Who’s the “Strongest Town” in North America? 16 cities compete in “March Madness of Urbanism.”

Who’s the “Strongest Town” in North America? 16 cities compete in “March Madness of Urbanism.”

 

Brattleboro, VT won the 2023 Strongest Town Contest and was recognized for its walkable neighborhoods, resilience, and abundance of community partnerships to tackle difficult problems.

For press inquiries and interviews with Strong Towns, contact:

Karen Douglas
press@strongtowns.org
844-218-1681

Published March 1, 2024.

UPDATE March 25, 2024 — 4 towns advance to the Final Four: Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Maumee (OH), Norfolk (NB), and Selma (NC).

This Spring, 16 North American cities will go head to head in the 9th Annual Strongest Town Contest. In this bracket-style voting tournament, cities from coast to coast, including Canada, will compete for the “Strongest Town” title by shining a national spotlight on their progress toward safety, financial resiliency, housing and transportation. Cities will advance over five rounds, based on weekly voting periods.

Want to show your support? Cast your votes at strongesttown.com.

How voting works — Anyone across the globe can participate, with opportunities to vote for cities in each elimination bracket, every week. Starting March 11, all cities will compete head to head and move forward based on votes collected during that period:

  • R1: Meet Your Contestants (March 4–7).

  • R2: Sweet Sixteen (March 11–14)

  • R3: Elite Eight (March 18–21). 

  • R4: Final Four (April 1–4). 

  • R5: Championship (April 8–11).


2024 Contestants — Asheville (NC), Selma (NC), Rutherfordton (NC), Bloomington (IL), Davis (CA), Ukiah (CA), Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Medicine Hat (Alberta, Canada), Eureka Springs (AK), Grand Rapids (MI), Groveland (FL), Lawrence (KS), Maumee (OH), New Ulm (MN), Norfolk (NB), and Norman (OK).

The champion will be announced on Monday, April 15. See previous winners.

Cities were selected based on the progress they’ve made toward decreasing the negative impacts of excessive parking, prioritizing pedestrian street safety, improving transparency in city accounting, promoting the incremental development of housing options and ending highway expansion.

What is a “strong town”? A strong town is any town, big or small, that prioritizes making progress in transportation, housing, and fiscal resiliency for the long-term benefit of its people. It is not a “perfect” town, nor does every strong town look the same. This is because strong towns incrementally adapt to the conditions and challenges of their specific place from the bottom up. Learn more.

“Big change requires a thousand little bets. The Strongest Town Contest shines a light on those doing the hard work of compounding many small steps to build their vision of a strong town.” — Charles Marohn, Strong Towns President

Strong Towns is a 501c(3) nonprofit and media advocacy organization that shifts conversations around the North American development pattern. Through articles, podcasts, videos, live events, and city partnerships, they provide knowledge and tools to help cities transform their streets and communities. This is their 9th annual Strongest Town Contest.

 
 
 
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