3 Short Videos About City Building You Can’t Unsee
You’ll know a Strong Towns advocate by the way they seem to just…see things differently. They notice things other people don’t notice. They are observant of the struggles of their neighbors in a special way. They are concerned with how a city’s resources are used. They care about whether public projects will produce a financial return on investment. They dare to question whether private projects will benefit the whole community not just now, but generations from now.
For some, coming into this thinking practice is a slow process. Over time, they see how the wealth of their community is being squandered in what is called the Growth Ponzi scheme. They notice that public input sessions on roads or libraries are mostly for show. They might come across some Strong Towns articles that confirm their suspicions that things are not going right, and that give them a path for correcting their place’s course.
For others, the break is quick. A particular issue in their community alerts them to how…messed up things are, or they stumble upon a podcast that changes how they view things all at once.
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
These three videos are just a taste of what Strong Towns advocates see all around them. Careful, though. If you’re not already acclimated to the movement, side effects of watching them may include enhanced awareness, holding city officials to a higher standard, taking action in your own community, or becoming a Strong Towns member.
You’ll see careless urban design everywhere.
You’ll discover that the professionals who build your streets have different priorities from you.
You’ll realize that one-size-fits-all arguments don’t actually work.
There’s more to discover.
You knew there was something that wasn’t quite right about how your place is being built. A lot of money is being poured into it and it’s growing, but people still struggle to meet their daily needs, and cities across North America are heading toward financial insolvency. It’s time to identify what precisely is going wrong—and how to fix it.
Find more resources (and more discoveries you just can’t unsee) with the easy introduction to building a financially healthy town where people can prosper: Strong Towns 101.