Can American Cities Save Themselves? This One Thinks So.

[@JustinJamesJeep]

You know why i love strong towns so much? These videos always make me feel like a better place is always possible. These videos are uplifting compared to many urbanist channels doom and gloom. I want to thank you for the amazing content and for sharing the great stories of so many people.

[@sarowie]

true - notjustbikes basically has written off North America and moved to Europe. That is important as a wake up call, but his call to action is hard to action on any reasonable scale. Nothing wrong with asking both individual action (move to a better place) and systemic action (we need to create system that work), but Strong Town is more "boots on the ground" "local politicians, banks and developers are people - let's start and then let's go".

[@jusjetz]

The only real possibility is to make it happen.

[@strongtowns]

For the record, we 100% support Mike Keen's socks and sandals.

[@norlockv]

There’s a Home Towne Development sandal? Are they close toed?

[@IchorousIcarus1]

This is a heel turn I was not expecting, its so hard to see your heroes fall😔

[@usernameisusername]

Give me a break

[@Kattbirb]

I'm from the Pacific Northwest, and I absolutely support socks and sandals as well.

[@tristanridley1601]

Nothing beats socks and sandals. The socks protect your feet from the straps, but as sandals still breathe.

[@ethakis]

I'm a resident of Indiana, not near South Bend, but familiar enough with the state and what municipal governments in this state are like. It's incredible to see a municipal government that's pursuing progress through densification and revitalization rather than through highways expansions and suburban sprawl. It'd be lovely if the Indiana state government would actually support efforts like these, however, if your development isn't car dependent, you're likely out of luck. Hopefully with time, the city I live in will also move in a similar direction, and we can add our voices to SB's.

[@highway2heaven91]

Explains why they banned LRTs in Indianapolis

[@TheSpecialJ11]

@@highway2heaven91 Yeah, I went to college in Indiana, and so the majority of my college friends are Hoosiers. My old roommate told me they banned light rail in Indiana because of a project in Indianapolis. Absolutely ridiculous. Just don't fund the project??? Bass ackwards when it comes to infrastructure there.

[@NoirMorter]

From what I can tell that's most of the rust belt states and even the grain plains in Kansas and Nebraska. The Dakota's are being stubborn and going their own way like usual.

[@davidfoust9767]

@highway2heaven91 yes and Indianapolis built a BRT line instead and suburban residents still complain about it endlessly. It opened during Covid and had low ridership at first, but now it is very successful and has spurred a lot of development along the route.

[@highway2heaven91]

@@davidfoust9767 I’m complaining about it too. BRT is just a simple band-aid to a much larger transit problem. It’s good if it’s not the only mode of transit used in a city but it cannot be the backbone of a good transit system.

[@Awesome_Aasim]

A strong town isn't just one that is able to thrive while it is growing. It is one that is able to thrive even while in decline. Trying something different if one thing fails is better than trying the same thing and failing every single time.

[@cameronbateau6510]

Would you look outside of your town that is able to thrive while it is growing?

[@dontgetlost4078]

Developers who are set on improving community, we really need cities to cut back on sprawl to even make it possible.

[@railroadforest30]

Exactly

[@felliceteii6944]

Next step: Make it more walkable by removing unnecessary car traffic, and by planting trees along the roads.

[@DanDanDoe]

I checked out the downtown area on google maps and it really seems like many of the roads could be turned into pedestrian areas. There are already large parking lots on the edges of downtown, so people could park there and walk to the shops. It would make it an even better place to be. It would make cycling much safer too.

[@Anonymoose66G]

Add bicycle infrastructure, advanced traffic systems, pedestrian zoning (probably illegal in The USA) and overall making it a more inviting efficient town.

[@galaxy_rae]

it's getting there!

[@Jfxkxdvrvr]

Don’t care still driving 🤷

[@Anonymoose66G]

@@Jfxkxdvrvr Nobody cares that you don't care

[@meowtherainbowx4163]

It's inspiring to see property development treated with the same spirit of collaboration as my local music scene. As a child of Kalamazoo, I wish these small, hardy Midwestern cities all the best (yes, even those in Ohio).

[@jjbarajas5341]

Ohio is my favorite abyss

[@annespeck8033]

Okay, but here's one thing I didn't hear about: In my city a lot of former retail places in neighborhoods have been converted to homes because the property tax on homes is so much lower than it is on retail. I don't know how universal this is, but it seems like here we really have to rebalance the tax code in order to preserve walkable retail.

[@ianhomerpura8937]

Or better yet, have homes that have both residences and retail - basically mixed-use zones.

[@Iquey]

​​​@@ianhomerpura8937people will start doing it illegally (or at least before permit) at some point too to make money. A lot of people in homes that are too big to be profitable are secretly converting entire dining rooms into office areas or Internet cafes. Why have an empty house on the corner of a massive suburban subdivision when you could have a coworking space, a barber shop, and a catering business?

[@josephfisher426]

@@ianhomerpura8937 It's hard to create the demand for that new unless space is at an extreme premium. It is often economical to build "mixed" space to get the residential units and treat whatever you get out of the retail as a bonus.

[@tk80mufa5]

In-person retail is going away at a high speed in NA , EU & AU/NZ . People shop online , it's open 24/7 365 , sheer endless variety/inventory , no shoplifting , no flash robs . Will there be little specialized shops ? As a hobby maybe. Ultimately the internet is basically too efficient at replacing retail when combined with modern logistics.

[@AnneGoggansQHHT]

True, if there is demand for housing. If people are leaving because there is no work, however, you’ll just have empty houses.

[@ligeialovelace]

I would love to live in an area like this, where there is a strong community and people care about being involved with local government and improving the area in a people-over-profits way.

[@jacksonwhite23]

I am a serial video essay/KZbin watcher and can say hand on heart that this is some of the best produced stuff I watch. This should be shown in classrooms of how to create effective educational content.

[@halfblood100]

My town just released that my area is now officially designated for redevelopment. The wording used in the announcement in the local paper was a little concerning. It's Gilbert, AZ I'm trying to figure out how to make a proposal or a suggestion that would actually improve the area for the people who live in it. There is a lot of potential. But the towns priority for the past while is attracting big businesses who will provide jobs by providing tax breaks and so on.

[@yuriydee]

You guys are way more positive than NJB. Ive honestly been really considering just emailing or reaching out to they mayor or just government people in my town to change the zoning code. We have a 4 lane stroad that would be sooooo much nicer if it was converted to 2 lanes and zoned for mixed use.

[@ReallyNoAlex]

Definitely go to a city hall meeting too or something of that sort. Infrastructure bill funding is going to fuel a lot of changes on state roads and community input is a big factor

[@Littleweenaman]

I looked into this and my mayor is actually pretty supportive of this movement its given me a lot of hope!

[@Brandon-zs7ko]

NJB is on record for not being the guy who can help action change. He recently said something along the lines of: I love strong towns. I'm not going to help people change cities, but they are.

[@yuriydee]

@@Brandon-zs7ko which is fair enough I guess. I like NJB but i cant up and leave my life to move to Europe (as much as Id love to, I even interviewed for a job in Amsterdam before). He fills the niche of bringing urban planning problems to light and Strong Towns tried to actually give us local solutions for our communities. I enjoy both creators personally but ST definitely motivates me more to reach out to local officials.

[@Brandon-zs7ko]

@@yuriydee makes sense! Both voices have different goals and I think both are doing well at accomplishing them

[@montaviusj92]

More of this content please. I've followed ST for years and I'm sure this is the most inspirational piece of media you've produced. High quality, great stories, and practical. These people embody the ST philosophy and it is great to see.

[@cameronbateau6510]

What is the most inspirational piece of media that you have produced?

[@geospacedout]

I dont know how to explain this but we have the opposite problem in my town Stratford Ontario. Every patch of dirt is worth a million dollars so projects dont pencil no matter what we put there. Its getting to the point where only 1-2million dollar homes are the only thing we can build because theyre the only ones who can afford it. Young people are fleeing because theres nowhere affordable to live and our banks (5 national ones) dont want to take chances on projects that dont pencil, especially with these rates. I have a feeling our town is going to collapse under its on stress soon.

[@firebolt100]

It sounds like the pendulum swung hard in a single direction (the expensive side). Stratford Ontario will reset with time when the demand drops to meet acceptable prices :)

[@staceym.d.fountain8957]

@@geospacedout I live right on the Canadian border, on the American side. I have a lot of family and friend's in the Montreal area. I absolutely back you up on your comment. I know A LOT of people are scared and are barely making it. Month to month & week to week living in fear and disparity of what is actually happening. This was a very hopeful and positive video. However, for the rest of us this is not the case. Especially after the (sickness), many people lost their home's. Small businesses and social gatherings. All gone where I live. Bigger cities are running rampid with homelessness and addiction. My town/village was beautiful! Known for the the camping, fishing, ice fishing, hunting and downhill skiing as well as cross country skiing. We had an out door drive in theater, a bowling alley, ice skating, golfing, hundreds of miles of trails to hike. Mom & Pop shop's. Something for everyone to enjoy. Very family friendly oriented place to visit or live. Everyone knew everyone. Kid's had lemonade stands, we had a couple of beautiful recreational parks for everyone to enjoy. We also had many many farms inthe surrounding area. It was very picturesque with all 4 seasons. We have many rivers and lakes right in the area as well. The finger lake's are only a few hours from here. This was a very very safe place to live. We had quite a few big industrial plants, finding work was not ever a problem. The downfall here actually started in the late 80's, when they decided to build prisons. X3 double, and 1 triple maximum security prison. At that time they thought it would bring in more money from the state. Biggest mistake imaginable. Then they let "Wal-Mart" in here. That took out all of the Mom & Pop shop's. All of the Pub's-Bar's are all gone. There's nowhere for adults to congregate and visit and have fun. They also put in several Stewart's gas stations. We have 1 hospital that os ready to shut down because there are no Dr.s that want to live here anymore. No Dentist's. Nothing! They should have been smart enough to know these things! The prisoner's get released, and then they stayed and brought their families with them. Crime went sky high and the drugs came flowing in. Everyone lives in constant fear. No one knows their neighbor's anymore. The kid's don't play outside with each other anymore. Between technology and the prisons, drugs ect... The people are moving that were born and raised here are leaving because of the state of living here. Even the churches are empty! All the industrial plants sold out to China. It's truly starting to look like a ghost town. Here's another kicker! They are letting all the illegal immigrants through the border! Welfare and unemployment has pretty much taken over. The prices are sky high. No one can even think about buying land to build on, or even buy an existing home that's owned mostly by the banks. Starting up a business to bring back what once was is pretty impossible as well. It's so sad and down right depressing to see what has happened almost over night. You would have to be a multimillionaire or billionaire to even think about to fix whats been broken here. I truly believe in my heart that there was a hidden agenda in plain sight. But no one spoke up, or fought back to stop the train wreck it is today. I went to school with the people who are running the show here. It's a nightmare and a 🤡 clown show! So, whoever may read this? Please enlighten me how to go about beginning and try to help and rebuild family, community, businesses ect... I am all eyes and ears? I welcome anyone to give me hope, inspiration and some insight how to fix this? I know that my town is not the only one. The struggle is very real! Thank you in advance and I apologize for writing so much. I just had to from the bottom of my heart. Much love and respect to all who takes the time to read this. 🥰☺️💜❣️

[@morganmurdock2546]

You're killing the video production man. The FPV shots were a nice addition 👌

[@thegoodgodabove8264]

Born and raised in FW Indiana and it does me proud to see one of mine doing good and leading a charge. Get it y'all

[@ckEagle165]

I moved to South Bend because I believe in this cities ability to change. Mike Keen and Martin Mechtenberg have been instrumental in helping me cultivate new ideas I can make happen! I'm originally from Elkhart, but saw an opportunity to make a difference in SB, which can hopefully bring change to my hometown. I love that you guys came here! Thanks Strong Towns!

[@pher8902]

Honestly nothing makes me more proud of a town and its people than seeing how its people raised their city instead of leaving it.

[@LaughterOnWater]

This video is so encouraging. My wife and I are community shopping. And we’re looking for just such a town, maybe not South Bend but somewhere also in the rust belt. It’s beginning: an American Renaissance in small towns, strong towns.

[@Winnas]

South Bend has Norte Dame keeping it from not dying, a key competent for a lot of these mid-size/small rust belt cities is keeping the young people that come to study there.

[@LiefWezeman]

Being a South Bend/Mishawaka native, I never gave much thought to how great South Bend is, but in the past few years I've noticed how great downtown is and how lively the culture is, especially when contrasted with the stroads and car-centric hell of nearby Granger. Also, shoutout to The General! My brother is the manager and I used to be a barista there! The owners (JB, Pat, & Mike) are all super great people!

[@jellybeansi]

This spits in the face of NJB's recent "North America isn't doing anything and can't be saved, everyone move to the UK" rant. I'm very appreciate of that.

[@gavdev12]

The relationship Notre dame has with the community and the money they put into it definitely helps. Colleges, especially one of its caliber always help with revitalization

[@tabithan2978]

Colby is a leader in this area. Spent a lot of money revitalizing Waterville Maine. It’s looking up.

[@Surtfield]

South Bend has improved by leaps and bounds, and it is amazing to see, especially in how they talk about it in the video (collaboration, entrepreneurship, sharing the wealth). Compared to its county counterpart, St. Joseph County, it is a shining example of how a city should be investing in resident-led, incremental improvements to neighborhoods. It'd be great to see these two work better together to equitably uplift the lives of people in the entire metropolitan area.

[@davidfoust9767]

Maybe if more people move there the city can dominate county elections more and improve things on that end as well.

[@barvdw]

@@davidfoust9767 or if South Bend becomes too popular, some people with similar ideas try to get that change elsewhere in the county. You don't need that many people to start a trend, as long as they are willing to put in the effort it takes to organise, show up at board meetings, your voice will be heard loud and clear. It's not enough to get the results, but it is the first step on which your movement can build.

[@shvdfw]

The stuff being done in South Bend reminds me of some of the revitalization stuff being done in my hometown of Shreveport, LA. Shreveport still has a long way to go and is not close to SB, but there are definitely lots of good people there doing good work. This video could be a good guide for developers in Shreveport to continue this revitalization. I hope the positive momentum continues and that Shreveport will see a rebirth in my lifetime.

[@blondemario]

Sometimes it just works! What about cities that are commuter suburbs of bigger cities themselves?

[@jonathonengelien5614]

Love this positivity! Love strong towns so much, please keep making these powerful videos!

[@scottbrewer474]

While I understand the focus on community action, I'm curious how Notre Dame plays into this narrative as it's clearly a nearby resource that most towns don't have. (also, TIL that Notre Dame and other associated schools aren't actually in South Bend, but rather in their own unincorporated enclave, which seems like a whole 'nother issue!) Oh, and sweet flag for South Bend!

[@Tymo55]

I'm from Youngstown and I'm hoping to start finding ways to improve our city. This video has me very optimistic

[@davidfoust9767]

The good thing is properties are cheap in these areas. The tough thing as mentioned in this video is that it is tough to get loans for renovations. Seems to take people who have their own funds to invest or who are skilled at building and can do a lot on their own. Just takes a few successful projects before banks feel more comfortable doing loans in the area.

[@darrendemis7878]

So excited to see South Bend on here! I have lived in northern Indiana my entire life and attended IUSB. South Bend isn't perfect by any means, but they are working hard with their neighboring cities: Mishawaka, Roseland, Notre Dame and others to make a better more walkable city. Thank you for highlighting it!

[@jacksonp2397]

This is incredible because just today I was researching youngstown's planning efforts as a way to inform my advocacy for the wonderful St. Clair-Superior neighborhood in Cleveland. Thank you so much for producing exactly the content I'm looking for

[@realityblooms]

Everyone you spoke to is so optimistic and receptive. Really hopeful stuff.

[@john.dough.]

I love the idea of people reinvesting in the communities that are important to them. this is great

[@thomasprovitt1806]

Oh hey! a Youngstown mention! 🙋‍♂

[@MainStreetMesa]

Loving the storytelling skills on display here. Cinematic b-roll, high quality interview clips distilled down, quality lighting, layers of captured story and decompressed explainer clips. 😮 All for the good cause of spreading the wisdom of the Strong towns message 👏👏👏

[@funky6399]

I love your rust belt content. You should look into Detroit. It is highly on a comeback. Some big projects being done are the Joe Louis Greenway and major road streetscapes. There is still a long way to go before seeing media attention.

[@cameronbateau6510]

What does media attention mean?

[@funky6399]

@@cameronbateau6510 when the news writes articles about success and reporting.

[@samengsberg875]

They have their content and presentations on KZbin! From a sheer startup perspective, it's awesome they have it there. I'm probably going to watch a few of them.

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

Nice to see some positive urban changes in the U.S . Sometimes grassroots organisations can seem powerless for decades until sudden rapid change happens.

[@Littleweenaman]

I think everyones ready to try something different

[@Thehustlelad]

Wow, this is super inspiring! Keep going, Strong Towns! Reclaiming towns to be for people, not cars, one neighborhood at a time

[@Arashmickey]

Bit nostalgic, lived in Mishawaka for just under a year when I was 10. Although I there wasn't a lot to do in the suburbs, I still have fond memories of SB/Mishawaka/Elkhart and felt at home as much as a shy foreign kid could in a such a short time.

[@lars1588]

My concern is that South Bend will become unaffordable for its citizens. The predatory nature of the housing market quickly pushes residents out of their own communities because of rising values. As a resident of another small Indiana city, I have seen this happen firsthand. Poorer residents are getting pushed out of their neighborhoods by developers. It's extremely difficult to take legal action against these developers due to their sheer size and influence, and Indiana's anti-community development laws.

[@adikravets3632]

Housing must be not for profit.

[@mk-oc7mt]

Glad someone brought up this criticism. Relying on “good” developers to save a post industrial city does not solve the problem, and as you point out, can create negative outcomes for residents. Strong Towns needs to articulate why having more developers and landlords would benefit cities like these. Is SB even low on housing? Many post industrial cities already have a glut of rentier properties and are stuck in capital outflow as it is. I found the video to be tautological reasoning for the players that stand to make profit. It seems to be that reinvigorating opportunities for workers with industry is a more straightforward path. This is urban renewal with modern camera equipment.

[@lars1588]

@@adikravets3632 Exactly. Housing is a right.

[@rymww]

Thank you for pointing this out! I really respect Strong Towns, but this is just trickle down economics rebranded for a younger generation.

[@CommentLikeDescribe]

​@@rymwwExactly. Still hopium capitalism rebranded as "development".

[@tr4x1ymus]

Good on those people that realized that giant companies will not help them, and started changing their neighborhood not because it has a good ROI but because it will make the place where they live better. It is dumb that this realization escapes quite few people.

[@halane007]

I'm glad I've found your channel. Breath of fresh air. I'm a Somali-British and I'd love a lot of towns and small towns to be built/restored like this.

[@Madaboutmada]

Minute 17 is where the gold of these interviews starts. Great job taking apart a very complex problem.

[@Adolar]

Killer video, this is so high quality

[@jusjetz]

The USA May not be perfect but As long as we live in the USA, it’s better to make the best of it.

[@nicholasjacobson3712]

I love this attitude, I really want to make a better community too. Thank you!

[@Littleweenaman]

and you can!

[@adamosman2142]

This film was beautiful. Thankyou.

[@Tesswrench111]

I like that strong towns is making high quality video content nowadays, amazing job guys.

[@eddieredmann3]

It doesn't hurt South Bend that it has one of the most prestigious universities in the country there either, I imagine. lol No, but in earnest, this is so encouraging to hear, and I hope this mission spreads other places!

[@scriptles]

I live in South Bend, and I would say we feel like we are sinking as a city. We used to have our own mall, we used to make car's. We got neither today. Businesses are slow. I mean I started working a job in 2005 and here 18 years later it's just so much slower. Things feel worse here.

[@slavmarin7827]

thank you!

[@rezmetis6723]

Thanks!

[@scriptles]

A year later and we are not really getting much better. They need to bring jobs back, because most of us have to travel out of town just to work. A lot of houses have been torn down but still many sit empty. Without jobs though, there's no reason to bring more people. Wealth usually leaves South Bend when people get money and move out adding to the empty house problem.

[@brendanregs]

awesome video and story, cant wait for the next one!!

[@FrancoB411]

This is a nice new format! Much more specific and actionable! Nice work!

[@loveroute66]

Thanks for this great video about my hometown! I'm proud of my little city and it's been great to see its renaissance.

[@GoingGreenMom]

Lol, oh my, wasn't expecting to see my area in this one..... or a prof that had the most horrific view of sustainability when I was at IUSB. So many individuals in the Michiana area are making choices and basing them on sustainable values. Sounds like maybe he figured out that sustainability on the individual level isn't worthless even if it needs to be in conjunction with corporate sustainability.

[@RemiliaVampire]

I hope they can!!

[@andrewmorris3561]

I spent time in South Bend during law school, and I loved it. So glad to see this work happening to bring additional vitality to the community. Now it's time for me to apply this in my new home, which is another rust belt town.

[@allythearts5439]

Ain't this what every city/town trynna do

[@sharongillesp]

Until places like these tackle the issue of zoning that typically allows for ONLY single house dwellings, it will never recover. People are looking for walkable communities with a thriving downtown of local businesses, a variety of transportation choices like being able to walk or bike to downtown by providing ample planning for BOTH safety AND beauty. Decrease the dependency on cars. Those vacant homes could be turned into multi-family dwellings.

[@Mimi-vy6wd]

Great video. Thank you for the work you do 🙏

[@een_schildpad]

Dang this is just what I need, a path forward and some hope ❤

[@kpunicorn]

whoa, didn't expect to see the town i live in now on here. there's a really interesting art/music scene in town that's growing which is pretty exciting as someone who came from athens, ga which is known for those things. there need to be more apartments/multi-family housing that are not run by llcs based in chicago tho -_-

[@GG-pg9jf]

Amen

[@bobsaget4465]

@@kpunicorn whoa a fellow former Athens resident! Nice to run into one here haha

[@markuserikssen]

What an inspiring story! I can see you put a lot of effort into this video and the result of it is amazing!

[@JBMusic3]

This is a really great, uplifting video. So brilliant to hear people working together to improve their cities and really show how proud they are of this work. It's really heart-warming. Thank you for sharing.

[@stratospheros]

your channel inspires me to transform the places I live in Siberia. Thank you for the informative stories and case studies.

[@markosverdhi]

I grew up in Philadelphia, and moving to State College PA has made me realize how much I like the smaller town lifestyle. South bend looks like a wonderful place to live. How can I find more towns nearby that follow the strong towns philosophy?

[@jonathanstensberg]

Most places are breaking down because, for several generations, people have been waiting for someone else to give them a job, rather than making jobs themselves.

[@timgregory82]

I was just looking at prices of Airbnb rentals in South Bend and Youngstown as I would be interested in visiting. Crazy high. Same as everywhere I guess, but feel for people renting there. Got to get these new developments going.

[@David-TX59]

Things do change, we need to make sure the change goes in the right direction.

[@youruniquehandle2]

I'm all for building up cities. I live in a city that went from 80,000 people in the 60's to 35,000 today and see a lot of parallels between South Bend and my city. But I will always oppose giving $$$ to banks. A city directly funding co-ops and developments are far better than a city giving tax dollars to banks. It's privatizing profits and socializing losses.

[@strongtowns]

No money is given to the banks- it goes toward closing the appraisal gap that citizens face when trying to secure funding to revitalize their own neighborhoods. The appraisal gap means that they can't get enough funding to renovate- the city is trying to find ways to encourage these local developers so that these vacant lots can start generating value for the city again.

[@Jinkypigs]

Giving money to bank? I hope you don't think that coop are magically better and morally superior to banks. It is not. And I hope you don't think that allowing people to deposit in banks is giving money to banks ... seriously some of the thinking coming out of usa ...

[@jacobhebert667]

@@Jinkypigs the reason most coops, credit unions, and other financial institutions are seen as more moral or better than banks, is because banks will consistently pour hundreds of millions of their investments (which they can make using money stored there) toward anything lucrative no matter how wrong (and then lie about doing it). This includes oil companies, coal companies, gas companies, and neocolonial mining operations, but these are not the only ones.

[@LucidFL]

@@JinkypigsAfter 2008 you should know why people despise banks.

[@RealConstructor]

@@LucidFLWhy? After every mass shooting (and there are a lot of them EVERY day) the people of America still don’t despise guns.

[@etienneperron7658]

just wanted to say I really like those kind of videos where you interact with people of those communities (just like your first video on Lafayette parking). There is a lot of explainer video (notjustbikes, vox, alan the armchair urbanist...) it add something more to the youtube space. it is more concrete and less "just the opinion" of some group of people over the internet. By the way, I am looking forward to a video featuring people from Shreveport fighting highway expension :).

[@RustyDust101]

As a European myself I *could* just shake my head, and resignate from all the bad decisions that were made in the past in the USA. It is one tiny piece of the mosaic that creates the whole picture leading to divisiveness and the frailty of a society which is susceptible to demagogues and radicals. But then again, I want to help people, no matter where they are from, what their skin color is (that shouldn't matter anyway), so I need info about what has been done in the past, what sounds like a reasonable approach to turn lost neighborhoods around, and maybe inject a few ideas myself. That's why I watch these kinds of videos, and compare what I see in them (hopefully honestly represented) to what I see in my neighborhood in Germany. I do hope that not only singular lots are improved, but a concept for future public transport, with maybe trams/streetcars/overhead electric buses is included as well. With the normal zoning laws of single use lots a vibrant neighborhood, walkable and friendly with a true sense of community, is difficult to implement. Multi-use lots, with small stores and shops on the ground floor, apartments on the second to third floors, and maybe a few offices or doctors practices above that, is the way to go. In addition to that small squares and plazas, with grass and plants, not really a park, but a small oasis of green, maybe a small pond or creek, does wonders for the livability of a neighborhood. I see them here in Hamburg, Germany everywhere, and they work. If I would start to list all the amenities, shops, doctors, pharmacies, bakeries, etc that I have within a 5 minute walk from my front door, this parapgraph would expand significantly. I wish all communities in the USA a healthy, strong, friendly neighborhood with a sense of being connected to each other again. Where you not only know the neighbors by their faces, but their history, their lives, and families. Greetz from a German in Hamurg, Germany.

[@Littleweenaman]

absolutely we're desperately lacking connection

[@EarthStory]

I love this movement! So good to see in the States finally, after seeing some wonderful towns in Europe.

[@TonioTalks1]

Cleveland tryna become a “15 minute city”. LONG way to go comin from a lifelong resident (actual Cleveland, not da surrounding metro), but good to see progress from other cities too

[@IanSan56]

I hope Canton, NC can see this and figure out how to remake their city. Its a beautiful small town that's always been centered around a paper mill that just closed a few weeks ago, costing around 25% of the local jobs.

[@noahpolignone2356]

This reminds me of Peoria, Illinois… has nearly the same issues

[@Infernus25]

This was such a great video and nice change of pace to all the negativity that often surrounds Urban Planning content especially in the US. Thank you for creating these kinds of videos

[@tasky479]

Great video! Great community

[@shaunhall960]

I'm a metal and glass artist and I've been wanting to settle down in a place to put down my roots. This city looks very appealing. Time to take a vacation.

[@Bioniking]

Chico CA is an interesting example. It’s one of the few cities in CA that sense moderately committed to sustainable growth. Especially since this city is in the Central Valley, makes it a real anomaly

[@ScramJett]

Might have something to do with Chico being a college town. It varies from city to city, of course, but as a general rule, college towns tend to be more walkable and transit friendly to better support a student population who is more likely to need, want, and use such services and environments. Davis is another example. Chico will be even better connected once the North Valley rail project is completed. You will be able to get to any major valley city and the Bay Area (via rail connections in Sac). When I retire, moving to a walkable college town with good train connections and transit is my backup plan if moving abroad doesn’t work out. Chico might be an option since it’s more affordable and has a lot of nearby nature.

[@andrewpaddock7560]

I can't say I'm really comfortable with how much this depends on the goodwill of private businesses and entrepreneurs. It kind of looks like gentrification to me. Where are the renters? Where are the working class people? It's mostly people with capital and education to undertake these kinds of projects. If property values go up, what will happen to those who weren't able to get in on buying homes when things were cheap? What will prevent South Bend from become a gentrified enclave? Maybe I'm seeing this all wrong, but it feels kind of top-down from monied players. I know you briefly mentioned the importance of making sure existing people don't get left out, but you didn't really outline how that may be achieved. Would these plans also come with zoning changes in the rest of the city so that Downtown, the most productive place, isn't completely subsidizing leafy green neighborhoods surrounding it that don't feel inclined to take on any change? I don't like being so suspicious, but this looks and sounds so much like what I've been hearing about development for the last 20 odd years that has never led to growth or revitalization that included working class and poor people. The only major update has been updated assessments of productivity per acre which highlights which parts of town are genuinely productive.

[@martinelongum2439]

🇩🇰greeting from Denmark , where we see the same ..

[@Comicsluvr]

I grew up in South Bend. I lived there from 1972 to 1999. The biggest issues in the city at that time were crime and corruption. According to the latest statistics I can find (just before COVID started), crime is still an issue. A number of terrible decisions were made while I was there, from the alteration of the street direction and bus terminal in the downtown area to lobbying for the College Football Hall of Fame (which has lost money everywhere it has been). I will be very happy if Mayor Meuller can get it done but the crime MUST be reduced and for that, corruption MUST be dealt with. I wish them well.

[@natheria4933]

I dont just want a good place to live. I NEED a good place to live. Because without that, I have no foundation on which to build a good and lasting life.

[@andrelam9898]

What is encouraging is that this is not just happening in South Bend, but also in other rust belt cities. The absolute economic devastation that came to those cities following the collapse of various industries such as automotive and steel took decades to overcome. I live in the Greater Buffalo area. I've worked off and on downtown since 1995. It's amazing to see the transformation. Back in 1995 the first redevelopment of an old department store conversion to apartments happened. Most of the city continued to lose population and main street continued to look mostly dead the majority of the time. It took nearly another decade before other developers started taking other historic buildings and converting these abandoned spaces back into living spaces along with a place for small businesses. Ironically, the economic collapse of 2008 left remarkably little mark on the area. Our house values were never inflated and therefore people weren't loaded up "on mass" with unaffordable payments. Our industrial base had diversified into lots and lots of small and medium businesses. There weren't really many large companies that could collapse and leave another gaping hole in the economy. Certainly some businesses failed, but others grew as a result of opportunities. This city was mostly built by immigrants, and not surprisingly one major section was largely rescued by the arrival of a new group of immigrants. The Burmese refugees could really only afford to move int the faltering West Side. Those folks took terrible homes and slowly started to fix them up. Over a decade the momentum really swung into full recovery and that neighborhood has made a remarkable recovery. There are now constant redevelopment construction project throughout the city. There is a large mid-range apartment complex being built in an area that only 15 years ago was considered "not a great place to live." There is much more that needs to happen, but it is exciting to see the progress. f this slow but steady progress can continue, then there will be plenty of housing options, jobs and opportunities. Along with the progress is investment in making the city safer for pedestrians and cyclists. With 1 in 5 households owning no car, this means easier and safer access to jobs throughout the city.

[@thomaswill37]

The importance of supporting local businesses.

[@kzisnbkosplay3346]

50 years ago, the town I grew up in was a ghost town. Literally my family doubled the population when they moved in. They started an art gallery. There was existing tourist traffic, and now it is a thriving artist community. It did not happen with investors, but by the people themselves. We are an unincorporated town, meaning there is no city to zone areas, etc. When the town was divided up, the properties were sold dirt cheap so people could get into them with minimal financing. The houses were literally falling over, they had been miners shacks, Ave then abandoned for 20 years. The people buying them had been living out of their cars and were willing to live in houses with leaking roofs, no sewage system, and aging minimal electricity. The houses now are selling for nearly a million dollars. Part of that is inflation, part of that is gentrification. But it shows what can happen if people have the opportunity they need.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

Brilliant video

[@ryanfitzalan8634]

" we can try to encourage banks to invest in these local projects"........ how about the state or federal government TELLS them they HAVE to invest in local projects, they are insured by the FED, they literally cannot fail and cant loose out in any venture they do, so make them do exactly what the people need them to do and regulate them so they cannot work with larger corporations for the same type of projects.

[@netdoll]

Michiana resident here, I lived in Detroit for a number of years and enjoyed seeing the rebound there a lot. Now I'm back in the area due to a string of personal setbacks, and I don't see myself sticking around for any substantial length of time because of the unfavorable legal environment in Indiana for people like me, but I really do hope that the area becomes vital again and things pick up with the passage of time.

[@EricLS]

I am fascinated to know what "the unfavorable legal environment in Indiana for people like me" means.

[@netdoll]

@@EricLS Plainly, the trend towards the criminalization of being transgender in most GOP strongholds. While I'm not going to claim Indiana is anywhere near to being somewhere like Florida, it still holds worrying potential in that respect, and unlike in Michigan, the GOP and fellow travellers hold real institutional power to push through whatever they wish.

[@allanwarsing]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:05 🏙️ South Bend, a Rust Belt city, took charge of its future and created a better version of itself by revitalizing neighborhoods. 03:37 🏡 South Bend's "thousand houses in a thousand days" campaign successfully improved neighborhoods by repairing or demolishing abandoned houses. 08:39 🏙️ A vibrant downtown is crucial for a city's financial sustainability and overall quality of life. 12:01 🏠 Local developers with a deep connection to their community can create positive change by revitalizing neighborhoods from within. 16:09 🤝 Strong communities are built through individuals advocating for changes that support local development and create a collaborative ecosystem of resources and support. Made with HARPA AI

[@NoelFerguson]

Excellent example - thanks

[@prism8636]

First post 😊. Loving this channel.

[@MbisonBalrog]

Bring back manufacturing and small scale mom/pop farming and small towns be saved. Smaller cities will get trickle down effect. And resource extraction

[@lehran2516]

I had family who had to go that way for work living there and I remember everything outside of the city area being littered with boarded up and rundown property. I also don't remember the city area being particularly large. It really came across as a small area was made nice for the wealthy and everyone else was left in squaller. That was quite a few years back and it does look like they made huge progress helping much more of the area since then. It's good to hear that things are working out for people there.

[@cameronbateau6510]

Didn’t you remember the city area being particularly large?

[@MrJ567]

I've lived in Indiana for my entire life and have been to South Bend several times. It is easily one of the worst cities in the state, and that isn't going to change anytime soon. If it wasn't for Notre Dame, it would basically be another Gary.

[@SawyerWX]

My brother used to go to the University of Notre Dame and when I was younger we would go visit as much as we can. My family loved the University and we would spend a lot of time in Mishawaka and Elkhart but never in South Bend because my parents called it "dead" and when we went Downtown about 15-10 years ago, it was exactly that. Nobody there with nothing to do. I'm very happy to see South Bend becoming a Strong Town and I'm looking forward to visiting again and truly exploring and experiencing South Bend the right way.

[@whyjustyesterday]

The amount of work it takes to resist the currents of capitalism is astonishing. Even in this instance, nothing could have been done without 'good' capitalists replacing the bad ones. I don't see how this gets reproduced or expanded unless we completely redirect the currents they're fighting against.