The Bottom-Up Revolution

Steve MacDouell—Professor at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario and frequent contributor at Strong Towns—shares how micro-neighborliness has transformed his neighborhood and how you can foster micro-neighborliness in your own neighborhood, as well, including how small, low-lift acts inspire neighborliness, how micro-neighborliness inspires neighbors to invest in their neighborhoods, and which low-lift acts you can make today to foster micro-neighborliness in your own neighborhood. 

This is a special mash-up edition of the It’s the Little Things podcast and Strong Towns podcast! 

In this episode, Jacob Moses, host of It’s the Little Things, and Strong Towns president Chuck Marohn discuss a couple of Jacob’s favorite chapters from Chuck’s brand new book, Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, which just released yesterday. 

Jacob and Chuck reflect on the moments throughout Chuck’s life that inspired the Strong Towns movement, including the fist bump that began Chuck’s long friendship and collaboration with Joe Minicozzi of Urban3. Jacob and Chuck also discuss what we can learn from our forebears about productivity (as opposed to merely “growth”) and why communities need to make maintenance an obsession.

They go on to talk about the importance of observation, a practice given too little attention among professional engineers and planners, but which seems to be a common characteristic of people who really love their places. As Chuck puts it: “The merging of places that are healthy and strong financially, and places that are healthy and strong from a human standpoint, is the exact nexus that the Strong Towns approach is designed to get us to.”

Visit the Hyde Park neighborhood in South Los Angeles and you’ll find the usual culprits of a food desert, such as fast-food chains and gas stations. But enter Kelli Jackson’s corner store—Hank’s Mini Market—and you’ll discover how cities can address food deserts without forgoing future tax revenue.

Salvador “Sal” Galdamez—founder and President of York nonprofit York XL—shares how you can lead a revolution in your own community, including, how to share your vision with the neighborhoods in which you work, how to build trust with neighbors, and how to ensure your investment includes everyone in the neighborhood.

Cary Westerbeck—Strong Towns member and founder of Bothellites for People-Oriented Places (Bo-POP)—shares how you can create people-oriented places in your own community, including, how to educate people about people-oriented places, how these places create more financially resilient places, and how you can demonstrate your vision. 

Strong Towns member Austin Taylor—Parking and Sustainability Coordinator for Provo City, Utah—shares how you can use tactical urbanism to create safer streets, including how to plan your intervention, how to get local government involved, and how to use your intervention to create lasting change.

Greg Wright—Executive Director at CREATE Portage County—shares the story behind CREATE Portage County and how you can foster creative (and financially resilient) communities where you live, including how to inspire creative residents, how to demonstrate the economic impact of creativity, and why you should root all initiatives in a “small and smart” way.

Ben Harrison—Strong Towns member and citizen of Lloydminster in Alberta, Canada—shares his experience serving on Lloydminster's citizen advisory committee for the City's Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan and why you should run for something in your community, including how to pitch your vision to city staff, how to introduce Strong Towns principles, and, how serving on a citizen advisory committee can help you feel closer to your community. 

Regina Portillo—Executive Director at City Makery in Laredo, Texas—shares how you can partner with local government to create and foster ideas for your community, including how to encourage people to share their ideas, how to encourage people to act on those ideas, and how to get local government involved in the process.

Thor Erickson—longtime leader in the neighborhood and civic nonprofit sector—shares how you can use nonprofits to build strong neighborhoods in your own community, including how to find your unique perspective to neighborhood investment, how to partner with your local government, and how to get your community behind your mission.