★ Strong Towns Chicago ★
YOUR
CITY
NEEDS
YOU.
A field guide for everyday Chicagoans who want to improve the places they love.
Start anywhere. Start now.
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Here's the truth: cities are built by decisions. Most people never show up to make them. The ones who do? They shape everything. Streets. Parks. Housing. Transit. Your neighborhood's future.
You don't have to be an expert. You don't need a title. You just have to start. This zine gives you a ladder of action. Climb as high as feels right for you, and share your progress with us. We're cheering for you!
🌱
Level 01 · Entry Point
Tiny Tiny Actions
No meetings. No expertise. Just small changes in how you show up each day. Anyone can do it!
Take transit or walk
Skip the car or Uber for a trip. Every rider makes the system stronger.
Pick up trash
One piece of litter on your walk. It shifts your relationship to the street and sends a signal to everyone else.
Find out who your alder is
Know your rep. They make decisions that affect your block every week. Find yours →
Sign up for your ward newsletter
Local knowledge is power. Find yours →
Notice a street that feels unsafe
As a pedestrian or cyclist, name it. That's step one toward changing it.
Notice how places feel
Pay attention to how different spots in your city make you feel. The buildings, the liveliness, the noise. Once you start noticing, you can't stop.
Download the Transit app
The best way to navigate Chicago's buses and trains. Makes going car-free way easier. Get it →
Talk to one neighbor you haven't met
Working together makes us stronger, and knowing our neighbors makes us feel at home.
Leave a Google review for a local business
A five-star review is a real act of support for small businesses in walkable neighborhoods.
💡 Strong Towns Insight
Every car trip not taken reduces wear on roads that cost Chicago millions to fix. Walking keeps people healthy and streets lasting longer.
📣
Level 02 · Getting Louder
Little Bit Bigger
Five minutes can make a difference. These actions send signals that someone is paying attention.
Report on CHI 311
Pothole. Broken light. Cracked sidewalk. Report it → Cities respond to data.
Report bike lane blockages
A car in the bike lane is a safety issue. Bike Lane Uprising → or call 311.
Sign a petition
Local ones matter more than you think. Check out Better Streets Chicago's → transform DLSD
Use a Strong Towns Chicago tool
Maps, guides, and resources built for Chicago neighbors. Explore the tools hub →
Follow and share on socials
Share good urbanist content so more people see it. Here are a few to get started: City Nerd, Jon Jon "The Happy Urbanist", Car Free Keith
Donate money
Even $5/month funds advocacy. Volunteer orgs run on small donations.
Bike or Divvy
Every trip builds the case for better bike infrastructure in your neighborhood.
Ride the L to a stop you've never been to
Get off, walk around for 20 minutes, go home. You'll see a different side of Chicago.
Walk or bike a route you'd normally drive
Pick one errand. See what the trip feels like at street level.
Listen to a Strong Towns podcast episode
Even one. The Strong Towns podcast makes the case in a way that sticks. And listen to STC's new episode with Acting CTA President Nora Leerhsen! Apple Podcasts → Spotify → YouTube →
Fill out a witness slip card
When a bill matters to you, submit a witness slip to make your position count. It takes two minutes and lawmakers actually see it. Learn to file a witness slip →
🔥
Level 03 · Show Up
Bigger
This is where things start to really change. Showing up in person is disproportionately powerful. Most people never do it.
Write or call your alder
5 calls on an issue = your alder thinks it's a movement. Find your alder →
Neighborhood assoc. meeting
Go once. Bring a friend. You'll see who's running things and who isn't.
Read an urbanist book
Strong Towns, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer, and Escaping the Housing Trap are great starting points.
Donate your time
Volunteer at a local org. Table at a festival. Help run a meeting.
Strong Towns Chicago events
Attend a local gathering. Meet new people!
Ward nights
Your alder often holds them monthly. Show up. Ask questions. Be known.
Walking audits
Walk your block with a checklist. What's missing? What's broken? How to do one →
Get a friend involved
The biggest multiplier there is. You joining is good. You + a friend is great!
Join an allied neighborhood group
Connect with groups like NEU, Lakeview Urbanists, or NWNA. There could be people already working on urbanism in your neighborhood.
Share a car
Carpool with a friend, neighbor, or family member. Fewer cars = less traffic, quieter streets, and money saved.
Take a domestic urbanist trip
Visit a walkable U.S. city like NYC, D.C., or Philly. See what good transit, dense neighborhoods, and active streets look and feel like, then bring those ideas home.
Join a Strong Towns Chicago Volunteer Night to get plugged in
Start with something easy and gradually figure out where your skills fit best.
⚡ Why it matters: Most neighborhood meetings are dominated by a handful of regulars. If 3–5 new people show up consistently, the entire political calculus of that room shifts.
⚡
Level 04 · Civic Muscle
Biggest
You're not a bystander anymore. You're shaping decisions that could outlast all of us!
Tactical urbanism
Paint a crosswalk. Build a parklet. Plant a street tree. Learn how →
Influence how your ward spends its money
Learn the budget process and weigh in on what gets funded in your ward. WardWise Chicago →
Public comment before City Council
In person, on Zoom, or written. We can help you prepare!
Zoning committee
Where specific projects get approved or denied. Sign up to speak on a proposal in your neighborhood and make your voice heard.
Go car-free!
It's possible in more Chicago neighborhoods than you think. Use Zipcar or Turo when you need a car. You become a living argument for better urbanism.
Take an international urbanist trip
Visit Tokyo, Amsterdam, Mexico City, or Barcelona. Seeing how other cities move people will change how you think about what's possible here.
Help out at a Strong Towns Chicago event or campaign
Volunteer your time to make our events and campaigns happen. We could always use more help.
Write an op-ed, or help us make a video or social post
Your creativity can go a long way!
YOU GOT THIS!
⭐
Level 05 · Superhero Mode
Superhero
You've been showing up. Now it's time to lead. Chicago needs you at the table!
Run for office
Chicago aldermanic races are won with 3,000–8,000 votes. You probably know enough people already to run.
Serve on a board
TIF advisory councils, zoning and planning groups rely on regular residents. Open seats and low participation mean your voice can matter quickly!
Lead a working group or event in Strong Towns Chicago
Best after volunteering at several events. Talk to an initiative lead or board member to get started.
Start your own neighborhood group!
Do you see a gap for more urbanist organizing in your neighborhood? You can be the one who starts it. We can help!
Mentor a new volunteer
You know the ropes. Help someone else find their footing faster than you did.
Connect folks that should already know each other
You're in multiple rooms. Use that. Introductions are underrated civic infrastructure.
Attend a national urbanist conference
Go to a Strong Towns national gathering, CNU, or Rails-to-Trails summit. Come back with ideas and connections for the chapter.
Lead a walking tour or organize a group trip
Show new members what you see in your neighborhood, or take a crew of volunteers to visit another city's projects together.
Draft a resolution or ordinance with your alder
Alders' offices often need constituents to come with the language already written. You could be that person.
Why It Matters: Strong Towns Principles at Work
1
Do what you can, with what you have, right now. You don't need permission to make your city better.
2
Local knowledge beats top-down expertise. You know your block better than any consultant.
3
Streets are for people first. Cars are guests. Expensive, dangerous, and inefficient guests.
4
Abundant housing, safe streets, and effective transportation makes cities more resilient and equitable.
5
A city that can't maintain what it has shouldn't keep expanding. Fix it before you build it.
6
Cities should grow incrementally through small bets, not massive projects funded by debt. Failure is information.
"When people show up, they help decide what gets built, what gets funded, and whose ideas move forward. That's how neighborhoods change."
Strong Towns Chicago philosophy
Ready to start?
Chicago is waiting.
Pick ONE thing from this zine. Do it this week. Then come back and pick another. You'll be surprised how quickly momentum builds!
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