Local officials often feel trapped, having to juggle large financial obligations with residents that resist tax increases. But delaying these tough decisions only makes them more painful and politically difficult. Bentonville, Arkansas, is experiencing that firsthand.
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How do you direct city finances in a truly effective way? What role should the public play in a city’s financial decisions? Chuck and city finance expert Rick Cole cover these questions and more in this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast. (Transcript included.)
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Chuck is joined by Shayne Kavanagh, senior manager of research for the Government Finance Officers Association. Kavanagh discusses the role of finance officers as “decision architects” and shares some tactics they can use to improve their processes. (Transcript included.)
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Travis Goedken is the city manager of Decorah, Iowa. He joins Norm to talk about the practices and reforms that are making Decorah strong, including making its budgeting easier to understand for residents and finding creative loopholes in restrictive state housing laws. (Transcript included.)
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An overwhelming amount of information without context can be just as opaque as secrecy. That’s why transparency in city budgeting isn’t just about making numbers available — it’s about making them understandable. One city official in Maryland is making it his mission to do just that.
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Denver wants to repeal parking mandates citywide. This will help the city fight the housing crisis by reducing the costs and regulatory hurdles of development.
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For years, housing production has systematically privileged corporate developers while shutting out everyone else. But cities are starting to change that. In Tennessee, this change is taking the form of a new process for preapproved plans.
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On January 13, 2025, the city council of Bellingham, Washington, eliminated parking mandates citywide. This decision is a key step in reducing barriers to housing development.
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To understand how one city leader can spearhead the housing reforms your city needs, look no further than Rebekah Kik, the deputy city manager for Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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Cities across North America are recognizing the value of preapproved plans. Here’s why they’re so appealing and how their implementation is affecting cities.
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Tulsa, Oklahoma, is joining a growing list of cities that have integrated preapproved plans into their housing toolkits. This approach makes it easier for small-scale developers to complete projects quickly and cheaply.
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The South Dakota Legislature is considering implementing harsher penalties to deter drag racing on streets. This ignores the street design that allows people to drag race in the first place.
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In this episode, Abby is joined by Chicago aldermen Matt Martin and Andre Vasquez to discusses the Western Avenue corridor study, one of the most ambitious planning efforts Chicago has seen in decades. (Transcript included.)
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Parking regulations impose unnecessary restrictions on adding new housing. Many cities recognize this problem but struggle with how to address it effectively. Dubuque, Iowa, offers a real-world example of both the problems and an effective response.
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After a fatal crash, Rochester citizens and officials got to work, identifying factors that contributed to the crash, updating street design policies to make streets safer, and establishing a Community Traffic Safety Team to address other dangerous factors before crashes occur.
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To create change, you need community engagement. Unfortunately, many cities have complicated systems for engagement that take a lot of time and effort to work with. Here's how one community in West Virginia is cutting through that red tape.
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Reforming the administration of a city's building or zoning code is just as important as reforming the code itself. Fortunately, shifting this approach is within the discretion of city staff, so they can turn an aggravating, time-consuming process into one that better serves everyone's needs.
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We’ve assembled a guide to three towns and cities of varying sizes that have recently revised their parking regulations. That way, when you decide to pursue parking reform in your own community, you can use them as examples of how parking reform strengthens cities.
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For a city, being in good financial condition isn't just about having good reporting practices and not defaulting on debt payments. It's about fulfilling responsibilities and providing a good quality of life to residents.
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You decided to put your passion into action by running for office. Your message resonated with local voters and propelled you to victory. Congratulations! Now what? Here’s some advice from elected officials, as well as Strong Towns members and staff.
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