This week’s things to know:

EYES ON THE STREET: How Hoboken Has Eliminated Traffic Deaths (Streetsblog)
When you think about the way a community gets around there are a few key factors that probably pop into the mind of any citizen; time or speed, safety or comfort, and economy and affordability. This analysis and commentary focuses on the middle - safety and comfort. There is something to be said about walking, talking, and cycling in your own neighborhood and not feeling like you're either being pushed out into the street or too close to those that are also trying to walk along side you or past you. It seems as is Hoboken has found success with incremental projects that show just how effective traffic calming and pedestrian reclamation of public spaces can be on the 'danger' of the streets we all live, work, and play on. Take these examples and run with them in your own world and allow us to be a part by sharing our skills and knowledge with your community through incremental improvements like striping, bollards, and pop-ups. We can do it together! – Ryan

Strong Towns Podcast – Pete Davis: The Case for Commitment in an Age of "Infinite Browsing" (Strongtowns)
This weeks Strong Towns podcast features Pete Davis, cofounder of the Democracy Policy Network. Pete and Chuck have an insightful conversation about how commitment to a craft, place, or group of people leads to a life well lived that also makes the most of every moment. This life of commitment is often focused on maintenance - that new ideas must be able to continue on into the future in order to be sustainable. The conversation was a great reminder to stay engaged in my own community in a way that thinks about future generations. – Tim

Raleigh changes zoning rules for duplexes, townhomes (News & Observer)
In Raleigh, NC the city council has begun to allow both duplexes and townhomes in most single-family neighborhoods city-wide. The Mayor used the term gentle density to describe what the change will provide in existing neighborhoods. I wonder how much this phrase is playing in various cities across the country? So often lately we find that a subset of citizens are beginning to decry ‘density’ as the harbinger of ruin for their communities – does this phrasing actually soften the blow for them? Personally, I doubt we win the messaging war for more resource conscious development patterns unless we are describing the benefits that they provide instead of making their titles seem less scary. Maybe we should try activity-interwoven neighborhoods for mixed-use and millennial-obtainable neighborhoods for residential places with a mix of housing types and sizes. – Marshall

Here's the standard disclaimer: We always encourage our team members to freely share their thoughts and opinions, both in these newsletters and elsewhere. Given that, opinions expressed by any one member do not necessarily represent the views of the company as a whole.

Do you enjoy these weekly roundups? (Why wouldn’t you?) You can get them sent straight to your email inbox every Friday, if you’re into that.

Want to learn more about how fiscal analysis can help you make your city stronger financially?

We created a new sister website showcasing how we use math, maps, and money to help cities communicate your resource gap and explore ways to increase tax revenue and improve service efficiency without necessarily raising taxes.

Have a look! →

Hey, friends in local government:

Hey, friends who love cities! If you're looking for a place to discuss these topics (and more) with like-minded peers who want to help create a more resilient community, check out our Community Cultivators Network. It's free to join, and we are currently working to build new features for our 2021 relaunch, so stay tuned! We'll arm you with the content, ideas, and support to take small impactful steps to cultivate change.