County leadership continually brags about its low tax rate and high amount of services. But if you doubt the fundamental math behind that equation, there’s no need to look behind the curtain because the ratings agencies have given Cobb top marks.
Read MoreWalkability is a word urbanists throw around, often with different ideas as to what it really means, or why we care about it. Let’s take a look at how safety, distance, convenience, and comfort affect it.
Read MoreNothing good comes of public engagement in which the public isn’t asked questions they can meaningfully contribute to answering. This is not how you build a trusting relationship: a strong foundation on which to work together. This is how you corrode trust.
Read MoreWhen a city annexes surrounding land, it’s usually touted as a benefit for residents and municipal budgets. This could not be further from the truth. Here’s the data to prove it.
Read MoreWhy do places like Cobb County, Georgia keep spending more and more, while their municipal budgets go further and further into the red? This week at Strong Towns, we’re going to dig into the tale of Cobb County: a poster child for the Ponzi-scheme approach to growth.
Read MoreThis week, we discussed the challenges of public engagement, the value of small businesses and the diverging paths of two historic towns.
Read MoreThose who benefit from an investment should pay for it. If they're unwilling to pay what it actually costs, it's a good sign that the project should never have happened in the first place.
Read MoreOne common argument against conventional public transit is that a transit agency could accommodate the same number of riders in a taxicab or dial-a-ride van. But is that really true?
Read MoreIn 2012, we added our first strategic partners and Strong Towns transitioned from side project to a legitimate organization.
Read MoreIn this podcast episode, Chuck Marohn and Strong Towns board member Andrew Burleson discuss how electric scooters could change the way we think about how space is allocated on our streets.
Read MoreFerguson, Missouri is still relying on so-called “fines and forfeitures” for a significant amount of its revenue.
Read MoreCharging electric scooter companies for their use of public space is sensible, but why stop there? What if car drivers were actually asked to pay the full costs they impose as well?
Read MoreCommunities of faith stand in an important position to support vibrant, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods; and in recent years, some have stepped up to the challenge at a variety of different scales.
Read More“Gamifying” public participation in budgeting—by inviting citizens to move imaginary buckets of money around—is essentially a charade. All the while, we’re failing to get to the root causes of municipal budget struggles.
Read MoreA Strong Towns member’s original research on where pedestrians are and are not hit by vehicles in his city of Rockford, Illinois, makes clear that street design matters. A lot.
Read More70 years ago, these two historic cities were on a similar path. Then one fell into debt while the other was swimming in money. You might be surprised by what they each look like today.
Read More11 steps to more comprehensive reporting on zoning changes, new developments and everything in between.
Read MoreSmall businesses are crucial to local economic health. Thriving small businesses create thriving communities, in a virtuous cycle.
Read MoreIf you're new to this space, welcome. Here are 5 steps to help get yourself acquainted with our message and our movement.
Read MoreThe scale and value of what we’ve sacrificed in order to build parking lots and highways is staggering. Only by understanding that loss can we figure out how to build stronger towns.
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