Resources for a Commons
"It's been so long since bottom-up change—where the primary people improving your neighborhood are actually your neighbors -- was the norm that many of us have forgotten that it's possible. We're trained to think of development as something that some external "they" do to us. And this breeds feelings of cynicism and powerlessness, and opposition even to change that could make us better off, and our cities' futures more prosperous and secure.
"At Strong Towns, we hear every day from Americans, in rich and poor places alike, who are troubled by that nagging sense of powerlessness. We also hear every day from Americans who aren't sold on the idea of incremental development, who don't believe bottom-up solutions are possible or adequate to the scale of our problems.
"But building a productive place from the bottom up is not only viable; in the long run, it's the only way that works. The Strong Towns approach is a guide to how to do it. And the community of local advocates, businesspeople, builders, elected officials—doers of all stripes—that make up the Strong Towns movement are the best resource each other could ask for to get started."
"At Strong Towns, we hear every day from Americans, in rich and poor places alike, who are troubled by that nagging sense of powerlessness. We also hear every day from Americans who aren't sold on the idea of incremental development, who don't believe bottom-up solutions are possible or adequate to the scale of our problems.
"But building a productive place from the bottom up is not only viable; in the long run, it's the only way that works. The Strong Towns approach is a guide to how to do it. And the community of local advocates, businesspeople, builders, elected officials—doers of all stripes—that make up the Strong Towns movement are the best resource each other could ask for to get started."