Podcast: Four Communities Are Becoming Examples of Change

📣💛 Shout-out to all our new members this week! Join them in growing the Strong Towns movement by becoming a member today.

Alex Baril, Jessica Giorgianni, Kevin McCrea, Michael Elling, Justin Smith, Caroline Baltzer, Ph.D., Alex Pray, Chris Morton, Zachary Auciello, Keyes Williamson, Toby Ayers, Nancy Cole, Robert Bartlett, Robyn Turner, Michael Hohe, Stephen Picou, Perry Helmer, Carl Fonseca, Basel Musharbash, Arthur Augustyn, Dee Durham, Joshua Cohen, Luke Caraway, Alex Baril, Abe Rodberg, Elizabeth Gadbois, Zak Skelton, Shelby Walsh, BG Biscoe, David Page, Kevin Drake, Oluwatosin Adewale, Todd Hearns, Kara Flannery, Mark Mueller, and Gary Arnold

Chisholm Community Action Lab

Welcome to the Chisholm Community Action Lab

Introduction and Welcome (0:22)
Who is Strong Towns? (1:14)
What is the Community Action Lab? (2:04)
Why Chisholm?
What to Expect on this Site (2:46)
How to Get Involved with Community Action Lab (2:35)
How to Get Involved - Local Conversation (0:48)
Schedule and Resources

Community Action Lab Workshop #1: May 2-3, 2023

Building a Strong Chisholm Presentation

Session #1: Strong Towns Core Principles

1.1. Principles of a Strong Town
1.2. Excerpt from Strong Towns
1.3. Complex versus Complicated and Spooky Wisdom (11:10)
1.4. Taco John’s of Brainerd
1.5. Growth versus Productivity (13:55)
1.6. Optional Deep Dive
Discussion Items

Leadership Team Briefing #1: June 26, 2023

Briefing 1: June 26 (48:11)

Session #2: The Resource Trap Explained

2.1. Introduction: Will the next generation stay or leave?
2.2. What is the Resource Trap?
2.3. Escaping Dependency
2.4. Reading: Escaping from Natural Resource Dependence in Wyoming
2.5. Optional Deeper Dive
2.6. Discussion

Session #3: Measuring Success: How do we keep our kids from leaving?

3.0. Introduction
3.1. How does Chisholm define success?
3.2. The Illusion of Success
3.3. Who's leading growth?
3.4. Case Study: Lessons from Oswego, New York (8:12)
3.5. Spotlight: The traditional development pattern in Chisholm
3.6. Optional Deeper Dive
3.7. Discussion

Session #4: Love the One You're With

4.0. Introduction
4.1. Identify Our Strengths (2:04)
4.2. Tap Into "Sideline Resources" (6:32)
4.3. Embrace The Whimsy (6:13)
4.5. Learn From Failure (6:52)
4.6. Discussion
4.7. Optional Deeper Dive

Leadership Team Briefing #2: August 28, 2023

Briefing 2: August 28 (39:09)

Tough Conversations: Should Cities Run a Profit?

Podcast: Four Communities Are Becoming Examples of Change

Tough Conversations: What does development look like in a Strong Town?

Podcast: Citizen Versus Developer? No! It's Citizen As Developer

Local Lessons: Chisholm Success Stories

Here’s Where the Best Developers Are: Your Town
Starting a Local Business Can Be As Easy as Setting Up a Chair

Session #5: The Strong Towns Approach to Economic Development, Part 1

5.1. Introduction
5.2. Where Does All the Capital Go?
5.3. Building Wealth with Incremental Projects (7:45)
5.4. Public Investment Process
5.5. Case Study: Can Small Bets Increase our Local Wealth?
5.6. Discussion
5.7. Deep Dive

Community Action Lab Workshop #2: September 26-27, 2023

Housing Presentation

Session #6: Housing Trap

6.0. Introduction
6.1. The Housing Ladder
6.2. External Factors
6.3. Internal Factors
6.4. The Next Smallest Steps (0:57)
6.5. Case Study Remer, Minnesota
6.6. Discussion
6.7. Deep Dive

Tough Conversations: Minnesota represented on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

Housing Supply and Innovation Subcommittee Hearing (9:24)

Leadership Briefing #3: October 23, 2023

Briefing 3: October 23 (30:16)
Presentation

Supplemental Session: Housing Resources & How To Avoid the Housing Trap

The Housing Challenge in Chisholm
The Response: Encourage Infill Development With Pre-approved Building Plans
The Response: Accessory Dwelling Units
The Controversy over Accessory Dwelling Units (14:07)
The Response: Mixed-use development
Deep Dive

Session #7: Municipal Government as the Highest Form of Collaboration

7.0. Introduction
7.1. Vertical Flows (4:08)
7.2. Horizontal Flows (5:39)
7.3. The Four-Step Process for Public Engagement
7.4. Discussion
7.5. Deep Dive

Neighborhood Evolution Webinar

Neighborhood Evolution
Webinar: Ecosystems with Monte & Bernice (97:56)
Resources

Session #8: The Four-Step Public Investment Process

8.0. Introduction
8.1. The Public Investment Process
8.2. Case Study: Small Bets and Safer Streets
8.3. Spotlight: Making Small Bets in Chisholm
8.4. Discussion
8.5. Deep Dive

Leadership Briefing #4: January 8, 2024

Briefing 4: January 8 (45:02)

Session #9: The Growth Ponzi Scheme

9.0. Introduction
9.1. What is the Growth Ponzi Scheme? (0:55)
9.2. Why growth doesn't always equal wealth (1:49)
9.3. What can we do? (2:31)
9.4. Spotlight Chisholm: Wealth Accumulation
9.5. Spotlight Chisholm: Making Use of Existing Investments
9.6. Discussion
9.7. Deep Dive

Session #10: The Limits of Knowledge

10.0. Introduction
10.1. Cities as Complex Places (4:26)
10.2. What do we think we know?
10.3. The Limits of Knowledge
10.4. Complex Systems in Chisholm (3:53)
10.5. Discussion
10.6. Deep Dive

Session #11: The Public Investment Process Guide

11.0 Introduction
11.1. Name the big-picture struggle
11.2. Start with humble observation
11.3. Respond to the struggle
11.4. Document the results

Leadership Briefing #5: February 26, 2024

Briefing 5: February 26 (28:16)

Pre-Approved Building Plans Webinar with Matthew Petty

Pre-Approved Building Plans Webinar
Webinar Presentation: How Pre-Approved Building Plans Can Unlock Housing Potential in Your Community (77:14)
Additional Information & Resources

Session #12: Practical Steps Toward Action

12.0. Introduction
12.1. Use local resources to take the next smallest step
12.2. Lower the bar to entry
12.3. Maintain Agility
12.4. Take Action—Right Now
12.5. Discussion
12.6. Deep Dive

Community Action Lab Workshop #3: March 12-13, 2024

Public Presentation on Transportation
Promotional Flyer for Public Presentation

Taking Action

What's next? (2:49)
Taking Your Next Smallest Step (2:43)

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