The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index reveals that while ingredient prices have dropped, this relief comes at the cost of local grocery stores and community connections.
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Charles Marohn is the founder of Strong Towns, an author, and columnist focused on urban resilience and community building.
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The transportation funding system in America favors highway expansion projects over community safety improvements, creating significant barriers for cities seeking to enhance local infrastructure.
Federal transportation spending may be exacerbating financial struggles for cities by prioritizing expansion over necessary maintenance and local needs.
The Northstar Commuter Rail project failed because it prioritized political coalition-building over effective transit planning, revealing systemic flaws in federal transportation funding.
The post argues that U.S. transportation policy must shift from expansion to maintenance due to labor and resource constraints, prioritizing stewardship over growth.
The author reflects on the impact of Johannes Gutenberg's printing press, drawing parallels to the current digital age. He discusses how the printing press transformed communication and societal structures, leading to chaos and up...
The post argues that the federal transportation system is outdated and needs a shift from highway expansion to a focus on safer, sustainable urban development.
Federal transportation policy prioritizes highway expansions over safer street initiatives, hindering meaningful reform in urban planning and safety.
The housing market prioritizes financial interests over local needs, leaving families and renters frustrated as prices remain high despite demand for affordable options.
The speech delivered at the Ride For Your Life rally emphasizes the need to address the systemic issues contributing to traffic fatalities, rather than blaming individuals. It highlights the importance of re-evaluating street desi...
Building trust among residents is essential for successful urban development, as resistance often stems from fear rather than regulatory issues.
The housing crisis requires a nuanced understanding of supply, demand, and structural factors, advocating for community resilience over simple technical fixes.
America's housing crisis is rooted in a system that values rising prices over affordability, necessitating a shift towards more realistic, incremental solutions.
The author reflects on the journey of Strong Towns over the past 17 years, from its inception as a blog to its evolution into a movement focused on community engagement and local change. The piece highlights the importance of time...
4th Street in Brainerd, MN, exemplifies how federal funding requirements shape street design, prioritizing speed over community needs despite low traffic volumes.
Trump's executive order on housing appears to limit institutional investors but ultimately reinforces existing financial structures, prioritizing asset values over affordability.
4.7A Beachhead for Beauty
2026-02-27 • community revival beauty neighborhood human dignity
Beauty in struggling neighborhoods initiates transformation through small acts of care, fostering dignity and changing community perceptions.
Modern U.S. housing practices hinder neighborhood evolution, leading to affordability issues that require a shift towards incremental development rather than just increasing supply.
Modern urban design prioritizes efficiency and isolation, undermining human connection and contributing to societal crises of loneliness and anxiety.
The post contrasts Jane Jacobs' urban ideals with Robert Moses' centralized methods, advocating for a humble, iterative approach to city building.
Disney's success lies in its obsessive attention to the human experience, a lesson cities often overlook in favor of large-scale projects.
Strong Towns' principles enhance urban environments for all, including cyclists, without explicitly prioritizing biking advocacy.
The post discusses the evolution of Strong Towns from a blog to a continent-wide movement, highlighting its strategic focus on achieving measurable local results and the financial aspects of the organization. It details the revenu...
The Trump administration's support for a 50-year mortgage is seen as a symptom of deeper issues in the housing market, rather than a solution. The author argues that extending mortgage terms does not address the root problems of h...