Influences
Below are information sources that have influenced ‘Smalt Town Vibe’ thinking. I will be adding links as I discover new information.
Non-Profit Organizations in the local community building and placemaking space
- Strong Towns – an advocacy organization; supporting local efforts to change the way of thinking about the way we build our world
- Why this is relevant: this organization is on the leading edge of several placemaking concepts that begin at the local level, looking through the lens of fiscal strength and sustainability. They provide a lot of articles, 3 excellent pod casts and a variety of education and webinar training on a broad number of related topics. Spoiler alert: fiscally strong places have a positive impact on many other community issues! (free webinar course Strong Towns 101)
- Growing Small Towns – helping small towns be places people love to call home
- Why this is relevant: this organization is a perfect example of a small town local stepping up to provide a variety of services and positivity that benefit her small/rural community, as well as small and rural communities more broadly. Spoiler alert: small rural towns have many upsides and challenges in common! This organization features successful best practices and problem-solving examples in its podcast/blog.
- AARP Livable Communities – advocate for neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural areas to be great places for people of all ages.
- Why this is relevant: Regardless of age or town size, the resources and tool kits provided by this organization are fantastic! All are free to e-download on many placemaking related topics.
- Project for Public Spaces – bringing public spaces to life by planning and designing them with the people who use them every day
- Why this is relevant: provides a new lens for looking at the public places we live, work and play and scales to any size town, city/neighborhood.
- Aspen CSG (Community Strategies Group) – focuses on creating a future where communities and Native nations across the rural US are healthy places where each and every person belongs, lives with dignity and thrives.
- Why this is relevant: this organization relies heavily on partnering with existing local rural organizations referred to as Rural Development Hubs – and therefore local community is the key! (2019 Rural Development Hubs Report)
- Wealthworks – connecting community assets to market demands to build lasting livelihoods.
- Why this is relevant: this approach is designed to work at the local level, creating wealth that sticks because it is locally owned, controlled and reinvested – partners with regional “hub” partners (map)
Businesses that are making a difference
- Verdunity – Prosperity doesn’t come from endless new growth. It’s cultivated.
- Why this is relevant: This Planning/Engineering company based out of Texas works with communities outside the traditional development strategies for a more financially sustainable and community equitable result. They also offer a super interesting podcast!
- Urban 3 – Take charge of your financial future with revealing visualizations of financial analysis.
- Spoiler alert: downtown business districts are high return-on-investment community economic strategies! This company does consulting, financial modeling, and community education.
Reading – Books involving placemaking and related concepts.
- Our Towns – A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America by James and Deborah Fallows
- Strong Towns – a bottoms up revolution to rebuild American prosperity by Charles Marohn
- Confessions of a Recovering Engineer by Charles Marohn
- Walkable City & Walkable City Rules – How Downtown can Save America One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck
- The Color of Law – A Forgotten History of how our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
- This Is Where You Belong – The Art and Science of Loving the Place you Live by Melody Warnick
- Happy City – Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery
- Reclaiming your community – You don’t have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one by Majora Carter
Listening – Pod casts interviews with people making a difference
- Strong Towns – weekly conversations on the Strong Towns movement, exploring how we can financially strengthen our cities, towns and neighborhoods and, in the process, make them better places to live.
- Bottoms Up – features the stories of the Strong Towns movement in action in the form of interviews with regular people who have stepped up to make their communities more economically resilient.
- Upzoned podcast – deeper dive discussions focused on a recent big story in the media, relevant to the Strong Towns conversation.
- Growing Small Towns Podcast – interviews on a wide range of topics relevant to small town communities (based out of ND)
- Growing Small Town Nebraska Podcast – interviews on a wide range of topics relevant to small town communities (based out of NE)
- Go Cultivate Podcast – interviews with community and thought leaders in the fiscally sustainable placemaking space
- Rural Revolution Podcast – showcasing small town and rural entrepreneurs
- Active Towns Podcast – showcasing places and people who prioritize a “culture of activity” (inviting ~ Invigorating ~ Inclusive)
Watching – TV / Movies / You Tube involving placemaking concepts
- Still Standing (series) – featuring comedian Jonny Harris
- Why is this relevant: we love this 30 minute show! Jonny spends a week in a small town across Canada, then does a stand-up routine for the locals that features all the great things he learned about their communities.
- Abandoned (documentary series) – featuring skateboard legend Rick McCrank visiting once vibrant places that have been abandoned
- Why this is relevant: Focused on towns and neighborhoods of all sizes, this documentary explores the reasons why and the impact of places that get left behind.
- Home Town (series) – featuring a husband-wife team of local developers, featuring renovation projects around Missippi. They also expanded to include a couple other series!
- Home Town Takeover – an ambitious and innovative renovation series involving the makeover of an entire small town!
- Home Town Kickstart – next level small town renewal movement goes across the country as six teams of renovation professionals give struggling cities the kickstart they need to thrive.
- Good Bones (series) – featuring a mother-daughter team of local developers, revitalizing Indianapolis neighborhoods through home renovation.
- Why this is relevant: Although not a small town, this show does feature small neighborhoods and the power of local development in the restoration and vibe of a neighborhood.
- Not Just bikes (You Tube Channel) – featuring stories of good urban planning from the Netherlands and beyond
- Why this is relevant: Although focused on bigger cities, these mini YouTube episodes showcase new thinking in city/town design principals. It’s pretty fascinating! and the lessons are relevant to any size town.
