From Strong Towns — Historic buildings get newer, greener lease on life

The story of Peggy and Tom Brennan who recently renovated and opened two unique buildings in downtown Detroit: the Green Garage, a business incubator and coworking space, andEl Moore, a residential apartment building and urban lodge. Find out how these businesses got started and where they're headed now. Read more: Historic Buildings Get Newer, Greener Lease on Life — Strong Towns

Historic Buildings get Newer, Greener Lease on Life #Detroit #CNU24 https://t.co/pxufZeJCgf pic.twitter.com/dazKN0J2D9

— Strong Towns (@StrongTowns) June 8, 2016

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From Strong Towns — Why mixed-income neighborhoods matter Lifting kids out of poverty

There’s a hopeful new sign that how we build our cities, and specifically, how good a job we do of building mixed income neighborhoods that are open to everyone can play a key role in reducing poverty and promoting equity. New research shows that neighborhood effects—the impact of peers, the local environment, neighbors—contribute significantly to success later in life. Poor kids who grow up in more mixed income neighborhoods have better lifetime economic results. This signals that an important strategy for addressing poverty is building cities where mixed income neighborhoods are the norm, rather than the exception. And this strategy can be implemented in a number of ways—not just by relocating the poor to better neighborhoods, but by actively promoting greater income integration in the neighborhoods... Read more: Why mixed-income neighborhoods matter: Lifting kids out of poverty — Strong Towns

Charles Marohn in The American Conservative — Cities for People—or Cars?

One hot summer day I walked through an old, neglected neighborhood, the kind of place where feral cats stalk mice in the weeds near cracked foundations. I carried a tape measure and clipboard, for measuring the width of the sidewalks, the spacing between trees, the length from the back of the curb to the front of the houses. I was channeling my inner New Urbanist, my desire to practice a primitive form of urban archaeology. I was attempting to discover deeper truths about what makes a city successful. Read more: Cities for People—or Cars? | The American Conservative

From @StrongTowns @TheSchoolOfLife — How to make an attractive city

A great pedestrian experience has 4 elements effecting #walkability. Great design considers all 4. pic.twitter.com/ITJIpyQOek via @skyejduncan
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) February 4, 2015

More at: An attractive city — Strong Towns

It's not a complete street unless it's completely safe. #slowthecars @StrongTowns

More at: It's not a complete street unless it's completely safe. #slowthecars @StrongTowns

"No New Roads" — @clmarohn @StrongTowns

Post by Strong Towns.

Charles Montgomery in Salon.com — Wal-Mart: An economic cancer on our cities

Most of us agree that development that provides employment and tax revenue is good for cities. Some even argue that the need for jobs outweighs aesthetic, lifestyle, or climate concerns—in fact, this argument comes up any time Walmart proposes a new megastore near a small town. But a clear-eyed look at the spatial economics of land, jobs, and tax regimes should cause anyone to reject the anything-and-anywhere-goes development model. To explain, let me offer the story of an obsessive number cruncher who found his own urban laboratory quite by chance. Read more: Wal-Mart: An economic cancer on our cities - Salon.com

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A wealth-creating pattern of development @neil21 @StrongTowns

Post by The Sidewalk Ballet.

This pattern of development is 1000 yrs of acquired culture knowledge...& we've just thrown it away @clmarohn

Post by The Sidewalk Ballet.

#Stroad most unproductive of transportation investments, not good candidate for retrofit @StrongTowns

#Stroad most unproductive of transportation investments, not good candidate for retrofit to something productive... http://t.co/dLgOBjZS70

— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) November 21, 2013

• @StrongTowns— Missing the forest for the #stroad cc @G_Anderson1 @spirit_of_urban http://t.co/63UeEmifCr
— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) November 21, 2013

From Strong Towns —Neighbourhoods First

Neighborhoods First. A low risk, high return strategy for building a strong town. Cities across the country are starting to realize that the “big project” approach takes up too much staff time, wastes too much political energy and distracts too much from the basic needs of existing neighborhoods. Risky, low returning projects too often become expensive boondoggles that haunt a community for decades. Public officials everywhere are desperately seeking an alternative. Take less risk and grow financially stronger all while directly serving the people already living and working in your city. That’s a Strong Towns approach. Read more and download the report at: Neighborhoods First - Strong Towns

From Strong Towns Blog —Setting Priorities at the Dept of Transportation

CHARLES MAROHN

Last week I was asked to privately comment on a priority ranking system being developed by a state DOT. After providing a (not flattering) critique of the proposed ranking system, I then offered my thoughts on how I would develop one.

Since I'm quite confident my suggestions will generate little more than amusement for anyone beyond the individuals/organization that requested my thoughts, I've decided to share them here. I'm not trying to embarrass any specific DOT or endanger any relationship (I was asked to comment in private) and so I've replaced the name with XDOT. Go ahead and substitute whatever your local DOT is because my advice would be the same. Read more: Setting Priorities at the DOT - Strong Towns Blog - Strong Towns

Encore: Hello #Nanaimo? San Bernardino on the Line ― With Your Wakeup Call @StrongTowns @G_Anderson1 @Bill_McKay11 http://t.co/WJ7tWvI1DE
— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) September 2, 2013

Strong Towns' Chuck Marohn on Streetfilms

Strong Towns' Chuck Marohn: Why Suburban Growth Is a Ponzi Scheme
from Streetfilms on Vimeo. Strong Towns on Streetfilms

From The Atlantic Cities — Quantifying the Cost of Sprawl

EMILY BADGER  Sprawl is expensive. It costs more money to pave a road and connect a sewer line to five families each living a block apart on wooded lots than to build public infrastructure for those same five families living in a condo. It costs more money (and takes more time and gas) to serve those families with garbage trucks, fire engines, and ambulances. And in return – aswe've previously written – those five sprawling single-family homes likely yield less in tax revenue per acre than the apartment building that could house our fictitious residents downtown. Read more: Quantifying the Cost of Sprawl - Emily Badger - The Atlantic Cities

My thoughts on Nanaimo's Transportation Plan turned into a bit of a manifesto ow.ly/kgWa8
— neil21 (@neil21) April 21, 2013

Email to Nanaimo Mayor and Council — A Couple of Quick Thoughts and a Suggestion

Subject: Quick thoughts and a suggestion...

Date: 17 April, 2013 1:02:03 PM PDT

To: Mayor&Council@nanaimo.ca

Cc: "sasha.angus@investnanaimo.com Angus"

Mayor Ruttan and Nanaimo City Councillors,

A couple of quick thoughts re VICC GM Denise Tacon's presentation to the last Council meeting.

A HR pro would probably not recommend the approach, but full marks for nerve I guess. Facing her board of directors in a performance review where she is delivering very disappointing numbers, her approach was to deflect attention to externals such as the global economic climate and a handful of local noisy nay-sayers. It did appear to elicit some commiseration and sympathy from some Councillors so I guess it wasn't a bad tactic after all.

On a much more important note, I had the feeling that she was unable to answer, to some Councillors' satisfaction, questions about  projected revenues, multiplier ratios, and the volume and analysis of "millions of dollars injected into the local economy". These are very difficult to quantify but I'm sure you all agree it's important we have as clear and accurate a picture of them as possible.

.@brenttoderian @svrdesign @grescoe "We have spent untold wealth reducing time spent in first and last mile of each auto trip." @clmarohn
— TheSidewalkBallet (@1sidewalkballet) April 9, 2013

One of my favs. RT @1sidewalkballet: From @strongtowns — Embracing Congestion cc @g_anderson1 fb.me/ODLz35su
— Charles Marohn (@clmarohn) April 8, 2013