Charles Marohn
Strong Towns
Brainerd, MN, United States
Contact Charles
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Past articles by Charles:
That's Not an Improvement
Engineers who work on municipal infrastructure need to stop ubiquitously describing their projects as “improvements”—especially when the project is actually harmful, not helpful. → Read More
We Need to Embrace Traffic Congestion, Not Fight It
We’ve spent trillions fighting congestion so that it’s easy to drive everywhere. But we’re fighting a losing battle, and simultaneously losing our ability to walk anywhere. → Read More
Christmas Cookie Inflation Index, 2021 Update
The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index has risen 10.6% in the last year. This is compared to the official inflation rate of 6.8%. → Read More
Where Parking Reform Ideas Go to Die...or Not?
You might be used to good ideas getting killed by committee. Here’s some inspiration to keep pushing, regardless. → Read More
Will We Have an Infrastructure Bill? Who Cares?
We get a lot of questions about a federal infrastructure bill, but at the end of the day…does it really matter? → Read More
Closing Out Member Week with Some Awesome Messages
It’s the last day of our member drive, so let’s read some “FU” comments from our members. …What are “FU” comments? “Fundraise Up,” of course! → Read More
How to Retain Capital in Your Community
Let’s go beyond the “buy local” mantra and start replacing things we send money out of the community for with viable local alternatives. → Read More
The American Jobs Plan Will Make Our Infrastructure Crisis Worse
There is nothing in the plan that is going to substantively change the trajectory of the North American development pattern. → Read More
The Mailbox: Can traffic cameras make our streets safer?
Our streets are “dangerous by design.” We answer a listener’s question about the role of automated enforcement in making them safer. → Read More
The Fundamental, Global Law of Road Congestion
It goes by many names — the Jevons Paradox, Braess Paradox, Marchetti’s Constant or Downs’ Triple Convergence — but the science is clear: expanding freeway capacity makes traffic worse . → Read More
Introducing the Strong Towns Action Lab
The next step in our commitment to provide you the tools and resources you need to take action in your community. → Read More
What is the strongest argument *against* the Strong Towns movement?
The strongest argument against the Strong Towns approach is one almost no one ever makes. → Read More
Announcing the Local-Motive Tour
10 events in 8 weeks. All online. And all designed to help you take action and build a stronger town or city. → Read More
In Memory of Tommy Pacello
Tommy Pacello made me love Memphis. Even more powerfully, he helped me forgive the failures of my own struggling community and to love it even more. → Read More
The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index —
The Christmas Cookie Inflation Index has risen 4.3% in the last year. This is compared to the official inflation rate of 1.2%. → Read More
Your City's Wealth Isn't Where You Think —
Small investments in poor neighborhoods are the best way for a community to build wealth. They are also the best way to lift people out of poverty without displacing them from their neighborhood. → Read More
The Solvent City: What Does It Look Like? —
A planner in Gallatin, Tennessee does the math to find out how much infrastructure his city can support and who’s paying their share. What he finds could be the Growth Ponzi Scheme in action. → Read More
America 2020: Living in the Long Emergency
The U.S. never really recovered from 2008. In fact, we're in the middle of a much bigger crisis than most people have realized. → Read More
The Local Case for Reparations —
There is nothing stopping local leaders from addressing their community’s legacy of racial injustice. Here is a credible plan for getting started. → Read More
Welcome to 2020. Jim Kunstler saw this coming. —
Economic upheaval, political dysfunction, social disorder—James Howard Kunstler saw it coming. He can also show us a way out. → Read More