Strong Towns
Upzoned Podcast: New Yorks Congestion Pricing Experiment
updated
strongtowns.org/parking
#shorts
Become a member: strongtowns.org
About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
Additonal Links and Sources: docs.google.com/document/d/1QQWaP0cu9Eh8qTjZyoghAXoPH433mufoajl51kSzFkk/edit?usp=sharing
00:00 Intro
00:49 Traditional Development Pattern
03:15 Why did this work?
04:48 Why did we stop?
07:58 Strip Malls, Stroads & Suburbs
09:16 We got issues
10:30 We've got solutions
12:41 Takeaways
Learn more about our Strongest Town Contest: strongtowns.org/strongesttown
More Articles: strongtowns.org
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
Notes: docs.google.com/document/d/1r59J0V-pUOjxsI1sK8pKIYlI-2jMh7JQHNPe8IORv-E/edit?usp=sharing
About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
00:00 Intro
00:43 Working Partners with the Land
01:46 Brattleboro History & Layout
03:08 Nearby Nature
04:09 How To Develop, Housing Crisis
05:40 Definitely a Small Town
06:45 Good Food :)
07:47 What Gives Character?
09:13 Compact Size = Proximity
09:52 Proximity, Interdependence, Closeness
12:04 Town Meeting
13:17 Cutting Onions While Editing
15:00 Your Town?
Join a local conversation! strongtowns.org/local
Property Tax Project: https://propertytaxproject.uchicago.edu/data/
Just Accounting Latest Updates: strongtowns.org/just-accounting
Links to some sources:
Chicago Tribune: apps.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/cook-county-property-tax-divide/assessments.html
NYT: nytimes.com/2021/04/03/opinion/sunday/property-taxes-housing-assessment-inequality.html
Graphs and Data from Urban3: urbanthree.com
00:00 Intro
02:59 Who Is Affected
05:08 Regressive Assessments
06:59 Consequences
09:43 Are Assessors Bad Guys?
12:01 Appeals = Bandaid
13:11 How To Change This
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Enjoy our content or support the message? Become a member: strongtowns.org/membership
Join/Start a Local Conversation: strongtowns.org/local
Build South Bend initiative website - southbendin.gov/bsb
12 steps of Neighborhood Evolution - southbendin.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/12-Step-Brochure-Town-Makers.pdf
Neighborhood Evolution Website: neighborhoodevolution.com
00:00 - intro
00:40 - South Bend History
04:20 - Dream of a Great Neighborhood
06:00 - Systems in Place
08:25 - Downtown- the Next Step
11:08 - Appraisal Gap?
13:40 - Next Steps
14:45 - Your Turn
Join a local conversation in YOUR neighborhood strongtowns.org/local
More Articles: strongtowns.org
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
Adapted from these articles:
strongtowns.org/journal/2017/3/16/everyone-knows-we-have-a-traffic-problem
strongtowns.org/journal/2012/10/23/embracing-congestion.html
strongtowns.org/journal/2022/8/24/what-causes-traffic-problems-updating-your-mental-model
Featured Creators/inspiration outside of our own content:
@Shifter_Cycling @UrbanistExploringCities David Montgomery: bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-29/the-commuting-principle-that-shaped-urban-history
About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
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00:00 Intro
02:12 It Takes Too Long
05:37 Travel Is Too Unpredictable
07:43 The Experience Of Traffic is Terrible
09:30 Watershed Analogy
10:13 What Do We Do?
Come to our National Gathering! strongtowns.org/national-gathering
Consider becoming part of this movement: strongtowns.org/membership
Join a local conversation in YOUR neighborhood strongtowns.org/local
Come to our National Gathering! strongtowns.org/national-gathering
More Articles: strongtowns.org
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
Urban3: urbanthree.com
Julian Price Project: julianpriceproject.com
Presentation about how Asheville saved downtown: youtube.com/watch?v=sMYrEYS3ixQ&ab_channel=BuncombeCountyGovernment
Michael Kovacs article: strongtowns.org/journal/2017/3/24/playing-moneyball-with-your-city-an-appeal-to-fellow-city-managers-and-other-strong-citizens
We are huge fans of Urban3 and the work they do uncover municipal finances, helping cities become resilient and prosperous. I headed to Asheville to learn more about Value Per Acre and found a deeper story than I anticipated. Asheville has a beautiful story of reclaiming its downtown- not only creating a financially resilient and productive place to live, but finding a system that works and can be replicated by other cities willing to do the math and commit to making incremental changes.
About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
Historical footage courtesy of Rachel Price and the Julian Price Project
Historical Photos from Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina
Donate to Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/membership
00:00 The guiding question
00:58 Intro to Value Per Acre
03:29 Show Me The Money
05:35 Implications
07:21 Asheville Saves Its Downtown
11:01 Why Am I Getting Emotional?
Come to our National Gathering! strongtowns.org/national-gathering
Vote in our Strongest Town Contest: strongtowns.org/strongesttown
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
Lots of case studies here: strongtowns.org/journal/2020/8/28/the-growth-ponzi-scheme-a-crash-course
The Growth Ponzi Scheme, also called the "Municipal Ponzi Scheme," is a core Strong Towns insight describing the financial characteristics of post-war North American growth patterns.In the Growth Ponzi Scheme, municipalities receive the modest near-term financial benefits from new development in exchange for the larger long-term financial commitments of providing ongoing service and maintenance.
The Growth Ponzi Scheme is not nefarious; there is not a specific individual or group that has created it for their own benefit. It has emerged from a broad cultural consensus about economic growth, development patterns, and debt. So what can you do?
Lafayette Study: urbanthree.com/case-study/lafayette-la
Michel Durand-Wood article: strongtowns.org/journal/2021/1/3/death-of-a-car-city
Intro Clip: pikeoffota.com
Donate to Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/membership
00:00 OG Ponzi Scheme
01:18 The Growth Ponzi Scheme
02:21 Reasonable Pushback
03:47 Mr. Beast Analogy
05:57 What Now?
08:30 Where Do YOU Start?
Come to our National Gathering! strongtowns.org/national-gathering
Donate to Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/membership
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
Edit: Sophee Langerman's name card was incorrect. It is Sophee, not Sophie.
We understand how frustrating the problem of bad street design is, especially because most communities don’t have a vision or language for an alternative. But you don’t have to accept the status quo. Strong Towns literally wrote the book on building safe and productive streets. We help public officials, professionals, and citizen advocates take control of their local streets. We’ve seen places transformed. The same is possible for your city, too.
Tactical Urbanism: strongtowns.org/journal/2018/5/9/4-permanent-impacts-of-temporary-tactical-urbanism-projects
Vox Article: vox.com/23178764/florida-us19-deadliest-pedestrian-fatality-crisis
CityNerd: youtube.com/watch?v=azYHW1vXZaM&t=402s
NJB: youtube.com/watch?v=_ByEBjf9ktY
Smart Growth America: youtube.com/watch?v=Ii4fXlCNh8k (this should have 100x more views)
Two great groups working to make Chicago streets safer for everyone
betterstreetschicago.org
bikegridnow.org
Jeff Speck: jeffspeck.com
Better Block: betterblock.org
About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
00:00 Intro
2:11 Forgiving Design?
3:27 Chicago as an Example
4:24 Systems of the Mind
7:17 Suburb Comparison
9:10 Solutions?
10:29 People doing this work
More Articles: strongtowns.org
Donate to Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/membership
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
2015 Article from Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/journal/2015/10/16/fayetteville-eliminates-minimum-parking-requirements
2015 Fayetteville Flyer article: fayettevilleflyer.com/2015/10/07/fayetteville-eliminates-minimum-parking-requirements
Catie Gould's fantastic coverage of Fayetteville in 2022: sightline.org/2022/02/22/no-minimum-parking-requirements-no-problem-for-fayetteville-arkansas
Podcast interview with Jonathan Curth: podbean.com/pu/pbblog-b426q-3464a2
One of the easiest steps toward making your town stronger is by preventing one of its most important resource, land, from being wasted. Parking minimums stymie growth in towns. Citizens of Fayetteville, Arkansas realized this, and inadvertently began a movement by removing parking minimums, seeking to make it easier for entrepreneurs to rejuvenate empty buildings downtown. We went there ourselves to show you exactly what that looks like.
Parking mandates map: parkingreform.org/resources/mandates-map
About us: We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
Historical footage courtesy of the University of Arkansas Pryor Center and Bob Fry
Renderings of Ramble Development and 2013 interview courtesy of the City of Fayetteville
00:00 Intro to Fayetteville
01:44 Why remove parking minimums?
05:53 Who opposes this?
09:44 Fayetteville's Response
11:01 Why this is about you
#shorts #Strongtowns #endhighwayexpansion #nonewroads
Join a local conversation in YOUR neighborhood strongtowns.org/local
More Articles: strongtowns.org/stmedia
Donate to Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/membership
NotJustBikes ST series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJp5q-R0lZ0_FCUbeVWK6OGLN69ehUTVa
Merch: strongtowns.org/shop
We seek to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. We advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. We work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments.
Links:
Strong Towns: strongtowns.org
Newsy: newsy.com
More on stroads: strongtowns.org/journal/tag/STROADS
Full video from The Planning Commission Podcast at: youtube.com/watch?v=q_Mh2dSs0us
What would you change?
Check out the full video of this talk at: youtu.be/q_Mh2dSs0us
Links:
Strong Towns articles: strongtowns.org/stmedia
More on breakaway design here: strongtowns.org/journal/2022/4/14/accidentally-on-purpose
Full video of this talk at: youtube.com/watch?v=Hq00oq4ygyM&t=3179s
Watch the full video at: youtube.com/watch?v=MNJkvbgoG3o&t=1076s
Strong Towns articles on highway expansions: strongtowns.org/mw-end-highway-expansion
Strong Towns articles: strongtowns.org/stmedia
Strong Towns on safe and productive streets: strongtowns.org/journal/tag/Safe+and+Productive+Streets
Full talk: youtube.com/watch?v=Hq00oq4ygyM
Links
Full podcast episode: youtube.com/watch?v=UXCl3_Xq21I&t=1392s
Not Just Bikes: youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes
Strong Towns: strongtowns.org
Strong Towns podcasts: strongtowns.org/podcast
Article discussed in the podcast: theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/11/manhattan-congestion-pricing-charge-transportation
Links:
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: https://www.confessions.engineer
Cognitive Architecture: barnesandnoble.com/w/cognitive-architecture-ann-sussman/1119576652
Strong Towns events: strongtowns.org/events
Strong Towns articles: strongtowns.org/stmedia
In this episode, Chuck welcomes back Jason Slaughter, producer of Not Just Bikes, to the Strong Towns Podcast, where they discuss one of his recent videos, “America Always Gets This Wrong (when building transit).”
Jason and Chuck go in depth about some of the absurdities of our modern transit system and the urban deserts they tend to drop riders off at—bringing to light some reasons why people don’t want to use public transit. They also debunk the reasons some DOTs use for why we can’t have better transit, and what the process for building efficient public transportation systems should look like.
For Further Information:
Strong Towns: strongtowns.org/stmedia
Not Just Bikes: youtube.com/c/NotJustBikes
“America Always Gets This Wrong (when building transit)”: youtube.com/watch?v=MnyeRlMsTgI
Strong Towns on public transit: strongtowns.org/journal/category/Public+Transit
For Further Reading:
Property Tax Inequities Within Western North Carolina: strongtowns.org/journal/2022/2/15/property-tax-inequities-stir-movement-for-change-in-asheville
Joe Minnicozzi's Findings: strongtowns.org/journal/2022/5/3/it-isnt-just-us-the-entire-nation-is-burdened-with-property-tax-inequities
Just Accounting for Health: justaccounting.org
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer book: https://www.confessions.engineer
Learn more about forgiving design: strongtowns.org/journal/2018/2/2/forgiving-design-vs-the-forgiveness-of-slow-speeds
See if Chuck is coming to speak in your area: strongtowns.org/events
The Just Accounting for Health Initiative is led by Urban3, UNC-Asheville's Department of Health and Wellness, the Asheville Racial Justice Coalition and Strong Towns. Visit justaccounting.org to learn about why we’re looking at these problems and how we can use math to help solve them.
strongtowns.org
By contrast, the Strong Towns approach to transportation focuses on bottom-up techniques for spending less and getting higher returns, all while improving quality of life for residents of a community. This presentation is based on Marohn’s newest book, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer.
Support the movement by becoming a Strong Towns member today: strongtowns.org/membership
Visit strongtowns.org/strongesttown to vote in this match-up or learn more about the contest. Voting closes at 12pm CT on April 7.
In our second to last video, Chuck shares an important truth: Engineers are almost never held accountable for the deaths that result from their designs. If we want safer streets, that is going to have to change.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
We’re in the home stretch, and in this 28th video, Chuck is sharing an important idea that you can implement in your city to save money and lives: stop letting engineers design streets on their own and instead, form a team of people to make streets better.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Today’s video is #27. If you’re convinced, by now, that slower streets are the way to go in our cities, we’ve got some good news: engineers are capable of building slower, safer streets! Now the bad news: Sadly, most choose not to.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Today’s video is #26 and we’re sharing something that’s going to sound a little crazy: Streets shouldn’t be designed to minimize risk. Actually, they should be designed to feel very risky, especially for drivers.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Here’s video #25, where Chuck explains the engineering models that most cities—including yours—rely on to plan future projects. The problem is that they consistently over-predict the amount of traffic roads will see, and waste millions in taxpayer dollars as a result.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Here’s video #24, where Chuck offers an explanation of the typical engineer’s concerns about liability—and how they’re completely backwards.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
In a previous video in this series, we talked about forgiving design. In today’s video #23, Chuck shows you an example of that and just how deadly it can be for people outside of a car.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Here’s video #22, where Chuck is explains the absurd and overblown math that engineers use to justify their projects. Most of it is BS. Take a watch.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Here’s video #21. We’re returning to the topic of “forgiving design.” Engineers spend so much time designing roads to forgive the mistakes of drivers, but so little time accounting for the mistakes of people walking or biking. The result is often fatal.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
We’re 20 videos into this series! In this episode, Chuck talks about how to address congestion. It’s not by building bigger roads; it’s by building great neighborhoods.
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer
Here’s your nineteenth video, in which Chuck explains how engineers blindly expand streets, justifying their actions with "warrants."
Transportation in America is getting worse, yet costing more. We have to do better. Read our new book "Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town" by Charles Marohn, to learn how: www.confessions.engineer