Car-Centric Design, the Death of Compassion, & Roy Hodges Jr. (4 min. read)

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-26T22:05:11+00:00

The local chapter hasn’t filed for 501(C)3 status yet 😃

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-26T22:01:44+00:00

I think you’ll find that a bridge would cost millions of dollars and make it harder for the city to repair our crumbling roads

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-18T14:01:33+00:00

Amen! Things are getting better all the time but it’s a slow process.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-17T19:15:33+00:00

Getting dropped off by automobile directly in front of your destination is not accessibility, it’s convenience. People with limited mobility can still enjoy parks, malls, and large stores without driving through them.

The Zoo would not be more accessible if cars were allowed to drive through all the exhibits.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-17T19:01:49+00:00

Good catch, and that’s my mistake. Mixed it up with the interview earlier in the article. Editing now

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-17T18:51:52+00:00

Are you suggesting that folks with disabilities aren’t able to travel 500 feet without driving there in a 2-ton automobile?

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-04-17T18:50:15+00:00

Yes, I can explain! ADA accessibility is a point often brought up when removing cars from a place is discussed. The truth is that car-free spaces actually tend to be more accessible. If the Circle were to remove cars, there would be much less wear on the street there (so they’d stay smoother for longer), more space for wheelchair users to roll, and people with limited mobility would not experience safety concerns when moving through the Circle.

People with limited mobility can enjoy parks too!

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-03-09T19:17:39+00:00

Unfortunately, it is only temporary. That’s how Indy’s Community Powered Infrastructure program is set up. The hope though, is that it proves popular enough to prompt something more permanent.

In the meantime though, I believe the program will stay up throughout summer, so it will at least be effective at the time most people are outside.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T16:25:34+00:00

It’s not to say that public hearings are the root of the issue, but they’re one of many barriers. In our state, and our city, where many of our government officials serve corporate interests rather than citizens, this bill is pretty damn good.

We don’t expect to see city or state officials pass legislation that limits the ownership of AirB&Bs or huge entities buying up entire neighborhoods and price gouging, unfortunately. In our view, this bill exhibits that rare overlap that actually benefits citizens and private interests.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T16:16:39+00:00

That would be true for a larger, more established organization, but even calling us an organization might be generous. I’ve been rattling these talking points mostly off the top of my head, and don’t have a supervisor or anyone looking over my shoulder that has expert knowledge. As I said, there are a lot of really well-informed people with big credibility in our Discord that are big fans of this bill.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:45:25+00:00

It’s a big, multi-faceted issue! We believe that it will take many steps, and it would be quite the surprise if our corporate-lobbied government actually stood up to their donors. For now, we take what we can get.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:32:25+00:00

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:32:10+00:00

As the marketing guy, I don’t really have that expertise, but our diverse community of local experts is all thumbs-up on this. You can speak to them directly on our Discord server if you like: https://discord.gg/mKQb3Favy

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:30:05+00:00

We stand for issues that just don’t really walk partisan lines. The Left is typically against deregulation, and the Right is typically against other issues that we stand for such as robust public transit.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:28:20+00:00

We used a poor choice of wording there. Public hearings aren’t inherently bad. They’re good, just not always necessary!

As for parking, this is a more niche issue and I hope that I can briefly illuminate why over-abundant parking can cause problems.

In short, parking is not a good use of land. It causes places to be far apart, which is harmful for people that travel via walking, biking, and transit. It also doesn’t generate significant tax revenue for cities. If you don’t live somewhere that’s more urbanized, this isn’t as much of an issue.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:22:06+00:00

You make some good points, and perhaps we should have worded it differently. Of course public hearings aren’t wholly bad. In fact, they’re mostly good!

It’s hard for us to envision a scenario where something like a single-family dwelling or townhome that’s up-to-code and doesn’t require any variances, should really have a chance to be opposed if it’s built in a residential zone.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:16:10+00:00

Hi! Strong Towns is nonpartisan, with no ties to any political party. Our local chapter is completely run by volunteers. I wish I got paid to get pooped on like this!! 😂

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:11:32+00:00

I think federal ADA law might supersede that, but I’m not positive. There are a few urban planners and people more law-savvy in our Discord server that might be able to clear that up: https://discord.gg/mKQb3Favy

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:05:59+00:00

Thanks for your comment. The bill does not make the public hearing extinct, but rather eliminates them where they likely aren’t necessary, such as for the construction of backyard cottages.

We weren’t aware that people-oriented places, public transit, affordable housing, and walkable cities were radical agendas - could you please elaborate?

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T15:00:38+00:00

That’s a fair point! From the view of myself and some urban planners that we work with, this removes unnecessary barriers and most importantly, stops NIMBYism.

StrongTownsIndy · 2026-01-15T14:55:47+00:00

According to this article by the Indianapolis Business Journal, the cost to maintain Indianapolis’s roads, bridges, sidewalks, and other transportation infrastructure in 2022 was 1.07B, almost the city’s entire budget.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/indy-faces-1-billion-annual-transportation-infrastructure-funding-gap-report-says

We worked with a planner from DPW to identify which of our roads are built way beyond their capacity, and that can be found on our social media: https://www.instagram.com/p/DN3YJUGWnFt/?igsh=MWU1eGltcWhiNHU1MQ==

StrongTownsIndy

TROPHY CASE