Who We Are

Council decides State Street's fate Tuesday 6/30 — comment now!

A group dedicated to making our town stronger and more resilient

We are a local chapter of the national Strong Towns organization, an education and advocacy-focused group which aims to work closely with local officials to promote and enact policy which embodies the urban planning principles necessary for resilient and financially sustainable town design.

Now with over 500 members, we are proud that we are not paid for our advocacy work but instead dedicate our time because we care about our city. We take no direction from the National Strong Towns in terms of policy, but instead discuss our positions as a group. Members have volunteered to help write public comment for city meetings and articles of the local paper, give in-person public comments, create social media posts, and organize in-person events.

Our Mission

Our chapter’s mission mirrors that of the nation-wide Strong Towns organization:

We advocate for Santa Barbara, Goleta, and the South County to be safe, livable, and inviting.
In pursuit of this goal, we work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for members of the community to build a prosperous place.
We seek to change zoning rules and regulations to allow for more housing to be built, particularly in areas of the community that are already walkable and bikeable. This goal stems from our wish to see housing become more affordable and to place people closer to jobs, thereby protecting the environment by shortening commutes.
We seek to have our community build more safe biking and pedestrian infrastructure in order to help grow mode share for these options.
We seek an end to the mandates and subsidies that cause productive land to be used for motor vehicle storage and, in tandem, work to establish a pattern of development and a transportation network that prioritizes pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users.
We seek for our local jurisdictions to become more fiscally resilient and strong, while pursuing policies, programs, and public ivenstment projects which encourage local businesses and the local economy to thrive.
Finally, we seek to honor and protect the history that make Santa Barbara an incredible place, while continuing the community's strong tradition of public engagement, civic action, and bold

Connect with us

Check out our events page to see when our next general meeting is
Connect with us on Discord
Email us at info@StrongTownsSB.org
Sign up for our newsletter below:

March 2023

Our First Meeting

March 2024

First Anniversary Meeting

March 2025

Second Anniversary Meeting

March 2026

Third Anniversary Meeting

What Our Members Say

“Strong Towns (ST) provides open, welcoming conversations about crucial issues and problems facing Santa Barbara. I came to ST to explore how to add more conviviality in our neighborhoods. Through block parties and street intersection painting, neighbors can get to know one another and build mutual support systems. ST volunteers will work with the City to accomplish these outcomes.”

– Bruce Caron, Ph.D. Urban Anthropologist

“Strong Towns SB doesn’t focus on a single-issue. We focus on the many pieces that go into making a place resilient. There’s already so many wonderful and special aspects to Santa Barbara, but I get excited about bringing housing into the central business district.”

– Member, Local Mom

"As a member of STSB I feel hopeful about the future of Santa Barbara because we are looking for realistic solutions to SB's housing unaffordability crisis. I joined STSB because I've been priced out buying a house in my hometown. STSB is advocating for policies that could fix that for everyone. The most important thing about STSB in my eyes is that we are trying to combine the beautiful history of SB with modern urban planning techniques in order to create an even more beautiful and prosperous SB for future generations."

–Liam McCoy

"I started Strong Towns Santa Barbara in 2023 because I care deeply about the success and future of this community. I was inspired by our rich history of civic involvement and big ideas--especially the era of Pearl Chase and the post-earthquake recovery and re-imagining of Downtown. My experience leading historic walking tours resulted in a huge appreciation of those that came before us, and why their descisions resulted in a place that so many people want to visit and live. For me, the question facing our generation is: how can we preserve what makes Santa Barbara special while improving the areas in which it falls short? How can we address some of this century's biggest issues--climate change, transportation, housing affordability, and lack of human connection--on a local level? Finally, how can we engage locals inexperienced in city and county politics with their elected leaders to solve these issues head on? That's what STSB is all about."

–Sullivan Israel, Local Conversation Leader and urban planner

"I’m a member of Strong Towns Santa Barbara because I want our city to be more livable, resilient, and welcoming — with housing people can afford and transportation choices that are safe, comfortable, and work for everyone. It's a place where we come together to discuss and advocate for practical solutions that can make life better in Santa Barbara."

–Kevin Heim

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