How Big Is an Incremental Step? Let's #DoTheMath

For our real-estate markets to allow incremental development to be economically viable, there are some challenges we need to confront.

Time for a Little "Self-Gentrification"

“You don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one,” says Majora Carter in her new book, Reclaiming Your Community.

Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 20, 2022gentrification, housing, neighborhood revitalization, blight, books, neighborhoods

Weaponizing Historic Preservation

Has historic preservation harmed the capacity for cities across the U.S. to address the housing crisis?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 19, 2022podcast, housing, housing crisis, historic preservation, upzoned

Start With What You Know. Build on What You Have.

This simple, fun workshop will help your community discover just how many assets it has to work with.

Top StoryJohn PattisonJanuary 19, 2022community, community building, bottom-up, how to, taking action

What Would Mass Upzoning *Actually* Do to Property Values?

A common objection to broad upzonings is, “Won't allowing more development everywhere set off speculative feeding frenzies?” The answer? No. Here’s why.

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 19, 2022upzoning, zoning, development, incremental development, incrementalism, next increment

Seems to Me That "Maybe" Pretty Much Always Means "No"

Flaky residential zoning has no place in a Strong Town!

Top StoryMarlene DrukerJanuary 18, 2022zoning, Land Use, Form-Based Code, small scale development, local government

Eden Center: Is This Strip Mall Paradise?

If we’re going to be stuck with strip malls, then this one in Virginia is about as fine-grained and urban as it gets.

A Guy for Everything

Aging in place means being able to forge relationships with the people in your community—people who can support you when you need it the most.

Peter Norton: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving

Technology historian Peter Norton talks about why we need to be more skeptical toward the utopian promises of self-driving cars.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 17, 2022podcast, cars, car culture, car dependency, auto-oriented, books, self driving cars

Q: Are You a Democrat or Republican? A: I'm Non-Binary.

Last week, Chuck did an AMA on Reddit and received a ton of great questions. Here’s some of the highlights!

Top StoryJay StangeJanuary 17, 2022Social Media, Strong Towns Community, Not Just Bikes, community building

Building Something from Nothing in Utica

This grassroots organization has taken it into their own hands to activate and revitalize their community in Utica, NY.

Top StoryArian HorbovetzJanuary 17, 2022bottom-up, community, community development, pop-up, placemaking, revitalization, public space, new york

Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup

Piano tuners, 3-D-printed houses, and masking and privilege. These are just some of the stories from around the internet that Strong Towns staff were reading and talking about this week.

Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 14, 2022friday faves

High Value, Chapter 2: The Hallway

This week in High Value, Stark shares a secret with Hjerne and Nair that could spell ruin for one of the town’s residents.

High Value Serial, Top StoryHamilton LudwigJanuary 14, 2022High Value series, series, local government, small towns, urban planning

To Airbnb or Not to Airbnb

You might love them or you might hate them, but as small-scale developer Bernice Radle reveals, short-term rentals can be a very nuanced discussion.

The Bottom-Up Revolution Is...an Interdisciplinary and Incremental Leader

Andrea Marr is an engineer, a Strong Towns member, and the mayor pro tem for Costa Mesa, CA.

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 13, 2022The Bottom-Up Revolution, taking action, city council, engineers, california

Placemaking with Places of Worship

Both urban and suburban places of worship have opportunities to stir the recovery of social gathering places in our communities. Here’s how.

Top StorySara Joy ProppeJanuary 13, 2022faith communities, Faith Featured, churches, public space, placemaking, creative placemaking

American Suburbs Are a Horror Movie and We’re the Protagonists

Walking alone to the grocery store is, for me, like walking through a creepy hallway at night. Why? Because America is filled with liminal spaces.

Population Growth and the Housing Crisis

A smaller population does not necessarily result in more affordable housing for those looking for it. But why?

Podcast, Top StoryStrong TownsJanuary 12, 2022podcast, Population, housing affordability, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, cities, upzoned, covid

There is Unrest in the Urban Forest

“Preserve the trees” or “clear the way for more housing”—which side should you take? (Good news: It’s a false choice, to begin with.)

Herriges, Top StoryDaniel HerrigesJanuary 12, 2022street trees, environment, urban design, housing, housing activism, housing policy

Faith Communities and Walkability

Strong Towns advocates and faith communities both want to create neighborhoods with vibrant economies that benefit everyone. A good place to begin working together is around walkability.

Top StoryJohn PattisonJanuary 12, 2022faith communities, Faith Featured, walkability, churches

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