For the United States to be a prosperous country, it must have strong cities, towns and neighborhoods. Enduring prosperity for our communities cannot be artificially created from the outside but must be built from within, incrementally over time. An America in transition must focus on developing strong, local communities, places where humanity’s creativity, compassion and spirit of collaboration can flourish.

As advocates for a strong America, we know the following to be true.

• Financial solvency is a prerequisite for long term prosperity.

• Land is the base resource from which community prosperity is built and sustained.

• A transportation system is a means of creating prosperity in a community, not an end unto itself.

• Job creation and economic growth are the results of a healthy local economy, not substitutes for one.

• Local government is a platform for citizens to collaboratively build a prosperous place.

• Strong Towns are made of strong citizens.

We seek an America where our local communities are designed to grow stronger in the face of adversity, to be the solid foundation on which our shared prosperity is preserved.

There are no universal answers to the complex problems America’s cities, towns and neighborhoods face. At Strong Towns, we seek to discover rational ways to respond to our challenges using trial and error, building incrementally on small successes while learning early from failures when the risks are still low. This is the time-tested approach that all complex systems use to adapt and thrive. It is the way we will build a nation of strong towns.

- Charles Marohn, Strong Towns Mission Statement