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A critique from Bay Area planner Asher Kohn, also from 2017: https://www.asherjkohn.com/blog/2017/10/30/the-weak-logic-in-strong-towns https://www.asherjkohn.co

A critique from Bay Area planner Asher Kohn, also from 2017: https://www.asherjkohn.com/blog/2017/10/30/the-weak-logic-in-strong-towns https://www.asherjkohn.com/blog/2017/10/30/the-weak-logic-in...

Ericson2314 6y ago
I'm not sure there's is actual disagreement here? Strong towns I'm pretty sure intentionally chooses it's rhetoric to try to be more Republican compatible. (Strength, budgets, irresponsibility, etc.) But ultimately they are asking for a big pile of federal dollars, to rebuild cities/towns to be more compact and efficient, just like most everyone left of center. I think it's good to point out we shouldn't just densify everything --- we already use too much land area. Some places need to densified, and others need to de-densified (remove housing and use for other purpose).
- 205guy 6y ago
  I’ve been reading strongtowns off and on for a few years. You’re correct that they try to have a left-leaning approach (densification) based on right-leaning principles (fiscal responsibility). But I haven’t seen them “asking for a big pile of federal dollars.” They seem so be saying that the pile of federal dollars that the towns and cities are already getting should be spent more responsibly, ie on projects that can be sustained by the tax value they create.
- ip26 6y ago
  But ultimately they are asking for a big pile of federal dollars No, not really. They focus a lot on "try things out" at small scale, see what works, and improving a city's cash inflow vs outflow. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/9/19/the-strong-towns-approach-to-public-investment-satbook https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/9/19/the-strong-tow... https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-studer-strong-towns-chuck-marohn-says-experimentation-key-cities/3040385001/ https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-studer... A strong line of critique has been, "City A" knocks down a "blighted" business zone and replaces it with a single business w/ large parking lot & grass everywhere- but when you examine the financials, the new business brings less revenues to the city than the old "blighted" corner mall. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2012/1/2/the-cost-of-auto-orientation.html https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2012/1/2/the-cost-of-aut... https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/8/22/the-more-we-grow-the-poorer-we-become https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/8/22/the-more-we-gr...
  - Ericson2314 6y ago
    OK sorry, I rather embarrassingly misread https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason-your-city-has-no-money https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason.... At least they agree that some up-front spending to reconfigure spaces to be more economically sustainable is necessary, if not that a big pile of federal dollars all at once is the way to do it.

A critique from Bay Area planner Asher Kohn, also from 2017: https://www.asherjkohn.com/blog/2017/10/30/the-weak-logic-in-strong-towns https://www.asherjkohn.com/blog/2017/10/30/the-weak-logic-in...

Ericson2314 6y ago

I'm not sure there's is actual disagreement here? Strong towns I'm pretty sure intentionally chooses it's rhetoric to try to be more Republican compatible. (Strength, budgets, irresponsibility, etc.) But ultimately they are asking for a big pile of federal dollars, to rebuild cities/towns to be more compact and efficient, just like most everyone left of center. I think it's good to point out we shouldn't just densify everything --- we already use too much land area. Some places need to densified, and others need to de-densified (remove housing and use for other purpose).

205guy 6y ago
I’ve been reading strongtowns off and on for a few years. You’re correct that they try to have a left-leaning approach (densification) based on right-leaning principles (fiscal responsibility). But I haven’t seen them “asking for a big pile of federal dollars.” They seem so be saying that the pile of federal dollars that the towns and cities are already getting should be spent more responsibly, ie on projects that can be sustained by the tax value they create.
ip26 6y ago
But ultimately they are asking for a big pile of federal dollars No, not really. They focus a lot on "try things out" at small scale, see what works, and improving a city's cash inflow vs outflow. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/9/19/the-strong-towns-approach-to-public-investment-satbook https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/9/19/the-strong-tow... https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-studer-strong-towns-chuck-marohn-says-experimentation-key-cities/3040385001/ https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2020/04/29/coronavirus-studer... A strong line of critique has been, "City A" knocks down a "blighted" business zone and replaces it with a single business w/ large parking lot & grass everywhere- but when you examine the financials, the new business brings less revenues to the city than the old "blighted" corner mall. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2012/1/2/the-cost-of-auto-orientation.html https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2012/1/2/the-cost-of-aut... https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/8/22/the-more-we-grow-the-poorer-we-become https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2018/8/22/the-more-we-gr...
- Ericson2314 6y ago
  OK sorry, I rather embarrassingly misread https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason-your-city-has-no-money https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2017/1/9/the-real-reason.... At least they agree that some up-front spending to reconfigure spaces to be more economically sustainable is necessary, if not that a big pile of federal dollars all at once is the way to do it.