Stronger Haven Book Club In-Person
We will discuss Chapter 5 of Escaping the Housing Trap: The Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis.
How did American cities become places where the neighborhoods people love most are illegal to build? This month we dig into Chapter 5, where Marohn and Herriges reveal how zoning — originally sold as a tool of public health and order — became a mechanism for economic exclusion, racial segregation, and the wholesale elimination of affordable housing types like rooming houses, triple-deckers, and residential hotels. Using Somerville, MA as a jaw-dropping case study, this chapter asks a radical question: did the rules we made to govern housing actually cause the housing crisis? Come ready to talk about what that means for cities like ours.
Don't have the book? Don't have time to read ahead of the discussion, read these two articles that complement this chapters content:
No registration is required.
- Date:
- Monday, June 15th, 2026
- Time:
- 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Phillip Marrett Room at Ives
- Branch:
- Ives Main Library
- Audience:
- Adults (19+)
- Categories:
- Civic and Community Engagement Economic Development and Nonprofits Health and Wellness
Stronger Haven is a local group based in New Haven, CT. They are implementing the ideas of Strong Towns, an organization whose mission is to replace America’s post-war pattern of development, the Suburban Experiment, with a pattern of development that is financially strong and resilient. Strong Towns advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. They work to elevate local government to be the highest level of collaboration for people working together in a place, not merely the lowest level in a hierarchy of governments. Stronger Haven is one of many local conversations doing work across North America and beyond!
