Many of incremental development’s values — localism, quality and civic pride — align well with those of houses of worship. If faith communities embrace this model, we could see a wave of faith-based housing that complements the broader movement toward incremental development.
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You’ve heard of YIMBYs and NIMBYs, but have you heard of YIGBYs? The “Yes In God’s Backyard” movement focuses on leveraging land owned by religious institutions to alleviate the housing crisis.
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Churches occupy an awkward spot in the parking debate. Their parking lots are necessary, but only a couple of times a week. Otherwise, the lots sit empty, wasting valuable land. How can churches and cities handle this problem? Here are three possibilities.
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Sara Joy Proppe is the founder and director of Proximity Project, a consultancy that helps churches discover how they can use placemaking to connect with the local community.
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Parishioners of a historic church in Detroit want to develop eight vacant blocks with missing-middle housing to build a church-centered community.
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Up to one-third of all houses of worship in the United States will have closed over the next few years. What will we do with the spaces they leave behind?
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This bicycling pastor’s new book offers valuable advice for any Strong Towns advocate—religious or otherwise.
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What are some of the practical ways that faith communities can contribute to healthy economic ecosystems?
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How do we build vibrant local economies that are good for the people who actually live in a neighborhood?
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Both urban and suburban places of worship have opportunities to stir the recovery of social gathering places in our communities. Here’s how.
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Strong Towns advocates and faith communities both want to create neighborhoods with vibrant economies that benefit everyone. A good place to begin working together is around walkability.
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This congregation launched a non-profit organization to help its neighbors—not as an act of benevolence for them, but in solidarity with them.
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In 2022’s inaugural Strong Towns Podcast episode, Chuck interviews Tim Soerens, author and co-founder of the Parish Collective.
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It’s hard to meaningfully engage with the poor when everything about our cities is designed to steer us away from them.
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In some places, houses of worship have formed interfaith coalitions, and do valuable work on social justice issues—but what if they also addressed issues of economics and place?
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What if religious congregations are the “sleeping giant” of the Strong Towns movement?
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Tiffany Owens is helping people open their eyes, put down their phones, and truly see their cities.
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How churches are pushing back against the “cult of speed” and working with neighbors to weave a fabric of care in their communities.
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Faith communities have a unique and indispensable role in building stronger, more prosperous, and more resilient places. It’s easy to get started.
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There are many entry points to the Strong Towns conversation. For our content manager, it was asking big questions about how our cities’ development patterns can either bring people together or keep them apart.
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