The Substack home of Charles Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns.

Good governing isn't about finding middle compromises for opposing views, but about blending the best solutions, even if they seem to clash. Industrial & Market Policy, Government Ops. & Quality, Urbanism (YIMBYism), Family Policy (Pronatalism), etc

Looking at college admissions, standardized testing, and higher education from a bird's eye view.

Personal musings of a designer/builder operating at the frontiers of historic preservation, green building, affordable housing and community design.

Get smarter about China

Higher education and the long work of leading well.

News at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, technology and business including Op-Eds, research summaries, guest contributions and valuable info about A.I. startups.

the Triangle's pro-housing news and advocacy organization

Making sense of transformations in higher education & other important social institutions.

Professional transit planner here to talk about transit planning and the social forces that shape our daily lives.

A newsletter about my writing on economics. Specifically, my forthcoming book, HATE THE GAME: an exploration of the uses of game theory and behavioral economics to win in career and life (University of Chicago Press, April 2025.)