to discuss the impact of car-dependent design on families and the importance of building integrated communities. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Top StoryStrong TownsMay 2, 2025podcast, The Bottom-Up Revolution, suburbs, family, children, car dependency
A Love That Helps Your Place Live Up To Its Full Potential
A Love That Helps Your Place Live Up To Its Full Potential

Through quiet consistency and relentless curiosity, Danny Wind turned everyday observations into lasting change. Their story shows how small steps—and a Strong Towns membership—can reshape a place and a person.

Read More
Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMay 2, 2025member week, member story, profile, Crash Analysis Studio
How I Became a Strong Towns Member—and Why You Should Do the Same
How I Became a Strong Towns Member—and Why You Should Do the Same

Becoming a Strong Towns member is taking a step from “I believe this” to “I am going to make this a reality.” Here’s how one city staff member decided to take the leap.

Read More
Top StoryCarlee Alm-LaBarMay 2, 2025member week, louisiana, city government, strong towns approach
While Others Talk, This Movement Builds
While Others Talk, This Movement Builds

Even as cities edge towards bankruptcy, crossing the street remains risky, and property values climb far out of step with wages, Strong Towns has built a movement that’s ready for this moment.

Read More
Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMay 1, 2025member week, new members, car crash, local conversations
How 26 Strong Towns Members Reached a Million People
How 26 Strong Towns Members Reached a Million People

In an increasingly chaotic world, just a few Strong Towns members can have a huge impact on a community, and on communities across the continent.

Read More
Top StoryLauren RonnanderApril 30, 2025member week, strongest town contest, vermont, illinois, ohio, indiana
A Strong Towns Voice in State Government: Danny Lapin
A Strong Towns Voice in State Government: Danny Lapin

Danny Lapin proves that technical expertise and Strong Towns thinking are a powerful combination. His work is not always flashy. But it is real, and it makes a lasting impact on his city.

Read More
Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Top StoryNorm Van Eeden PetersmanApril 30, 2025member week, new york, state government
Bottom-Up Shorts: How Normal People Can Make a Big Difference
Bottom-Up Shorts: How Normal People Can Make a Big Difference

Daniel Bloemker is a Strong Towns member and Local Conversation leader from Bellingham, Washington. He joins Norm to discuss his work advancing parking reform, housing, and community spaces. (Transcript included.)

Read More
Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsApril 29, 2025podcast, Bottom-Up Shorts, The Bottom-Up Revolution, washington, local conversations, strongest town contest, Strongest Town 2025
Planting the Seeds of a Stronger Artesia (and Watching Them Grow)
Planting the Seeds of a Stronger Artesia (and Watching Them Grow)

Lorelei Bailey is a Strong Towns member and Local Conversation leader from Artesia, California. Her story proves that you don’t need to be an expert to lead change—you just have to care enough to act.

Read More
Top StoryJohn PattisonApril 29, 2025member week, local conversations, advocacy, california, small bets
Today Is the Best Time To Build a Strong Town
Today Is the Best Time To Build a Strong Town

When systems fail, the instinct is to wait for someone with more authority to fix it. We know better. The cavalry isn’t coming. But that’s okay—because we’re not powerless. We can do something today.

Read More
Norm Van Eeden Petersman, Top StoryNorman Van Eeden PetersmanApril 28, 2025member week, advocacy, Small Change, tactical urbanism
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