ProjectsThis is where our focus areas become real work on the ground. Some of these projects are advocacy efforts aimed at city decisions. Others are things we do ourselves, block by block, with neighbors who show up. Every one of them is a small step toward a safer, stronger San Antonio.
Strong Towns San Antonio focuses on projects that can be implemented in three of the five Strong Towns campaigns: Incremental Housing, Ending Parking Mandates and Subsidies, and Safe and Productive Streets.
Read about all five campaigns below.
Strong Towns organizes its work nationally around five campaigns. Each one targets a specific way American cities have been built to fail financially and put people at risk. Our projects in San Antonio connect directly back to these campaigns, translating a national framework into local action.
What Drives Our Work
Below are some questions that we ask ourselves when considering the safety and solvency of our city:
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San Antonio's zoning makes single-family homes on big lots the default, which drives up costs. We advocate for incremental housing: ADUs, duplexes, triplexes, and mixed-use development that give people more options.
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Too many streets here are built to move cars fast, not to keep people alive. We push for Complete Streets, safer crossings, and quick-build fixes that protect everyone.
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The city forces developers to build parking no one asked for, using land that could be homes or shops. We advocate to end parking mandates and the subsidies behind them.
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Every new road and subdivision comes with a maintenance bill the city often can't pay. With a $6.6 billion infrastructure deficit, we ask for honest accounting before the city commits to more.
Completed Projects
Probandt & Cevallos Intersection
Probandt Street was plagued by potholes, right-of-way confusion, and frequent near misses. Working with ActivateSA and District 5, we ran a full safety audit and brought our recommendations to the city. The result: daylighted intersections, restriped crosswalks, high-visibility paint, and flashing pedestrian signs.
La Vaca Tree Planting
We planted 30 street trees in the La Vaca neighborhood to give residents shade, cool the block, and make walking more comfortable.
Grissom Road Crash Analysis
After a serious crash at Grissom Road and Old Grissom Road in 2023, we nominated the site for the Strong Towns Crash Analysis Studio. We gathered crash data, site photos, speeds, and traffic patterns, then led a formal review with Strong Towns staff and neighbors. The pressure worked: the city has since installed a traffic light at the intersection.
Active Projects
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Safe Passages to Schools
In partnership with District 1, we conducted safety walk audits around Mark Twain Dual Language Academy, Whittier Middle School, and Franklin Elementary, then presented design recommendations to parents to make the routes safer for students.
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Cincinnati Ave Bike Lanes
This project is built on preliminary designs developed by Strong Towns San Antonio. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026.
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Slowdown Southtown
A neighborhood-led effort to slow traffic and make Southtown streets safer for kids, neighbors, and everyday life.
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Street Improvements
We are advocating for safety improvements at the Probandt and Cevallos intersection to make it safer for everyone who uses it, whether they walk, bike, or drive. Residents can email city council to add their voice to the request.
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Tree Planting
We plant trees in neighborhoods to give pedestrians shade, cool down the urban heat island effect, and make blocks more pleasant to walk. Want trees on your street? Reach out and we'll help you get started.
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Crash Analysis
When a crash happens, the usual question is who was at fault. We ask a better one: how did the street itself create an unsafe situation, and what can we change to fix it? We study local crashes and bring our recommendations to city council.
Why this work matters
Most American cities, San Antonio included, grow by building new roads, pipes, and subdivisions that look like progress but cost more to maintain than they ever bring in. To cover the gap, the city keeps building more, taking on debt it can't easily repay. Strong Towns calls this the Growth Ponzi Scheme. Our projects are small, practical steps toward breaking the cycle and building a city that can actually afford itself.
Our Partners
