The Bottom-Up Revolution Restarting a Strong Towns Local Conversation
Mar 26, 2026
Josh Olson, co-coordinator of Strong Towns Madison and author of the Counting Cranes blog, is active in local housing and street-safety advocacy. He recounts reviving a recurring local conversation with steady habits. The chat highlights projects like safer-streets trials, Parking Day, crash-analysis studios, and grassroots tactics for quick municipal wins.
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Show Up And Use Positive Public Comment
- Show up to public meetings and speak positively to give officials permission to say yes.
- Josh notes three-minute public comment slots won support; positivity often motivates staff more than complaints.
Reserve A Recurring Room To Build Momentum
- Reserve the same public meeting room each month to build consistency and trust.
- Josh committed to emailing the library for Central Library room 104 every first Saturday, which gave the group stability and regular attendance.
Quick Parking Trial Prevented Future Crashes
- Willie Street had repeated crashes into a coffee shop, prompting locals to push for a low-cost safety trial.
- After pushing staff, signs changed within a month and a parking/peak-hour lane trial ran from September to November instead of waiting years or spending $600k on bollards.
