Friday Faves - Your Weekly Strong Towns Roundup
Each week, the Strong Towns team shares their favorite links—the things that made us think in new ways, delve deeper into the Strong Towns mission, or even just smile.
Lauren lives in rural Wisconsin where she and her husband keep several chickens. This week she shared a sweet contraption her mom got her to hold fresh eggs.
This week, Chuck Marohn started easing back into work after taking some time off to heal from his foot injury and work on his forthcoming book. It’s going to be a slow recovery process, but we were glad to have him back. Other members on the Strong Towns team have been navigating the shifting situation of childcare and schooling as babysitters head back to college and school districts propose plans for the fall (or not). We’re all just trying to support each other and keep our respective ships afloat.
In better news, we’re working behind the scenes to plan an exciting new venture, coming your way in October. Keep an eye out for further announcements soon.
Here’s what Strong Towns staff were reading this week:
Chuck: Alienated America by Tim Carney is one of the best books I read last year (see the whole list of 2019 book recommendations here). I was lucky to meet Tim at an event in Minneapolis, and then have him on the Strong Towns Podcast, so it was extra special to see him advocate for car-free cities in this article.
So much of the American urbanism conversation is intertwined with progressive politics — the major media sites in this space seem to run everything through that lens — that the many conservatives who advocate for cities and traditional towns spend most of their time explaining that being pro-city doesn’t automatically mean you are a socialist, support the Green New Deal, and embrace Modern Monetary Theory. There is a lot of room to expand this tent, especially among conservatives (some, but obviously not all). There are important reasons to make that effort, and I applaud Carney for being a leader.
Miriel: I lived in southern Minnesota for three years, and I was always impressed by the ingenuity and community spirit of the people in the small towns in my region. This story, about the COVID-19 response of Austin, MN, is a great example of the cooperation in crisis management that Strong Towns’ recently published Local Leader’s Toolkit advocates. Public-private partnerships, creative use of resources, and community involvement are the keys to surviving this pandemic.
Lauren: How we deal with COVID-19 has been framed as a choice between preserving lives and preserving the economy. This piece in The American Conservative hits on an emotional question that hasn’t received the same level of attention: What kind of lives will we be able to lead from now on? Where do the things that enrich us—relationships, the arts, sports, and so much more—factor into our new method of prioritization? I wonder if our haste in deciding one way or another has prevented us from deeply considering the long-term consequences of our choices.
Daniel: I discovered this report from the Washington Post this week, and the data and conclusions here are startling. Analyzing sales and taxation history for more than 118 million homes nationwide, a team of economists found that black families pay an average of 13 percent more in property tax each year than a white family would in the same situation. The analysis of why this is the case is fascinating and goes beyond your preconceived notions to include factors more subtle than just intentional discrimination, helping illustrate how complex and difficult it will be to redress America’s racial disparities.
Rachel: For a dose of pure escapism, I stumbled across this article about traveling with children from a few years ago. It’s full of vacation memories and practical advice. I’m comforted to think that by the time I actually have children who might be a traveling age, long-distance trips will be safe and doable again. Rick Steves, guidebook author and European travel pro, is a personal hero of mine, and I really believe his conviction that travel changes us. It disrupts our narrow view of the world for the better, and helps us to understand different people and cultures. I miss traveling more than ever right now. My current list of hopeful destinations when this is all over includes: Berlin (where my brother lives and where I have a lot of family history), Nashville (great friends are about to move here), Thailand (this has been a dream destination for a long time), England (I love all things British)… and I’ll stop now because it’s making me depressed.
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Finally, from Alexa and all of us, a warm welcome to the newest members of the Strong Towns movement: Turner Bitton, Mark Brandel, Andrew & Emily Dawson, John A Duvall, Ann Edminster, Lance Green, Michael Hood, Daniel Martelly, Jody McRoberts, Tamae Moriyasu, Dennis Nordmoe, Zithobile Nxumalo, Efe Ozalp, and Micah A. Rousey.
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What stories got you thinking this week? Please share them in the comments or continue the conversation in the Strong Towns Community.