“The prevailing pattern of development is making North American cities and towns weak and fragile.

​

​

We seek to change that.

The Suburban Experiment Effectively Banished the Middle Housing We Need(ed)

​

…and We Can’t Afford to Live This Way

​

​

We seek to change that.

👉

SCAN FOR SLIDES AND MORE CONTENT TO DIVE DEEPER

In an infinite game

the strategy is different

In an infinite game

you must have surplus�(more available, on average, than needed)

1873

1870s

Urbanization

Notice the mix of sizes & uses

​

1. Complexity
2. Lot coverage
3. Incremental growth & adaptation

Lot coverage

Incremental growth

Complexity

1870

BRAINERD, MN

1894

BRAINERD, MN

1930

BRAINERD, MN

TODAY

BRAINERD, MN

The Traditional Development Pattern

Assemblies of (increasingly) independent neighbourhoods

The Traditional Development Pattern

Concentration of activity and prosperity-building opportunities

City of Delta Archives - Original Ladner Platte - Used with Permission

The Traditional Development Pattern

Incremental growth driven by local needs, creating more opportunities through proximity.

​

City of Delta Archives - Aerial Ladner - Used with Permission

Policy, subsidies, and a flurry of construction resulted in a dramatically simplified method of building out cities (the Suburban Experiment)

WE TRADED COMPLEXITY AND ADAPTABILITY FOR GROWTH AND PREDICTABILITY

​

​

The Suburban Experiment

A radical departure from the traditional

development pattern

(smaller communities did this too)

Perpetual adolescence

The Suburban Experiment

Entire neighbourhoods built all at once �to a finished state

👆

1897

FRESNO, CA

1909

1922

1934

1946

1958

1970

1983

1995

2010

Why would you build this way?

What does it cost you to build this way?

SCAN FOR RESOURCE PAGE

Cash Reserves ⬇ ➡ Bonds ⬇ ➡ Insolvency

“We have lost sight of what it takes to build lasting prosperity”

Experiments 101

​

What did we change?

​

How is it going?

Scan for more resources on this topic

The Suburban Experiment Effectively Banished the Middle Housing We Need(ed)

​

…and We Can’t Afford to Live This Way

​

​

We seek to change that.

👉

👉

👉

The Suburban Experiment Effectively Banished the Middle Housing We Need(ed)

​

…and We Can’t Afford to Live This Way

​

​

We seek to change that.

strongtowns.org/housingready

strongtowns.org/housingready

Entry-level housing (not necessarily new construction):

• lower-cost homes created through small, code-compliant changes to existing properties that expand the number or usability of dwellings without large new builds.

REMOVE GUESSWORK

REMOVE GUESSWORK… CITY-WIDE

February 6, 2025

LOWER THE BAR OF ENTRY

LOWER THE BAR OF ENTRY

Lower the Bar of Entry

LEGALIZE THE NEXT INCREMENT BY RIGHT

“NO ASSEMBLY REQUIRED”

​

UNLOCK SINGLE STAIR DESIGN OPTIONS

​

UNLEASH YOUR BUILDERS

LEGALIZE SMALL

For a four-to-six-story building on a small lot, the typical cost of building a second stairway and connecting the two via a central corridor on every level is equal to approximately 6%-13% of the total construction costs.

The additional stairway and corridor consume around 7% of the building’s floor area. The second stairway adds significant cost, which can mean the difference between a project being financially feasible or not.

LEGALIZE SMALL

DON’T LET A STREET BE�LESS THAN A PLATFORM�FOR BUILDING WEALTH

REMOVE AVERSIONS TO ADAPTATION

1. Strategic exclusion by class/status
2. Resistance to change
3. Assumption of auto-dependency

REMOVE SUB-URBAN STANDARDS

MAKE MANY SMALL BETS

The strategy needed for this game�is decidedly different

What role do you play?

• The city is fast-growing and changing quickly
• It’s a struggle to keep up infrastructure
• Housing is hard to build and hard to afford
• Small, practical projects face hurdles
• The stakes are high

What role do you play?�And what barriers do you face?

SCAN FOR SLIDES AND MORE CONTENT TO DIVE DEEPER