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?

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@dontgetlost4078]

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

[@railroadforest30]

Exactly

[@morganmurdock2546]

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

[@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 :)

[@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.

[@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

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 👏👏👏

[@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?

[@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.

[@john.dough.]

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

[@Thehustlelad]

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

[@realityblooms]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Adolar]

Killer video, this is so high quality

[@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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@nicholasjacobson3712]

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

[@Littleweenaman]

and you can!

[@ibfreely8952]

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

[@RemiliaVampire]

I hope they can!!

[@FrancoB411]

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

[@Madaboutmada]

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

[@thenotoriousmichaeljackson8938]

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

[@brendanregs]

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

[@kpunicorn0919]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@markuserikssen]

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

[@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".

[@een_schildpad]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 :).

[@prism8636]

First post 😊. Loving this channel.

[@jon1913]

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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@tasky479]

Great video! Great community

[@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.

[@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.

[@Mimi-vy6wd]

Great video. Thank you for the work you do 🙏

[@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

[@jpatt0n]

Y'all have such fantastic video production AND messaging. Incredible stuff, it's very much appreciated.

[@David-TX59]

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

[@NoelFerguson]

Excellent example - thanks

[@AnnoyingMoose]

I am SO thankful that I have not seen any problems like this in western Canada! In 2003 I bought my 1000 sq ft condo for $230,000 CAD and today it is valued at $765,000 CAD ($575,000 USD).

[@TheZoppy47]

Very encouraging video amidst the general doom n' gloom of most informative content. Also happy to see this as an Indiana resident. Definitely still a lot of work to be done in places but I was impressed with the downtown area last time I was in South Bend.

[@Littleweenaman]

absolutely we need at least a little positivity for change

[@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?

[@YPants]

It is heartening to see this kind of progress in South Bend. I grew up in the small town of Culver, and S.B. was the "big city" where we shopped and ate out or took art lessons or went to a concert or a sports event at Notre Dame. In those days the state had some progressive Democratic leaders but political realities have cast a pall on my perception of the state. Though I haven't lived there since college, this piece (as well as many others by Strong Towns) gives me pleasure and hope.

[@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.

[@EarthStory]

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

[@marcelmoulin3335]

Thank you for creating such an informative, important video. Strong Towns has the right idea. Creating vibrant, flourishing communities with an inviting, attractive town centre is crucial. Having the ability to walk, cycle or take public transit is requisite. Developing intimate spaces without ubiquitous automobiles completes the picture. A Dutchman who grew up in California, I now live in the fatherland--in Middelburg. I recommend visiting Dutch cities where one finds extraordinary magic in their city centres.

[@korona3103]

So many massive roads! :(

[@TheLyricalCleric]

Lots of northern indiana towns with big roads-not sure if they were planning for extra space when plowing, but they don’t need all that room. Perfect for a dedicated bus lane and a protected bike lane using on-street buffer parking. All it would take is some paint, maybe a bollard or sign every now and again. A lot of people think change is out of their grasp, which makes them not even want to try the simple solution.

[@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.

[@Imbatmn57]

Ill say this about my city, at least they are going in the right direction now, using development to uplift the places that are not franchises. Although it conserns me that they leveled so many people's homes trying to get out of town investors to build new buildings to try and "save" the town, it seems like its been years since the out of town builders started on their project and all we have out of it is an ugly gray shack and a pile of gravel. They have now started rebuilding the city center which i think will be more beneficial because there are buildings that are empty over there, and are basically across the street from where the bike trail/ scenic railroad lets off. And they're going to add bike parking and shade trees. Im kinda nervous about my work though because its off the stretch of street that's getting everything added so we might not get as many customers, we are also a franchise and might loose the franchise rights if the parent company thinks we don't make enough money. We out lived subway and pizza hut at least so fingers crossed. Now there's a sandwich place where the subway used to be so we really don't need a franchise to make food, i think no one wanted to take on subway's franchise fees so they just opened their own sandwich shop, they also make rice bowls so we probably don't even need the chipotle that said they would bring to our town.

[@HassanSra]

Mike Keen, inventor of Keens

[@steelwolfwc36]

South Bend Beerworks has great grilled cheese and South Bend is doing some cool stuff but I still hate Notre Dame

[@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.

[@jelliott6005]

I love the positive tone that y'all take. Just came from Not Just Bikes and the sarcasm just leaves me with a hopeless feeling.

[@thomasprovitt1806]

Oh hey! a Youngstown mention! 🙋‍♂

[@adamosman2142]

This film was beautiful. Thankyou.

[@paulbier2182]

Something you should consider is that some of the new apartments that exist in downtown are aimed at people making 120 grand a year. The median income in South Bend is about 45 grand a year. You're looking at this from a very narrow lense and only talking to people who speak for the monied interest. Talk to people who live on the west side. No one is lending to them. There's no incentive for people making 45 thousand dollars a year to improve their neighborhood.

[@Pocketfarmer1]

One thing that is needed is a tax structure that discourages house flippers and works to keep people in their homes.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@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.

[@cuneyt4313]

Amazing video! Never thought Indiana had places like this.

[@175griffin]

I didn't see any mention of gentrification. Could these improvements be pricing locals out or are there systems in place to ensure all classes benefit?

[@lordmalachi6]

Gentrification was my biggest question during this too, I have no idea how that's being handled. Presumably the local population's wealth hasn't changed just because housing appraisals have gone up?

[@josephcarreon2341]

Is this really gentrification though? The key difference between gentrification and neighborhood revitalization is who is doing the revitalizing. It seems like these are all people within the community rather than wealthy outsiders coming in. But that really doesn't change your question, which is super important, and should be asked anytime any revitalization is happening. There are other questions we can look at as well. Would doing nothing be better? What other options do we have? In my opinion, any approach to normalize destroying zoning, specifically car-centric infrastructure, is the correct path. Unfortunately, there are so little of these towns, that South Bend will not be able to remain cheap to live in, which will unfortunately lead to some locals being priced out. I think the best approach is to make more people involved in their local politics, which should be done at the national level. Like we need dedicated holidays for town meetings just like Vermont does. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop progress until we get such things. At least with neighborhood revitalization, like what is being done in the video, they aren't removing neighborhoods for 'luxury' homes/apartments. They are merely just getting unlivable buildings to livable conditions.

[@rymww]

@@josephcarreon2341 These are great points! I would say that, yes, this will most likely lead to gentrification. Which is when a wealthier person moves in and/or buys up distressed or undervalued properties, renovates them, which then increases the values of surrounding properties. This usually results in rent increases for the surrounding properties, which eventually means the existing residents move out, and wealthier residents move in. Gentrification is commonly linked to race or large developers, which can certainly be the case, but at its core is more intimately linked with economic class and the ability of who can qualify for a mortgage/renovation loan, and who can only afford to rent. I agree that our car-centric zoning laws need to be replaced, which will take a lot of hard work and engagement by alot of citizens. And no, doing nothing is not better. But there are other options for development & affordable housing. We just have to look beyond typical capitalist models for answers. We could empower renters with grants, we could implement rent control regulations, we could encourage and provide grants for collectivized/cooperative housing, the government could build and sell or rent houses (thus removing the profit motive). Lots of great options! Certainly, a normal person currently living in the neighborhood doing small scale development is better than a corporation building “luxury” condos. But underlying economic pressures will be the same. The local developer will need to build the house and then either sell it or rent it. The person renting the property will need to not need to cover the mortgage, but also profit for the developer. This profit margin increases as the neighborhood becomes more desirable to wealthier people. Creating a cycle of gentrification.

[@cameronbateau6510]

What does gentrification mean?

[@SuperTheFurry]

Videos like this get me excited about the future. I wish they weren't just tailored to large towns. It's understandable of course, cities and large towns have the resources to make things of themselves, but I want to try to bring that same revival to my hometown. It's around 1,000 people, so much of what is talked about on here does not apply.

[@Jinkypigs]

Hopefully they do not neglect the investment in the infrastructure AND in their own people ... especially in education and re-skilling (both the young and old) as well.

[@halfacres]

can't have anything sustainable without better schools though

[@ianhomerpura8937]

How about making existing schools better? Plus, all schools should have access to finances and resources to help them boost their grades and status.

[@TheLyricalCleric]

There’s no one blueprint for the steps to success-it takes a lot of little things moving in mostly the right direction. Sure, schools might be troubled, but if more people and businesses move in, there’ll be more revenue for schools. More parents with school-age kids means more active school boards. Who runs for those school boards? Maybe you, maybe me. It really takes a village to make a village.

[@michaelharveymusic]

These videos are so good, I really enjoy watching these 👍