Strong Towns

Wait for someone else to do something about a dangerous street? No way! When someone was killed on a street in his community of Bradenton, Florida, resident Danny Williams helped perform a speed study on the location and found that the street design encouraged more than 50% of drivers to travel at unsafe speeds. When people drive too quickly, there are simple measures to address the problem: Narrow the lanes, tighten turn radii and make it clear that people walk in the area. The good news: All this can be done with inexpensive, widely available materials in the course of an afternoon.

Block parties are more than just fun neighborhood gatherings; they're powerful tools for building stronger communities. Here are three reasons you should be throwing a block party: 1. Reducing fear and building trust: Block parties provide a relaxed setting for neighbors to connect, turning strangers into familiar faces. This helps create a sense of safety and community — unlike neighborhood associations that are often driven by fear of crime. 2. Fostering community and creating agency: By developing genuine relationships with neighbors, you build a foundation for addressing local issues. When you need support for community initiatives, these connections become invaluable. This is called “social capital,” and it’s an important tool for advocates. 3. Dreaming big and starting small: A single block party can inspire ongoing community events and connections. These gatherings satisfy people's desire for face-to-face interactions and can energize them to create more opportunities to have those interactions — and more opportunities to increase social capital. By investing time in getting to know your neighbors, you're contributing to a stronger, more connected community. So grab the picnic tables and snacks; it’s time to party!

One of the keys to municipal solvency is focusing on small, incremental projects instead of big, expensive ones. But what do you do when your city has no choice but to take on a big project?   That's the dilemma facing Maumee, Ohio, winner of the 2024 Strongest Town Contest. It needs to update its sewer system to comply with EPA regulations — an extremely large, expensive project. A court order means that not doing the updates isn't an option.   This is an extremely common situation. Cities need to apply for new sewer permits every few years, and those permits usually come with new regulations the cities must follow. This means that many cities will eventually be forced to take on a big sewer project, if they haven't already. That's just a reality of city building.   Unfortunately, another reality of North American cities is their decades of unproductive growth. Very few (if any) cities can actually pay for this kind of project, and Maumee is no exception. So, what can the city do? That's exactly what Strong Towns President Chuck Marohn talks about in the latest episode of the Strong Towns Podcast. Click here to listen now:

Breaking news out of Massachusetts: the legislature has passed a bill that allows the creation of accessory housing units statewide! This change will help cities respond locally to the housing crisis. What state will be next?

🚨 BREAKING: The Massachusetts Legislature passed the Affordable Homes Act which includes language allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) in ALL single-family districts statewide. 🏠 <900sf 🚗 prohibits parking requirements <0.5mi from transit 😁 prohibits owner occupancy requirements

Somerville, MA, applied its modern zoning code to its historic town. The results were shocking: Only 22 lots in a city of 80,000 were fully compliant. Somerville revised its zoning rules to relegalize its traditional development. Ask your city officials to do the same. (Photo credit: Jameslwoodward on Wikimedia https://buff.ly/4bZM1SJ )

Great pedestrian spaces have three important qualities: They're compliant with the law, they're safe and they grant dignity to people who are walking. That last one is often forgotten, but it's essential to having a complete and delightful walking experience. Even where pedestrian facilities are brand-new and ADA-compliant, using them can feel stressful and unpleasant if they're not designed to provide dignity. How can you tell if an area is providing dignity to people who are walking? There's a simple test. If you were driving through that area and saw a friend walking there, what would be your first thought: “Oh, no, Henry’s car must have broken down! I better offer him a ride.” “Oh, looks like Henry’s out for a walk! I should text him later.” If you chose the first, walking must seem pretty undignified there. That comes down to the built environment. To learn how to make spaces more dignified, check out this article:

Ready to gain new tools for building strong cities? #localmotive2024 is the answer. This online tour is designed to empower you with practical tools for building a more resilient community, and ticket sales open TODAY. The tour features eight one-hour sessions led by experts and local advocates who are successfully implementing the Strong Towns approach in their places. You can ask questions, earn AICP credits and get access to resources relevant to each session. Click here to reserve your spot today: https://buff.ly/3LMim52

One of the most daunting questions for many would-be advocates is “Where do I start?” The truth is, there is no roadmap or specific actions required to become an advocate for stronger towns. Instead, you start by noticing a problem with your place and taking a single step to fix it. Once you take that first step, the next will reveal itself. So get out there and start getting curious about your place. You may not know exactly where this path will take you, but that’s part of the adventure of building a good life in a prosperous place.

Housing is so expensive because it’s treated as a financial product instead of shelter. Cities need to detach their housing prices from the federally subsidized, Wall Street-based housing market. How can they do that? By making it easier to build housing types other than single-family or large apartment buildings. That flexibility lets local housing prices correlate with local supply and demand.