We could not be more thrilled to have our friends from Strong Towns back in North Texas for a three-day conference (Oct. 3-5). And we're particularly proud that they've asked VERDUNITY founder Kevin Shepherd to share a few of the ways we're helping cities put Strong Towns principles into practice.

Check out the write-up of the event in a post titled "Meet Texas Leaders Saying 'No' to the Wrong Kinds of Development." They highlight our recent podcast interview with key members of the leadership team in Bastrop, Texas: "They're embracing a commitment to rigorously do the math on the cost of development, speak candidly with citizens about their own infrastructure funding gap, and know when it's time to say, 'No.'"

If you haven't had a chance to give that interview a listen, now's a great time to catch up on it! (Our podcast can be found wherever you find podcasts.) And we're excited that Bastrop's City Manager Lynda Humble will be speaking at the Regional Gathering in Plano! Not to mention some other friends from the region, including community developer Derek Avery and the Fate, Texas, duo of Michael Kovacs and Justin Weiss. (Full speaker list here.)

The gathering will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for anyone diehard, enthusiastic, or even just curious about Strong Towns to CONNECT with each other, LEARN from local and national experts how to build more resilient communities, and CREATE an action plan to put those lessons to work and make real-world change.

The schedule for the Regional Gathering is as follows:

Wednesday (UT Arlington)

Evening Curbside Chat featuring Charles Marohn at UT Arlington. Free and open to the public, RSVP requested.

Thursday & Friday (Downtown Plano)

Thursday: A full day of workshops, talks, networking and events with leading experts. Private screening of the documentary film Owned featuring a Q&A with producer/director, Giorgio Angelini.

Friday: A full morning of “next step” roundtables designed to help each registrant construct a unique action plan for the community issues they care about most.

Cost: $100 members, $125 non-members (GET TICKETS)

(For the most up-to-date info, you will want to refer to the Strong Towns event page.)