It's the Little Things

Strong Towns

Want to better your community but don’t know where to start? Enter It’s the Little Things: a weekly Strong Towns podcast that gives you the wisdom and encouragement you need to take the small yet powerful actions that can make your city or town stronger.

  • 55 minutes 23 seconds
    Building Community With The Neighbors You Already Have

    When Graham McBain moved to Sacramento, he realized he had no local friends—just nearby houses. In this episode, he shares the simple, sometimes scary steps that turned that street into block parties, front-yard hangouts, and kids biking freely between homes. The conversation traces that change on his block and highlights practical ways to start building community where you live, with the people already around you.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    19 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 21 minutes 7 seconds
    How Vibrant Lafayette Organizes Parents for Safer Streets

    Most parents worry about safer routes to school but can’t track every plan or attend every meeting. In Lafayette, Kirk Wandy and Brian Parsons help lead Vibrant Lafayette in doing the legwork—digging into projects like the School Street path, meeting with staff, and then giving busy families clear, targeted ways to show up when it matters most.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    17 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 40 minutes 35 seconds
    Starting Where You Stand: The Great Raleigh Cleanup Story

    Instead of waiting for permission or a grand plan, Preston Ross III started picking up trash on his own block—and kept going. Learn how that simple habit evolved into a nonprofit, a workforce program for unhoused neighbors, and a practical playbook for taking action in your town.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

     

    12 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 20 minutes 25 seconds
    What Jasper Teaches Us About Beating Mega Projects

    A small Indiana city took on a 54‑mile, $3.4 billion highway with yard signs, town halls, and hard numbers. Mark Nowotarski traces six years of grassroots organizing against the MidStates Corridor, from local resistance in Dubois County to growing pressure at the State House. Along the way, Jasper’s story shows how a community can push back when a mega‑project threatens its future and quality of life.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    10 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 50 minutes 32 seconds
    Building Culture Around Beauty, Craft, And Daily Life

    In an era of quick, generic construction, Austin Tunnell makes the case for caring about beauty and craft. He shares lessons from masonry, small‑scale development, and his own projects on creating places people actually enjoy using every day.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    5 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 21 minutes 56 seconds
    How One Front Yard Became a Neighborhood Pop Up

    Discover how Denton mom and civic advocate Lauren Penn turned her front yard into a thriving micro market for local makers and families, all without a big budget. She shares what it took, from permits and vendors to a rainy launch day, and how a small, homegrown experiment can help knit a neighborhood together.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    3 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 58 minutes 53 seconds
    From Empty Lots to Budget Gaps: Mapping Portland

    Downtown Portland is full of vacant lots, surface parking, and struggling storefronts—and every one of them has a price tag. Sam and Jeremiah break down how they estimated the city’s road and pipe costs, modeled new tax revenue from redeveloping a downtown highway, and started pushing for a vacancy fee. Their approach offers a clear template for linking land use to your city’s bottom line.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    26 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 18 minutes 20 seconds
    From Biostatistics to Better Streets in Fayetteville

    After moving through nine states, Aaron Caldwell chose Fayetteville as home—and started using his data skills to decode city finances and a key local bond. In this episode, his work on a modest South Fayetteville infill project, close collaboration with city staff, and a growing circle of locals working to make the city more resilient show what Strong Towns looks like through one resident’s life.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    24 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 51 minutes 14 seconds
    How One Tiny House Helped Shift Boise’s Housing Rules

    After the recession upended her architecture career, building a tiny house on wheels helped Macy Miller recover financially and dramatically lower her housing costs. She shares what that decision has opened up for her family—more freedom, more flexibility, and a life that better fits their values—and why similar options could matter for many others. When her small home in a central Boise neighborhood drew attention at city hall, Macy stayed in the conversation, helping the city pilot and eventually change its rules to make room for legal tiny houses.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    19 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 19 minutes 50 seconds
    Walking, Visibility, And One Mom’s Fight For Safer Streets

    After seeing a neighbor struck by a car — again — Abigail Hoiland set out to make people walking impossible to overlook. She shares how Stop Umbrella works on real crosswalks and how one quirky tool can spark bigger conversations about community, walking, and safer streets.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    17 February 2026, 10:00 am
  • 17 minutes 12 seconds
    How One Ballot Initiative Could Legalize Affordable Starter Homes

    Andrew Mikula is leading a grassroots campaign to put affordable housing on the Massachusetts ballot in 2026. The initiative would legalize single-family homes on smaller lots. Today, he shares how he's building a broad coalition — from bankers to housing advocates — to make incremental, family-oriented housing reform possible.

    ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES

     

    This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Thank you!

    10 February 2026, 10:00 am
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